Develop Bugs

moving to T-Mobile from Sprint for a G2?

so, i have an HTC evo "4g" with sprint that i got on launch day, but im really disappointed because sprint 4g has sucked in seattle and chicago. it only works outdoors and even then it feels like sudden bursts and not sustained speed.
i had a g1 on T-Mobile and was happy with it, but I've been in the evo/sprint world for a while so i need some help:
i see that T-Mobile is having an "any phone free" deal this weekend. it seems like it might be worth it to sell my evo, pay the etf fee with sprint, and go back to T-Mobile. what I'd like are some honest unbiased answers if possible, to the following questions.
1) sprint seems to have good prices, $69. unlimited data and 450 any mobile minutes + $10 data fee. is it the same price with T-Mobile? seems to be (500 minutes)
2) what rate of speed does T-Mobile throttle to after 5gb is exceeded?
3) the g2 is what im looking at, but what are similar phones from T-Mobile that I should look at and what are the drawbacks or advantages of the top two or three other phones?
4) can any new T-Mobile phone be rooted easily or do recent hboot/radios/firmware updates make it difficult on the g2 or other phones?
5) how is indoor T-Mobile hspa+ or hsdpa signal? wimax at its 2.x ghz and barely penetrates windows so indoor reception is basically none. what frequency is T-Mobile 4g, how is their coverage?
thanks for any responses. I'd like to make a decision tonight or tomorrow morning to switch or not (and choose the right phone).
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Short awnser: BUY A G2.
Sent from my HTC Vision

I'll try to answer as best I can.
Although the G2 is my very first Android device, I've been so impressed by it. I would definitely recommend it!
I believe that you're throttled down to EDGE speeds, which is damn pretty horrible because I actually get EDGE where I live and only get HSDPA signal (3G signals) on campus. When I'm on EDGE, I only get about 10kbps... yes, it sounds horrible. But when you are in a good part of town, I've seen mine go to as high as 7mbps!
As of right now, I'm sure that if you get a G2 this weekend, that the root process will be the same. I rooted last month using the gfree method by first getting a temp root and then permanent root. It's pretty cool since a lot of people say that this is the method that results in the least bricked devices. If I can do it, it'll be easy.
T-Mobile signal will really just depend on your location.
The alternative to the Tmobile G2 is the MyTouch4G. I've read that the MT4G is faster; however if the physical keyboard is what you want, then the G2 is the way to go. Both devices are pretty similiar.
Hope I helped.

interesting. thanks for the replies. so when you get throttled after 5gb they always restrict you from the hspa+ network and only let you connect to edge, at whatever connection speed you can manage to pull in from those towers? I figured it would be a set kbps limit. I was also looking at the mytouch 4g and dell streak because I love the huge screen, but the dell streak support community seems to be basically non existant for some reason.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I actually did EXACTLY this almost a month ago (kinda weird since I live near Seattle too, lol). Bought an Evo on launch day because of the hype etc. and don't get me wrong its a great phone, but the battery life left a lot to be desired, and the 4G sapped battery extremely hard and almost never worked indoors, even when the area was blanketed in 4G coverage.
Eventually I really got put off by the way Sprint treated me after I went through 4 different replacement phones but thats a whole different story. I demanded to be let out of my contract and I've been with T-mo since then w/ a G2. They're great so far and I really love the Even More + plans. $59.99/month and no contract. Can't be beat in my opinion and there's just no way I can go back to a contract, I know I wont have the G2 for 2 years that's just impossible the way technology goes.
So anyways.
1) Plans are about the same price, except the one good thing about Sprint is unlimited calling to ANY mobile carrier, not just T-mo. But it really depends how you call, I really don't call much. Also as I said the Even More+ no contract plans are the beeeest if you're like me.
2) I can't give you good info, never capped. I know a lot of people can give you good info though.
3) Most hardcore Android users will say to just get the G2. It is 99.9% stock android, and has great features. The Streak doesn't have the best support but that's your own deal depends wat you're into. The MyTouch4G isn't your best bet because man that skin is terrible, and to be honest the design is just terrible compared to the G2 (chrome + cheap plastic = ew).
4) G2 is easily perm-rootable, not exactly one click but not impossible. Can't say for the other T-mo offerings.
5) I get great cell penetration inside. Haven't had tons of HSPA+ experience, but its on the same spectrum as their UMTS and HSDPA (1700 I believe?) which is pretty high frequency but I think they space their towers well. A quick comment on the UMTS/HSDPA speeds is that I've been consistently pulling 1.8mbps down AND up. On Sprint I could maybe push that down, but never up. Oh and one other thing, WiFi calling is awesome. I'm home for the weekend and there's very weak service here. Hop on WiFi and you can make calls/texts. I don't like having to rely on it because I wish service would just work here, but its nice to have just in case.
Obviously you're gonna get some positive views of the G2 in this forum but I think I can offer some good perspective cuz I did have the Evo before.

