I've been "hacking" my motorolla phones for years now just to get them to do what the manufacture says they will do (& Verizon locks out). It's getting harder & harder, and now with AllTel gone I won't even be able to "fool" my phone into thinking it's an "Alltel".
HAve 6 months left on "plan".. after that it's either AT&T or "no contract" wall-e-mart. I've pretty much had it with features locked-out

Yeah, my contract was almost up and I got chumped into buying the Verizon version of Samsung Omnia. Pretty cool WM phone with a GREAT camera, but they locked the aGPS down so hard that I can't even use a bluetooth puck for gps.

Buhbye "the network". Hello any other carrier that doesn't do this. Maybe even the blue koolaid of the fruitphone and ATT.

Well, there goes that hope. :(

Anyone else notice the "open" devices approved by VZ are all modems and telemtry devices?

"Hi, I am Joe Consumer, I am making a device that is extremely data intensive and never allows it to hibernate. Did I mention it's hardwired into DC power and never has to be charged? 24/7 always connected! I plan on creating millions of these little things and hopefully build a business around them."

See the issue???

You are going to have people too smart for their own good taxing the network so the actual consumer won't be able to use their data services at the speed they expect.

Rather Verizon has made a smart move. None of these approved Open devices have a connection that will have adverse effects on the network. It's smarter for Verizon to expand it's portfolio by giving business remote means of Tx/Rx data.

My point is....dry your tears Nancy boy, you apparently don't have any idea on how to execute a beautiful business model and they do. As for devices being locked down....Again with your pickiness! Drop it! I think anyone that follows the mobile world is sick of hearing it all the way back when bluetooth was "crippled" on the V710....Big freakin deal right? I think your nepotism toward other devices has really made it difficult to see past the nice brown BS you complain about day after day! Get over it....and if you can't, make sure you choose a sub-par network (AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.)with your precious unlocked feature list.

@ KB Stansberry and CL Dickinson:

I was a Motorola phone hacker when I was with Verizon and when they refused to activate the Z6M(the z6tv without the tv stuff but a 3.5mm headphone port instead) , that was the last straw and I jumped ship to Sprint to the SERO plans. Unlimited data, unlimited text, insurance and 500 mins for ~$40 with taxes feels good. Also I have the uncrippled version of the Touch Pro, which is worlds away and uncrippled compared to Big Red's version of the phone.

Verizon is heading down a similar path Compaq did years ago (where are they now), by trying to value add with their applications, etc. We don't need their proprietary or lockdown devices. most of us are on Verizon due to friends and family and the use of a reliable network. I am considering buying my family iPhones which fit our lifestyle and bite the cost to get "open" use of internet and tools.

@RHINO:

The problem is that they (more than a year ago, mind you) said they were opening their network. Without doing a search for it, I believe their basic wordage was something like "as long as it doesn't destabilize the network, it should be approved."

Still waiting on those apps. I get what you're saying about the too data intensive bullsh*t but that's just stupid. How about having ANYTHING that competes with Apple's app store. Here's a basic example: gps nav. So people can have gps on other carriers, it doesn't ruin their network, but it would Verizon's? Or is it because they stand to lose a lot of money as people, who are already paying for a freaking unlimited data plan, drop vznav for something that is free.

Why do I have to pay for apps that other's get for free. SURELY they realize they stand to lose more customers to AT&T. I've been waving that VZW banner for several years, gotten several people to switch over to my side. But if AT&T had HSDPA in my area I'd have an iPhone. And I hate apple.

All because I have to pay money for things like yellow pages, restaurant guides that I'll NEVER use but still might want to have around.

Oh yeah, and I highly enjoy trying to browse the web on a BREW enabled device. Nothing makes me happier than not being able to see sh*t when all I want to do is check the Times.

Go shill for Verizon somewhere else.

All of this complaining about Verizon wireless is ineffectual and absurd. The way to show that you are discontent with Verizon is to not have there service PERIOD. They boast about the network (That's Nice), but there network is only as good as the people that are willing to support it. The less customers Verizon wireless has the more they will have to rethink there way of doing business. Remember we have the control. We are the consumer. We a have choice. Verizon is not the only Cell phone provider

How is it that it's Verizon's fault when it is the global economic crisis that makes funding impossible for anyone to do stuff?

Verizon approved AirVoice's phone, but AirVoice doesn't have the money to launch the phone --- not Verizon's fault.