Sprint to Roll Out 'One Up' Frequent Device Upgrade Program on September 20

[kingtj]

re: unlimited data

Umm.... as far as I'm aware, T-Mobile DOES allow unlimited data!
My iPhone 5 with them has a plan with it. What they do tell you is that after you exceed a certain amount of data usage, you get throttled back to slower speeds. (Basically, you only get so much "high speed" data on their LTE or 4G network each month.) For an extra $10 per month, they allocate you 2GB of high-speed data in addition to the standard amount (500MB).

As slow as Sprint was when I had them, I don't think throttled T-Mobile data is going to be any worse than Sprint's usual!

T-Mobile does in fact seem to be the "best overall" of the major carriers in terms of service and value but until the offer unlimited data I'm going to have to stay with Sprint. Even though Sprint's data is slow I need to use my Garmin app for business and I never have to worry about exceeding MB's. Sprint has worked perfectly for my GPS. I want an iPhone 5S but I don't like these installment deals. I used to work for Sprint. They had this program years ago. It wasn't an upgrade program, it was for new buyers. They could choose whichever phone they wanted and pay nothing for it upfront. They would pay for the phone through installment billing. I don't like the idea of the bill being higher every month. Best to pay for it upfront. All these deals suck.

 

[BruiserB]

The best deal is to buy an unlocked phone outright and go with one of the carriers (T-mobile, aio, StraightTalk, or other MVNOs) that provide discounted service for bringing your own phone...with no hidden built in charge to recover the subsidized price even if you didn't buy a subsidized phone.

Then you can decide when to sell your phone whenever you want to upgrade without paying for the privilige to do so. You can upgrade early and get more for your trade in as your phone is still relatively new, or you can wait 3 years and enjoy lower monthly fees instead of paying for a subsidy that you aren't using.

The only supposed drawback to this is that some of the MVNOs have weird data rules/limits and may not offer the LTE speeds. This is why I like T-mobile, but I live in an area that is well served by their network.

 

[CEmajr]

Sprint is just about the worst carrier you can go to for the iPhone.

1) Their data coverage is weak. It is near useless in many places, and even where you have LTE the signal is often inconsistent. They've totally botched their LTE deployment.

2) Your phone is forever, irrevocably locked to Sprint. Sprint will not unlock an iPhone for any reason, ever; they are much like AT&T used to be until they finally saw the light. Verizon iPhones come unlocked. AT&T will unlock iPhones when your contract is over, and you can purchase unlocks from several vendors on the web. T-Mobile will unlock phones once they're paid for. Sprint? Never.

Avoid Sprint. Any money you might save is not worth the hassle. And to think I used to be a fan of them back in 2004-2010, but they've definitely changed for the worse.

Spot on accurate. I totally agree with this post.

 

[MrXiro]

Yep! LTE 5GB for $30 FTW!

That's awesome! I was going to jump to it in Nov anyway but I thought I was only going to get HSPA+...

Do you happen to know if older unlocked At&t iPhone does TMo LTE? I still don't fully understand the whole AWS thing and if my area (Los Angeles) has been refarmed for me to get HSPA+ and LTE.

 

[blue22]

mostly agree...

Sprint is just about the worst carrier you can go to for the iPhone.

1) Their data coverage is weak. It is near useless in many places, and even where you have LTE the signal is often inconsistent. They've totally botched their LTE deployment.

2) Your phone is forever, irrevocably locked to Sprint. Sprint will not unlock an iPhone for any reason, ever; they are much like AT&T used to be until they finally saw the light. Verizon iPhones come unlocked. AT&T will unlock iPhones when your contract is over, and you can purchase unlocks from several vendors on the web. T-Mobile will unlock phones once they're paid for. Sprint? Never.

Avoid Sprint. Any money you might save is not worth the hassle. And to think I used to be a fan of them back in 2004-2010, but they've definitely changed for the worse.

As a current Sprint iPhone customer I agree with you overall, but up to a point:

1) Sprint's LTE coverage in particular is inconsistent, but the 3G service in general isn't that weak, especially if you're operating within a major metro area it works just fine and has one of the fewest drop call rates across the country. But I have noticed that the data service becomes spotty once you're in the more suburban areas outside of a city's metro area. At that's been the case with Sprint for a long time.

2a) The iPhone is not locked forever to Sprint, you just need to qualify as a "account in good standing" to have the unlock request honored. I do agree that it's annoying to not have the phone unlocked from the start, but it's not like AT&T in which they historically would never unlock anyone's device for any reason.

