A new change makes prepaid phones a worse deal than before

TL;DR

• As of January 20, Verizon Value–branded prepaid phones require 365 days of active service before they can be unlocked (previously 60 days after full purchase).
• The change is a result of a previous FCC decision to remove enforcement on Verizon’s previous 60-day lock policy.
• This will largely make prepaid phones a less appealing deal than before, as you won’t be able to leave as easily for another compatible network.