It's a 3G AND 4G cap. Apple would never release a WiMax phone just for Sprint.
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Sprint to Cap Mobile Hotspot Data to 5GB Ahead of iPhone Launch
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It's a 3G AND 4G cap. Apple would never release a WiMax phone just for Sprint.
Sprint is being opportunistic by doing away with perks (Sprint Premier), and now imposing tethering data caps at the launch of the iPhone. Granted their Unlimited Data plan per phone is still the lowest when compared to other carriers, but for how long?
The iPhone is not a super data hog phone. Sprint just released the Galaxy 2 4G Touch recently which has a beautiful 4.52 inch screen (with Flash support). Its probably a better screen to watch Netflix or stream data or surf the internet with compared to the rumored IP5.
What Sprint is doing is bordering on evil, morally wrong or bad. It's like companies laying people off and using "the economy" as an excuse. Or companies that ask for more work from their employees, and tell them "they're lucky they have a job". And for what??? For more corporate PROFIT. Sprint is in the same boat. Taking advantage of the situation.
All phone carriers make BANK on texting charge, data and overage fees. For crying out loud, you can text till your fingers are numb all month and I doubt you'd text over 5MB per month, yet you pay $$$ for the privilege. Data is getting to be the same way. Start putting caps on data and you run the risk of being zing'd at the end of the month when your bill arrives.
We Americans are being suckered by the wireless carriers for text and data charges. It cost them next to nothing, yet we're charged an unfair and disproportional amount.
But what can you do, right? Be Smart. Shop rates. Shop carriers. Look for alternative wireless data devices and services. And above all, minimize wireless data use altogether. Refrain from using mobile data until you are within range of free WiFi.
Use WiFi.
The iPhone is not a super data hog phone. Sprint just released the Galaxy 2 4G Touch recently which has a beautiful 4.52 inch screen (with Flash support). Its probably a better screen to watch Netflix or stream data or surf the internet with compared to the rumored IP5.
What Sprint is doing is bordering on evil, morally wrong or bad. It's like companies laying people off and using "the economy" as an excuse. Or companies that ask for more work from their employees, and tell them "they're lucky they have a job". And for what??? For more corporate PROFIT. Sprint is in the same boat. Taking advantage of the situation.
All phone carriers make BANK on texting charge, data and overage fees. For crying out loud, you can text till your fingers are numb all month and I doubt you'd text over 5MB per month, yet you pay $$$ for the privilege. Data is getting to be the same way. Start putting caps on data and you run the risk of being zing'd at the end of the month when your bill arrives.
We Americans are being suckered by the wireless carriers for text and data charges. It cost them next to nothing, yet we're charged an unfair and disproportional amount.
But what can you do, right? Be Smart. Shop rates. Shop carriers. Look for alternative wireless data devices and services. And above all, minimize wireless data use altogether. Refrain from using mobile data until you are within range of free WiFi.
Use WiFi.
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Don't forget that ATT is promising to bring back 5000 outsourced jobs back back to the USA if they can get their monopoly. These companies screw consumers every chance that they get.
This cap doesnt apply to the Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro 4G Hotspot, does it??
I didn't see the Hotspot device mentioned, so probably not. Anyone know for sure? MacRumors, any word?? Is Sprint's on-device mobile plan referring to the Overdrive Pro Hotspot???
If if does, then I should switch to the Tablet mobile broadband 4G unlimited plan which isn't affected.
Hmmm....
JMF
I didn't see the Hotspot device mentioned, so probably not. Anyone know for sure? MacRumors, any word?? Is Sprint's on-device mobile plan referring to the Overdrive Pro Hotspot???
If if does, then I should switch to the Tablet mobile broadband 4G unlimited plan which isn't affected.
Hmmm....
JMF
Sorry, this is getting a little off topic, but it hit my HOT button....
Remember also EVERYTHING we hear from companies come from their PR Department. They only speak or boast on the "good" things and not the bad things. In this case, yes AT&T claims they will bring back 5000 outsourced jobs.
