Verizon no longer offering tablets with subsidized pricing

Looks like those new Share Everything plans aren't the only big change that Verizon has made lately. It's been discovered that Verizon is no longer offering its tablets with two-year contracts, meaning that interested customers will need to pony up the full retail price if they want a slate with built-in cellular connectivity. Previously the only tablet that Verizon didn't subsidize at all was the iPad, but now all of Verizon's Android slates have gotten the same treatment. Examples of unsubsidized Verizon tablet prices include the 16GB new iPad and 16GB Motorola DROID XYBOARD for $629.99 each and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 for $549.99.

While this policy change means that customers will end up paying more up front for a cellular-enabled tablet, many of the on-contract tablet prices weren't all that cheap to begin with. The aforementioned Share Everything plans also brought a change to the way Verizon subscribers sign up for data for their slates, as the devices can now simply be added to an existing Share Everything data plan for an extra $10 per month. It'll be interesting to see whether that $10 monthly data option will drive more customers to buy the devices at full price or if the unsubsidized costs will push them toward Wi-Fi-only models. Have any of you ever purchased a tablet with a two-year contract?

Via TechCrunch, Verizon Wireless

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