Good news if you're a Sprint customer. Expect big changes within the coming 1-2 years. If you follow the stock market then you may have just heard that Sprint was recently purchased by SoftBank. The FCC has officially approved the deal now. In another transitional move, Sprint has purchased the entirety of Clearwire.
The big news is that SoftBank will be giving Sprint $5 billion this year to expand its 4G LTE network to compete directly with Verizon and AT&t.
Add that to the fact that Sprint now owns the Clearwire technology and can acquire all of their towers and things are looking pretty positive for Sprint customers all in all. Obviously this stuff doesn't happen over night, but give it 1-2 years time and you will see Sprint leading the way.
HeyItsRyan said:
Good news if you're a Sprint customer. Expect big changes within the coming 1-2 years. If you follow the stock market then you may have just heard that Sprint was recently purchased by SoftBank. The FCC has officially approved the deal now. In another transitional move, Sprint has purchased the entirety of Clearwire.
The big news is that SoftBank will be giving Sprint $5 billion this year to expand its 4G LTE network to compete directly with Verizon and AT&t.
Add that to the fact that Sprint now owns the Clearwire technology and can acquire all of their towers and things are looking pretty positive for Sprint customers all in all. Obviously this stuff doesn't happen over night, but give it 1-2 years time and you will see Sprint leading the way.
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Yes... this is all true. But see THIS, which is the exact opposite of good news for Sprint customers
Joe0113 said:
Yes... this is all true. But see THIS, which is the exact opposite of good news for Sprint customers
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No worries.. That thread saying the plans are more expensive are incorrect.
If you have a SINGLE line with Sprint then you're more than likely on the 'Everything Data 450' plan, which costs $79.99 a month before tax. To stay at the same monthly price you should just switch to the 'Unlimited, My Way' plan which costs you $50 for unlimited talk and text, and $30 for the unlimited data. $50 + $30 = $80.. which is what the Everything Data 450 plan costs right now.
It's actually a BETTER option, because now you get unlimited calling. With the Everything Data 450 plan, you only get 450 anytime minutes. With the new plan at the SAME price you get unlimited EVERYTHING. Or, you can choose the 'My All-in' plan for $110 month and get unlimited data, text, and calling PLUS a 5GB hotspot add-on for your phone.
The price scheme is the same for 2 phones as well. The only people who are gonna end up paying MORE are the ones who have 3 or more lines on their accounts. But remember, not ALL phones will require unlimited data, and some phone may be basic phones. So the plan will be cheaper.
If you have multiple SMARTphones with Sprint and want unlimited data, here is a breakdown of what you'll be paying with the new plans:
2 phones currently on the 'Everything Data Share 1500' plan = $149.99
2 phones on the new 'Everything, My Way' plan = $150 per month but now you get unlimited calling
3 phones currently on the 'Everything Data Share 1500' plan = $179.98
3 phones on the new 'Everything, My Way' plan = $210 per month but now you get unlimited calling
4 phones currently on the 'Everything Data Share 1500' plan = $209.97
4 phones on the new 'Everything, My Way' plan = $260 per month but now you get unlimited calling
But like I said, everyone with only 1 or 2 lines of service will NOT notice price differences unless they switch to the "My All-in" plan, but that's totally up to them.
Hope this helps.
HeyItsRyan said:
No worries.. That thread saying the plans are more expensive are incorrect.
If you have a SINGLE line with Sprint then you're more than likely on the 'Everything Data 450' plan, which costs $79.99 a month before tax. To stay at the same monthly price you should just switch to the 'Unlimited, My Way' plan which costs you $50 for unlimited talk and text, and $30 for the unlimited data. $50 + $30 = $80.. which is what the Everything Data 450 plan costs right now.
It's actually a BETTER option, because now you get unlimited calling. With the Everything Data 450 plan, you only get 450 anytime minutes. With the new plan at the SAME price you get unlimited EVERYTHING. Or, you can choose the 'My All-in' plan for $110 month and get unlimited data, text, and calling PLUS a 5GB hotspot add-on for your phone.
The price scheme is the same for 2 phones as well. The only people who are gonna end up paying MORE are the ones who have 3 or more lines on their accounts. But remember, not ALL phones will require unlimited data, and some phone may be basic phones. So the plan will be cheaper.
If you have multiple SMARTphones with Sprint and want unlimited data, here is a breakdown of what you'll be paying with the new plans:
2 phones currently on the 'Everything Data Share 1500' plan = $149.99
2 phones on the new 'Everything, My Way' plan = $150 per month but now you get unlimited calling
3 phones currently on the 'Everything Data Share 1500' plan = $179.98
3 phones on the new 'Everything, My Way' plan = $210 per month but now you get unlimited calling
4 phones currently on the 'Everything Data Share 1500' plan = $209.97
4 phones on the new 'Everything, My Way' plan = $260 per month but now you get unlimited calling
But like I said, everyone with only 1 or 2 lines of service will NOT notice price differences unless they switch to the "My All-in" plan, but that's totally up to them.
Hope this helps.
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Well I'm on a family plan (me+mom+dad+sis+bro) all 5 of us have smartphones. Unlimited text+data. So the hike in price will be extremely ridiculous, my parents will probably and HOPEFULLY switch to Verizon!!
Joe0113 said:
Well I'm on a family plan (me+mom+dad+sis+bro) all 5 of us have smartphones. Unlimited text+data. So the hike in price will be extremely ridiculous, my parents will probably and HOPEFULLY switch to Verizon!!
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Believe me...the grass is not greener in the other side.