But you know what, think about it. Who are the workers? What level of employees are they? Are they high, middle or low wage earners? I'd guess 90% of them are low wage earners. Low hourly workers, maybe $10-$15 per hour or less workers. Yeah bring back 5000 jobs. Look good......
But remember also, EVERYTIME a large merger like this happens (TMO and AT&T) people loose their jobs. There will be 5000 (or more) SKILLED workers (probably mid level paid employees) jobs lost due to the merger, so who makes out? AT&T of course!!! More corporate profit. Do you think AT&T would bring back 5000 outsourced jobs to loose money? Not in your life!! They have it all figured out.
Anyway, back to data capping......
I suspect Sprint will eventually come around and have tiered data levels. I hope not, because I'm one of those Sprint Android ready to pounce on the Sprint iPhone. But I see it coming, Sprint (Unlimited ha, ha) Tiered Data Plan.
With their acquisition of the iPhone, they are more like the other carriers. They just changes their unique 30 day Return Policy to 2 weeks, more aligned with the other carriers.
Do you see any correlations???
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didn't some of the same people say Apple would never release a CMDA phone either?
Sprint did the same for my parents' wifi usb cards. They said they had unlimited data when they actually had a 2 gig limit and sent them a bill for an additional $500. Then, after a half-hour phone battle, they said whoops, our mistake and refunded it. The next month they got another $500 surcharge. After an hour-long phone battle they refunded it and that was when they informed them of the 2 gig cap. My parents immediately unplugged the usb card after getting off the phone, but it was already partway through the billing cycle. Guess what was on the next bill? A $500 surcharge. As much as I hate ATT, Sprint is even worse.
like I posted earlier:
All phone carriers make BANK on texting charge, data and overage fees. For crying out loud, you can text till your fingers are numb all month and I doubt you'd text over 5MB per month, yet you pay $$$ for the privilege. Data is getting to be the same way. Start putting caps on data and you run the risk of being zing'd at the end of the month when your bill arrives.
We Americans (and now Canadians too) are being suckered by the wireless carriers for text and data charges. It cost them next to nothing, yet we're charged an unfair and disproportional amount.
I think the mantra for all phone carriers goes something like this:
"Whatever the market will bare" or "Get it while you can" or "Get'm while they're hot" or something like that....
True - but tethering is generally an add on so they can let you cancel that without canceling the whole plan since no changes have been made to the base plan. Add-ons often can be dropped without a fee anyway.That's not the only reason. If they change my plan I can end my contract without any early termination fee.
Now, if they change the terms of your base plan then you can terminate with no fee - so that .1 cent a month increase in a fee can trigger a cancellation.
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It's called supply and demand - people value it and are willing to pay for it; so they charge for it. What something costs to produce has no impact on what people are willing to pay for it; cost to produce only determines if something will be produced based on market prices.
You can always go without texting and avoid the fee all together. I did that for years until they came out with a 1 fee for all lines on your plan price.
You're right. Another mantra is supply and demand (I forgot that one). But that's exactly my point though. We are so willing (programmed) to pay for it. We're all suckers. My wireless bill is more than my home internet and electric bill put together. @home, I can wolf down a 2GB file in seconds. I know that 's comparing wired to wireless, like apples to oranges. But my phone can download 2GB (WiFi) pretty quick too. So I prefer WiFi over mobile data.
I have the Sprint Everything Data Family Plan with 4 lines. All of my family members rely on (and prefer) WiFi hotspots where data is free, fast and more reliable than any carrier's data coverage. We only use mobile data occasionally.
Not to many things are that urgent that we can't wait for a WiFi hotspot connection. And if it is urgent, we always have Sprint's mobile data.
I would prefer to have a plain 'ol voice plan and use WiFi hotspots, but all carriers REQUIRE you to have a "data" plan if you use a smartphone. That's how they make most of their profit.
