There’s big news for Verizon customers this week as the carrier has just unveiled its Simplicity plan, a new flat-rate unlimited plan that — on paper, at least — looks like it could disrupt the entire cell phone plans market.
As someone who covers Verizon’s deals and plans all year round at TechRadar, I’ve been scanning the carrier’s site today to determine whether the Simplicity plan is worth checking out (or even switching to).
The top-line message is this: the new Simplicity plan clocks in at a flat rate of $45/mo for existing customers or an introductory price of $30/mo for new customers who switch and use auto-pay.
You can get up to 12 lines on a single plan, but unlike the carrier’s other MyPlan unlimited plans, the per-line cost stays the same across the board. In short, you don’t get a multi-line discount here, unlike with the carrier’s other post-paid unlimited plans.
What you do get, however, is completely unlimited 5G data on the carriers’ high-end Ultraband wireless network, 10GB of monthly mobile hotspot allowance, and access to a few new perks. See more details just below.
What does the Simplicity Plan include?
- 5G Unlimited Ultra Wideband
- Verizon Dollars and Shine loyalty perks
- Optional streaming packages
- Unlimited talk, text, and data
- International roaming and satellite texting
- 10GB Mobile hotspot
- Up to 50% off accessory lines
I think the most interesting new additions for the Simplicity plan are the new Verizon Loyalty perks.
First up, there’s a Verizon Dollars cash-back scheme that gets you 3% back on your monthly spend at the carrier. Interestingly, you can redeem that at both Verizon and a number of partners, including Starbucks, Adidas, and Target. According to the carrier, you’ll also get discounts on hotels and tickets.
The next Verizon Loyalty feature is Verizon Shine, which looks to me like a straight-up, good-old-fashioned carrier perks program. Every Monday, customers get the chance to win a ‘once-in-a-lifetime experience’ and there are also daily promotions for free gift cards, merchandise, and other giveaways.
This week’s perks include $5 Starbucks gift cards and FIFA wine tumblers, while the ‘experience’ is the chance to attend the FIFA World Cup finale with David Beckham. Not too bad (unless you hate soccer, of course).
One slightly underrated feature of the Verizon Loyalty program is that you’ll automatically waive activation and upgrade fees. Again, a ‘nice to have’, but your mileage is going to vary here in terms of whether it’s a killer feature or not.
What about deals on the latest phones?
You pay extra per month for an included device with a free upgrade cycle every year.
When reading about the Simplicity plan on the Verizon website, the plan initially struck me as being similar to those offered at Visible Wireless, one of Verizon’s prepaid sub-brands. The Simplicity plan is still technically a post-paid option, but the line between traditional post-paid plans and small-carrier prepaid plans is tending to blur a little these days.
For example, you can either bring your own device, trade in for a discount on a new one, or spend a little extra per month to opt in for the Simplicity upgrade program. This program is very similar to Boost Mobile’s Infinite plans, in that you pay extra per month for an included device with a free upgrade cycle every year.
There are two tiers here: Plus and Pro. The Plus tier will clock in at $35/mo and include devices between $350 and $830 in value. That’s your option for covering ‘standard’ flagships like a Galaxy S26 or iPhone 17. The Pro tier is $50/mo extra and includes devices up to $1,200 in value, like the higher-end iPhone 17 Pro Max or Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Paying up to $50/mo extra on your plan is definitely quite a pricey add-on, so I think leveraging the free upgrade cycle is going to be key here for maximizing value. You’ll need to make sure your device is kept in pristine condition so you can easily hand it over every year. Note, however, you need at least 33% of the device’s cost to be paid off to be eligible for an upgrade.
So, what’s the catch?
On paper, I think the Verizon Simplicity plan is a pretty strong offering, but as always, there are still a few things in the fine print that can catch out a potential customer.
One thing I’ve seen is that video streaming seems to be capped out at 720p, which is better than the Welcome Unlimited plan’s 480p SD, but far worse than the Ultimate Unlimited’s 4K UHD streaming. I think it’s a little annoying that you get access to the super-speedy 5G Wideband network, but you’re still limited to 720p mobile streaming.
While we’re on the topic, it’s worth mentioning that you should really make sure you’re covered by the Verizon Wideband 5G network before you sign up. For some, particularly existing customers, this is a given, but if you’re new, note that the Wideband network is usually concentrated in major cities.
Other little things I’ve spotted are that taxes aren’t included in the price, and the introductory switching offer really only applies to new customers. To get that $30/mo per line cost, you’ll need to combine the $10/mo auto-pay loyalty discount with a $15/mo switching discount. The baseline plan is actually $55/mo, which explains why existing customers will pay $45/mo with the auto-pay discount.
If you are an existing customer, I’d definitely weigh up your options here before transferring over to the Simplicity plan because it’s not a like-for-like upgrade over the carrier’s myPlan options. For one, it’s a separate plan unto itself, so you might miss out on any loyalty discounts or device credits already accrued on your account.
In comparison, the Simplicity plan looks like a great standalone option for new customers who just want a barebones unlimited plan with a fixed single-line price.
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alex.whitelock@futurenet.com (Alex Whitelock)
