...except there's almost no details about why it might be a bad thing. The article only mentions two downsides. The first is lack of LTE, and the second is throttling.

I've not noticed any problems with data speeds on HSPA+. It's pretty great, actually. So far I don't miss LTE one bit. Perhaps it's because I moved from a slower phone with faster internet to a faster phone with slower internet. In all it's either a wash or perhaps a little better because rendering times have improved.

Throttling isn't a problem for me because I know it's not unlimited data. It's 5GB then I get throttled. I prefer that to having 6GB on Verizon (for 4.5 times the cost) and getting hit with overages. I just make sure I stay under my cap, just like I did before.


My VZW date was approaching (December). Even with the ETF, I still saved money by bailing out only a month ahead of it. I wish I'd done it months ago.