Anyone interested in Sprint's new $60/mo unlimited plan?

[eyoungren]

He's a single line user. No need for another line. The 'nuclear option' doesn't make much sense IMO. I believe his ETF would be $280. He signed a contract in December 2013. I did the math and even if he pays his ETF and signs a new contract with Sprint he'd only be saving $88 when all is said and done by December 2015. Does anybody know if this $60 plan includes international texting? I'm assuming it doesn't.

I suggested T-Mobile to him (The ETF offer). He needs international texting (free with T-Mobile) and he uses little data monthly so the $50 plan is perfect. But when I crunch all the numbers it's a savings of $240 over the next 16 months. Sure, that's nice, but he may just stay with Sprint if that's the case. He screwed up signing that contract last December.

Best case scenario is that Sprint lets him move onto the $60 plan without an ETF. He's been a long time customer with no late payments.

Well, unless he's out of contract, eligible for an upgrade or can add another line, he's stuck.

I don't mean to offend, but it doesn't matter at all that he's a long-time customer and that he's never been late. Sprint doesn't care. If they cared at all, I'd have options too. I've been with Sprint for 15 years and it's the only cell carrier I have ever been on. They have never cut me any deals outside the rules.

Unless your uncle wants to move to T-Mobile, he's stuck until he's off contract.

I don't believe the new plan offers international texting. Sprint has never done that. Also, there is no tethering in this plan. You have to buy an addon for that at additional charge.

 

[blairh]

Well, unless he's out of contract, eligible for an upgrade or can add another line, he's stuck.

I don't mean to offend, but it doesn't matter at all that he's a long-time customer and that he's never been late. Sprint doesn't care. If they cared at all, I'd have options too. I've been with Sprint for 15 years and it's the only cell carrier I have ever been on. They have never cut me any deals outside the rules.

Unless your uncle wants to move to T-Mobile, he's stuck until he's off contract.

I don't believe the new plan offers international texting. Sprint has never done that. Also, there is no tethering in this plan. You have to buy an addon for that at additional charge.

I believe you. It's a shame Sprint isn't kind like my current carrier, AT&T. I'm still under contract and they voluntarily saved me $15 a month via their Mobile Share plans even though I'm still under contract. If Sprint can't do the same for my uncle I'll advise him to leave Sprint.

I just crunched more numbers and I think Verizon makes a lot of sense for him. If he trades in his 4S and 5S iPhone to VZ and signs a contract he'll save $400 over the next 16 months. That's even with the ETF thrown into the equation.

 

[Woochifer]

Best case scenario is that Sprint lets him move onto the $60 plan without an ETF. He's been a long time customer with no late payments.

If you look at the fine print, Sprint will basically charge up to $25/month extra to recoup the device subsidy for their on-contract subscribers. There's no free lunch here. But, a customer would benefit by locking down a lower base rate after the contract expires.

http://www.sprint.com/landings/datashare/index.html?ECID=vanity:newday

Customers under a 1 or 2 year Service Agreement and moving to the Sprint $60 Unlimited plan have a higher monthly rate of up to $25/month until they reach upgrade eligibility.

 

[blairh]

If you look at the fine print, Sprint will basically charge up to $25/month extra to recoup the device subsidy for their on-contract subscribers. There's no free lunch here.

http://www.sprint.com/landings/datashare/index.html?ECID=vanity:newday

I'll call to make sure, but it looks like Verizon is inevitable for him then.

 

[AZhappyjack]

No matter what you do, it’s still Sprint. There ain’t enough lipstick in the world to dress up that pig.

 

[2298754]

No matter what you do, it’s still Sprint. There ain’t enough lipstick in the world to dress up that pig.

But Sprint Spark! Framily! They're going to be better than VZW/AT&T!

 

[eyoungren]

But Sprint Spark! Framily! They're going to be better than VZW/AT&T!

Careful there, this is MacRumors, not S4GRU!
I will be taking advantage of this plan though come September. I will be out of contract, so if I can pay less before I leave in the new year, I'll take that as my parting shot at Sprint.

 

[Tthomas612]

But Sprint Spark! Framily! They're going to be better than VZW/AT&T!

LMBO... The sarcasm here is hilarious.

We all know Sprint has been and will forever be a basement dweller. I honestly don't know why I've stuck with them for 10 years other than convenience ...

 

[2298754]

LMBO... The sarcasm here is hilarious.