wrb123 said:
so, i have an HTC evo "4g" with sprint that i got on launch day, but im really disappointed because sprint 4g has sucked in seattle and chicago. it only works outdoors and even then it feels like sudden bursts and not sustained speed.
i had a g1 on T-Mobile and was happy with it, but I've been in the evo/sprint world for a while so i need some help:
i see that T-Mobile is having an "any phone free" deal this weekend. it seems like it might be worth it to sell my evo, pay the etf fee with sprint, and go back to T-Mobile. what I'd like are some honest unbiased answers if possible, to the following questions.
1) sprint seems to have good prices, $69. unlimited data and 450 any mobile minutes + $10 data fee. is it the same price with T-Mobile? seems to be (500 minutes)
2) what rate of speed does T-Mobile throttle to after 5gb is exceeded?
3) the g2 is what im looking at, but what are similar phones from T-Mobile that I should look at and what are the drawbacks or advantages of the top two or three other phones?
4) can any new T-Mobile phone be rooted easily or do recent hboot/radios/firmware updates make it difficult on the g2 or other phones?
5) how is indoor T-Mobile hspa+ or hsdpa signal? wimax at its 2.x ghz and barely penetrates windows so indoor reception is basically none. what frequency is T-Mobile 4g, how is their coverage?
thanks for any responses. I'd like to make a decision tonight or tomorrow morning to switch or not (and choose the right phone).
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the exact situation as you. Loved my EVO but Sprint's customer service is absolute ****, 4G coverage is poor, reps constantly lied about when coverage was coming to my area, and the battery life of the EVO was horrible.
1.) Base plan is $79.99. I get 10% off through student rate and talked customer care into giving me Android preferred web plan which is $20 instead of $30. So my net bill is quite a bit lower than my Sprint Everything Plus bill was.
2.) Don't know. I've personally never gone over 5 GB of data on any phone I've owned.
3.) Galaxy S 4G and MyTouch 4G. Both have FFCs. Neither have keyboards. GS4G has faster data but poor upgrade history and it's yet to be seen if the Vibrant dev community efforts will be compatible.
4.) Don't know. This is better handled at whatever other phone your considerings respective community.
5.) T-Mo 3G is 1700 MHz downlink and 2100MHz uplink. Coverage is fair in Eastern Washington. Certain areas are still EDGE only. Haven't had any issues keeping a decent 3G signal indoors in dense areas. My EVO actually roamed indoors in a few places which I thought was pretty pathetic. My average speeds range from 2-6 Mbs down and 1-1.8 Mbs up.

I was in the same boat. Wanted to leave Sprint for T-Mobile.
It's 2011 and all T-Mobile could give me was EDGE indoors and out. Not worth the money. Especially when the coverage map showed HSPA+ coverage. I live in Tampa, FL.
Sprint isn't any better (claims indoor 4G, can't get it outside or inside), but it was cheap at the time. Not so much now since they keep jacking up prices. First removal of employee discount on almost everything, and then the stupid +$10 premium data on EVERY smartphone.
I guess I'll be letting AT&T or Big Red milk me for money in the near future.
TL;DR - Coverage maps are bull****. You have to take the hard credit pull hit and try the phones out for yourself. I returned my T-mobile phones in less than 24hrs with no questions asked.

Man I am LOVING my G2. And believe it or not, one of my favorite things about it is the battery life!!!! I've gone almost two days without much charge at all and I'm still sitting at 22%. Seriously impressive. I am running the cyanogenmod 6.1.1. It's pretty damn smooth but it seems to have a few quirky behaviors. But then again, most custom ROM's do too. But for the most part it's simply the ****. I show this phone off to the iphone 4 followed by plenty of questions afterwards.
It's a dope phone. Go for it. You won't be disappointed.

Hot_Hands said:
1.) Base plan is $79.99. I get 10% off through student rate and talked customer care into giving me Android preferred web plan which is $20 instead of $30. So my net bill is quite a bit lower than my Sprint Everything Plus bill was.
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Click to collapse
Could you give a little more info on the $20 Android Preferred web plan over the normal web plan? never heard of this.

martonikaj said:
Could you give a little more info on the $20 Android Preferred web plan over the normal web plan? never heard of this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have have the $20 andriod preferred web, you have to ask to speak to customer loyalty dept. And you have to have been with Tmo for a certain number of years, I don't know how long the requirement is but I have been with Tmo for Nine Years.
Sent from my HTC Vision

I believe the requirement is 1 or 2 years. I was a customer for 4 before my EVO misadventure so I smooth talked them into letting me have it. You must talk to the loyalty department. No other department will be able to do it and will probably have no idea what you're talking about.

joemm said:
I also have have the $20 andriod preferred web, you have to ask to speak to customer loyalty dept. And you have to have been with Tmo for a certain number of years, I don't know how long the requirement is but I have been with Tmo for Nine Years.
Sent from my HTC Vision
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright thanks, well I got a while to go before I'm there . It just seemed like they were pretty reluctant to make my plan any cheaper than it already is. The Even More+ $59.99 plan is pretty cheap already and I can't argue with it.

I'm not sure if it'll apply to Even More Plus plans since the data plan is included and not a separate add-on.

My intial thoughts

Just in case anybody cares.. thought I'd throw in my 2 cents after having it for a couple hours.
My last phone was the Tmobile galaxyS 4g . First as far as size.. normally I may have an issue with it but being so thin and light and the beauty of the screen makes up for the footprint. Biggest improvement for me would be internet cruising.. screen size/font size and general slick and quickness makes it a huge benefit over older phones for browsing. I typically use my tablet for light couch browsing.. but this phone may possibly change that. Flash video loading .. for example justin tv or twitch tv is insanely fast close to desktop speeds. Netflix works like a champ as well. Everything at this point has been pretty much instant.. this phone is bloody fast especially for being right out of the box.. will be cool to see how custom roms and kernels will do with it. Oh yeah and the gps is super quick to lock on.. 10 seconds or so versus an inconsistent 1 to 2 minutes with the original galaxy.
I would have to say the only downside of this for me is the network speeds.. 3g speed test in my area show if I'm lucky 1mb at best.. and 3-4mbps with 4g. My tmobile was a solid 5+mbps at the very least.. I traded tmobile's faster yet limited network for Sprint's slower yet steadier and consistent wider spread network.

Thanks for your initial impressions. I'm also making the switch from T-Mobile to Sprint and knew I'd have to compromise with network speed. T-Mobile's HSPA+ is pretty damn fast and Sprint has paused their WiMax rollout. I had an Evo before returning it and noticed that WiMax was tough to get indoors. I'm hoping Sprint will be making a major infrastructure transition over to LTE (it's in the plans) and by switching now I'll grandfather into a nice unlimited plan.
25% off monthly, unlimited data, nights @ 7pm, unlimited mobile to any mobile, google voice integration made the switch pretty easy for me.. but I don't expect data speeds to be that impressive

25 percent off? that'd be great.. how? Sprint guy told me to join a local credit union and I'd receive 10 percent off.. I thought that was great.
Also yeah it kinda sucks about Wimax.. are they going to transition completely away from it?
I think data speeds have been getting worse for Sprint as Boost and Virgin mobile get more popular .. that's alot of data usage

Should I switch from VZW to Sprint?

