Verizon customers with smartwatch plans are about to be hit with a price increase.In a Thursday email, Verizon informed customers with plan add-ons for the Apple Watch and other smartwatches that they’ll see a $5-per-month price increase, effective June 3, potentially raising the cost from $10 a month to $15 per month on most plans.”If any of your watch lines includes a discount, such as 50% off connected devices on our current Unlimited Plus and Ultimate plans, that discount will remain and be applied to the new pricing,” the email says. (Verizon’s website is currently advertising smartwatch plans “as low as $7.50” or $15 without a discount.)If you have an unlimited plan with Verizon, your smartwatch also includes unlimited 5G and 4G LTE; unlimited Talk & TextTalk; and roaming in Canada and Mexico for those on a Number Share unlimited plan.This comes shortly after Verizon notified customers of a $4-per-month per-line rate hike across its Play More, Do More, and Get More plans, as well as 5G Start. It softened the blow of that increase by adding 5GB of extra hotspot data.As 9to5Google notes, if you have a contract with Verizon, especially one where you’re still paying off your device, then you may be committed to paying the increased cost whether you like it or not, although a few customers have been able to successfully cancel their smartwatch contracts due to the price bump.
Recommended by Our Editors
“I only keep my watch active at $5/month for emergencies. We have 4 of them, which adds up, but is a nice peace of mind in case of an emergency. They will all be shut off,” one Reddit user writes.Another user who is locked into a payment plan with 29 months left “was told I cannot cancel the watch service without paying in full the balance of the watch.” They filed a complaint with the FCC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and urged other to do the same. “This is bait and switch behavior with thinly veiled legal games and needs regulation.”
Like What You’re Reading?
Sign up for Fully Mobilized newsletter to get our top mobile tech stories delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