We all know Sprint has been and will forever be a basement dweller. I honestly don't know why I've stuck with them for 10 years other than convenience ...

Lol yeah. I remember when Sprint first got the iPhone. People were so excited to finally have an iPhone with unlimited data. But within a week, it all seemed to die down because the network is basically always running at dial-up speeds at all times.

 

[eyoungren]

Lol yeah. I remember when Sprint first got the iPhone. People were so excited to finally have an iPhone with unlimited data. But within a week, it all seemed to die down because the network is basically always running at dial-up speeds at all times.

I researched that back when I first had my iPhone 5. Wanted to know why 3G was so slow because that's all I had before Sprint finally got some snail-speed LTE in Phoenix.

Turns out there was a multi-page thread in the Sprint BAW forums about it. Sprint blamed Apple and Apple in turn blamed Sprint because of a specific never-named thing Sprint was refusing to fix on their network.

Sprint refused to fix it because at the time they were just preparing to start NV rollout (it was in the planning stages). LTE would eliminate the problem (there's no problem if you aren't on 3G anymore) so Sprint saw no need to fix it.

Of course, Sprint lives in it's own reality bubble, so the fact that NV rollout happened the way it did was never considered. But that old 3G/iPhone issue persists.

 

[Tthomas612]

Lol yeah. I remember when Sprint first got the iPhone. People were so excited to finally have an iPhone with unlimited data. But within a week, it all seemed to die down because the network is basically always running at dial-up speeds at all times.

Yes I do remember this, but at the time what was the since of "unlimited" data with the crappy 3G sprint had. ... Now granted over the past year the 3G and LTE speeds have gotten better where I live, but it's nothing compared to other carriers. I do know some people on sprint that don't even get the speeds I do on LTE which is very sad.

----------

I researched that back when I first had my iPhone 5. Wanted to know why 3G was so slow because that's all I had before Sprint finally got some snail-speed LTE in Phoenix.

Turns out there was a multi-page thread in the Sprint BAW forums about it. Sprint blamed Apple and Apple in turn blamed Sprint because of a specific never-named thing Sprint was refusing to fix on their network.

Sprint refused to fix it because at the time they were just preparing to start NV rollout (it was in the planning stages). LTE would eliminate the problem (there's no problem if you aren't on 3G anymore) so Sprint saw no need to fix it.

Of course, Sprint lives in it's own reality bubble, so the fact that NV rollout happened the way it did was never considered. But that old 3G/iPhone issue persists.

This is the type of stuff that agitates me the most about Sprint. Even if they had gotten NV rolled out the way it was supposed to and everyone was getting great LTE speeds ... What about when your phone does go on 3G? Of course with Sprint the way to fix a problem is to bring in another problem.

 

[eyoungren]

Of course with Sprint the way to fix a problem is to bring in another problem.

No. With Sprint, the way to "fix" a problem is to ignore that it happened, or is happening, and to redirect attention by falsely promising something better in the future.

Ignoring the problem means distracting the customer with meaningless procedures that solve nothing (update your PRL!!!). Promising something better means "in the next 30, 60 or 90 days, or in the 'coming months'". Promising something better is also talking about some other project Sprint is "working" on that will require you to upgrade your phone, sign a new contract, won't fix your current problem and is replaced with a new problem when you get there because Sprint is off to joust at the next windmill.

Fortunately for Sprint, Marcelo Claure sounds like he is breaking with the Sprint tradition of denial. He has recognized Sprint's problems publicly and seems interested in fixing them.

Unfortunately, for Sprint, the new Family Share plan was their last straw on this camel's back. I don't care anymore what they offer or what they are willing to do or will do. I want out and they can eat the loss they are going to take by replacing my guaranteed $211 per month with someone on a new $100 plan.

 

[flxglr]

Its nice to see Sprint drop their prices, but Im not sure itll be enough. Sprint has a pretty bad reputation and its going to take a lot more than just lower prices to win back consumers.

As a former Sprint customer, my biggest gripe was always that they charged Att/Verizon like prices, at least in terms of individuals, but provided a much less quality of service. I eventually got tired of it, along with the network, and switched to Tmobile and have never looked back. I'm sure there are plenty of others like myself who are in the same boat.

Its not that I dont want Sprint to succeed, quite the contrary really. Hopefully it'll cause greater competition all around which is good for all of us. While their new plans are a step in the right direction, I think its going to take a lot more for them to make a turn around.