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Sprint to Roll Out 'One Up' Frequent Device Upgrade Program on September 20
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Absolutely! Sprint is awful. The worst mistake I made as far as choosing any kind of service was choosing Sprint at my carrier.
If they were giving away puppies that crap gold, I wouldn't sign up with Sprint again!
So you get a new iPhone for $27 a month. After a year you have spent $324. You want the new iPhone 6, so you have to continue spending $27 a month or whatever it is, however, you have 8 months left on the iPhone 5S, so you owe $216 when you get your 6 to buy out the rest of your 5S upgrade pricing. Do you even get any $$ for your old iPhone 5S when you shell out the $216 to be able to start paying $27 a month again.
You've gone from $199 every other year to $27 a month every month plus $216 each year to buy out your payment plan. Across 4 years you could have the iPhone 5S and 6S for $199 each or $400, or you could have the 5S, 6, 6S, and 7 for $2,160.00 !!
Something about that just doesn't seem right for any consumer.
If I sell my iPhone 5, I can get $400-500 for it. A new one would cost me $850 (64GB model). That means last year I spent $400 for it, I could get that back and maybe then some. I'd have to pay $850 for a new one at the same size. And next year be able to sell that for $400-500 and get an iPhone 6 for $400. So it would cost me $650 - $850 total for a new iPhone each year for 3 years. That's $215-$285 per year for a 64GB model each year. And I don't have to sell early. I can sell it after I acquire my new phone or at the same time.
I just want to point out that ALL of T-Mobile's plans have unlimited data; it's just that they throttle you to a lower speed after the specified amount is used. The 'Unlimited' plan has unlimited full-speed data. But even the cheapest plan has unlimited talk, text, and data.
Sprint's ESN activation and phone unlocking policies mean that their headline low rate masks a major sunk cost with their phones. In other words, you can't bring your own phone to Sprint, and once with them, unlocking to switch to someone else is next to impossible. It may seem like smart business to their management, but with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile devices becoming more interchangeable by the month, it starts to look like a liability to me. The direction Sprint are going right now, it's not hard to foresee a situation where the other three carriers have phones that are as switchable as on European carriers in three to four years time, while Sprint veer off in their own world.
As for the others . . . just remember, VZ and ATT have joined T-Mobile with AWS frequencies; T-Mobile's BYOD policies and greater use of 1900MHz mean their phones work on VZ and ATT LTE frequencies, and the conditions of VZ's Upper C block license means unlocking has increasingly turns into "comes unlocked". And as CDMA gives way to VoLTE, we'll see more of this. I'm just curious how long Sprint can hold out with its ESN policy.
As for the others . . . just remember, VZ and ATT have joined T-Mobile with AWS frequencies; T-Mobile's BYOD policies and greater use of 1900MHz mean their phones work on VZ and ATT LTE frequencies, and the conditions of VZ's Upper C block license means unlocking has increasingly turns into "comes unlocked". And as CDMA gives way to VoLTE, we'll see more of this. I'm just curious how long Sprint can hold out with its ESN policy.
I live in the South Bay. There is a noticeable difference in data speed between the carriers in my area. I would rate T-Mobile to be on-par with Sprint in my general area. AT&T & Verizon have significantly superior data speed and generally better coverage from my experience.
I like this
I used to be on AT&T on the unlimited plan. Had fast internet and it was unlimited
But then they started throtteling me because I used 10-20GB a month. It would get so slow that I basicly said F you and left. I went to Sprint because they were the only other carrier with unlimited plans for new customers. I have not looked back once and love Sprint. Sure they are slow at times. But not as slow as AT&T was when they throtteled me. Now I am never throtteled, I have true unlimited, even if it is slow and I can use 20GB a month if i want.
This last year with Sprint, I used about 15-20GB a month. A few months I did 40gb. I love netflix, what can I say.
I used to be on AT&T on the unlimited plan. Had fast internet and it was unlimited
But then they started throtteling me because I used 10-20GB a month. It would get so slow that I basicly said F you and left. I went to Sprint because they were the only other carrier with unlimited plans for new customers. I have not looked back once and love Sprint. Sure they are slow at times. But not as slow as AT&T was when they throtteled me. Now I am never throtteled, I have true unlimited, even if it is slow and I can use 20GB a month if i want.This last year with Sprint, I used about 15-20GB a month. A few months I did 40gb. I love netflix, what can I say.