I currently have the droid bionic with a iPhone as my back up. Is it worth me switching to sprint to pick up the Epic touch? How's the battery life and reception with sprint compared to VZW? Right now with juice defender I get about a consistent 20 hrs actually using my phone.

Verizons network is better as far as data speeds go. I don't think it's worth the switch for just a device.
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk

Depends on where you are and where you tend to travel to.
I get 2-2.5Mb 3G speeds with Sprint (250 - 300KBytes/s) at home and and work. I also get 1-1.5Mb 3G in the middle of the forest up in northern Wisconsin. All with a lowly Moment.
There is an active 4G tower where I work (according to a friend's Evo) despite it not being on the coverage map.
On the other hand, if you are stuck anywhere where Verizon has the only network, you will have crappy data speeds because Verizon refuses to allow anything more than 1x roaming to Sprint customers. This also applies if you are on the edge of a Sprint tower... Sprint tends to want to keep you connected to a Sprint signal, regardless of its strength. This can get frustrating at times.
If you do go with Sprint, the first app you should download and pay for is Roam Control.

That all depends on your needs...
Sprint's voice and data plans are much cheaper and 4g data is unlimited. 3g is limited to 5gb per month.
If you do need coverage in remote areas, check Sprint's coverage maps and see if there is signal where you need it.
http://coverage.sprint.com/IMPACT.jsp
If you dont use much data and want to spend more to get faster speeds while paying more for voice as well, Verizon is the way to go. I would only hang with Verizon if coverage is an issue.
I had Verizon for many years and switched to Sprint in 2006. I've never regretted making the change.

-logik- said:
That all depends on your needs...
Sprint's voice and data plans are much cheaper and 4g data is unlimited. 3g is limited to 5gb per month.
If you do need coverage in remote areas, check Sprint's coverage maps and see if there is signal where you need it.
http://coverage.sprint.com/IMPACT.jsp
If you dont use much data and want to spend more to get faster speeds while paying more for voice as well, Verizon is the way to go. I would only hang with Verizon if coverage is an issue.
I had Verizon for many years and switched to Sprint in 2006. I've never regretted making the change.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint doesn't cap data at 5GB for mobile phones. Only on their usb cards.

eakrish said:
I currently have the droid bionic with a iPhone as my back up. Is it worth me switching to sprint to pick up the Epic touch? How's the battery life and reception with sprint compared to VZW? Right now with juice defender I get about a consistent 20 hrs actually using my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pick your provider FIRST, then pick your device.
As stated be sure to not just check a coverage map but to check with friends and coworkers who have Sprint and live/commute/work in your area.
I've traveled the country a little and I have never been without Sprint coverage except in two tiny holes in my home town...where not a single provider has anything but threshold levels of service out doors, indoors you get squat from any of them. These "holes", however, can be deal breakers if you happen to live and/or work in them. Coverage maps help, a little, but asking people (and looking at their signal meters) is far more precise.
As far as data speed is concerned it's a mixed bag. I came from a line of HTC devices where changing the PRL on-the-go was simple so I used the "00001.prl" a lot. This PRL, essentially, puts you on Verizon's towers, full speed 3G. I can honestly say that while Verizon's speeds tend to be far more consistent than Sprint's that even though I had the chance to get out of Sprint this month (for free) that instead of going to Big Red I used that to upgrade to the Epic Touch without hesitation...The data speeds can drag-ass in a highly congested area at times but unless it's lunch time in a 1-bar area I don't tend to dip below 500kbps and if it is later in the day (or evening) and/or in a sparsely populated area (or higher-income area, draw your own conclusions) I have seen as high as 2.7mbps...my friend lives in a low-population high income area and he may be the only Sprint subscriber for miles, lol, and they get 2.5~2.7mbps all day every day. There are also times/places where Sprint's 3G speed absolutely spanks Verizon's.
...as far as 4G goes it can be blazing fast but you probably won't ever get the signal indoors unless you are in a 4G saturated metropolitan environment. I hear lots of complaints about 4G speed but when I get connected it's always faster than my home internet (6mbps, the most you can get from residential ATT DSL around here), I have seen 15mbps too.
As far as price is concerned Sprint wins hands down especially if you consider the unlimited data and free roaming. Voice roaming is unlimited. There is a "soft" limit of 3G roaming at 300mb, but, that is a floating line. If you aren't usually roaming but happen to travel somewhere that you are forced to roam at worst they will call or send you a letter telling you that if you do it again your contract may be terminated. But as long as it doesn't happen at work or at home they are mostly forgiving...and if not? That's a free out on your contract and now you have a $500-$700 (retail) phone for trade-up or resale to go back to Verizon.
EDIT: Oh yeah, battery life. It's killer. Very very killer compared to a Moment, Hero, Evo 4G and Evo 3D this thing slaughters them all. It's hard to say since I have been using my phone more than breathing these past 2 days, but, considering that I'm very impressed....*very* impressed.

I agree with most everyone here take a look and see what you are using and what you need. make sure you have coverage at home and work and other places you visit regularly. if it works out for you make the switch. You can save alot of money with Sprint depending on your needs and they have a great selection of phones, I just the the GSII and it is awesome about 50% faster then the evo3d it just flies. but all of that power doesn't mean anything if you can't get signal.

I just switched from Verizon because I wanted the GS2 really bad.
I live in Seattle and Sprint has good coverage here so I'm pretty happy. (i've had Sprint in the past as well)
You can always switch and test drive Sprint for 14 days (or maybe it's 30) and if you don't like it, return to Verizon. No big deal.
PS: I had the Droid Bionic for a few days before switching to Sprint. Honestly, I think the GS2 is simply better in every way. That's just my opinion. Couldn't deal with the Pentile display and the camera was quite a disappointment.

