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In the morning, I am returning my iPhone 5S

joshdammit said:
Funny, I've had the exact opposite experience. Sprint has been awful with both data and customer service, whereas T-Mobile I've had nothing but good experiences with.
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I think T-Mobile used to have a good CS reputation and Sprint a bad one, but it might be changing. T-Mobile introduced the "uncarrier" Simple Choice Plans, but they got really stingy with unlocking and also with tethering above 2.5GB/mo. Remember, Deutsche Telekom's preferred strategy was to sell T-Mobile to AT&T. When that fell through and Softbank acquired Sprint, T-Mobile had no choice but to try to compete and see if a merger with MetroPCS might keep them competitive.

Now that Softbank owns Sprint and has a ton of cash, we might see Sprint improve dramatically.
 
I have sprint and they just rolled out LTE in my area.Data speeds are much faster now.
My new iPhone 5c got 18mb download on sprint LTE.
 
You should also check out Walmart family plan. I just switched my wife and her iPhone 5 over to them. It's $39 a month with unlimited everything and data gets throttles over 5gb. While they don't have LTE, they do have HSPA+, she hasn't noticed any data speed differences between them and AT&T.

Only downsides are you have to pay full price for your phone and visual voicemail doesn't work, but you can always use a 3rd party service for voicemail (like google voice or youmail) and the monthly price is half what the big carriers are charging.
 
Just get T-Mobile man. Unlimited data with insane LTE speeds at a low price, what more can you ask for? And you get a new iPhone every year with the JUMP program, not to mention it gives you free AppleCare+. :rolleyes:
 
dannyhex said:
damn that sucks man i feel your pain, its funny because I hit the threshold of ******** about 3 months ago and then sprint flipped the switch where I live, I love LTE, faster then my optimum home wifi.
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Same thing just happened to me. I was ready to throw in the towel on Sprint, then they flipped the switch on the tower around the corner. I'm getting 30Mbs down and 7Mbps up on my iPhone 5. Still, around town it's very hit and miss and extremely frustrating. If Sprint doesn't get better by the time I upgrade next year I'm switching to Verizon.
 
KPOM said:
Where in the US are you? Also, is T-Mobile an option? Their HSPA+ network is pretty good even where they don't have LTE.
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T-Mobile is an option, but a few friends on it have said that it's very location dependent and that I shouldn't expect any type of reliable 4G signal once I'm off a major highway/road. I'm in Northern NJ.


powerstrokin said:
OP should have consulted a rep and asked about LTE coverage for his area, but I guess with a 3 or 14 (whatever it is) day grace period to take a phone back it's no big deal.
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I did contact customer service several times to verify coverages. They blow a bunch of rainbows and unicorns up your tailpipe to entice you.

Jacoblee23 said:
I just switched from Verizon to sprint so me and my fiancée could be on the same line. In places where I roamed with Verizon with 3G/LTE, I am only getting extended 1x with sprint. What is the reason for this? Ridiculous.
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Experience has shown that with Sprint whenever they jump to a roaming/Verizon tower, you're going to get downgraded speeds. I wish I could tell you it will get better, but it hasn't. We all called it the "circle of death" on iOS 6, it's 1x on iOS 7.

AFDoc said:
Why would you go with a provider that doesn't offer you quality service? I believe your choices make more of a statement about YOU than Apple or Sprint. Don't like your service change it.
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Agreed. The initial post ended up turning into more of a public service announcement with a sensationalized title, I admit.
 
I don't use the AT&T LTE on my 5. I leave it switched off. I used it 1 time in the past year when I was somewhere that the regular network was so bogged down it was crawling. Other than that I let it off because it BURNS my battery in no time.
 
If T-Mo works well in your area then I agree with others that it will save you a ton. As for myself, Ive experienced far too many places where I get either no signal or not enough data speed to actually do anything. I'm only paying $30 a month, so I'm getting what I pay for, but I'm switching back to Verizon since I'm a heavy phone user. Also because we regularly make trips to see family and 90% of the travel has 0 signal which is a bit disconcerting.
 
X-Ravin said:
If T-Mo works well in your area then I agree with others that it will save you a ton. As for myself, Ive experienced far too many places where I get either no signal or not enough data speed to actually do anything. I'm only paying $30 a month, so I'm getting what I pay for, but I'm switching back to Verizon since I'm a heavy phone user. Also because we regularly make trips to see family and 90% of the travel has 0 signal which is a bit disconcerting.
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Tmobile
  • Ranked dead last in any independent wireless network study
  • Still operates 2G Edge on vast portion of their network
  • Has large sections of 2G coverage on one of the busiest roads in North America (I95)
Cost of a new iphone plan + Tmobile service
$50 + $22 = $77

Verizon Wireless
  • Ranked #1 Network and Customer service
  • 3 to 4 times larger network than that of T-Mobile.
  • Excellent in-building coverage
  • XX times larger LTE network
$40 + $40 = $80

All for a massive $3 more per month.
 