Hear, Hear. TMO has definitely shaken up the establishment. Good for them.
All that said, all these plans are a trap. Pay full price, maybe buy Applecare if you don't trust yourself to keep the device working, and avoid the monthly subsidy fees (oh yeah, in the US, you only get this perk on TMO).
The US cell industry is sure innovating in ways to shackle their customers. Makes you wonder who won the cold war.
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.
How much over 3 GB? You might be close to the point where you become unprofitable enough that Sprint asks you to leave and waives the ETF. Some people have hastened that by, for example, downloading an Ubuntu package every night while they're asleep.
I don't understand the owe $216 part mentality. Sure, you technically owe that with 8 months left, but that's waived when you give them your old iPhone 5s and they hand you a 6, starting a new 20month plan.
True, you end up paying more in one year, $324, compared to the $199 down payment. But again, you don't buy out your plan at 12 months, you just give them the old phone, walk out with a 6 and continue paying the $27 a month.
So $2160 seems way off. At the "beginning" of the 4th year, 36months paid, I'd have exactly handed AT&T $972 and gone through a 5s, 6, 6s and now have an new iPhone 7 in my hands, walking out with another 20 month plan. That's over double the $400 if you just got two phones over 4 years at $199, but I'd have had double the phones.
Based off my calculations above, it's not really worth it to me to go through all that extra hassle with selling phones and large upfront payments. At 3 years, when I get the iPhone 6s in my hands, I'd have paid just $648 (after 24 payments, excluding taxes), which is at the bottom of your plan's estimate. Though, my calculations are for a 16gb, but I'm sure even with a 64gb, it still might fall within your 650-850 range, and without all the hassle. Also, the $36 activation fee is waived automatically with Next, while the other ways you have to do later through chat or calling them, and usually everyone has success.
The "Next" way will obviously be more costly as time goes one, but the extra cost is worth it to me for the convenience.
Also, I made the mistake of going form an iPhone 4 to a Galaxy Note 1 that's no longer worth much and regret getting. It's been a nightmare and torture waiting for my upgrade, especially with Androids. For the iPhone, they usually hold up well, especially in the non "s" cycle, where it's a whole new phone. Starting with the 5s, I'd love to be able to get a 6 a year from now, as it may be a whole new refresh and larger screen.
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I'm not considering switching to Sprint, but may checkout T-Mobile in a year or so....
I currently have AT&T unlimited grandfathered in and I'm now sick of getting texts warning me to switch to WIFI network or face throttled LTE service for approaching 5gb of data in said month.
Sure it is "unlimited" but they can slow down the rate at which you get your data.
Does T-Mobile do the same? I won't consider Sprint or Verizon!
I currently have AT&T unlimited grandfathered in and I'm now sick of getting texts warning me to switch to WIFI network or face throttled LTE service for approaching 5gb of data in said month.
Sure it is "unlimited" but they can slow down the rate at which you get your data.
Does T-Mobile do the same? I won't consider Sprint or Verizon!
Sprint iPhone 5 cannot be unlocked for domestic use at all; I think this has as much to do with the hardware as it does with Sprint. The iPhone 4S, and only the 4S, can be unlocked for domestic use; I think this is because the 4S had the same hardware for all carriers. Either way... 4s here, takes a tmo sim.
I have activated 2 T-Mobile SIMS, one online(it gave me the option for $30 plan with 5GB 4G data), although I chose Pay As you Go plan. The other SIM was activated over the phone with T-Mobile Customer service and I asked for the $30 plan with 5GB data, unlimited text and 100 Voice minutes per month and CustServ Rep was able to add it to the SIM.
I can't remember what data speeds were like when I had AT&T, but my experience in the South Bay has been good too. Also there's been a marked improvement over the past year. All the places I have been the past few months (Compton, Torrance, El Segundo) my speeds seem to be quite good. Definitely worth the $70 per month I save since switching.
Precisely. And an educated consumer is their worst nightmare. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, with fierce competition amongst the top four, more change will come. Ideally, all of them should completely de-couple the device payments from the monthly service plans for ultimate transparency. More people might actually buy their phones unlocked to begin with, knowing that they weren't somehow subsidizing others, with inflated monthly service charges.
And those who did choose to pay for their phone by monthly installment, would know at any time, how much they still owed on the handset, which amount they could then pay off, and subsequently sell their by then unlocked phone, privately. If on the other hand, after a year or so, they decided not to buy it, they could return it to the carrier, who would have the still-owing amount covered, by the handset's residual value.
