Sprint Launches LTE Plus Network, Offers 50% Off Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T Rate Plans to Celebrate

[mikefla]

I just switched to Sprint 2 weeks ago after being with AT&T for 9 years. In my area (Indianapolis) I haven't noticed a single difference. If anything, it's actually gotten better, service-wise. Guess I got lucky.

Also, just ran a speed test over LTE.

39 ping.
42.17 Mbps down.
4.54 Mbps up.

Not sure what I was getting before this "LTE Plus" business.

Hey not bad at all, sounds like Tmobile it all depends where you live/use your service.

-Mike

 

[stanman64]

I live in Kokomo, and I was getting abysmal service from AT&T on the south side of town. Switched to Sprint and this is what I got.
View attachment 601113

WOW that's insane. Good for us. I do miss simultaneous voice & data already though...

 

[ScooterComputer]

I do miss simultaneous voice & data already though...

Five pages into this thread, and this is the FIRST mention I find of simultaneous voice and data with respect to Sprint. I was FLOOOOORED to hear from a friend the other week who had switched to Sprint from AT&T and gotten an iPhone 6s and couldn't figure out why he could not surf the web or iMessage while on a call. I mean…is this the stone ages? But five pages, and not one mention of whether or not this this magic new LTE Plus Network from Sprint is going to let its users walk and chew gum at the same time.

AFAIK, all the other carriers support VoLTE and offer simultaneous voice and data. Even Verizon now. No way I'd EVER go onto a Sprint plan with a limitation like that.

 

[soperrepos]

I've been with Sprint for 5 years and was piggybacking off their network for 3 years before that (Helio then Virgin Mobile). There's some pros and cons with their service.

The unlimited data for $80/mo is my current plan and arguably a pro. The LTE service is quite fast, when it's available. When my iPhone 6 switches over to the 3G service the slow down is ridiculous bordering on unusable at times. If I'm in a big city my service is speedy, but the moment I'm in more rural (or even just suburban areas) my service takes a serious hit (3G or the dreaded 1x service). Basically you get what you pay for - unlimited data, but no real guarantee that you'll receive the speed to actually get the most out of it.

The biggest con is that Sprint phones are tied to the Sprint network forever (that was supposed to change this year though). The issue with that is it suppresses the resale value of the phones and makes it difficult to even gift an old phone unless the individual receiving it is a Sprint customer. This is a sore spot with me due to multiple Sprint reps misleading me about this before I upgraded from an iPhone 4s to my current 6. I was assured repeatedly that my iPhone 4s could be unlocked for use on other domestic carriers. This proved to be a lie.

My read of this new offer is that Sprint is getting even more desperate. This is most likely due to hemorrhaging older customers that are fed up with mediocre service and a support staff that is mostly clueless. Be warned they'll lure you in with a sweet seeming deal, then that's it. Sprint has no interest in retaining current customers - only in attracting new ones.

I'm at a point of transition in my life and plan to ditch Sprint once I'm settled.

 

[errorunknown]

Don't do it, it's a trap. When I had Sprint I had terrible speeds in several states. Bad to the point that it made google maps unusable.

 

[d4nim4l]

I worked the Genius Bar for 6 years. Sprint customers had the most iPhone service issues by far. If I saw 20 iPhone customers a day, a majority were Sprint users reporting dropped calls or slow data. I'm sure they're better in some markets than others, but it made quite an impression on our support staff.

Same here- working at  made me never ever want to give Sprint any money. Sprint issues galore.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

Just to throw this out: this 50% off offer only applies to regular plans. I got confirmation from Sprint that it does not apply to pre-paid plans. This sucks, because I'd have happily switched from T-Mobile for a $15 / month plan.

Not sure what you mean. Cricket is one of the providers listed, and when I choose it, the site says: "Cricket customers qualify for a 50% off AT&T plans. Choose the plan that's right for you. All plans include unlimited talk and text. We’ll match their high-speed data for half the price."

 

[twilexia]

Verizon and AT&T are the top two carriers for a reason, you definitely get what you pay for. I wouldn't recommend any other service.

Sprint is by far the slowest network although their coverage is superior to T-Mobile which isn't saying much considering their extremely spotty coverage. However, T-Mobile's speeds are comparable to AT&T and Verizon but their coverage is pretty much limited to urban areas which doesn't help customers living in rural or even suburban areas.

While T-Mobile seems genuinely committed to expanding their coverage (only then will they be a worthy competitor), Sprint is obsessed with luring in customers with their bargain rates when they fail to understand why so many people have either left, plan on leaving or are hesitant to switch over to them: their subpar network. They need to stop focusing on trying to be cheaper than their competition and channel their focus into enhancing their inferior network.