Verizon service may be the most reliable but they lock their devices down to the max. They're always the first to up their prices too. I had the Verizon S4 and it lacked some of the basic features on the S4 that other variants have, like blocking mode.
I was with Sprint like 5 years ago before I switched to ATT and then Verizon. Based on what my family members told me about Sprint being better than before, I switched back to Sprint yesterday. And to my amaze they have 4G here and they're 3G is not as bad as it was years ago. Heck, ATT still doesn't have 4G here where in live.
I'm gonna try and wait it through to see what big changes Sprint comes out the gate with.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
How do you keep getting out of your contract so freely.....or are you paying every time?
plmiller0905 said:
Believe me...the grass is not greener in the other side.
Verizon service may be the most reliable but they lock their devices down to the max. They're always the first to up their prices too. I had the Verizon S4 and it lacked some of the basic features on the S4 that other variants have, like blocking mode.
I was with Sprint like 5 years ago before I switched to ATT and then Verizon. Based on what my family members told me about Sprint being better than before, I switched back to Sprint yesterday. And to my amaze they have 4G here and they're 3G is not as bad as it was years ago. Heck, ATT still doesn't have 4G here where in live.
I'm gonna try and wait it through to see what big changes Sprint comes out the gate with.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
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Snazarian said:
How do you keep getting out of your contract so freely.....or are you paying every time?
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Well for my kids lines, I normally buy their phones off Craigslist, so I don't have a etf on their lines. As far as my wife and my lines, I pay the etf... But I cancel my line first then my wife's line in the next billing cycle. That way both etf's don't end up on the same bill.
Then I resale the phones my wife and I was using and recoup some of what I have to pay on the etf.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2
I love my sprint service after network vision. The data speeds are great. The question is how is sprint going to fix the large roaming areas. I hope softbank can fund sprint to fix this. Look at floridas map.
The ONLY thing that concerns me is the throttling of data speeds. They have long touted not throttling. And now they are. I've been telling everyone thatnsoftbank was a very bad idea. It was obvious but people just seen the couple billion to be spent on LTE. Problem is, Sprint is no longer Sprint. We are Softbank and Softbank ONLY. Don't expect anything to be how it was. All new business strategy and leadership. Verizon prices with slow speeds and far less coverage.
Sent from my SGS4. Go Blue!! Buck the Fuc keyes!!
Actually id go so far as to say that a single line plan for myself would cost a good bit more with the new plans. i have a 25% discount that gets applied to my first line, with the new plan that discount is dropped to first line for mins etc then i have to pay the full amount on data.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/0...y-all-in-plans-available-beginning-july-12th/
eskomo said:
The ONLY thing that concerns me is the throttling of data speeds. They have long touted not throttling. And now they are. I've been telling everyone thatnsoftbank was a very bad idea. It was obvious but people just seen the couple billion to be spent on LTE. Problem is, Sprint is no longer Sprint. We are Softbank and Softbank ONLY. Don't expect anything to be how it was. All new business strategy and leadership. Verizon prices with slow speeds and far less coverage.
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Good points. And even the LTE thing I take with a huge grain of salt. Sprint been promising LTE will be almost everywhere in 1-2 years for years now. I'll believe it when I see it.
jejb said:
Good points. And even the LTE thing I take with a huge grain of salt. Sprint been promising LTE will be almost everywhere in 1-2 years for years now. I'll believe it when I see it.
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Larger markets will get LTE first. We only just NOW are getting enhanced 3G where I live. But, realistically, thanks to the SoftBank deal I predict most markets will have LTE within the next 1 1/2 years. It's definitely not an overnight switch.
Remember the EDGE network, a.k.a. 2G? Remember how long it took for everyone to get 3G when you first heard about it?
HeyItsRyan said:
Larger markets will get LTE first. We only just NOW are getting enhanced 3G where I live. But, realistically, thanks to the SoftBank deal I predict most markets will have LTE within the next 1 1/2 years. It's definitely not an overnight switch.
Remember the EDGE network, a.k.a. 2G? Remember how long it took for everyone to get 3G when you first heard about it?
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This is a false statement if you are talking about Sprints LTE deployment. They are not upgrading based on population. And they aren't doing upgrades city to city. They are upgrading whole markets at the same time.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2
Joe0113 said:
Well I'm on a family plan (me+mom+dad+sis+bro) all 5 of us have smartphones. Unlimited text+data. So the hike in price will be extremely ridiculous, my parents will probably and HOPEFULLY switch to Verizon!!
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Click to collapse
What you need to understand is the $10 per line you pay for premium data. In the new plan, it's built in. That drops you 50 right there. These new plans are actually cheaper.
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app
GiantJay said:
This is a false statement if you are talking about Sprints LTE deployment. They are not upgrading based on population. And they aren't doing upgrades city to city. They are upgrading whole markets at the same time.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2
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Ok, not sure where you got that information from.
The LTE roll will eventually be nationwide, but you can't expect the whole nation to make the switch overnight. LARGER markets will get LTE first which makes sense. Who do you expect to have LTE first... New York City, or some little town in northern Washington?
The switch will take place piece by piece and step by step with priority going to markets with a higher demand for 4G LTE. Like I said in my previous post, I expect 90% of all markets to have LTE within the next 1 1/2 years.
HeyItsRyan said:
Ok, not sure where you got that information from.
The LTE roll will eventually be nationwide, but you can't expect the whole nation to make the switch overnight. LARGER markets will get LTE first which makes sense. Who do you expect to have LTE first... New York City, or some little town in northern Washington?