2b)The CDMA portion of the Sprint iPhone (same with Verizon) isn't compatible with networks outside the USA, but if you're using the iPhone 4S or higher this isn't really an issue if the phone is unlocked, then you can use the SIM card of your choice while abroad as these phones can operate on GSM networks outside the USA, just not within the USA's GSM networks (i.e. AT&T and T-Mobile, and smaller regional carriers).

Also, keep in mind (as far as I understand it) for iPhones distributed in the USA on the four major carriers (AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Moblie) each iPhone handset is calibrated in such a way that, despite sharing similar hardware components, you can't actually use the device on each those competing networks. So, for example, if you buy a Verizon iPhone you can't use it on Sprint (despite them sharing CDMA capabilities) or on any GSM carrier within the USA as it's "tuned" to not operate on those competing networks.

Same is true with the AT&T iPhone, as it will not work on T-Mobile for this same reason. The only exception to this it seems is the unlocked phone that only the Apple Store sells, which is a GSM enabled phone (mostly for T-Mobile customers benefit) so that phone would also work on AT&T, and any other GSM-based regional carriers, but it still won't work with Verizon or Sprint despite having the CDMA components inside it as they are disabled.

Hope that clears things up.

(just FYI, I personally amassed that info from an intense follow up of asking various reps from Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and Apple detailed questions in the effort to help sort out which USA carrier I would prefer to settle with. I ultimately choose Sprint because 1) I wanted the unlimited plan, and 2) I mainly reside & work within a major metro area.)

 

[CausticPuppy]

This is not entirely accurate.

Sprint's upgrade cycle is NOT 24 months. It's 20 backdated to the first day of the calendar month.

I upgraded in late January 2012 (the 29th?) to the iPhone 4S. I am eligible September 1, 2013 for upgrade. So I'm going to get the 5S on Friday.

I have Sprint, I came over about 4 years ago from Verizon on a price point.

I will certainly agree that the data speed is abysmal but I will say that it's unlimited and worth it's price.

I stream audio on my way to work which often puts me between usage of 2-3 GB per month.

From a price point, Sprint has been the way to go for my family's 4 lines. We pay just over $210 a month (around 213 or so after taxes). We get unlimited mobile-to-any-mobile, unlimited nights & weekends starting at 7 PM, unlimited data and texting. We have 1500 minutes for landline calls.

We've never "policed" ourselves trying to avoid using our cells to landline calls and we're comfortably around 900 minutes a month total.

I'm upgrading first - ahead of the rest of my family - on Friday to check the 4G speed. We live outside of the NYC metro area so we're in the coverage area since the Network Vision deployment, we're just waiting on an actual number.

Since the NV update I'm getting around 1.5 Mbps down and 0.5 Mbps upload, which is much better than the pre-NV update for 3G.

I figure if I can get around 5 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up over LTE I'll be satisfied.

If I can't get LTE I'll probably return the phone to the store and cancel the account shortly and move back to Verizon with a shared data plan.


In reference to pricing as discussed above:

We bought our 4S when it was the latest model for $199 under contract.
Best Buy has a promotion in February every year where you register your phone number and get a $50 gift card when you upgrade by the end of the year.
I'm selling my existing 4S to Gazelle for $170.
I'm $20 in the green towards the new iPhone, though I have to buy another charger or two and a new case because of the form factor change.

I plan on repeating the process in another 2 years... but the main reason I am upgrading is because of 4G.

In addition to my personal iPhone 4S I also have a company phone with LTE (Galaxy GS3). So I've been able to "test drive" sprint's LTE around Atlanta to determine if it would be worth it to re-sign another 2-year contract.

Needless to say I'll be switching to Verizon. Typical Sprint LTE speeds I see (with 5 bars of service) around around 500kbps down, maybe 25kbps up. There are some pockets where I get fast service, I've observed two specific locations where LTE speed is decent; but if I'm going to hunt fast LTE spots I might as well just hunt for WiFi.

It's been this way for MONTHS with no improvement-- if anything it's been slowly getting worse. I don't care what upgrades Sprint says they're doing on the towers, it's not working.

My wife's Verizon iPhone gets insane speeds everywhere I've tried. Normally 12-20MBps download, and usually even faster uploads.

 

[Daws001]

This all sounds promising I guess but unfortunately I'm stuck with AT&T as they have the best service for the areas I frequent. If T-Mobile or Sprint had better coverage (and data speeds) in my area I'd jump ship. There's like a dead zone near my house when I had T-Mobile that just became too frustrating to deal with. And when I travel up north to see the family, T-Mobile's coverage was horrendous.