Like many other former Sprint customers, I got tired of their empty promises when it came to the so-called 'Network Vision' upgrades and when they started amping up their desperate marketing attempt to woo customers, I found it be absolutely pathetic. The network improvements should be the primarily focus at all times, anything else is a diversion to avoid fixing the actual problem. I actually think people wouldn't mind paying even a bit more for Sprint's service if it meant a network closer to the level of Verizon and AT&T.

Agreed and I say this as a tmobile user. Verizon in my view is by far the most competent wireless plan, despite being the most expensive. Tmobile is good for me as I live in NYC, but for my suburban-dwelling family, not so much.

I just hope that Tmobile cleans up their act. It's just so tiring not having service when everyone around you with Verizon and AT&T have perfect service.

 

[AlphaGuitarist]

Agreed
ATT still slightly beats out T-Mobile in most overall widespread tests/comparison studies it's just not a huge difference but better is still better
#GetWhatYouPayFor

It's not just slightly better. AT&T's coverage is far better than T-Mobile's.

 

[tmiw]

Just out of speculation, how many Sprint subscribers are going to go to each of the other three carriers if Sprint were to file bankruptcy? I feel like the vast majority will jump to AT&T and Verizon to the point where the FCC is going to regret not letting T-Mobile buy Sprint.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

Just out of speculation, how many Sprint subscribers are going to go to each of the other three carriers if Sprint were to file bankruptcy? I feel like the vast majority will jump to AT&T and Verizon to the point where the FCC is going to regret not letting T-Mobile buy Sprint.

Unless Sprint filed the type of bankruptcy that ends with liquidation, why would they jump ship?

 

[tmiw]

Unless Sprint filed the type of bankruptcy that ends with liquidation, why would they jump ship?

Chapter 11 is still a serious blow to long-term customer confidence and the brand.

 

[iMi]

Ahaha ha haha don't make me laugh
Long list of reasons T-Mobile sucks

Let me direct you to one of the smartest people in this comments section
( NOT Insuiating anyone thus far isn't intelligent )

I've never encountered a carrier that worked as well as T-Mobile. When I get on the plane in Chicago (where I have nearly PERFECT service 100% of the time) and land in Hong Kong to a welcoming message that informs about the FREE mobile texting and FREE data and FREE wifi calls and the insanely low rate of $.20 per minute on regular calls then I'm pretty happy.

Say what you will, but ATT had more dropped calls in more places. T-mobile works exceedingly well for me. I'll stick with them for a while. They have earned my trust. I run my business from that smartphone and wouldn't have another carrier if they offered the service free!

 

[iMi]

I switched to T-mobile about 2-3 months ago after having Verizon service for about 8 years and I am already regretting the move. I am in the Chicagoland area and the inside building coverage on t-mobile is pretty non-existent.

I already seen more dropped called in the last 2-3 months that I had ever experienced with Verizon in the last 8 years. It is already tiring walking to many office buildings or even my friend's homes and find out that I cant use my phone because it has "no service". I will be dumping this sh...ty service right after the new year cause I got few other expenses coming up this Holiday seasons (otherwise, I would have already switched back to Verizon).

I'm sorry to hear about your trouble. I cannot comment on Verizon, but you should know that T-mobile is rolling out the Extended LTE and will perform better in buildings. I'm in Chicagoland as well. Love the service. I can honestly say it's better than AT&T around here. Fewer dropped calls and the HD voice is noticeably better... What I really love is that anywhere I go in the world the phone simply works and I don't come back to a massive bill.

Stick with them... I cannot tell you how much better the service has gotten in the past year. I suspect it will only get better in the next few months. They really are different and I like them a lot.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I've never encountered a carrier that worked as well as T-Mobile. When I get on the plane in Chicago (where I have nearly PERFECT service 100% of the time) and land in Hong Kong to a welcoming message that informs about the FREE mobile texting and FREE data and FREE wifi calls and the insanely low rate of $.20 per minute on regular calls then I'm pretty happy.

Say what you will, but ATT had more dropped calls in more places. T-mobile works exceedingly well for me. I'll stick with them for a while. They have earned my trust. I run my business from that smartphone and wouldn't have another carrier if they offered the service free!

I agree, over the last year ...... T-moible's signal has noticeably improved alot.

 

[Black Magic]

I'm sorry to hear about your trouble. I cannot comment on Verizon, but you should know that T-mobile is rolling out the Extended LTE and will perform better in buildings. I'm in Chicagoland as well. Love the service. I can honestly say it's better than AT&T around here. Fewer dropped calls and the HD voice is noticeably better... What I really love is that anywhere I go in the world the phone simply works and I don't come back to a massive bill.