The switch will take place piece by piece and step by step with priority going to markets with a higher demand for 4G LTE. Like I said in my previous post, I expect 90% of all markets to have LTE within the next 1 1/2 years.
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I hope so, 2 years ago.... a lady from Sprint swore to my bf that we would have 4g at the end of the year........nope nothing....I hardly even get 3g (in some locations)
I don't care what anyone says and no one will convince me otherwise. Sprint's network upgrade vision has been/is terrible. They should of been doing LTE like others instead of wasting time/money on WiMax. T-Mobile has done in a year what Sprint should have been able to do years ago. I've been with Sprint for a while and am really getting fed up with it all. I'm lucky to have LTE (about 50%) where I live but we never got WiMax and the 3G speeds suck and always have. The new pricing better not mess with my corporate rates or I'm jumping ship.
HeyItsRyan said:
Ok, not sure where you got that information from.
The LTE roll will eventually be nationwide, but you can't expect the whole nation to make the switch overnight. LARGER markets will get LTE first which makes sense. Who do you expect to have LTE first... New York City, or some little town in northern Washington?
The switch will take place piece by piece and step by step with priority going to markets with a higher demand for 4G LTE. Like I said in my previous post, I expect 90% of all markets to have LTE within the next 1 1/2 years.
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Click to collapse
Let's just say I know people. They are not doing upgrades based on population. New York and LA would have been the first places to get LTE if that was the case. Not to mention there is different LTE providers per region of the country. Such as Alcatel/Lucent, Samsung, Ericsson. It is by whole markets not cities. Example the whole Upper Central Valley of California is a market. Which goes from Oregon to Stockton to Reno and beyond. Sacramento will be upgraded last because it is harder to do work in a major city and get building permit approval etc. So smaller suburbs such as Rocklin and Roseville already have LTE going and the city of Sacramento has nothing.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2
GiantJay said:
Let's just say I know people. They are not doing upgrades based on population. New York and LA would have been the first places to get LTE if that was the case. Not to mention there is different LTE providers per region of the country. Such as Alcatel/Lucent, Samsung, Ericsson. It is by whole markets not cities. Example the whole Upper Central Valley of California is a market. Which goes from Oregon to Stockton to Reno and beyond. Sacramento will be upgraded last because it is harder to do work in a major city and get building permit approval etc. So smaller suburbs such as Rocklin and Roseville already have LTE going and the city of Sacramento has nothing.
Sent from my Sprint Galaxy S4 using Tapatalk 2
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This, population had nothing to do with Network Vision deployment.
Check here for everything Sprint LTE related:
http://s4gru.com/index.php?/forum/6-the-network-forum/
Sent from my SPH-L720 using xda app-developers app
Related
THIS SUCKS!
http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/20/atandt-agrees-to-buy-t-mobile-from-deutsche-telekom/
Welcome to AT&T Wireless...
All I can say is F_*$
I hate AT&T! I used to have both At&t and T-mobile and I left the death star because of their terrible customer service! Now I have to go to Sprint or Verizon..most likely Verizon because of their coverage. However its going to cost me almost Double. Again all I can say is ****!
I just put a 32gb memory card in my HD7, this super sucks.
I was thinking to myself, sh!t! AT&T sucks! I then realized, well the monstrous GSM network would be pretty cool. I just hope they don't mess with the unlimited data plan, or the attractive prices. I use my phone a lot, and unfortunately some of us have to stay on 3G data at all times because we can't all afford home internet for WiFi (where I live it is NOT affordable). I also enjoy my 85 dollar phone bill, a considerable drop from the $120/mo. AT&T or Verizon charge.
sirandrew said:
Welcome to AT&T Wireless...
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I believe it's "AT&T Mobility" **** I have a bad feeling about this.
Luisraul924 said:
I believe it's "AT&T Mobility" **** I have a bad feeling about this.
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LOL - Indeed... there goes my rate plan out the window.
I have been here before.
I was with what was the Original At&t Wireless, they sold out to Cingular, and they sold out again and back to the At&t nameplate. So I was on a great plan and had been on a great plan for many years. At&t started turning off services on my plan. Every time I would call they would just say..."well you are on a legacy plan and we don't support that anymore. You need to sign up for a new plan at twice the cost if you want those features."And I am not talking about major stuff, call forwarding, paging, voice mail, etc. I see this coming again for all of us T-Mobile customers that have been with them for sometime. I was an originally a voicestream customer and now I will switch carriers, most likely to Verizon, if I am going to pay that much for service I will go where I get the best coverage. I know the drawbacks of both but I refuse to ever give At&t another penny after the way they treated me the last time I was a customer. It's sad to see a company that takes care of its customers like T-Mobile not be able to keep up in this Monopolistic world. Just another example of what deregulation has brought to the USA. We will be down to three major carriers with this merger and I will bet it will be two soon. So much for competition and lower prices.
Yeah, this is pretty bad. Hopefully when the deal goes through next year they will let me out of my contract without penalty.
they will if they change your plan. t-mobile has a 3000 minute, unlimtied text and data family plan (limited time only) that's $10 cheaper than their 1500 family plan with the same features....mine kicks in 3/29 for 2 years...if it changes, i leave ETF free.
linky http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/...re-for-Families-3000-Talk-Text-Unlimited-Data
What does this ultimately mean for T-Mobile customers?
Will T-Mobile still keep their branding name?
there will still be t-mobile, but only in the u.k., no more t-mobile usa.
mr8820 said:
there will still be t-mobile, but only in the u.k., no more t-mobile usa.
