A leaked memo instructs Verizon employees to prepare for changes to the carrier’s 3G multimedia handsets. This group of advanced feature phones consists of eleven handsets including the Verizon LG enV3, LG enV Touch, Samsung Alias 2, Nokia 7705 Twist, and more. These 3G multimedia handsets caused a stir when they were introduced as they require a minimum data package of $9.99 per month for an incredibly low 25MB.
According to the leaked memo, Verizon is not going to introduce any new 3G Multimedia handsets starting in Q4 2010. All new non-smartphones will be sold as feature phones and will be available without the cumbersome $9.99 data requirement. If you are a current or future owner of one of the eleven 3G multimedia handsets, this good news does not extend to you. Verizon states that all current 3G multimedia handsets will stay in that group and will keep the data requirement.
Here is a likely but unfortunate scenario based upon this rumored change: you snag a Verizon enV3 as a your go-to phone when you are doing something wet, dirty, or dangerous. You better think twice as that handset will require data regardless of when or where you bought it. If you must have a feature phone as a backup and don’t want to pay for data, then you have to look further backwards to the enV2 feature phone or look ahead to the enV4.
[Via BGR]