[Chrisy]

So, I was considering taking my other lines upgrade for a 9930, which is my husband's phone. He has a feature phone. Instead I may get him a BlackBerry.

I have text blocked on my BlackBerry and have been using Google Voice for free SMS. Pretty much everyone else I know has a smartphone so I use apps to message with them. Except for my husband.

The Google Voice app for BlackBerry is pretty bad and I probably message my husband the most. I am considering getting him the $10/month BlackBerry Social Plan.

Does anyone have experience with this plan? I would like to use BBM with him, and add Live Profile to his BB so he can talk to his iPhone people. Would Live Profile make him go over the monthly data allotment? He wouldn't be using the Internet at all. Maybe just a golf app.

How much data per month does Live Profile and BBM use, do you guys think?

Thanks for any insight into this plan!

[Chrisy]

Also, how is the 9330?

[raino]

To answer your question about data consumption, both messaging platforms use miniscule amounts per message sent/received. BBM I remember reading was in the neighborhood of 2-4 kb per message. Live Profile says 1 kb per 80 word message.

Just out of curiosity (since I'm a TMO customer)--how much data is included in VZN's social plan? These plans are big in Europe and Canada.

[Chrisy]

75 MB

Verizon offers up BlackBerry Curve 3G online with $10 social messaging plan

[papped]

The 9330 is basically the 8530 with some minor changes and OS6 compatibility, since the 8530 is stuck at OS5. I haven't owned a 9330, but I did own a 8530.

The curve series is great if you do a lot of messaging primarily. It's better than the Bold phones to carry around imo because it's got a very nice size to it and is extremely light, although I like the bold keyboard a bit better. The 9330 browser will be a lot better than the OS5 browser, granted you probably don't want to do any heavy browsing on the small, lower res screen compared to stuff like the 9930.

[Chrisy]

Thanks guys. Yeah, he would use it mostly for BBM and messaging. I don't think the plan includes email. Which is fine since he doesn't have an email Addy!

[papped]

ps, if you don't care about OS6, you can probably get a 8530 for dirt cheap...

[Chrisy]

On the same $10 plan?

[raino]

Another thing to keep in mind would be that file sharing eats into data much quicker. I've seen BBM compress 2-3MB pics down to 25-30kb, but I don't know how good Live Profile is at media compression (if it uses media compression at all.)

Of course this is a moot point if you guys are going to be communicating strictly via text based messaging

[Chrisy]

Yes, he'll be using BBM. Though it's text only usually. Same with LP. 75Mb seems small though! I use 5GB a month on my 9650!

[papped]

On the same $10 plan?

If you're signing a new contract and getting it subsidized anyways then it probably doesn't matter since you can get the 9330 for cheap. If you are buying the device outright you can get a used 8530 for something like $35...

[Chrisy]

It's an upgrade with a $30 discount.

[PippinTook]

Ok I actually have that plan with that phone currently so here are my opinions on the plan.

1. The plan is great if you have a WiFi Connection wherever you go. I am constantly connected to a Wifi connection so this plan works great for me. I have not tried BBM yet but so far every app I have used works over Wifi.

2. The only app I have gotten to work not on Wifi is FourSquare. I think its because FourSquare is not based upon the web browser and since the web browser net books are blocked the app fails to. So that means that Twitter/Facebook apps do not work over the social media plan.

3. So far 75mb is perfect in my case, I however did use 50% of my data on FourSquare checkins so be careful if you do find apps that work over 3G with how much you use them.

4. The phone is much better then a feature phone, that's one of the things I love about it

[Chrisy]

Thanks for posting the your experience. Helps me a lot!

[Kingdom_Living]

Also one other suggestion for you. I'd save the upgrade. Vzw sells the phone as a certified preowned device still carries the same 1 year warranty and the phone only cost $109 w/ no contract.

[yungwunn911]

why is the curve the only phone offered for this plan? No chance 9930 can work on it?

[Chrisy]

I'm not sure why. But I wouldn't get a 9930 on this plan because the 9930 browser is great and I'd go over the plan. For my hubby, the Curve is perfect. He isn't using all the features. I love this plan!

[papped]

They would figure high end device users are willing to spend more money on plans, which is true.