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This is correct. It'll just be AT&T. I wonder, given Sprint's situation, if Verizon will pick them up as they are using the same cell technology as each other. It would be a massive duopoly. I'm not sure how that would affect the prices, it might drive prices lower faster given that they'll only mainly be looking at each other in terms of "scopin the comp out".
****ing sucks...
LMAO I still dont see what the big deal is aside from prices going up however
i dont see what the big issue is with At&t
aside from capping data and the 4g debacle.
I had them and they were pretty decent to me
Nothing will happen for a year. ATT primarily wants TMO's AWS spectrum and other assorted IP. THEN they'll assimilate everyone
carmeng4evr said:
LMAO I still dont see what the big deal is aside from prices going up however
i dont see what the big issue is with At&t
aside from capping data and the 4g debacle.
I had them and they were pretty decent to me
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Prices going up: If I bought the same services (but still less than what I'm getting from TMo) from AT&T it would cost me an extra $35 a month (from $119 to $154). That's $420 a year. That is a pretty significant difference.
The closest package I could get with both Verizon and Sprint is $188 a month. That's $828 more a year. With less competition, it's significantly more likely that AT&T will raise their prices to Verizon and Sprint's level as opposed to the other way around.
If this deal falls through, how are we supposed to feel about tmobile?
Sent from my 32GB HD7 using Board Express
when I hear the news feel sad........so...there isn't any cheap price anymore guys.
My friend works for T-Mobile as an engineer, he said expect T-Mobile to implement all the changes MUCH sooner than we expect. He said his division is already being broken up & relocated. Some are getting their walking papers. The T-Mobile employees aren't too happy about this either. Also confirmed that older phones like the HD2 will not be supported with 3G capabilities on at&t's network. But even though the deal won't be complete for a few months, they will start making most changes sooner, so the transition will move along smoother. Basically us that love T-Mobile & hate at&t are screwed.
Thinking about jumping ship back to att i have become sick of verizons lack of support for there so called flagship devices and a few other things
Everyone i know including myself who has a 4G phone only has verizon in my area and im wondering if anyone here can give me a good comparison of the twos typical speeds im not in a major metro area so congestion isnt bad ive heard att has a faster rate then vzw
No contest. VZW has LTE in 371 cities, AT&T has LTE in 7 cites and plans on 45 by the end of the year.
WiredPirate said:
No contest. VZW has LTE in 371 cities, AT&T has LTE in 7 cites and plans on 45 by the end of the year.
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ATT has LTE coverage in my area so im fine now just wondering what the speed comparsion people see googled this but basically it just says verizon X amount of markets att X amount
I love verizon but the fact i have the unlimited data plan and they want me to switch to the BS tiered plan and pay twice what i do now is the last straw never thought being a long term customer of a company would come with a penalty in the end
yearziro said:
ATT has LTE coverage in my area so im fine now just wondering what the speed comparsion people see googled this but basically it just says verizon X amount of markets att X amount
I love verizon but the fact i have the unlimited data plan and they want me to switch to the BS tiered plan and pay twice what i do now is the last straw never thought being a long term customer of a company would come with a penalty in the end
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Never had ATT's LTE, but I was in Chi town last weekend and VZW's LTE is blazing fast there. You only have to switch to the tiered plan if you purchase a subsidized LTE phone from them, if you buy one full price or craigslist or something you can keep your old plan. Also if you go to AT&T your gonna be on a tiered plan as well.
WiredPirate said:
Never had ATT's LTE, but I was in Chi town last weekend and VZW's LTE is blazing fast there. You only have to switch to the tiered plan if you purchase a subsidized LTE phone from them, if you buy one full price or craigslist or something you can keep your old plan. Also if you go to AT&T your gonna be on a tiered plan as well.
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yea i understand just not willing to pay 400-500 for a phone and at least with ATT i get 3gb for a reasonable price comapred to the 1 i would get with verizon
ATT 3GB - 450 mins and unlimited text comes out to be around -80
Verizon 4GB unlimited text and mins 125.00
and i dont care about text or mins as i use google voice for texting and voice
I'm just not sure why you'd want to get locked into another contract for two years if you don't have to. Since you're in a big city T-Mobile's 4G should already be rolling out and you can get Unlimited 4G month-to-month without signing a contract for the same price you're looking at with AT&T. If T-Mobile's coverage sucks there the guess that's that, but something to consider.
I've had a Sprint SERO plan for years. Service was always crappy here in the SF Bay Area, but, the price was cheap (SERO is a good deal) and there was always the promise that things would get better - the current promise being Spark.
I bought a Nexus 5 thinking it was the phone I wanted, and that I would recoup some of the Sprint subsidy I wasn't getting by getting a subsidized iPhone and then selling it on ebay.
Since the phone was unlocked and GSM capable, I thought, what the heck, I'll buy a Straight Talk prepaid AT&T SIM and try it for a month. After a week I terminated Sprint (I was out of contract.)
It was a whole new world. I could drive from San Francisco across the Bay Bridge and back without the call dropping once. I could drive from San Francisco to Marin County across the Golden Gate Bridge and up the Waldo grade without the call dropping 3 times. I could take out the phone practically anywhere and the internet would work reasonably fast, rather than having about a 50% chance of getting the webpage I wanted.
I could get the phone on the network by simply inserting the SIM card, no hassle of reading long MEID numbers to a phone agent, no scrounging around for a SIM card that was always out of stock. I had LTE service right away, rather than at some indeterminate point in the future when they would fix the towers so that they could work with my phone.
I can be on the internet and talk on the phone at the same time.
