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Sprint Sells 1.8 Million iPhones in 4Q 2011, 40% to New Subscribers

across the board Sprint's downlink speeds *is* lame...

kwiqsilver said:
I did find out that if you complain loudly enough, file a BBB complaint, and make them spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars researching why their network sucks, Sprint will let you out of the contract without paying $350.
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That's very good to know. :cool:

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SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
...most AT&T customers are stuck, and some want to leave, just not for a CDMA carrier
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With the iPhone 4S the whole "CDMA vs. GSM" is a non-issue (prior to the current model I can understand current AT&T customer's frustration like you mentioned) and if only T-Mobile can get it's act together then there *might* actually be some worthwhile competition with iPhone service options in the USA.
 
chrisfromalbany said:
Too bad the performance on Sprint network sucks :mad: (both internet and phone reception) or I would switch.
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Unless you actually used it yourself recently, you can't make that call. I personally used AT&T for 2.5 years and they were awful, VERY HAPPY with Sprint.

people, you have 14 days before you get locked in your phone, shop around, USE THEM and make your call, there is no reason for us all to be on the same carrier
 
Tiger8 said:
Unless you actually used it yourself recently, you can't make that call. I personally used AT&T for 2.5 years and they were awful, VERY HAPPY with Sprint.

people, you have 14 days before you get locked in your phone, shop around, USE THEM and make your call, there is no reason for us all to be on the same carrier
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a diamond in the rough..
 
I seriously think that Sprint will get the iPhone 5 exclusively by early summer 2012. There is no other explanation for Sprint's commitment of "betting the company" and committing to so many iPhones without there being some sort of deal in place.

I don't think Sprint will get a full exclusive for their contract term, but possibly an undisclosed amount of time (~5-6 months ahead of the rest). This should be enough time for Sprint to nab most early adopters, etc.

Apple is showing that they have the leverage. They saved AT&T and now they will show they can shift customers to Sprint.
 
While Sprint may have sold a lot, the subsidy they have to cover may still kill them in the long run.

Interesting read on the catch 22 the carriers are in with the iPhone.
Even with record sales, all three carriers are still taking it in the shorts when it comes to their bottom line.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/08/technology/iphone_carrier_subsidy/index.htm?source=cnn_bin

After selling nearly 2 million iPhones last quarter, Sprint's adjusted wireless margin fell to 9.5%, down from 16% a year ago. The company said Wednesday morning that its margin was significantly lower than it would have been without the iPhone subsidy.
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In an interview with CNNMoney in October, just after Sprint announced it would begin selling the iPhone, Sprint CEO Hesse said the No. 1 reason why customers had left Sprint prior to October was because it had no iPhone.

"It comes down to, 'Do you want to be with them or bet against them?'" he said. "Apple is arguably the best global brand in the tech space."

Apple did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.

Nomura's McCormack said carriers feel the need to have the iPhone to maintain their market share. But to make money on the devices, he thinks they will have to raise rates or get tough with Apple on reducing the subsidy.

The latter is practically impossible. So carriers have been gradually hiking prices. Over the past year, Sprint increased its smartphone rates by $10 a month, Verizon ended its unlimited data offering and New Every Two deal, and AT&T ended its unlimited plan and raised its prices by $5 a month.
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Tiger8 said:
Unless you actually used it yourself recently, you can't make that call. I personally used AT&T for 2.5 years and they were awful, VERY HAPPY with Sprint.

people, you have 14 days before you get locked in your phone, shop around, USE THEM and make your call, there is no reason for us all to be on the same carrier
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I am also with Sprint and have never had any issues with the quality of calls. My data speed does not compare with my family members who are on AT&T but it is not horrible. On the other hand, I pay $40 less per month than they do for similar plans with the exception that I have unlimited data and they are capped at 300MB. Some may prefer to pay more to get faster speeds, but I can handle the slower data speed for the difference in what I pay for my plan.
 
dukedvl said:
I am also with Sprint and have never had any issues with the quality of calls. My data speed does not compare with my family members who are on AT&T but it is not horrible. On the other hand, I pay $40 less per month than they do for similar plans with the exception that I have unlimited data and they are capped at 300MB. Some may prefer to pay more to get faster speeds, but I can handle the slower data speed for the difference in what I pay for my plan.
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I'm with you! I never worry about overages, or my speed dropping to 1 kpbs. It is definitely not the fastest, but it is consistent, and I travel quite a bit and have to yet see a place were I can't make calls or access the internet...
 