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jdsingle said:
Switching over to iPhone 5s on Verizon. Might cost more $$$ but at least my phone is usable. The guys on s4gru are a joke. The one admin thinks he's a god.
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The Tmobile and Sprint fanclubs (like s4gru) are indeed a joke and exactly why these two (last place) networks are so pathetic. Why improve when you have an idiot fan base that will follow you no matter what?

They refuse to accept other user's experience and certainly hate to hear about any independent study that analyzes and ranks wireless networks.

I want these two competitors to succeed, however, they both clearly have management teams that fail to grasp why over 180+ million Americans are willing to pay more to AT&T and Verizon. They don't seem to understand that the #1 feature of a cellular network is wireless coverage and performance.

Unlimited data is something that only a niche group of people want.
 
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I'm on Verizon right now stuck in a family plan...

The difference in LTE on A&T and Verizon is very noticeable, AT&T is so much faster. Also, if you are not in a LTE area, AT&T will fall back on HSPA+ while Verizon will fall back on CDMA 3G, which also is a very noticeable difference

As a Verizon customer, I highly recommend AT&T

But also, T-Mobile is a very good option to save money (as long as they cover your area!)
 
Sorry to hear that it's going back. Would be wise to just switch over to the carrier that'll work better for you.
 
swish2351 said:
I'm on Verizon right now stuck in a family plan...

The difference in LTE on A&T and Verizon is very noticeable, AT&T is so much faster. Also, if you are not in a LTE area, AT&T will fall back on HSPA+ while Verizon will fall back on CDMA 3G, which also is a very noticeable difference

As a Verizon customer, I highly recommend AT&T

But also, T-Mobile is a very good option to save money (as long as they cover your area!)
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There are also millions more subscribers on Verizon LTE at the moment. In large sections of the country (like Michigan), AT&T only has 5mhz of spectrum at their 700Mhz LTE, which means that the speed will be half of that of Verizon. Verizon has nation wide 10Mhz.
 
Our family has been with AT&T back in the Blue days. When they moved to SIM cards and stuff, it made sense to stay with them, especially as were traveling and being able to switch SIM cards made good sense.

I tried Sprint back in the PCS days and when they moved to EVDO. Felt like they didn't really improve much. In NYC, they coverage is actually pretty good, but I didn't live in the city, so it was bad.

I tried Verizon once, and the lack of simultaneous data and voice prevented a full move; they have a very good network (especially coverage in mountain areas in CO). I would definitely recommend them to any one looking to switch (and I would switch to them if they still had unlimited data).

T-Mobile seems to okay. My parents moved to them thinking they were saving money. I stayed at AT&T. 3 years later after finding they didn't get much coverage, lack of 3G coverage, they moved back to AT&T.

So I would recommend AT&T every time.


Though the thread title should say "Returning 5S because Sprint is bad;" I was expecting some other complaint to be honest.
 
aka777 said:
Tmobile
  • Ranked dead last in any independent wireless network study
  • Still operates 2G Edge on vast portion of their network
  • Has large sections of 2G coverage on one of the busiest roads in North America (I95)
Cost of a new iphone plan + Tmobile service
$50 + $22 = $77

Verizon Wireless
  • Ranked #1 Network and Customer service
  • 3 to 4 times larger network than that of T-Mobile.
  • Excellent in-building coverage
  • XX times larger LTE network
$40 + $40 = $80

All for a massive $3 more per month.
Click to expand...

So if a new Verizon customer wants unlimited talk text and data plus some mobile hotspot how much per month would they pay? That's where the big savings come in with t-mobile.
 
pilot1226 said:
As the title suggests, in the morning I am returning my Space Gray iPhone 5S.

Don't get me wrong, I love the phone. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's brilliant. It has far surpassed my expectations coming from my old iPhone 4S.

So why return it?

I have 3 days to return the phone to my place of purchase, Best Buy, to get my activation fee refunded. I didn't mind waiting in line to purchase it. I don't mind going back to my iPhone 4S for a little while if need be.