I don't mean this to be a rant, but to inspire others. If you are on Sprint and out of contract, try a prepaid AT&T SIM and see if you see the radical difference I did (this would include AT&T Gophone, AIO, Straight Talk, and others, Straight Talk being the chepaest of the bunch at $45 per month.)
Did the same but went with T-Mobile and their $30 prepaid plan (5g of 4G data but only 100 min talk) and have not looked back. Sprint was, to a degree, a failed service for me and at close to $90 a month for unlimited but unusable data and talk, life now just seems easy.
As a note, the 100 mins of talk time seem limiting and might be for some who need to talk on the road. For me, as a Google Voice user, I have the Obi box at home and call forwarding to my work phone. Additional minutes are 10 cents/min extra, so if you keep some extra dough in your T-Mo account, you won't see any cutoffs as it'll just debit your account. Either way, Sprint was just too full of promises and too slow on the implementation.
Congratz! Sprint sux's!
I guess this is an illustration of how locked phones are dangerous for the carriers - makes it too easy to shop around.
You really hit the nail on the head when you said "life now just seems easy." After being on Sprint, reliability and dependability is a welcome change. You just know it will work.
jgreemo said:
Did the same but went with T-Mobile and their $30 prepaid plan (5g of 4G data but only 100 min talk) and have not looked back. Sprint was, to a degree, a failed service for me and at close to $90 a month for unlimited but unusable data and talk, life now just seems easy.
As a note, the 100 mins of talk time seem limiting and might be for some who need to talk on the road. For me, as a Google Voice user, I have the Obi box at home and call forwarding to my work phone. Additional minutes are 10 cents/min extra, so if you keep some extra dough in your T-Mo account, you won't see any cutoffs as it'll just debit your account. Either way, Sprint was just too full of promises and too slow on the implementation.
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I just did the same, but dropped for Aio instead ($55 for unlim talk/text and 2gb at high speed before throttled). I'd been with Sprint for 10+ years, so was a little hesitant, but coverage was so bad that I dropped ASAP, even paying an ETF. Turns out, I should have been more brave months ago, as Aio has better coverage in my area than Sprint ever did. I can actually use data inside buildings, what?! I agree with the OP on this being a whole new world. Having a shiny new N5 definitely isn't hurting my opinion either.
breannesp said:
I just did the same, but dropped for Aio instead ($55 for unlim talk/text and 2gb at high speed before throttled). I'd been with Sprint for 10+ years, so was a little hesitant, but coverage was so bad that I dropped ASAP, even paying an ETF. Turns out, I should have been more brave months ago, as Aio has better coverage in my area than Sprint ever did. I can actually use data inside buildings, what?! I agree with the OP on this being a whole new world. Having a shiny new N5 definitely isn't hurting my opinion either.
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Does AIO have LTE?
Man do you guys live in 3rd world countries? J/k tell us how things are in a year from now. Its just crazy how different parts of the country are at n t sucks here almost bad as t mobile. To much interference with the gsm signals.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
I preordered the N5 a month before my Verizon contract ended and hopped on the GSM ship. Has been smooth sailing thus far!!!
Went with Aio's $55/month plan and have been LOVING IT. Verizon's ~$100/month with unlimited data just wasn't worth it after all.
I have been reassured that when Aio (who is owned by AT&T) get's absorbed by Cricket (who's parent company is now owned by AT&T) in the near future my plan will stay the same, and continue to use AT&T's nationwide LTE.
I will gauge my experience when the switch happens and decide whether to try GoPhone (another AT&T prepaid, assuming AT&T doesn't fold it in with the Cricket brand name as well) or try T-Mobile's $60 plans. That is the beauty of GSM + Nexus devices. Freedom. That plus the dev support and international compatibility. Ya, I realize some Verizon phones can accomplish that as well, but come on. Verizon = they control you and your device
When I was on Verizon (Galaxy Nexus) I was streaming a lot of music in the car using 6-8 gigs/month. Never thought I could give up my grandfathered unlimited data! When I switched to Aio I started pinning (caching) my music when I got my Nexus 5 instead of streaming it, and now I only use about 800mb/month. Couldn't believe it!
I encourage everyone to join the GSM bandwagon :good:
I bought the Nexus 5 for the same reason I am going to ride my contract out on Sprint until March(cuz I'm a cheap bastard and don't want to pay an etf) but have been weighing my options in the meantime can't wait to be off this **** network. Side note I am on a family plan with 4 family members and pay my mom $30/month for unlimited everything and I still need to switch unlimited is a joke when you can't call or connect to anything.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
You're right that GSM is just so much nicer than CDMA.
yeah..... im on sprint and regretting it. still stuck on bloody 56k quality 3g. ****.
I am seriously considering ditching sprint in my area. Their network (Sacramento) has been the worse I've ever used.
I've heard about TMobile taking care of your ETF if you switch to them by offering customers what amounts to a credit card that you can use.
Has anyone done this?
I've moved from Sprint to T-Mobile about two months ago. I really wanted to stay with sprint but there mobile service sucked... As I see your experiencing the same thing. I've heard T-Mobile service can be spotty in places but in Seattle and Honolulu (where I'm usually at), it's really good.
The only impact negative impacts are the cost of the phone. You just plain have to pay the $500 - $900 uncontracted phone. I'm not use to that huge amount lingering over me.
And I could be the only one, be I found Sprint customer service significantly better than t-mobile.
Anyway, if you can muster the cost of the phone, I don't think you'll regret the way better data /phone service. I did the 5-day try the service out from t-mobile initially. You'll get an iPhone 5s and try it in your area. Good luck!