If the service is good in the area then go for it. Of not I wouldn't change. If I could do it all over again I would have switched to vz before they started the data caps.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

I switched about 6 years ago and never looked back. I had voice and data with them for over 10 years, back in the Bell Mobile days. They kicked me off of a BroadbandAccess for using too much data claiming I HAD to have violated the ToS (P2P, video streaming, web hosting) by using over 5GB in a month. Really, that is only 150MB a day and that goes very quickly with just web and e-mail if you use it daily. I work on the road a LOT so naturally, I went over this regularly. I had to explain what I do and that I did NOT violate the ToS, which said NOTHING about 5GB. I didn't do any of the activities it stated. This was back when everything was unlimited with no fine print. They didn't charge an ETF and asked if I wanted to reactivate the account. I declined and moved to Sprint and eventually took voice too. Have been very happy since.
I still consider Sprint to be the best value in wireless. It always seemed that VZW nickle and dime'd me to death. My bill fluctuated month to month by $20 with no changes in service and additional fees. Just "taxes". They charged for web order shipping, activation, and everything they could have.

I forgot to mention I have unlimited data

Bigjim1488 said:
If the service is good in the area then go for it. Of not I wouldn't change. If I could do it all over again I would have switched to vz before they started the data caps.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
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I wouldn't have switched. As stated below I was on them with true unlimited before they started the caps. Then they terminated the account and offered to reactivate, probably to instate a cap on me. I suspect the same would have happened to you.
When I switched data to Sprint, I asked if they had unlimited data and bandwidth, and got multiple confirmations (with chat transcripts) that it was 100% unlimited. They introduced the 5GB limit a year or two later. And, since I haven't renewed the contract or accepted any new modems on that line, it today is still unlimited and I use 8-10GB (sometimes more) monthly. They've called and tried to get me to renew, which would activate 4G but put a cap on 3G... and I've declined. Until 4G is everywhere I need on the road, I can't do it.
Phones are still unlimited, so I wonder if a cheap phone to tether with an unlimited plan is worth it for tethering only?? Just a thought.

I don't need a phone to tether, just need a bad ass phone that looks great, feels super fast and has great battery life. I also want a great looking display and widgets that are good for social media.

daneurysm said:
Pick your provider FIRST, then pick your device.
As stated be sure to not just check a coverage map but to check with friends and coworkers who have Sprint and live/commute/work in your area.
I've traveled the country a little and I have never been without Sprint coverage except in two tiny holes in my home town...where not a single provider has anything but threshold levels of service out doors, indoors you get squat from any of them. These "holes", however, can be deal breakers if you happen to live and/or work in them. Coverage maps help, a little, but asking people (and looking at their signal meters) is far more precise.
As far as data speed is concerned it's a mixed bag. I came from a line of HTC devices where changing the PRL on-the-go was simple so I used the "00001.prl" a lot. This PRL, essentially, puts you on Verizon's towers, full speed 3G. I can honestly say that while Verizon's speeds tend to be far more consistent than Sprint's that even though I had the chance to get out of Sprint this month (for free) that instead of going to Big Red I used that to upgrade to the Epic Touch without hesitation...The data speeds can drag-ass in a highly congested area at times but unless it's lunch time in a 1-bar area I don't tend to dip below 500kbps and if it is later in the day (or evening) and/or in a sparsely populated area (or higher-income area, draw your own conclusions) I have seen as high as 2.7mbps...my friend lives in a low-population high income area and he may be the only Sprint subscriber for miles, lol, and they get 2.5~2.7mbps all day every day. There are also times/places where Sprint's 3G speed absolutely spanks Verizon's.
...as far as 4G goes it can be blazing fast but you probably won't ever get the signal indoors unless you are in a 4G saturated metropolitan environment. I hear lots of complaints about 4G speed but when I get connected it's always faster than my home internet (6mbps, the most you can get from residential ATT DSL around here), I have seen 15mbps too.
As far as price is concerned Sprint wins hands down especially if you consider the unlimited data and free roaming. Voice roaming is unlimited. There is a "soft" limit of 3G roaming at 300mb, but, that is a floating line. If you aren't usually roaming but happen to travel somewhere that you are forced to roam at worst they will call or send you a letter telling you that if you do it again your contract may be terminated. But as long as it doesn't happen at work or at home they are mostly forgiving...and if not? That's a free out on your contract and now you have a $500-$700 (retail) phone for trade-up or resale to go back to Verizon.
EDIT: Oh yeah, battery life. It's killer. Very very killer compared to a Moment, Hero, Evo 4G and Evo 3D this thing slaughters them all. It's hard to say since I have been using my phone more than breathing these past 2 days, but, considering that I'm very impressed....*very* impressed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint does NOT offer unlimited roaming.....I found this out while traveling to Florida in August. When I got done with explaining the Ambiguity in their false claims it has now since changed from unlimited roaming to unlimitting roaming on their network. They are such good corporate game players(liars).
Misleading people is what I don't agree with, but they are the cheapest game in town and suffice "if" you can get a signal. That said you get 800 minutes of roaming on their unlimited plan, and what ever your land line minutes are on their lower plans is the amount of roaming you will have before you have to PAY overages. If the overages happen too much they void your contract after making you aware that their is no unlimited. Now before any one starts debating this look at the advertisements and if that doesn't clue you in call and ask what I said.
They advertised unlimited roaming until I got done with them. They had a little fine print in the back of that agreement letting unsuspecting people that went over know that there was no unlimited roaming. Then they try to collect money for it. But, I let them know that ambiguity in contract law goes to the consumer, and that we can all void our contracts based on this lil tidbit of a lie, because many of us joined because of the roaming plan when we lose their coverage, and since it was a hoax the contract was null and void. They have now changed it to read unlimited roaming on their network only. How can you roam on the very network that you reside.