See, I'm on Sprint. The data speed has always been a problem, but now the problem has absolutely and definitely reared its ugly head. My whole purpose in upgrading to an iPhone 5 or 5C or 5S was solely to take advantage of 4G LTE. You'd think with all the blabbering their marketing and their customer service departments have done I'd be able to receive it, but no.

I've checked maps on Sensorly and s4gru.com and while there've been many fleeting glimpses of LTE signals they must have only been a testing phase because I can't pick anything up.

So this reverts me to the argument as old as time:

What good is Sprint's unlimited data if you can't use it?

I joined Sprint about 3 1/2 years ago from Verizon out of sheer cost. I wasn't using a smartphone yet, and this was an opportunity to save money *and* get a smartphone for myself. I jumped at the chance.

And now I'm sick to my stomach. I'm ready to pay a $100 ETF for 2 of the 4 family lines on the account and go running to Verizon in a second. I've considered AT&T but the difference in price is miniscule. I'd rather have a better network.

Again, what good is unlimited data if you just can't use it?

I busted my rear off to go crazy and use as much data as I could last billing cycle and I barely used over 1 GB. Half of that is because I didn't have a good signal for my 20 minute commute to/from work, and half of that is because I have a wifi signal at both home and work after I get there.

So, whenever I'm on the go, essentially, I don't have a "smartphone". I have a severely gimped iPhone 5S. And even a 4S for that matter.

It's an absolute sin that Apple even allows Sprint to use the iPhone on their network. It's like trying to run a marathon without legs. Can it be done? Sure. But by the time you get to the finish line, everyone else will be at home sleeping.

The price difference appears to be roughly $20 per month.

For $20 a month, or $240 per year, I'd rather have a smartphone I can actually take full advantage of rather than a gimpy, limping data network.

If I didn't want data bandwidth, I wouldn't have a smartphone period. I'd use an iTouch in conjunction with an old flip style Razr or something.

Tradeoffs:

Verizon:
- More expensive (20 per month)
+ Unlimited minutes
+ Much better coverage
+ Much faster data
- Limited data

Sprint:
+ Slightly cheaper
- 1500 minutes shared through the account
- Acceptable coverage
- Nonexistant data
+ Unlimited data

I'm not going to continue to pour money into a bankrupt company so they can sit back and have customer service promise and promise and promise me that 4G is "right around the corner" for another 2 years.

Hopefully I can convince my family the same (the other 3 lines) otherwise I'm getting my own plan on Verizon.

Sigh. Rant mode off.

This was a public service announcement from a somewhat tipsy soon to be former Sprint customer.

Friends don't let friends have terrible data speed on their iPhone.

It's a disservice to us all.
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Definitely switch to att.
1. You can pay $2 to unlock your phone and it will be compatible with domestic gsm carrier.
2. Cellular and talk at the same time.
 
I just spent a couple of weeks with a similar decision. What I found is that it depends where you live, but as a general rule :
ATT is the fastest, good coverage, and even 3g is faster due to being gsm

Verizon has the best 4G coverage, but their 3g is the slowest thanks to being CDMA.

T-Mobile has less 4G LTE coverage, but their 3G network is fast again thanks to GSM / HSPA / HDPA+

Sprint just plain sucks. The LTE network is spotty and unreliable, and the 3G is CDMA like Verizon hence slow.

Also, T-Mo and ATT phones can often be interchanged and still work in HSDPA / HSDPA+ which is essentially 4G.

Even though I'm a Verizon user, I would say ATT and tmo are the better option if you are plan switching. I stayed with Verizon because I like their Motorola phones.
 
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Verizon is the best network, but if you are on wifi almost everywhere what is the point?

Same with receiving email in the background


aka777 said:
Tmobile
  • Ranked dead last in any independent wireless network study
  • Still operates 2G Edge on vast portion of their network
  • Has large sections of 2G coverage on one of the busiest roads in North America (I95)
Cost of a new iphone plan + Tmobile service
$50 + $22 = $77

Verizon Wireless
  • Ranked #1 Network and Customer service
  • 3 to 4 times larger network than that of T-Mobile.
  • Excellent in-building coverage
  • XX times larger LTE network
$40 + $40 = $80

All for a massive $3 more per month.
Click to expand...
 
alphaod said:
I'd pay $150 a line.
Click to expand...

And it's 70 on t-mobile.... :)

It's very true their network is less comprehensive than Verizon's, BUT, if you are fortunate to live and work in areas with strong t-mo coverage (as I am in the Boston area) with great LTE (and fast 4G in most places when that's not around) then it's an excellent deal.

Unfortunately if the OP is NOT in one of their good areas it's probably beside the point.
 
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