Sprint Instinct Fam Plan v iPhone Fam Plan

[pruhawk]

Sprint Family Plan

Samsung Instinct Simply Everything Plan with unlimited Messages (text, pictures, video) and unlimited Data (web surfing, email, GPS Navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TX Premier, Blackberry Internet Service)

Cost for 5 phone plan (1500 shared anytime minutes) $189.96 a month for 24 months $4559.04 (plus all the additional fees, taxes)

Purchase Price for 5 Phones at 129.99 each $649.95

For a total cost over 2 years of $5208.99 (plus all the additional fees, taxes, etc.)

The Instinct has voice control, MMS, video camera, EVDO Rev A, Sprint TV, and even GPS with an actual car navigation app, realtime traffic routing, and voice directions.

Not to mention the ability to swap in different 8GB cards and change batteries

AT&T Family Plan

Purchase Price for 5 iPhones at 199 each $995

For 1400 shared minutes a month, the basic cost will be $119/mo (5 iPhones) for Unlimited sms an additional $30/mo and for the data service for 5 iPhones an extra $150/mo plus all the additional fees, taxes, tariffs, etc.

Cost for 5 iPhone plan (1400 shared anytime minutes) $299 a month for 24 months $7176 (plus all the additional fees, taxes)

For a total cost over 2 years of $8,171 (plus all the additional fees, taxes, etc.)

Or almost $3,000 more for the 5 phone family iPhone plan (plus the taxes and fees which will run more as the monthly plan is more).

I believe the iPhone is a better product, the apps will be great but I don’t think it will be worth that much more over 2 years, what am I missing?

 

[gauchogolfer]

You can always find a cheaper cell phone out there. If you want what the iPhone offers, you'll have to pay the asking price. I think it's worth it, but I'm not sure how realistic your calculations are. How many families of 5 are going to have a 3G smartphone for the parents and 3 kids?

 

[SFStateStudent]

Sorry, but your numbers are wacked! The limit is (3) 3G iPhones and you failed to mention the many features that the 3G iPhone will have on 07.11.08. If you want to believe your numbers, then be my guest and go with the "Instank" and enjoy your "iPhonie" b/c they're going to have to pry my cold dead fingers off my iPhone to get me anywhere near whatever Sprint could offer at their reduced prices and their non-existent customer service. That is all...

 

[ob81]

I have been looking at Sprint also. Tempting. The plans are a big factor, I need 2 phones. The instinct is cheaper, and it has great features. I am only looking around because I want to make sure I don't get sucked into the Apple hype this time around. Most of my tech is Apple, except my ebook reader, and that is only because Apple doesn't have one.

I probably rambled a bit there, but it is hard for me to justify looking at anything but the iphone

 

[marksman]

Sprint sucks.

If you want to be a cheapskate go with Sprint. That is the only thing they have going for them. Some of us have other criteria that factor into our buying decision than what is the cheapest.

 

[JBaker122586]

The iPhone is a smartphone, the Instinct is not.
It's about as simple as that.

And... families planning on buying 5 iPhones and service probably aren't too concerned about the extra $100 a month it's going to cost them over the length of the deal. Your data just seems to exist to try and get the two phones as far apart as possible in price.

 

[pruhawk]

I appreciate everyone's reply but let me try and rephrase my question. Why is the AT&T unlimited msg and data plan for 5 iPhones $110 (plus extra taxes, etc.) a month more that a Sprint unlimited msg and data plan for 5 Instinct phones? That is a significant difference in price for essentially the same service. I think the iPhone is the better product and am willing to pay the difference in the price for 5 phones (about $345) but I am having a hard time justifying paying AT&T a $110 a month premium for the same service.