The plans sound nice but they don't mean much if I'm getting dial-up speed service.

 

[BruiserB]

That's awesome! I was going to jump to it in Nov anyway but I thought I was only going to get HSPA+...

Do you happen to know if older unlocked At&t iPhone does TMo LTE? I still don't fully understand the whole AWS thing and if my area (Los Angeles) has been refarmed for me to get HSPA+ and LTE.

The older ATT iPhone 5 will do T-mo LTE (earlier models didn't have LTE at all), but it will only support refarmed HSPA/HSPA+ frequencies. If you are in an LTE upgraded market you will probably be pretty well off with an older ATT phone. But if you venture further afield where T-mobile hasn't refarmed 3G yet and doesn't yet have LTE, you will fall off to Edge even if T-mobile has HSPA/HSPA+ available on the AWS band. The newer iPhone 5 (issued after April 12, 2013) supports this band as well, so you'll get HSPA/HSPA+ anywhere that T-mobile offers it.

 

[HenryDJP]

which garmin app do you use? i use the "U.S.A." one which is a couple GBs in size, which as i understand it stores all the maps offline so wont consume map data over cellular. im curious if thats not the case.

I have the Garmin USA app. Well I'm not sure how it works, I just know I have to drive miles and miles 5 days a week to client's home and by the end of the month I've used about 4GB of data. I don't use my iPhone's data for anything else. I don't web surf or game. When I download email attachments it's over wifi.

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Are you sure it is the Garmin app? I use TomTom app, and thought they would be similar since they both have downloaded maps. In fact I often use TT with an old phone that is basically an iPod right now, zero data.

Am I sure it's a Garmin app? Seriously? Yes it is, but I will say this, I had the "On Demand" Garmin last year which required a data connection. At Macworld the Garmin manager said the On Demand was going away and as a courtesy he gave me the Garmin USA app for free. I was always under the impression that any Garmin app required a data connection. I'll test it out by turning off my cellular data . Thanks for that.

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Umm.... as far as I'm aware, T-Mobile DOES allow unlimited data!
My iPhone 5 with them has a plan with it. What they do tell you is that after you exceed a certain amount of data usage, you get throttled back to slower speeds. (Basically, you only get so much "high speed" data on their LTE or 4G network each month.) For an extra $10 per month, they allocate you 2GB of high-speed data in addition to the standard amount (500MB).

As slow as Sprint was when I had them, I don't think throttled T-Mobile data is going to be any worse than Sprint's usual!

Yeah, that makes sense. I don't think much could be slower than Sprint's 3G data.

 

[FelixAng]

This is the US plan? I'm gonna hop onto that if it's still available!

Looks like it's here: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

 

[MrXiro]

Looks like it's here: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

That's the one that says "Up to 4G speeds" I always assumed they meant HSPA+ as "4G". This is GREAT news!

 

[TouchMint.com]

Yep! LTE 5GB for $30 FTW!

what deal is that?

 

[BruiserB]

Looks like it's here: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans

That's where to get it. You do need a SIM activation kit from T-mobile though and you have to enroll online. Not sure if the T-mobile phone will include the kit or not (even though it will include the SIM itself). If you try to call up customer service or go to a T-mobile store they won't be able to give you this plan....and there is another $30 plan that they have that has almost no data, so don't just try to tell them you want the $30 plan.

The SIM activation kits are $10 from T-mobile...they consist of a SIM card and an activation code. You don't have to use the activation code with the SIM that comes in the packet...so if you get the Kit with the wrong sized SIM, you can use the activation code with the nano SIM that comes in the new iPhone. The activation process has you enter the number on the SIM itself and the activation code. Then you select the plan you want. This is the only place you will see the $30 5GB 100 minute plan available. If you don't pick this plan when you first sign up, you can't change to it later.

If you think you may want this plan, you will want to order an activation kit now, so you don't have to wait for it when your new phone comes. I'm not sure you can buy it in the store, you may have to order online. I don't think this will be included with the phone as T-mobile is trying to push customers to post-paid rather than pre-paid plans and you need this kit for any pre-paid activation.

 

[FelixAng]

I don't know how much clearer to make this, but do not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES switch to Sprint.

Unless you of course are nostalgic for the dial-up era. That's about as fast as you'll ever see on the Sprint network - and that's if you can get a connection at all.

I have a few weeks left on my contract and will be jumping ship immediately.