EDIT: did get the ETF reimbursement, and you can apply it towards your bill /phone, that's what I did. Lastly, don't expect you'll use the same data amount between Sprint and T-Mobile. The data service is much better and I found out my wife and I use about 2x to 3x. So go unlimited if you can.
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puhiniho said:
I've moved from Sprint to T-Mobile about two months ago. I really wanted to stay with sprint but there mobile service sucked... As I see your experiencing the same thing. I've heard T-Mobile service can be spotty in places but in Seattle and Honolulu (where I'm usually at), it's really good.
The only impact negative impacts are the cost of the phone. You just plain have to pay the $500 - $900 uncontracted phone. I'm not use to that huge amount lingering over me.
And I could be the only one, be I found Sprint customer service significantly better than t-mobile.
Anyway, if you can muster the cost of the phone, I don't think you'll regret the way better data /phone service. I did the 5-day try the service out from t-mobile initially. You'll get an iPhone 5s and try it in your area. Good luck!
EDIT: did get the ETF reimbursement, and you can apply it towards your bill /phone, that's what I did. Lastly, don't expect you'll use the same data amount between Sprint and T-Mobile. The data service is much better and I found out my wife and I use about 2x to 3x. So go unlimited if you can.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app
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Very good point regarding the use of the data once you actually get better service, I'm certain that it will increase. So, you're right, I may have to go with unlimited. Yeah, the coverage map for sprint is much worse than TMobile's. In fact TMobile's 3G is faster than Sprints 4LTE.
Tmobiel is going to have a server where you can stash your unused data if you are paying 30+ on your data (not counting unlimited) you can make use of that if you do not want unlimited as well.
I also just ditched Sprint, data speed is faster and more reliable for me.
puhiniho said:
I've moved from Sprint to T-Mobile about two months ago. I really wanted to stay with sprint but there mobile service sucked... As I see your experiencing the same thing. I've heard T-Mobile service can be spotty in places but in Seattle and Honolulu (where I'm usually at), it's really good.
The only impact negative impacts are the cost of the phone. You just plain have to pay the $500 - $900 uncontracted phone. I'm not use to that huge amount lingering over me.
And I could be the only one, be I found Sprint customer service significantly better than t-mobile.
Anyway, if you can muster the cost of the phone, I don't think you'll regret the way better data /phone service. I did the 5-day try the service out from t-mobile initially. You'll get an iPhone 5s and try it in your area. Good luck!
EDIT: did get the ETF reimbursement, and you can apply it towards your bill /phone, that's what I did. Lastly, don't expect you'll use the same data amount between Sprint and T-Mobile. The data service is much better and I found out my wife and I use about 2x to 3x. So go unlimited if you can.
Sent from my SM-N910T using XDA Free mobile app
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mgbotoe said:
Tmobiel is going to have a server where you can stash your unused data if you are paying 30+ on your data (not counting unlimited) you can make use of that if you do not want unlimited as well.
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Really? That is cool. I didn'tt know that.
heyjoojoo said:
I am seriously considering ditching sprint in my area. Their network (Sacramento) has been the worse I've ever used.
I've heard about TMobile taking care of your ETF if you switch to them by offering customers what amounts to a credit card that you can use.
Has anyone done this?
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I just made the switch (in Mass.) after 10+ years with Sprint. Just got sick of their lousy LTE, and also wanted better international options. It's only been a few weeks, but I haven't been hit with the Sprint ETF yet. Anyone know how long it usually takes?
I left Sprint and did the ETF for the $350 from Tmobile. I was sick of hearing from Sprint..."We are in the process of working on our Towers today thats why your LTE is not there" and that was at 3am in the morning...ummm.ok..
Ever since I have left LTE has been lightning Fast...I even saw I was on AT&T this last week when I was in the Central Valley and not in T-mobile Coverage...I was able to make and Receive calls. The LTE on T-mobile as far as I'm concerned blows Sprint out of the water...I was tired of the False Promises and the 7+ years of service from Sprint to be treated like crap.
The Downfall as others have said T-mobile phones are not cheap but as I don't have a house phone I am connected all the time with my cell phone.
I have a friend in Carmichael...Not far from you and he Switched to T-mobile and has been very very happy...
OP...make the switch and you will be very happy..
I hope this helps you...
Brian
kg6bki said:
I left Sprint and did the ETF for the $350 from Tmobile. I was sick of hearing from Sprint..."We are in the process of working on our Towers today thats why your LTE is not there" and that was at 3am in the morning...ummm.ok..
Ever since I have left LTE has been lightning Fast...I even saw I was on AT&T this last week when I was in the Central Valley and not in T-mobile Coverage...I was able to make and Receive calls. The LTE on T-mobile as far as I'm concerned blows Sprint out of the water...I was tired of the False Promises and the 7+ years of service from Sprint to be treated like crap.
The Downfall as others have said T-mobile phones are not cheap but as I don't have a house phone I am connected all the time with my cell phone.
I have a friend in Carmichael...Not far from you and he Switched to T-mobile and has been very very happy...
OP...make the switch and you will be very happy..
I hope this helps you...
Brian
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Lol, exact same story for me. I was tired of their "promises to upgrade", it never happened. I left Sprint and never looked back. We had to use our credit card to pay Sprints ETF because they wanted full payment when we ended. It took us about 1 1/2 month to get our rebate card, but this was when T-Mobile started this deal so it might be quicker now. I have the 3GB of LTE data and never go over it since most of the place I am at have WiFi. And now with there rollover data plan, I am set! I live in Los Angeles county but I have had great service and speed from San Diego to Santa Cruz.