eakrish said:
I currently have the droid bionic with a iPhone as my back up. Is it worth me switching to sprint to pick up the Epic touch? How's the battery life and reception with sprint compared to VZW? Right now with juice defender I get about a consistent 20 hrs actually using my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QWIKSTRIKE said:
Sprint does NOT offer unlimited roaming.....I found this out while traveling to Florida in August. When I got done with explaining the Ambiguity in their false claims it has now since changed from unlimited roaming to unlimitting roaming on their network. They are such good corporate game players(liars).
Misleading people is what I don't agree with, but they are the cheapest game in town and suffice "if" you can get a signal. That said you get 800 minutes of roaming on their unlimited plan, and what ever your land line minutes are on their lower plans is the amount of roaming you will have before you have to PAY overages. If the overages happen too much they void your contract after making you aware that their is no unlimited. Now before any one starts debating this look at the advertisements and if that doesn't clue you in call and ask what I said.
They advertised unlimited roaming until I got done with them. They had a little fine print in the back of that agreement letting unsuspecting people that went over know that there was no unlimited roaming. Then they try to collect money for it. But, I let them know that ambiguity in contract law goes to the consumer, and that we can all void our contracts based on this lil tidbit of a lie, because many of us joined because of the roaming plan when we lose their coverage, and since it was a hoax the contract was null and void. They have now changed it to read unlimited roaming on their network only. How can you roam on the very network that you reside.
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Click to collapse
Roaming on their network!? I'm trying really hard to find some way to make sense out of that... my legalese-to-english converter is usually pretty good but I just can't....wrap my....anything around that.

daneurysm said:
Pick your provider FIRST, then pick your device.
As stated be sure to not just check a coverage map but to check with friends and coworkers who have Sprint and live/commute/work in your area.
I've traveled the country a little and I have never been without Sprint coverage except in two tiny holes in my home town...where not a single provider has anything but threshold levels of service out doors, indoors you get squat from any of them. These "holes", however, can be deal breakers if you happen to live and/or work in them. Coverage maps help, a little, but asking people (and looking at their signal meters) is far more precise.
As far as data speed is concerned it's a mixed bag. I came from a line of HTC devices where changing the PRL on-the-go was simple so I used the "00001.prl" a lot. This PRL, essentially, puts you on Verizon's towers, full speed 3G. I can honestly say that while Verizon's speeds tend to be far more consistent than Sprint's that even though I had the chance to get out of Sprint this month (for free) that instead of going to Big Red I used that to upgrade to the Epic Touch without hesitation...The data speeds can drag-ass in a highly congested area at times but unless it's lunch time in a 1-bar area I don't tend to dip below 500kbps and if it is later in the day (or evening) and/or in a sparsely populated area (or higher-income area, draw your own conclusions) I have seen as high as 2.7mbps...my friend lives in a low-population high income area and he may be the only Sprint subscriber for miles, lol, and they get 2.5~2.7mbps all day every day. There are also times/places where Sprint's 3G speed absolutely spanks Verizon's.
...as far as 4G goes it can be blazing fast but you probably won't ever get the signal indoors unless you are in a 4G saturated metropolitan environment. I hear lots of complaints about 4G speed but when I get connected it's always faster than my home internet (6mbps, the most you can get from residential ATT DSL around here), I have seen 15mbps too.
As far as price is concerned Sprint wins hands down especially if you consider the unlimited data and free roaming. Voice roaming is unlimited. There is a "soft" limit of 3G roaming at 300mb, but, that is a floating line. If you aren't usually roaming but happen to travel somewhere that you are forced to roam at worst they will call or send you a letter telling you that if you do it again your contract may be terminated. But as long as it doesn't happen at work or at home they are mostly forgiving...and if not? That's a free out on your contract and now you have a $500-$700 (retail) phone for trade-up or resale to go back to Verizon.
EDIT: Oh yeah, battery life. It's killer. Very very killer compared to a Moment, Hero, Evo 4G and Evo 3D this thing slaughters them all. It's hard to say since I have been using my phone more than breathing these past 2 days, but, considering that I'm very impressed....*very* impressed.
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Agreed. Carrier first. A phone shouldn't really be a reason to switch, although this phone is pretty awesome.
Sprint has been AWESOME in nearly all areas. They seem better than VZW for me in rural areas. I live in the middle of nowhere and have EXCELLENT EVDOrA signal.
---------- Post added at 03:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:35 PM ----------
eakrish said:
I don't need a phone to tether, just need a bad ass phone that looks great, feels super fast and has great battery life. I also want a great looking display and widgets that are good for social media.
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Verizon has plenty of phones in that department.. and nearly any Android phone would fill those needs. If you want the best Android phone available right now, this is it.

Also you may want to keep an eye out for the sprint network meeting October 7th. They are going to talk about this new thing called "network vision".
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

I switched on Friday and I'm already starting to regret it - I haven't seen a 3G download speed higher than around 90kbps here. The phone is absolutely amazing on wifi and I love the device itself, but out around town it's pretty bad. I tried to download a 2MB or so app at a restaurant where I had a full 5 bars of signal last night and it was still trying to download 15+ minutes later because of how slow the actual download rate was. It's worse than a dial-up modem at time.
I wasn't even thinking about the unlimited data on VZW when I did it too - did I lose that now even if I do a winback?