It's the only fair and 100% transparent way to buy. Regardless of upgrade cycles, you, the customer, know at any given time what you owe on the phone, and if you're ready to get a newer model at any time of your choosing, you pay off what you owe (if any), get a new phone, and can then sell your old phone privately, or do with it as you please.
Conversely, if you don't feel the need for a new phone as often, you know that once you've paid off the phone, you're not subsidizing others, thru monthly payments that remain unchanged.
Well you're right, I'm not good at reading maps. I get that some people are but I've never had the patience. Yeah, sadly I'm one of those who's hand needs to be held so that's why I heavily rely on turn by turn GPS. After speaking to multiple members here today though I learned that the Garmin USA app I have doesn't use any cellular data. I wasn't aware of that. Just tested it and found out it doesn't. Maybe I can switch off Sprint in the near future. Thanks for your help though.
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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.
It's easier to do it all on the phone so I don't have to carry anymore units around. I've had Garmin devices for years, just merged over to using the Garmin app on the iPhone. Thanks to some knowledgeable people here today they helped me to discover that the Garmin USA app doesn't use 3G data. I didn't know this. I had the Garmin Streetpilot On-Demand and that did require 100% usage of my cellular data since no software was downloaded into the phone.
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I just checked it, it shows I've used 51MB or 51,643KB so far this month. I just found out that the Garmin USA doesn't use cellular data at all. I don't play games or watch movies much on my iPhone. I do get tons of business emails with attachments but I don't open them all on the phone. I guess that's where all the MB's are being used. I had no idea I was even using that much. I certainly would love to jump ship from Sprint and move on T-Mobile. When I was with T-mobile I never had one single issue with them. I only left them for Sprint because of the iPhone.
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Thank U. I'll check into this. You guys have been extremely helpful today with the data stuff.
All I can say is "your mileage may vary...." There have been plenty of reports of people saying the reps know nothing of this plan. You may have gotten lucky, or maybe something changed and you can now get the plan through a phone rep. I know you can get it by the online enrollment process I described earlier.
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Well you're right, I'm not good at reading maps. I get that some people are but I've never had the patience. Yeah, sadly I'm one of those who's hand needs to be held so that's why I heavily rely on turn by turn GPS. After speaking to multiple members here today though I learned that the Garmin USA app I have doesn't use any cellular data. I wasn't aware of that. Just tested it and found out it doesn't. Maybe I can switch off Sprint in the near future. Thanks for your help though.
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It's easier to do it all on the phone so I don't have to carry anymore units around. I've had Garmin devices for years, just merged over to using the Garmin app on the iPhone. Thanks to some knowledgeable people here today they helped me to discover that the Garmin USA app doesn't use 3G data. I didn't know this. I had the Garmin Streetpilot On-Demand and that did require 100% usage of my cellular data since no software was downloaded into the phone.
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I just checked it, it shows I've used 51MB or 51,643KB so far this month. I just found out that the Garmin USA doesn't use cellular data at all. I don't play games or watch movies much on my iPhone. I do get tons of business emails with attachments but I don't open them all on the phone. I guess that's where all the MB's are being used. I had no idea I was even using that much. I certainly would love to jump ship from Sprint and move on T-Mobile. When I was with T-mobile I never had one single issue with them. I only left them for Sprint because of the iPhone.
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Thank U. I'll check into this. You guys have been extremely helpful today with the data stuff.
You do know that 3GB is 3000MB, right? If you've used 51MB, that's nearly nothing!
I'm of the mindset that all the cell providers are basically in bed with one another. You really think there's true competition in the sense that this could be a good thing for "the little guy"?
Get real. You're paying way too much for cell service no matter who you go with.
Same with cable/internet.
You have the ILLUSION of choice, when in fact either way you're getting screwed. Be it by Jack or John, it doesn't matter at that point does it?
You'll continue to get screwed unless you stop playing the game, because THEY CAN screw you and they know it.
That law only applied to iPhones purchased after January 26th 2013. That was not my case.
http://www.t3.com/news/new-law-makes-it-illegale-to-jailbreak-your-iphone
I haven't had data in like 2 years in my area.I'm switching to Verizon they keep blaming my phone but I had it checked out and everyone is complaining about it.Sprint network can not handle lots of people on the network it slows to a crawl.Friday I'm making the switch to Verizon.