Sprint is to cellular what Verizon is to (crap) advertising what AT&T is to ripping people off

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That's where to get it. You do need a SIM activation kit from T-mobile though and you have to enroll online. Not sure if the T-mobile phone will include the kit or not (even though it will include the SIM itself). If you try to call up customer service or go to a T-mobile store they won't be able to give you this plan....and there is another $30 plan that they have that has almost no data, so don't just try to tell them you want the $30 plan.

The SIM activation kits are $10 from T-mobile...they consist of a SIM card and an activation code. You don't have to use the activation code with the SIM that comes in the packet...so if you get the Kit with the wrong sized SIM, you can use the activation code with the nano SIM that comes in the new iPhone. The activation process has you enter the number on the SIM itself and the activation code. Then you select the plan you want. This is the only place you will see the $30 5GB 100 minute plan available. If you don't pick this plan when you first sign up, you can't change to it later.

Yup!

 

[mj1108]

I was with T-Mobile for a long, long time. I tried Sprint when I found out I could get a discount through my employer. I regretted it. I broke my contract early and went back to T-Mobile (happily).

DO NOT SWITCH TO SPRINT.

 

[TimothyB]

All these programs are a sham.

Pay full price every year for a new phone but spread it out over 20 payments or so. If you upgrade at 12 months you owe the balance early but get a credit for your trade in. Nonetheless you are paying $649 for a new phone every year rather than $199 every other year.

I called AT&T. Since I upgraded to a 5 last Sept I am not eligible for a 5S at subsidized price. I get that, that's how it has been. Under their Next program I would get a new 5S for $649 spread out over 20 months of payments. However, I don't qualify for their Next program until next Sept. At which point I would be able to buy a subsidized phone as usual for $199. Why would I agree to pay $649 spread out at that point.

What a joke.

Next is a bad choice if you don't upgrade every 12 months, and even if you did, still not the best deal, but it's all about convenience. Many people sell their phone and do the early upgrade option at 12months. Though, many people don't want to do the extra leg work to sell an iPhone, which involves filtering scammers, selling early enough for the best price that leaves you with no phone, etc. Also, is that early upgrade option available at 12months? Who knows now that they make you wait a full 24 months for the full upgrade. What if the new release of the iPhone 6 is months from your early upgrade, and you have to sell your phone before the 6 is out to get the best price.

Also, the 5s 16gb is $650, yet 20 payments of $27 is only $540. Are we getting the 5s 16gb for $110 less with a no interest loan? Seems like a nice deal.

I'm probably going this route, I don't feel like a large lump some payment of $199-$299, and I can't stand waiting 2 years. But I can handle the $27 or so monthly payment with the knowledge I get a new phone every year by simply giving up my old one on the same day, no hassle.

You can also pay it off early with the outstanding balance due immediately. I don't know if that's the difference of the $540 and what you paid monthly, or $650 minus what you paid. Either way, you at least have that option to buy the phone and keep your current service intact, contract free. Not like in the past where you have to cancel the 2 year contract, stopping your service, possibly losing your number, and then pay the early termination fee.

I'm also sticking with AT&T since I still have unlimited data and a nice company discount.

 

[ikramerica]

Are you sure it is the Garmin app? I use TomTom app, and thought they would be similar since they both have downloaded maps. In fact I often use TT with an old phone that is basically an iPod right now, zero data.

Buy a Garmin. It's cheaper than paying for all that Data every month if that's all you use data for...

 

[rjlawrencejr]

I'm well over 3GB ever month. My work entails driving to client's homes daily and that's why I use the Garmin app. It uses a good deal of data. I agree with you about the 130kbps with Sprint, it's just horribly slow. Not even sure about the 4G in my area, but it's probably spotty in many places. Wish I could leave Sprint but I'm still another year into the contract.

This is not a dig, but I am guessing you aren't good at reading maps? I too drive to customer's homes a lot, but when there is an address I am not familiar with, I just refer to Google Maps (and use it much like a road atlas). A friend told me Google Maps does give turn-by-turn directions. Have you considered that as an alternative? You might use less data.

 

[twoehr]

As a Sprint subscriber it is nice that they have this option, and that the "new" individual plans are lower than before, but it doesn't matter to me. You've got to be a real zealot to need every new iPhone. (But as a former Android owner, I would want one of them every year, i.e. only way to get the newest OS version).

What really rankles me is that the family plans took a big hit with these changes. With four iPhones my service change (no discounts, fees, or taxes) is $180/m. What were they thinking? Although, pricing out the same on AT&T is about $260 also, so I can't say they aren't competitive. I think we the customer are losing on these "shared data" plans.