TabsAZ said:
I switched on Friday and I'm already starting to regret it - I haven't seen a 3G download speed higher than around 90kbps here. The phone is absolutely amazing on wifi and I love the device itself, but out around town it's pretty bad. I tried to download a 2MB or so app at a restaurant where I had a full 5 bars of signal last night and it was still trying to download 15+ minutes later because of how slow the actual download rate was. It's worse than a dial-up modem at time.
I wasn't even thinking about the unlimited data on VZW when I did it too - did I lose that now even if I do a winback?
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I think they are doing something for the launch of the iPHONE. It was never this slow until recently. It had better go back to how it was or I will ditch their asses

TabsAZ said:
I switched on Friday and I'm already starting to regret it - I haven't seen a 3G download speed higher than around 90kbps here. The phone is absolutely amazing on wifi and I love the device itself, but out around town it's pretty bad. I tried to download a 2MB or so app at a restaurant where I had a full 5 bars of signal last night and it was still trying to download 15+ minutes later because of how slow the actual download rate was. It's worse than a dial-up modem at time.
I wasn't even thinking about the unlimited data on VZW when I did it too - did I lose that now even if I do a winback?
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Did you investigate Sprint coverage before you switched? What is signal strength like? Are you metering 90 kbps with SpeedTest app, tethering, or a program like DU Meter?
I'm guessing your PRL is up to date..
I'd also make sure you don't have any background apps downloading stuff.
Also, are you saying 90 kilo-bytes per second or 90 kilo-bits per second. 90 kilo-bytes is almost 1Mbps, and is a low-side average for 3G. That could also vary by network congestion, etc.
90 kilo-bits sounds like 1xRTT and not EVDO.
I'd also check with other users, or try a mobile broadband card if you can.
You will lose unlimited from VZW if you go back, but like I posted earlier, I am surprised they didn't terminate you to get you on limited like they did me.

Is it worth switching for 15mbps down but no unlimited?

Im currently fed up with Sprint's .30mbps download in my area. I was thinking about switching to Verizon for the Galaxy Nexus, but I couldn't imagine giving up my anymobile any time or unlimited data. Even though the data is slow and terrible now, in 1 year or more, they will have lte (maybe) and then I would kill myself for not just waiting it out.

As I said in another thread milling over what-to-do regarding the same decision:
Being over-charged for data you get is preferable to being charged anything for data you don't get.

Sounds like you already answered your question.

phatmanxxl said:
Sounds like you already answered your question.
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I kind of did. I'm just stuck between a rock and a hard place.
I really started noticing slow data when I got my Evo 4G the day it came out. I'm in Phoenix and I still don't have 4G. I've waited 2 years since I got the evo 4g to get 4g and over that period of time, 3g just keeps getting slower and slower. Im sitting on the second floor of my house with 4 out of 6 bars getting .32mbps. I can see the tower from my window because its on a light pole at the school a block away from me.

Faster data just means you get to your cap faster.
What's the point?
I use WiFi enough that it doesn't matter to me.

jedwardmiller said:
Faster data just means you get to your cap faster.
What's the point?
I use WiFi enough that it doesn't matter to me.
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This. I only use 3g while driving and for streaming music.

Holding out for sprint lte may be worth it if you're in a big city where you can almost guarantee it coming and they keep it unlimited. You may want to stay month to month until u decide
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

I feel your pain. My speeds are awful. Verizon is roaming in my area. At&t is pretty fast here. It gets about 8 mbps down and around 5 up. A lot faster than sprint.
Sent From My Evo Killer!!!

bbedward said:
Holding out for sprint lte may be worth it if you're in a big city where you can almost guarantee it coming and they keep it unlimited. You may want to stay month to month until u decide
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
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I'm in Los Angeles - pretty big city. They've had about 2 years to get wimax working here- I get about 500k when I actually can connect to 4G before it drops. How many years you going to wait for LTE to be acceptable in a "big" city? Ask people in NYC how much they are enjoying the "fast" Wimax they are receiving.
Oh and how is that unlimited working out for people who bought data connections - do you really think Sprint who was the first to charge $10 for rich data experience on newer cells is not going to stiff you on unlimited data soon? if they ever did offer decent data speeds, I'm sure they'd charge another $10 or $25 for an "enhanced" data experience.
If I'm thirsty and someone said I can have 5 gallons of water as fast as I can drink it or I can have one teaspoonful per hour each month with no limit - I'll take the 5 gallons.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=18677793
mattykinsx said:
25mbs down and 6mbs up? Amazing!
Nothing like downloading a movie in under ten minutes... better be a good movie though since that uses up a good chunk of the 2GB you get per month.
Sorry, but it has to be about more than just raw speed.
This is like saying "I have a Lamborghini! But I can only drive in 40 miles a month"
The real question is, does 2mbit/s do it for you?
Because I don't know one thing you can't do on a phone [from stream music to streaming video] at 2mbit/s.
These aren't servers, they're phones.
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The numbers may not be the same the point is.
Does your current data speed work for you?

jedwardmiller said:
Faster data just means you get to your cap faster.
What's the point?
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A lot of people seem to miss the point here. Yeah, you can get to the cap faster, but getting the faster speed is really just expecting you to use the same data amount, you just get it faster.

boe said:
I'm in Los Angeles - pretty big city. They've had about 2 years to get wimax working here- I get about 500k when I actually can connect to 4G before it drops. How many years you going to wait for LTE to be acceptable in a "big" city? Ask people in NYC how much they are enjoying the "fast" Wimax they are receiving.
Oh and how is that unlimited working out for people who bought data connections - do you really think Sprint who was the first to charge $10 for rich data experience on newer cells is not going to stiff you on unlimited data soon? if they ever did offer decent data speeds, I'm sure they'd charge another $10 or $25 for an "enhanced" data experience.
If I'm thirsty and someone said I can have 5 gallons of water as fast as I can drink it or I can have one teaspoonful per hour each month with no limit - I'll take the 5 gallons.
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Well thats not entirely fair. 2GB isn't that much. In Cleveland I get great 4g speeds and good
(just as good as Verizon) 3g speeds, my biggest complaint is Toledo speeds (attrocious) where i'm spending most of my time nowadays, which is the main reason sprint isn't working for me great right now.
I'd switch if I didnt save tons of money on sprint (24% discount on top of their cheap plan), but I was just saying verizons biggest feature is LTE which sprint is supposed to have in 8 months or less, and 200+ markets in 2013.
No need to dog my suggestion, sprint is still cheaper than every other carrier but if their lte is unlimited and no extra charge other than the 10/Mo charge they already have, sprint will be very attractove.
switching to verizon/att on a 2yr contract is a big deal, much more pricey than sprint too. Unless you are well under 2GB and have unlimited pockets staying month to month til lte pricing is announced isn't bad.
I get your frustration, but coverage in your area is different. Sprint guarantees certain speeds for 3g/4g so if you're not meeting those call and they should let u cancel.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

I'd move for sure. Why have a device like this that crawls.
Doesn't Verizon have an unlimited option?
Sorry if that's been answered.

rockky said:
I'd move for sure. Why have a device like this that crawls.
Doesn't Verizon have an unlimited option?
Sorry if that's been answered.
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No.
Not unless you're grandfathered in.

