Verizon Disables MP3 Support

[Jerry Raia]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://digitalmusic.weblogsinc.com/2006/01/10/verizon-disables-mp3-support/' target='_blank'>http://digitalmusic.weblogsinc.com/2006/01/10/verizon-disables-mp3-support/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"V Cast, Verizon's new song download service, which will launch Jan. 16, is built around Microsoft's digital media technology and thus, as Brad Hill suspected, Verizon has decided to kill its phones' ability to play MP3 files. The rationale, according to a spokesman, is simplicity."</i><br /><br />Here is another example of the enormous carrier, Verizon, wanting more of your money. Just about all carriers cripple their phones in some way but Verizon is the king of beasts. Read this article just so you can laugh at the double speak. Unless you need to have Verizon for some coverage issue I would avoid them from the device perspective. They are, in my opinion, the worst offenders when it comes to crippling phones.

[joefuture]

Ugh, this is SO like VZW! For the Motorola 710, they used to support MP3s copied to the phone's external memory card. Then they released an "upgrade" that blocked it, presumably for "simplicity" but also having the side-effect of requiring you to buy MP3 ringtones from their preferred vendors. The joke was on them - they had a bug that let you e-mail a .mp3 file renamed to .mid &amp; save it to the phone's internal memory &amp; set it as your ringtone. Until the next upgrade...

[mpaquette]

This really irritates me about Verizon. The problem is they have the best coverage, hands down, in my neck of the woods. Plus EVDO kicks some serious wireless data butt. I sort of felt like I was selling my soul to the devil when I started using them.

[Fritzly]

A further confirmation that all these "discounted" phones sold by carriers are just a bad deal. I never bought a phone through a service provider; yes I pay the unit more but I can do whatever I want with it, change service provider etc.. I also use GSM units so I can use my phone everywhere in the world and not in the US and few other countries only.

[ARW]

Was a Vzw customer for six years before dumping them for a Mad Monkey Boy SP5m in November. Took the whole family contract with me and will not be going back.

It's this kind of arrogant crap that ultimately drove me into what is actually much better service for a better price. Only wish I had done it sooner.