Since my person phone is "out of cycle" with the other three I think I'm going to skip the 5s in hopes that next year somebody will have a better family plan and I'll switch. (I also don't have LTE where I live and don't expect it before then either, so why pay for a 5/5s? And I'm happy with my 3.5" screen.)

 

[briankwest77]

Lets do some math shall we?

This is actually a great deal for people that update yearly... such as myself.

1. You're NOT paying 649.99 every year for a new phone.
2. You get Unlimited My way for $65/mth ($15 off the MRC, Normally $80/mth)
3. You pay 27.00/mth for the phone.
4. Technically the net payment for the phone is $144 dollars a year due to the discount on the MRC.
5. You turn the phone back in to Sprint in 12 months, and start the process over. You do not have to finish paying off the remaining 12 months of the phone.
6. Oh and pesky taxes and such...

Correct me if i'm wrong here.

 

[rjlawrencejr]

Depends on how important data speed and coverage is to you. If you primarily use wireless and can deal with sub-par data coverage/speed then go ahead with the switch. T-Mobile doesn't lock you in with a contract so you can leave without a fee if you don't like it.

I'm not sure what part of LA SoCal you're in, but coverage and speeds are actually quite good overall. Now, where I stay in the foothills above Pasadena (Altadena) coverage can be poor - but that is true for all carriers (a proposed tower never went up due to NIMBYism), but most everywhere else, from the desert to the sea, coverage is quite good.

If you go to a local Walmart, you should still be able to find the $30/month plan (it's good for new customers only). It is NOT available in any T-Mobile stores. One other thing, of course the LTE is blazing, but on a 5, I have read people are often achieving LTE-like speeds. Even my lowly 4 (which I have had since June 2010), I have seen speeds in excess of 5mbps in some spots (parts of Brea, Pasadena, and Riverside).

 

[JAT]

Buy a Garmin. It's cheaper than paying for all that Data every month if that's all you use data for...

Reasonably sure you either replied to the wrong post or did not understand mine.

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Am I sure it's a Garmin app? Seriously?

I meant "are you sure your high data usage comes from the Garmin app?"

I think you will find the standalone app uses less data, but I haven't actually tested Garmin's apps myself. 3-4GB just for gps seems outlandish. I also use gps for a couple dozen or more stops per week for work.

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This is not a dig, but I am guessing you aren't good at reading maps? I too drive to customer's homes a lot, but when there is an address I am not familiar with, I just refer to Google Maps (and use it much like a road atlas). A friend told me Google Maps does give turn-by-turn directions. Have you considered that as an alternative? You might use less data.

Google uses more data, it does not store the map on the phone, so is constantly downloading.

But it is a good map program.

 

[nofear1az]

I'm well over 3GB ever month. My work entails driving to client's homes daily and that's why I use the Garmin app. It uses a good deal of data. I agree with you about the 130kbps with Sprint, it's just horribly slow. Not even sure about the 4G in my area, but it's probably spotty in many places. Wish I could leave Sprint but I'm still another year into the contract.

Why not use a Garmin GPS unit rather than a Garmin app? I find using my GPS unit much better than my phone while driving since data is spotty, saves my batt and my phone from overheating. I would never pay to stay on Sprint. I guess I don't see the benefits there.

 

[roblarosa]

I don't know how much clearer to make this, but do not UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES switch to Sprint.

Unless you of course are nostalgic for the dial-up era. That's about as fast as you'll ever see on the Sprint network - and that's if you can get a connection at all.

I have a few weeks left on my contract and will be jumping ship immediately.

YES! I'm in the same boat, except that I bailed on Sprint and paid the early termination fee. They're the WORST!

 

[jigzaw]

Not sure if I really need to spend any extra money getting a new phone every year. The two-year cycle seems about right to me as far as getting a worthwhile iphone upgrade goes. If it comes out to no extra money at all, once the math is done, I'd consider it.

I'm also a Sprint customer who is sticking with it for the unlimited data. I switched from AT&T two years ago because the dropped calls were just unacceptable, and while Sprint's 3G is slow, I don't have nearly the problems making phone calls as I did on AT&T.

I've been tempted to consider Verizon for a better data speed, when I get the 5S soon. I'm on the 4S so I have no idea how Sprint's LTE is. The 3G is definitely slower than my friend's 3G on other services. The thing is, I stream Sirius satellite on my phone while driving around, and frequently use it as a GPS. I also figure future apps and services on the iphone will rely more and more on a constant data connection, and I just don't see myself leaving for a more expensive, data-capped, service. Sprint wins with me because of the unlimited data, hands down. I'll wait the two extra seconds it takes to load an email for the peace of mind of not being shocked with a mega-bill for going over.