This is why I got a VZW line before the cap hit...best of both worlds. Will probably be phasing my Sprint line out in March.

Just to be clear....can't purchase say 5, 10 G limits on Verizon like T-Mobile?

rockky said:
Just to be clear....can't purchase say 5, 10 G limits on Verizon like T-Mobile?
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Sure can if you have that insane amount of money...
The new plans are $30 for 2GB per month, $50 for 5GB, and $80 for 10GB.
[Those are all per line and monthly charges]
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388130,00.asp#fbid=xZhcarNKQX2

brownhornet said:
This is why I got a VZW line before the cap hit...best of both worlds. Will probably be phasing my Sprint line out in March.
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Grandfather won't last forever.
Sent from the EPIC Touch

I am in the same boat, I drop calls left and right at my house and I recently moved and the data is just pure horrible.
I never go over 2 gb a month, The max I ever used was 3.5gb and that was when I first got the evo3d and I was doing speedtests left and right. I stream radio and music my way to work and from work. Now I have the gs2.
If I go verizon I will start out with 2 and I will just pay 10 bucks for the next 1gig and I am sure I will never go over that and my monthly discount will make up for that difference.
I used to get decent speeds at work but ever since the iphone launch I cant even hit half a meg, in the city I live I never hit even quarter mb ever since I moved here. I work in sacramento and the speeds on 3g have gotten worse, even 4g is capped at 2mb now it seems.

This! Over thr past few months I average maybe 3-4gb a month on Sprint, 3g mmostly as 4g iis way inconsistent and I a tired of data drops and awful battery life on it.
That being said, during peak hours incdenver, Sprint 3g is crawling in places I get 2mbps during off peak hours. Lately, at my gym, I can't even stream Pandora cuz it's so slow. I ended up getting tmobile for 14 days and I got about 7mbps average pretty much everywhere! Why'd I cancel? G2x was a letdown and I get sprint free. But seriously, caps are caps and I docsee myself aas being a heavy user and oon mobile, 5gb is plenty. I'm mobile a lot and rarely in one place to use wifi, I'd like to be on a network where, oh I dunno, I can at least stream youtube and not get stuck at 100-300kbps?
WhiteZero said:
A lot of people seem to miss the point here. Yeah, you can get to the cap faster, but getting the faster speed is really just expecting you to use the same data amount, you just get it faster.
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Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

Should I dump Sprint and go with Verizon?

Hello,
I love the Epic 4g Touch but I am getting beyond frustrated with the Sprint service. I am feeling more and more like I should have waited a couple months and gotten the Galaxy Nexus instead. The problem is not that I don't love the phone I have or that the Nexus hardware is better, but I just feel like the Verizon network is light years ahead of Sprint. I chose Sprint because I had already been waiting for the Galaxy S2 for many months and I expected Sprint coverage and speeds to be better. I also originally expected the Galaxy S2 to come to Verizon last fall.
I just didn't want to wait. However, the usability of this phone is coming into serious question with the poor network performance. Call quality is decent, but internet speeds are pretty bad. Plus, there are numerous spots where I lose internet altogether. The speeds fluctuate wildly and it is very rare that I can get decent speeds for an extended period of time.
This means that most apps become difficult to use. I can't stream video or audio without it being horribly choppy. Web browsing can be frustrating as well.
If I could get any 4g service where I live, the speeds would be fast enough. But I only can get 3g service nearly everywhere. Not only that, but since WiMax is outdated, it is unlikely they will be expanded coverage and instead rolling out LTE coverage across the country. Thus, it is unlikely that the situation will improve in the future.
It seems to me that I had my priorities out of order when I decided to get this phone. I was looking only at the hardware and didn't pay nearly enough attention to the network speeds and reliability of the coverage.
So, do you think I should switch to Verizon? I understand that the Nexus hardware is remarkably similar to the Epic 4g Touch.
Is there a way to get out of my Sprint contract without paying a large amount of money to be let out early? Is there some loophole or method to voiding the contract somehow?
And, if I DID decide to go with Verizon, do you think it would be wise to go with the Nexus, or should I wait for the next super phone to come to Verizon? Do you anticipate that the Galaxy S3 will launch on Verizon?
So, do you all think I am overreacting to the network problems? For those who have switched, is the network improvement on Verizon vs Sprint dramatic and worth it for you?
I still haven't made a final decision on this, but trying to use my phone on the go has become more and more frustrating of late. I cannot stream video reliably or use many apps without frustration due to poor coverage and wildly fluctuating internet speeds.
Please advise me on what you would suggest.
Thanks.