But yeah, Sprint's changing. And slowly changing for the worse, not better. Sooner or later they'll be just another iPhone equipped carrier, and it doesn't matter who you go with. You just shop for coverage, plans and phones. They'll always have some minor differences in pricing.
Coverage is pretty awful too. I had a dealer line with them at one point. What's funny is their latest commercial about how everyone else caps their data plans or slow you down over 2 gb but not Sprint... Noooo not us! Now the scary iPhone is coming and they know how much of a data hog the users are.
The answer here is not more government involvement. The answer is the consumers telling the carriers to take a hike. A couple of quarters with revenues deep in the red will change the wireless providers attitudes.
Sadly, this will never happen. We all bitch and complain but in the end we are mobile device junkies who cave in so that we don't risk losing our fix.
It is we who have no balls.
It is Verizon's CDMA Network not Apple
The antiquated 3G Iphone doesn't, of course, but that's because it's an out-of-date device - not because Verizon doesn't support the feature.[/QUOTE]
I had an iPhone 3G on AT&T and I had simultaneous voice/data from the start. The only network in Verizon that allows this is the LTE network, meaning that the new iPhone 4S or 5 won't be able to either. Sprint will have the same issue.
The antiquated 3G Iphone doesn't, of course, but that's because it's an out-of-date device - not because Verizon doesn't support the feature.[/QUOTE]
I had an iPhone 3G on AT&T and I had simultaneous voice/data from the start. The only network in Verizon that allows this is the LTE network, meaning that the new iPhone 4S or 5 won't be able to either. Sprint will have the same issue.
Too, too true. I have a love/hate affair with my iPhone b/c it's become my brain. I don't bother to remember things or phone#s or appts for myself anymore I just tap them out in SimpleNote or iCal and set a reminder alarm. It's this kind of laziness that leads to brain rot. I know it but I can't go back to 2007. And I feel so helpless going into a store w/o RedLaser and ShopSavvy and wow isn't it great to be able to deposit small checks via my iPhone w/o having to physically go to the bank. Yes, it's an addition w/ no cure. Rake me over the coals CellCo. Please, may I have another.
I totally disagree with you. First, while one single iPhone may not be a "super" data hog, many reports have shown people with iPhones tend to use more data than non-iPhone users. Second, your example of the Galaxy tab I think is a poor example because while people with a Galaxy might use more data than your iPhone user there is expected to be FAR MORE iPhone users than Galaxy tab users. A recent report came out from Sprint or T-mobile that most people leave their service because they don't have the iPhone. If they now get the iPhone they are expecting a large number of people moving over or upgrading.
My point since when Apple first launched the iPhone has been Verizon, Sprint, etc. would all start limiting their data plans once the iPhone came to their network. It was clear when the iPhone launched AT&T's network couldn't handle it and it had nothing to do with "how much better" Verizon or the other networks were - it was all about the number of people using the iPhone and how they tend to use much more data than people expected. Verizon and Sprint are at least in a position now where they shouldn't be caught over guard because they have years of data and research reports to go off in preparing for a launch on their network. This is exactly what Sprint is doing.
Last thing, this doesn't mean Sprint is evil or immoral. They could offer unlimited before, IMHO, because they had plenty of bandwidth but not enough demand. So rather than let it sit out there unused, they used it as a selling point. Now with the iPhone coming (reportedly) to Sprint, they realize they could be put in a big hurt if the unlimited plan was left alone. It also is not evil to make a profit. That is what they are supposed to do and have a MORAL and ETHICAL obligation to their share holders to make a profit. Do I think there are better ways to make a profit, yes. I wish Apple would use Crucial (an American company) for their RAM and rely less on Samsung and foreign companies. I think at this volume they could easily work a deal and support American jobs. I also don't like the outsourcing plan some companies do as well but think in this case Sprint is not doing either. They are simply trying to prepare their network for a potential huge spike in demand. It is all about supply and demand and they don't want to be caught with their proverbial pants down.