sprint suxxxxxxx

the speeds are super super mind numbingly depressingly slow. Sometimes even siri has a problem with it, and she uses next to no data @ all. If my unlimited all plan wasn't 67 bucks, then I would have never ever switched over from ATT. Hopefully sprint will get better. Till then I'm hitting up the free wifi :p
 
Early Upgrades

Sprint should have had an option for current customers to upgrade to the iPhone early. I believe many Sprint subscribers would have been willing to pay a higher price for the iPhone...I would have!

I am sure there are many other Sprint users who are simply waiting for their current agreement to expire rather than pay the full price for an iPhone.
 
lacosner said:
Sprint should have had an option for current customers to upgrade to the iPhone early. I believe many Sprint subscribers would have been willing to pay a higher price for the iPhone...I would have!

I am sure there are many other Sprint users who are simply waiting for their current agreement to expire rather than pay the full price for an iPhone.
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Agreed! And I know some are waiting for that new iPhone 5 as well. Like myself.
 
blue22 said:
With the iPhone 4S the whole "CDMA vs. GSM" is a non-issue (prior to the current model I can understand current AT&T customer's frustration like you mentioned) and if only T-Mobile can get it's act together then there *might* actually be some worthwhile competition with iPhone service options in the USA.
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actually it's still an issue, lack of talk and data at the same time is the major flaw with CDMA
 
SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
actually it's still an issue, lack of talk and data at the same time is the major flaw with CDMA
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I would actually put overall speed of the network over talk and data. Talk and data is pretty much just something fanboys hang onto to whine about.

Speed and age of the technology far surpass it as an issue. Personally, I am very excited for the big three to all be jumping on the LTE bandwagon.
 
lte is going to be sweet...

SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
actually it's still an issue, lack of talk and data at the same time is the major flaw with CDMA

Digital Skunk said:
I would actually put overall speed of the network over talk and data. Talk and data is pretty much just something fanboys hang onto to whine about.

Speed and age of the technology far surpass it as an issue. Personally, I am very excited for the big three to all be jumping on the LTE bandwagon.
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Good points regarding the "Talk and Data" at the same time. But at least with the iPhone 4S it'll work on either CDMA or GSM, so just a matter of finding the right carrier for your needs.

LTE is the way forward, so that area is good news. I just want T-Mobile to get officially in the iPhone mix so that *hopefully* their presence helps to make the plan prices more competitive across the board.
 
macinnv said:
Good for Apple, bad for Sprint. Now they are running even bigger losses with the iPhone.
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It's helpful to read the rest of the article. This is no different than getting a mortgage to purchase a house. You work, earn a pay check, pay your mortgage, eventually you own said house. Sprint customers pay bill, percentage covers subsidy, after about a year Sprint is making gravy. Just like when you buy a house, you have debt up front. The difference is that Sprint will profit in the end. This is true for ALL phones. The iPhone just comes in about $200 more expensive for a carrier than other brands.

AppleScruff1 said:
700,000 new customers for Sprint and that's for the launch holiday quarter. It will be less from here on in until iPhone 5. iPhone on Sprint = FAIL.
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When you break it down into market share, that is a killer boost to subscribers. For Sprint that is a lot. Not only did it bring new customers, it probably retained customers who might have left that carrier and reduced their churn rate. They now have those people for 2 years. That's an epic win, not fail.

Johnny Steps said:
I have an iPhone on Sprint and yeah speeds are trash. I don't see why it's so hard for them to have decent speeds of 700kps to 1mb down. It shouldn't be that freaking hard for them to tweak their antennas to work.... especially if Verizon can (ANOTHER CMDA company)
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That also depends on where you live. Sprint's 3G and Verizon's 3G data speeds generally suck period compared to other carriers. It doesn't matter what device you are using. Sprint often beats Verizon in speed tests in a some markets. It's all about your location. Speed is about the only thing AT&T has going for them. Sprint is obviously not investing in 3G... and at this point, few people will be. In 5 years, 3G is going to be all but dead except on pre-paid and small regional carriers.
 
At&t's throttled unlimited data is the same speed as Sprint's regular unlimited data. Its horrible.
 
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