Just an FYI, sprint will let you out of the contract if you roam too much.
Right before we switched away from Sprint, we drove across the country and roamed practically the entire trip. The next month we called up and they offered to cancel our contract if we sent the phones back. Done and done.
The only real problem with t-mobile reimbursement system is it can 1-2 months for them to reimburse you. They did 2 of my 3 lines in just over a month, and it took almost 2 more months for the 3rd cuz they kept denying it despite it being legitimate.
Although I have been a very satisfied T-Mobile customer for the last 7 years, it appears and tech support confirms that the tower that I connect to at home is oversold and instead of the 16 to 20 megs down that I used to get, I am now getting 1.5 meg on a good day and it goes down to .3 meg on bad days. I can't live with that as I have little other access to Internet bandwidth in my neighborhood and it gets worse every week. I use the Internet for business. The only fix appears to be another tower. Not a quick fix.
So, If I make the switch, what happens? Although it may work out better in switching if I give Sprint my existing Nexus 6, I will be using a Nexus 6 with them. I read comments that I will lose simultaneous voice and data use because of their Spark network. Is that true? What LTE speeds should I expect? I also understand that I will lose tethering if I opt for the unlimited plan (I am actually leaning toward the 20 GB family plan which I understand that I can share with my data enabled devices.) I don't read any nice things about Sprint.
Any thoughts you can share would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
Dont do it bro, sprint is horrible. Tell me if you find 25 people you know that love sprint more than T-Mobile. Sprint is a rotting company hiding behind sales gimmicks and ideas from T-Mobile. T-Mobile is still rolling out this year with Band 12 700Mhz and its LTE footprint roll out replacing old edge areas. More people complain about sprint way more than T-Mobile. So if you dont like T-Mobile, you might as well get shartrizon or AT$$$T. I would recommend calling T-Mobile to send a tech. to your area to fix the issue or report it for fixing.
ourtech said:
Although I have been a very satisfied T-Mobile customer for the last 7 years, it appears and tech support confirms that the tower that I connect to at home is oversold and instead of the 16 to 20 megs down that I used to get, I am now getting 1.5 meg on a good day and it goes down to .3 meg on bad days. I can't live with that as I have little other access to Internet bandwidth in my neighborhood and it gets worse every week. I use the Internet for business. The only fix appears to be another tower. Not a quick fix.
So, If I make the switch, what happens? Although it may work out better in switching if I give Sprint my existing Nexus 6, I will be using a Nexus 6 with them. I read comments that I will lose simultaneous voice and data use because of their Spark network. Is that true? What LTE speeds should I expect? I also understand that I will lose tethering if I opt for the unlimited plan (I am actually leaning toward the 20 GB family plan which I understand that I can share with my data enabled devices.) I don't read any nice things about Sprint.
Any thoughts you can share would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.
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Is Cricket Wireless an option? They are essentially AT&T with throttled LTE speeds of 8Mpbs down, no throttle up. I am paying $55/month for 20GB of LTE data. They no longer offer that plan, but have the same plan at 10GB of data.
chaunold said:
Dont do it bro, sprint is horrible. Tell me if you find 25 people you know that love sprint more than T-Mobile. Sprint is a rotting company hiding behind sales gimmicks and ideas from T-Mobile. T-Mobile is still rolling out this year with Band 12 700Mhz and its LTE footprint roll out replacing old edge areas. More people complain about sprint way more than T-Mobile. So if you dont like T-Mobile, you might as well get shartrizon or AT$$$T. I would recommend calling T-Mobile to send a tech. to your area to fix the issue or report it for fixing.
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See, that is my feeling as well. I can't find anyone that has nice things to say. As to AT&T or Verizon, wow does the cost jump. And to the point about getting a tech out there, been there, done that. T-Mobile is very aware of the problem. They have bee running tests for a while. Sadly, it is oversold. Not broken. Don't have too many options. There were some numbers from Verizon that weren't horrible, but I don't think Verizon pays ETFs.
Someone is selling a CricketWireless 20GB LTE plan on Howard Forums...I have had ZERO issues using Cricket with my Nexus 6...in fact I am loving it.
I have looked at Cricket. The problem is that I do exceed 10 GB in some months and there is no provision for tethering or tablets that I could see. One of those options would be necessary.
ourtech said:
See, that is my feeling as well. I can't find anyone that has nice things to say. As to AT&T or Verizon, wow does the cost jump. And to the point about getting a tech out there, been there, done that. T-Mobile is very aware of the problem. They have bee running tests for a while. Sadly, it is oversold. Not broken. Don't have too many options. There were some numbers from Verizon that weren't horrible, but I don't think Verizon pays ETFs.
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I had verizon wireless for 10 years and left them over a year ago for T-Mobile. I didn't regret anything. I didn't switch because of price because I could afford verizon, but their plans and phones suck and they are scam artists trying to rape every penny from you just like John Legere quoted. In my area and even in rural places in georgia I get pretty decent excellent coverage and service. At home I usually get from 80-112mbps down and 7-15mbps up. Verizon couldn't match that and hell, everyone I know that has sprint hate it and are jumping to T-Mobile because they get less than 1mbps and call quality sounds like pure ****. T-Mobile has nationwide VoLTE and WiFi calling and texting and the "Uncarrier" exclusives. I have unlimited data so I use it as my home internet since I have root for tethering unlimited data and its way faster than charters fastest speeds they deliver to my house lol. Sprint is also bad just like verizon because remember they are money hungry companies and they will lock u in contracts and can only use their cdma devices or select unlocked devices like the nexus 6. I heard verizon doesn't recognize the unlocked nexus 6, idk if that is true or not.