Stick with them... I cannot tell you how much better the service has gotten in the past year. I suspect it will only get better in the next few months. They really are different and I like them a lot.

See, the problem with your statement above is that you have to wait even longer for T-Mobile to get the service they already wanted and had already with Verizon. Basically, T-Mobile and Sprint are behind when it comes to network so the only way they can compete is on price.. Switching to save a few bucks ultimately is not worth the hassle in the long run.

Nobody should switch over to T-Mobile or Sprint for the reason of hope. Network upgrades across the USA will take years not months otherwise based on Sprint's promises they would have a gigabit cellular network by now.

 

[tmiw]

See, the problem with your statement above is that you have to wait even longer for T-Mobile to get the service they already wanted and had already with Verizon. Basically, T-Mobile and Sprint are behind when it comes to network so the only way they can compete is on price.. Switching to save a few bucks ultimately is not worth the hassle in the long run.

Nobody should switch over to T-Mobile or Sprint for the reason of hope. Network upgrades across the USA will take years not months otherwise based on Sprint's promises they would have a gigabit cellular network by now.

I don't know about that; I hear T-Mobile's network is pretty good now, especially on newer devices. Sprint's would be too if I didn't drop into 3G so often.

 

[Michael Scrip]

See, the problem with your statement above is that you have to wait even longer for T-Mobile to get the service they already wanted and had already with Verizon. Basically, T-Mobile and Sprint are behind when it comes to network so the only way they can compete is on price.. Switching to save a few bucks ultimately is not worth the hassle in the long run.

Nobody should switch over to T-Mobile or Sprint for the reason of hope. Network upgrades across the USA will take years not months otherwise based on Sprint's promises they would have a gigabit cellular network by now.

And not only do Verizon and AT&T have great networks now... they are continuing to improve their networks too.

They each spend over $10 billion a year on tower upgrades and other capital investments.

So yeah... T-Mobile and Sprint may be getting better... but Verizon and AT&T are already there. AND they're also improving.

 

[MacClueless]

They're so desperate. Kudos to those who happen to be in one of their rare good spots.

I agree with you on both points, they ARE desperate, and if you live in a city where they're supposedly good like Chicago, they might be worth it.

 

[MacClueless]

I don't want to say "too little, too late" regarding Sprint, but I'm kinda close to thinking that at this point.

It's OK, that's what everyone else is saying.

 

[tmiw]

It's OK, that's what everyone else is saying.

The sad part is that they're finally a reasonable option for some. It's just that the money to go the rest of the way is quickly drying up and the brand is permanently trashed for millions.

 

[stanman64]

Five pages into this thread, and this is the FIRST mention I find of simultaneous voice and data with respect to Sprint. I was FLOOOOORED to hear from a friend the other week who had switched to Sprint from AT&T and gotten an iPhone 6s and couldn't figure out why he could not surf the web or iMessage while on a call. I mean…is this the stone ages? But five pages, and not one mention of whether or not this this magic new LTE Plus Network from Sprint is going to let its users walk and chew gum at the same time.

AFAIK, all the other carriers support VoLTE and offer simultaneous voice and data. Even Verizon now. No way I'd EVER go onto a Sprint plan with a limitation like that.

It was definitely a con to switching, but I don't talk on the phone a whole lot. It's usually only a business-related call, like calling Comcast or something. When I'm away from family, we use texting and FaceTime 99% of the time, so I've only had one instance where I was like, "Dang, I really wish I could send this text right now. Oh well, I'll wait 5 minutes until I'm off the phone." So not too bad.

 

[tmiw]

It was definitely a con to switching, but I don't talk on the phone a whole lot. It's usually only a business-related call, like calling Comcast or something. When I'm away from family, we use texting and FaceTime 99% of the time, so I've only had one instance where I was like, "Dang, I really wish I could send this text right now. Oh well, I'll wait 5 minutes until I'm off the phone." So not too bad.

iMessage still works over Wi-Fi though so that helps too. I can see how it'd be a problem if you text a lot of Android users though.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

Chapter 11 is still a serious blow to long-term customer confidence and the brand.

Not really. Look at how many leisure and business travelers don't bat an eye about flying airlines that are in the midst of bankruptcy or have emerged from it.

 

[tmiw]

Not really. Look at how many leisure and business travelers don't bat an eye about flying airlines that are in the midst of bankruptcy or have emerged from it.

Did they have Sprint's reputation though? I feel like a lot of people would just say "good riddance", much like what happened with Radio Shack. (The local now hybrid Sprint/Radio Shack store was still devoid of customers the few times I've walked by.)