CHAPTER 1: Getting Started
64
TIP: Save Money on Text, Video, and Picture Messaging
You need to watch your monthly bill closely. If you find out that you have gone over $20 in total
messaging charges, you may be able to cut the bill down to $20 by calling Verizon and asking to
be switched over to an unlimited messaging plan. If you sweet talk them, they will usually
institute the plan retroactively, so it reduces your current phone bill.
Equipment Insurance Plans
You may be offered a total equipment protection plan that will allow you to get a new
phone if yours is damaged or lost. Please note that many of these plans have
deductibles of $90 or more and caps on how many phones per year (usually two) that
you can recover. New DROIDs with a service plan cost about $200; without a service
plan, the phones usually cost $500 – $600. Because this is what you might have to pay
to buy a phone to replace your lost or damaged DROID, it seems to make financial
sense to get the insurance. At about $8 / month, you are paying $96 per year. If you add
on the $90 deductible, you are still at just $186 in the first year and $276 for the second
year. This is well below the $500 - $600 price to buy a new DROID without a service
plan.
NOTE: You can typically add insurance only during the first 30 days after you sign up for the
original service plan.
Mobile Wi-Fi Hot Spot
A very cool and useful feature on the DROID is the Mobile Wi-Fi Hot Spot feature (also
known as Wireless Internet Access). We describe this feature in more In Chapter 5:
“Wi-Fi and 3G Connectivity.” This feature allows you to turn your DROID into a secure,
private, mobile Wi-Fi hot spot for up to five devices. A good example of this is when you
are traveling in a car or sitting in a location waiting for something, and you need an
Internet connection for your laptop. In this case, you can use the DROID to connect your
laptop, iPod touch, iPad, or any other device that needs a Wi-Fi Internet connection.
Usually, the Wi-Fi connection speeds are quite respectable!
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