Link? And what about tablets or tethering? I need that data sometimes when I am out in the field and I have to remote into something. Yes, even my 6 inch screen is a little small. I don't see any plans for tablets.
ourtech said:
I have looked at Cricket. The problem is that I do exceed 10 GB in some months and there is no provision for tethering or tablets that I could see. One of those options would be necessary.
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Although tethering is not supported, it does work.
There also would be no issue popping in a Cricket SIM in a Nexus 9. I've considered selling my WiFi N9 and getting a LTE N9 with a 20GB Cricket SIM.
metaphz said:
Is Cricket Wireless an option? They are essentially AT&T with throttled LTE speeds of 8Mpbs down, no throttle up. I am paying $55/month for 20GB of LTE data. They no longer offer that plan, but have the same plan at 10GB of data.
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metaphz said:
Someone is selling a CricketWireless 20GB LTE plan on Howard Forums...I have had ZERO issues using Cricket with my Nexus 6...in fact I am loving it.
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From what I could see in the Howard forums, the 20 GB promo expired in April. Thanks though.
ourtech said:
From what I could see in the Howard forums, the 20 GB promo expired in April.
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It did expire, someone is selling their account.
ourtech said:
Link? And what about tablets or tethering? I need that data sometimes when I am out in the field and I have to remote into something. Yes, even my 6 inch screen is a little small. I don't see any plans for tablets.
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There is an app on the playstore if you have root called "WiFi Tether Router" which will work or if you want unlimited native tethering.
#1 in SQL lite go to /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/settings.db/global
#2 add " tether_dun required " and set the value to 0
#3 in your APN settings add " dun " to APN type and set your APN to IPv4 only since IPv6 doesnt support this.
Either use OpenSignal app or their site and zoom in on your neighborhood. They have a list of carriers with their average upload and download speed.
Personally I wouldn't use Sprint as OpenSignal and Rootmetrics has shown it is the slowest network across the country.
Get a AT&T GoPhone sim and try them out for a month. Walmart sells the sims. They now have rollover data on prepaid just like T-mobile. Plus they're not throttled like Cricket.
I wait for Callingmart to announce their monthly 10% off GoPhone refills on Twitter. Then refill each month saving me $6.
Just my 2¢ but I have been with Sprint for going on 8 years. Their service is great in my area (now) and their customer service has always been outstanding. While I do agree that they don't have the best coverage, they have come a long way in my time with them. You can get unlimited, TRULY unlimited data with them for a good price. They offer payment plans on the top devices and as I said, customer service has bent over backwards for me more than once. Choice is yours, OP, just do your homework and choose wisely.
I have no complaints with Sprint. They recently upgraded my area to LTE and its fast. Its really pointless to ask random people on the internet because they more than likely do not live in your state much less your city. Signal strength is the most important aspect of cell phone service and you wont find that answer here. I would find a coverage map and compare the carriers, make sure it is a legitimate coverage map and not advertising. I would also ask people in your area with Sprint so you can compare.
bob2300nx said:
I have no complaints with Sprint. They recently upgraded my area to LTE and its fast. Its really pointless to ask random people on the internet because they more than likely do not live in your state much less your city. Signal strength is the most important aspect of cell phone service and you wont find that answer here. I would find a coverage map and compare the carriers, make sure it is a legitimate coverage map and not advertising. I would also ask people in your area with Sprint so you can compare.
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To each his own. I have learned a lot from this, coverage map aside (I am in a Spark enabled area of moderate strength, the same as I am for T-Mobile and for that matter, likely AT&T, which tells me little that I didn't already know. It is a topology issue.) My question wasn't about coverage. It was about the experience. I have learned that, unlike T-Mobile, Sprint customer service is out of country, but some have had good experiences with the company. I have also received useful suggestions about alternatives. This has been very useful to me. Sprint could have the strongest signal in my area and still be a company to avoid like the plague.
Free data after you reach your limit, and free music service streaming
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ceo4eva said:
Free data after you reach your limit, and free music service streaming
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
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Good point. Hadn't thought about those. Thanks.
This morning my Speed Tests were decidedly better. At least 8 and as high as 12 meg. I haven't seen those numbers in months. So, (holding breath), perhaps my last call got something changed. I won't make changes unless I am sure there is no hope for change.
ourtech said:
To each his own. I have learned a lot from this, coverage map aside (I am in a Spark enabled area of moderate strength, the same as I am for T-Mobile and for that matter, likely AT&T, which tells me little that I didn't already know. It is a topology issue.) My question wasn't about coverage. It was about the experience. I have learned that, unlike T-Mobile, Sprint customer service is out of country, but some have had good experiences with the company. I have also received useful suggestions about alternatives. This has been very useful to me. Sprint could have the strongest signal in my area and still be a company to avoid like the plague.
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Other than calling to activate new phones, I have only had to call once in all my years with Sprint and I have no complaints on it. I don't generally need service, I pay my bill and use my phone lol. As far as overseas call centers, that's not entirely true; there is a Sprint call center in my city (along with a T-Mobile call center). To each their own.
I switched from Sprint to Verizon as my family plan 4 years ago, best decision of my life. Sprint will frustrate you beyond belief with their slow data, you won't even be able to load Google. I know you said the big 2 cost too much, so I'd stay with T-Mobile if I were you, avoid Sprint at all costs. I personally love Verizon, have 5 off contract smartphones with them, 15GB shared data, and pay $153+tax a month.