One step closer to tiered Data plans.
Yeah, where are all the people who thought Dan Hesse was a philanthropist who cared about his customers? Shoulda seen this coming a mile away. Unlimited data is not something that any carrier can offer for long, especially not a carrier like Sprint.
Sprint ALREADY has a 3G Cap.
For the article to make sense the new iPhone on Sprint MUST have 4G capabilities.
What's really getting old is people slamming the wireless carriers (all of them) for attempting to make a PROFIT when they are indeed a FOR PROFIT CORPORATION.
If you have any large mutual funds in your retirement account, then odds are damned high that you have Sprint, ATT and Verizon stock in those accounts.
As a customer, you could choose to NOT have data on your phone. You could go pre-paid and pay much, much less. However, you don't want that, you want the BEST YOU CAN GET. So you pay for it.
How are these companies just bilking the public for everything they're worth? How in the world do YOU get to decide what is and what isn't a fair price. The wireless providers will say "it's fair enough that we make money on it", you'll say "I want it for the damned cheapest price I could possibly pay which will always be less than what any wireless provider charges". In a capitalistic sociey YOU don't get to determine pricing, the market as an entire whole does. And at this point, the market has determined that the pricing is JUST FINE AS IS. Unfortunately, the market makes YOU wrong and upset that you can't have everything YOUR way.
If you have any large mutual funds in your retirement account, then odds are damned high that you have Sprint, ATT and Verizon stock in those accounts.
As a customer, you could choose to NOT have data on your phone. You could go pre-paid and pay much, much less. However, you don't want that, you want the BEST YOU CAN GET. So you pay for it.
How are these companies just bilking the public for everything they're worth? How in the world do YOU get to decide what is and what isn't a fair price. The wireless providers will say "it's fair enough that we make money on it", you'll say "I want it for the damned cheapest price I could possibly pay which will always be less than what any wireless provider charges". In a capitalistic sociey YOU don't get to determine pricing, the market as an entire whole does. And at this point, the market has determined that the pricing is JUST FINE AS IS. Unfortunately, the market makes YOU wrong and upset that you can't have everything YOUR way.
It's not so much the price that bothers me, it's all the little rules and nickel and diming and bizarre prices.
For instance, 1GB of overage on Sprint costs FIVE TIMES what it does on AT&T. What the hell excuse is there for this?
Also, you MUST buy a 4GB plan on AT&T in order to tether. You're just not ALLOWED to tether on the 2GB plan, even if you stay under 2GB. You'd expect AT&T to *want* you to tether on the 2GB plan, so you'll go over and pay overages!
If they just said "You pay this much for this much bandwidth and can use it any way you want, and here are the overage charges" that would be a lot better. That's how home ISPs operate, afterall. Why must the wireless industry be so complicated and stingy with their rules and regulations? It's absurd.
For instance, 1GB of overage on Sprint costs FIVE TIMES what it does on AT&T. What the hell excuse is there for this?
Also, you MUST buy a 4GB plan on AT&T in order to tether. You're just not ALLOWED to tether on the 2GB plan, even if you stay under 2GB. You'd expect AT&T to *want* you to tether on the 2GB plan, so you'll go over and pay overages!
If they just said "You pay this much for this much bandwidth and can use it any way you want, and here are the overage charges" that would be a lot better. That's how home ISPs operate, afterall. Why must the wireless industry be so complicated and stingy with their rules and regulations? It's absurd.
A friend of my wife owns a Subway and she told me a cup, ice, and the soda combined cost her around 10 cents. They are sold for $1.19. You do the math.
You act as if they're selling the soda for $1.19 and then throwing the profit in their vault in the back and laughing maniacally or something. There's so much overhead that goes with running a business, it's not as simple as you make it sound.
Like the guy said, if you're so confident that its that easy, why aren't you out there running you own fast food spot where soda costs $0.89? You'd get customers since that's around 25% cheaper, and since it's that simple, you'll be an overnight millionaire right?