I'm in almost the Same situation, I'm going to wait it out because as they update to lte it is my hope that it Will increase my 3g speeds with tower upgrades. Sprint is still the best deal for me with 4 phones and I just use wifi at home.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

im getting pretty frustrated also. 3g speeds are horrible. 4g works well but is so spotty here. works in one place, 5 feet away, its disconnected lol.
i wnt be switching as i have a $400 deposit from Verizon lol. And I do enjoy having no data caps, which comes in handy when downloading roms and music right from the phonr when I do get 4g coverage

no, and here is why
limited data sucks a big fat one, i cannot survive on limited data, that is the only reason you need

To answer your question, yes, there are ways to get out of your contract that will *probably* by ETF free. If you find yourself roaming too much, Sprint will kick you off their network, normally without an ETF. Do a forum (or Google) search to learn more about people being kicked off Sprint for roaming.
Whether or not you want to switch to Verizon is up to you. Yes, you will likely notice significantly increased data speeds. I notice that when I'm roaming, my data speeds are far more consistently "usable" than when I'm on Sprint's native network. The reason I haven't switched is twofold... First, Sprint is cheaper, and because I spend 90% of my time connected to WiFi somewhere. When I'm not on WiFi and experiencing slow network speeds, I use Roam Control. The second reason I haven't switched is because Verizon does not work in some areas that I travel to frequently. I'm sure its a rarity nationwide, but I happen to fall into the category of going places that Verizon doesn't (or doesn't reliably, anyway).
So, if data speed is your only concern, you will likely be happier with Verizon. But the faster the data speeds, the more you use, which means you might need to pay for more bandwidth.

I've had this same thought for so long but Sprint customers are so close to them finally getting their Network Vision upgrades complete and LTE rolled out that i don't want to leave until I see if they are right or full of crap.

Thanks for the responses,
I am really leaning towards switching. I just have a couple more questions.
Could you guys elaborate on how I can get out of my Sprint contract without paying anything? Is it very difficult to do?
Second, exactly how limiting do you think the data caps are? When I am on the network, I could see it not being very difficult to refrain from downloading massive files. I could see myself generally only downloading larger files at home with wifi and only web browsing or streaming video or audio on the road.
I just am not sure how limiting the data cap would be. On the whole, however, I think the slow data speeds on Sprint are much more limiting than a data cap that I would hardly ever reach.
How easy is it for you to reach the data cap? Also, I heard if you pay a little more, you can get twice the data each month. How much extra is that and is it worth it?
And I asked this question in my original post but no one has responded yet. If I DID choose to switch, would it make sense to get the Galaxy Nexus or wait for the next great phone to come to Verizon?
Thanks for your help.

epic touch > galaxy nexus

My 3G speeds were slow when I first got this phone (no 4G here), but since then it has gotten better and better. I think the speed is awesome now!
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

Don't any of you guys utilize roam control and swapping PRLs? I too was leaning toward dropping Sprint because of their horrible 3g speeds, they were more like 1x constantly. Don't forget fellas we do roam on Verizon for free, so for the OP I would recommend downloading roam control, swapping your PRL to 1115 and giving that a try prior to cancelling your contract. Then if you still cant live with the speeds, then I would just use roam-control to roam,roam,roam until you get kicked off ETF free. Just my suggestion...

jasone4gt said:
Don't any of you guys utilize roam control and swapping PRLs? I too was leaning toward dropping Sprint because of their horrible 3g speeds, they were more like 1x constantly. Don't forget fellas we do roam on Verizon for free, so for the OP I would recommend downloading roam control, swapping your PRL to 1115 and giving that a try prior to cancelling your contract. Then if you still cant live with the speeds, then I would just use roam-control to roam,roam,roam until you get kicked off ETF free. Just my suggestion...
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yeah thats the only way i survive but I only get 1x data. im gonna have to load a diff prl, wasnt aware of that! thanks gonna try it

Success100 said:
yeah thats the only way i survive but I only get 1x data. im gonna have to load a diff prl, wasnt aware of that! thanks gonna try it
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So you have just been using roam control with the 60683 PRL? If so, yeah I would definitely give another one a try. Korey has a thread in the general section which he runs through the different PRL options.

i had verizon then i switched to sprint because of how expensive they are but i did like there service and signal. I would think about switching back to verizon if they lowered there prices which i doubt they would.

Why don't you just switch so we don't have to waist time and space on threads like this, Sprint is going through upgrades right now and it's gonna be hit and miss with service if your in a shady area. Sprint has a lot of plus to their service right now, like the no data cap. I don't think it's fair to compare this company to a giant like Verizon, they have come a long way since taking over Nextel and their crappy service....

Verizon phone n plan suck. I rather go with att or t-mobile if I ever thing about dishing sprint.

Have you tried different modems and ROMs? Not sure what to do tbh. I think they'll charge you early termination fees which can cost quite a lot. And I would go with the Nexus. The GS3 probably won't come out for awhile in the US since I hear it will be released internationally first. And the S2 took like 5 months to come to the US after international so yeah.

I was on Verizon and switched to Sprint the day they started throttling the unlimited data they sold me to the point it was unusable. After repeatedly complaining to corporate and the BBB, the etf was waived.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

Sprint is cheaper and no data limits. These are 2 huge factors for keeping me. Yeah they have limited 4G now but as soon as LTE rolls out, could be much better.

abusedcloth said:
Why don't you just switch so we don't have to waist time and space on threads like this, Sprint is going through upgrades right now and it's gonna be hit and miss with service if your in a shady area. Sprint has a lot of plus to their service right now, like the no data cap. I don't think it's fair to compare this company to a giant like Verizon, they have come a long way since taking over Nextel and their crappy service....
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Don't be a [email protected]&k.
Back on topic. I've been with sprint for 10 years. They just decided to dump me for to much roaming data. ( Prl 11115 and roam control). I had to use it. Data out here if any was painfully slow. Oh well, Im headed to at&t for the note
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium

yamaford said:
Don't be a [email protected]&k.
Back on topic. I've been with sprint for 10 years. They just decided to dump me for to much roaming data. ( Prl 11115 and roam control). I had to use it. Data out here if any was painfully slow. Oh well, Im headed to at&t for the note
Sent from my PC36100 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
Yeah, my contact tells me they are getting really strict about that.
I hear AT&T has a 200MB roaming limit... Even a worse option for me, since they have virtually no coverage in northern Wisconsin...
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA