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Just a few questions about Sprint.
Now, here is my question:
This phone well is nice.
Anyway, if I go to Sprint, do I HAVE to have a 2 year contract with them? They suck hard, reception in my area is balls(Though good at my house, bad at places where I go, it has at&T like service)
This phone also has the potential to become SEVERELY outdated in 2 years. (Mainly because being tide down to a 2 year contract is stupid, although my Iphone 3g doesn't feel too old even though it's been 2 years)
Not to mention snapdragons at 45nm are coming out at the end of this year.
So what is your input? Do I have to have a 2 year contract?
Also I plan on rooting this phone once the guy at grack releases the exploit.
I hope someone makes a stock Android available for this phone with Froyo.
Your only way out is to sell it to me. I'd be happy to take the phone off your hands and solve all of your problems
Seriously... PM me
Well lets just go through these one at a time...
1) You have a 30 day money back guarantee... USE IT! Take it everywhere you usually go, if the coverage is sub-par, take it back.
2) You do not have to start a 2 year contract - you can go month to month, but the do not offer subsidies on the phones if you do this. The retail cost on the Evo is $449.
3) If you sign a 2 year agreement, after 6 months of paying on time, you become a Premier Member which allows you to update your device at the 2 year price every year - with the addition of another year on your contract - it takes the 1 year and adds 1 more to it every time you do it.
4) The TV out features appear to be VERY limited at this point - videos and gallery only at launch. I'm sure the kind people here will have it rooted and figure out a way to get more through the TV, but for now, that's what we have.
Overall, I switched from Verizon to Sprint in Feburary and couldn't be happier. My service is just as good. Customer service has been wonderful and my bill is half what it was on Verizon.
All I can do is stress that 30 day trial period. Make sure you take the phone everywhere that you go - and then some!
zcarman said:
2) You do not have to start a 2 year contract - you can go month to month, but the do not offer subsidies on the phones if you do this.
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I hope you did your research OR you have personally gotten month-by-month with Sprint.
Many people on other forums have reported calling Sprint and asking for month-by-month or 1-year contracts. My girlfriend being one of them. However, Sprint has told everyone that all plans must come with a 2-year contract. It seems that Sprint does things differently than T-mobile.
If you are not just speaking hypothetically, we would love to hear more about this "month to month" plan that you mention.
Where are you at with bad Sprint reception, mine just roams on other networks, I always have signal and I live in a small town in the south. As for the iPhone 4g, I thought it had the same internals as the iPad.
pingpongboss said:
I hope you did your research OR you have personally gotten month-by-month with Sprint.
Many people on other forums have reported calling Sprint and asking for month-by-month or 1-year contracts. My girlfriend being one of them. However, Sprint has told everyone that all plans must come with a 2-year contract. It seems that Sprint does things differently than T-mobile.
If you are not just speaking hypothetically, we would love to hear more about this "month to month" plan that you mention.
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I believe the plan they're referring to isn't really a plan.. but if you've already served your 2 year contract, and remain with sprint, then it becomes month-to-month on whatever plan you had before.
jigglywiggly said:
This phone also has the potential to become SEVERELY outdated in 2 years, the iphone 4g has a lot of speculation.
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So the EVO will be "SEVERELY outdated in 2 years", but the iphone has a lot of speculation?
lol what do you think that iphone will be like in 2 years? That's right, Apple will have released 2 more models after it.
That point is moot, both phones will be outdated in 2 years. Hell, both of them will be outdated by December of this year. They're phones, that's the nature of the beast.
pingpongboss said:
I hope you did your research OR you have personally gotten month-by-month with Sprint.
Many people on other forums have reported calling Sprint and asking for month-by-month or 1-year contracts. My girlfriend being one of them. However, Sprint has told everyone that all plans must come with a 2-year contract. It seems that Sprint does things differently than T-mobile.
If you are not just speaking hypothetically, we would love to hear more about this "month to month" plan that you mention.
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As would I. I'm seriously considering paying the ETF on my AT&T contract. But there is ZERO chance I would ever be locked to Sprint for a year let alone two...
iphone = LOL please
yea if you enjoy a closed off OS
I have been with sprint for over 10years and really they have been one of the better for me..... I also had at&t and tmo through this same time and hated both of them more than sprint.....
AT&T are crooks and tmo just stinks, iphone is cool if your a fanboy but really it is quite bland to me.
I have had many phones with sprint and the only way I ever have a new commitment is if I get the phone at a discounted price.......I bought my hero from and individual and it did not reset my commitment, but that doesnt mean they do not require a commitment on the Google IO phones. They shouldnt imo, because they did not subsidize it, althought this could be required for a new customer.
i have never seen the contract be associated with the plan just the device and number.
One more point: The etf with sprint is still one of the lower as I have not heard they have raised it like ATT and tmo, so in all fairness even if you terminate early you should easily recomp that by selling the EVO if you dont like the service.
I too hate ETF but its a small cost considering monthy recurring charges on a smartphone, even though sprint is about half of the other guys. I have 4 lines all smartphones with sprint and I pay just over what my iphone bill was with AT&T so this imo opinion that is worth a lot!
jigglywiggly said:
This phone also has the potential to become SEVERELY outdated in 2 years, the iphone 4g has a lot of speculation.
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Pppplease.. This phone has the most features than any phone to date, not to mention what we already know form iPhone HD leak. I say this phone will be kicking ass for more than 2 yrs!
The solve your worries, just sell the phone, and get whatever phone is out for your carrier, that you think has the best coverage in your area..
I never understood why people bash Sprint so much. I never have problems with dropped calls or lack of signal. It seems reliable to me. The biggest problem with Sprint for me has always been their selection of phones doesn't match the other carriers, and the Evo should change that.
Guy says he can't get a signal in whatever cave he lives in so "Sprint Sucks" please go to AT&T. Bye...
I'm actually surprised that the first few posters were as kind as they were.
If you have the phone already just use it month to month, the 2 year contract is only for the discounts on a new phone.
myth_mn said:
If you have the phone already just use it month to month, the 2 year contract is only for the discounts on a new phone.
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We've heard that but I for one cannot find any printed data from Sprint that says I can bring in my phone and start a month to month deal with them. Would you have any information or a link to such?
Thanks
iPhone... ewww. Even if it does come to sprint, I won't be hopping on that bandwagon anytime soon, or ever.
misticjeff said:
We've heard that but I for one cannot find any printed data from Sprint that says I can bring in my phone and start a month to month deal with them. Would you have any information or a link to such?
Thanks
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When you add a line, upgrade, or purchase new service you have to option to purchase the phone at a discounted price but with a contract. If you have a phone already, or buy it without the discount a contract is not required.
I've moved back to Sprint in the pass using an old phone without any contracts.
Does ANYONE keep their same phones for the entire two-year contract period? Phones from two years ago are ancient. The longest I've had a phone since my Treo is like 8 months with my Centro and a year with my BlackBerry Curve 8330.
TheBiles said:
Does ANYONE keep their same phones for the entire two-year contract period? Phones from two years ago are ancient. The longest I've had a phone since my Treo is like 8 months with my Centro and a year with my BlackBerry Curve 8330.
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OFF TOPIC
You mean does anyone ON HERE keep their phones for 2 years. Several people at my job still carry razors. DOH!!!
Funny thing is..they get better signals in our lab area than any other phone.
ON TOPIC:
I got nothin...
myth_mn said:
When you add a line, upgrade, or purchase new service you have to option to purchase the phone at a discounted price but with a contract. If you have a phone already, or buy it without the discount a contract is not required.
I've moved back to Sprint in the pass using an old phone without any contracts.
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This goes against everything I've read in other forums:
http://howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1647582
And several Sprint CSR's have said a new customer needs to sign up with a 2 year contract.
Yo guys! So I'm a few days past my preliminary 30 day trial so to speak, and have the Epic Touch 4g. I love the phone, it's amazing, but I'm sure I speak for many when I say we're all really dissapointed with the antennas on this thing, and sprints coverage in general.
My 3G speeds never go past the 1.5 meg mark, and that in itself is rare. the 4g is non-existant, worse than 3g. At work I roam a good 75% of the time. And to make matters worse, all these rumors about the Touch 4g not supporting this new Rev B adds insult to injury.
So - I remember seeing a few people a while back, when I had the evo 3d (which i traded in for this phone) say they got out of their ETF by pretty much telling Sprint Reps that the recent fee increase voided their contract (i have a link, but since im a new user I cant post the link until i have 8 posts, search around youll find more info on this)
So I'm SERIOUSLY considering attempting this, and just jumping ship and going to another carrier. We only have until the 11th it seems to try and get out of the contract (you have 30 days to attempt this, fee increase was implemented on the 11th of sept i believe).
What do you guys think? Im contemplating sticking around till the 7th to see what the big announcement from Sprint will be, but I doubt whatever changes will be immediate and we'll start seeing better data anytime soon..
Verizon would be great obviously, theyre the fastest out there as far as I know, but of course the most expensive. Att & T mobile I dont know much about, dont know how good their coverage is in my area (las vegas, nv). I get such a good employee discount with sprint, theyre cheap, the phone is great, i just wish we had better coverage!!
we actually have till the 9th, my mistake!
While it is still technically possible you will have to be a bulldog with them. I did it but I set it up nearly a month ago. In that month they've had meetings and been sent memos specifically telling them NOT to let you out and that they don't HAVE to let you out. Not only that, but, the most damning thing: They've had a month of practice dealing with people on the issue which they are instructed (by default) to not let you out.
However if you stick to them, follow up and just make life in general very annoying for them (get names and direct numbers, follow up with the same exact people...that'll get old to them fast) you can still get out...or you can luck out and find one of the few people that didn't get the memo.
EDiT: Derp. If you have the ET4G you agreed to the new contract terms. Even if you were a bulldog and constantly up their ass and got an uninformed CSR you still wouldn't get out
...though I have heard that they will boot you out of contract for roaming too much (00001.PRL, ahem)
It doesn't work anymore. You can call and try to start the process but word is that Sprint is refusing to allow anyone out of the ETF because of the fee increase.
I don't know why it took you this long to realize that the service doesn't work. If it is the phone you should just exchange it for a Motorola Photon. They have great reception.
Eh, its not that I didnt know the service was shoddy, its just I was hoping I would have better service with the epic touch than with the evo 3d, which I kinda am actually, like I said the epic touch roams at work, but the evo 3d would roam A LOT more. Not to mention the horrible call quality
But, like I said, I'm past the 30 days so I cant exchange it for another phone, as far as I know anyway..
A lot of people here would exhange a Motorola Photon for you Epic Touch. They might even throw in a couple of bucks to sweeten the deal. Just ask.
On a side note my reception with the Epic Touch is crappy too. A few roaming and drop calls because of weak signal. My old Photon never had that problem.
I'm good man, I appreciate you trying to help me out, but like I said, I love the phone, and if Im staying with Sprint I think id like to keep this phone.
But if theres a way out, and other people are considering it, it's worth thinking about. I mean Ive read through all the threads on here that constantly complain about sprints service and coverage, but the phone overall seems to be getting rave reviews.
Im guessing you have one and love it as well?
I use the phone more as a multimedia than as a phone. The Photon has a problem displaying natural colors and blacks so I am force to abandon it. If they ever decide to address that problem (which I think is software wise) I would buy the Photon again. The Epic Touch is great as a multimedia device. As a phone, it fails miserably. I tolerate it.
There's no way out, sorry. You should have left within the first 30 days. Your only hope is that you roam enough for sprint to boot you.
Here's how you get out
ETF is $350... phone is worth about $350-$400 on craigslist. Sell the phone, use the money to pay for ETF.. 0 out of pocket. I do this all the time.
If you want to upgrade early: Open up new line and get new phone (evo 3d, epic touch, etc) Sell your old phone (always get a high end phone kept in mint condition) to pay for ETF on old line. You can usually get about $200ish for an old phone, even the EVO 4G still goes for $225 on craigslist. This worked perfectly when ETF was only $200, now it's $350, but it gets prorated I think after the 4th month. The only downside is you lose your # and that's the reason why I only give out my google voice #. So everytime I get a new #, nobody really knows I changed it, I just link it with my google voice #.
His ETF would be $200 because he was already past his 30 days (when he posted/started this thread), which means he started the contract before Sept 9. The $350 ETF only started after Sept 9.
Yeah **** it! I got an airrave on the way for work, where im constantly roaming, so Im just going to tough it out with sprint, if it gets real bad - ill pay the etf and sell the epic touch. Whatsitsname is correct, my ETF is 200 as far as I know, I always keep getting mis-information from sprint reps, but last I was told it was 200. I started service August 20th.
Ill just wait to see what comes out on T Mobile, Verizon, ATT, etc. My buddy has T Mobile and gets pretty consistent 3g speeds, 1.5 - 2 down, and the prices are the cheapest next to sprint as far as unlimited goes. Coverage is decent as well.
Otherwise, Verizon's speeds are awesome, my buddy hits 22 down on his thunderbolt, crazy. Id cancel my internet and just tether all the time if I had those speeds. The prices though.. not so much. Dont know what ATT has in store, I know they have decent 3g and SOME 4g capable phones, im honestly not too informed.
Hmm. I don't exactly want to leave Sprint but do you guys think I could use this as an easier way to get an ET4G from the 3d? I'm so over this 3d but I don't wanna shell out 500 to buy outright.
Lol I took my 3d in after it bonked itself and I want even a sprint customer(at the time) and they found out it was rooted(I played dumb because I got the phone off a friend) and they still bought the phone back for $150 so try and see what happens you never know. Now I did have a girl rep and I may have laid the flirt on(hey don't judge) but still you never know lol
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
whatsitsnamenow said:
His ETF would be $200 because he was already past his 30 days (when he posted/started this thread), which means he started the contract before Sept 9. The $350 ETF only started after Sept 9.
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How is it possible to have an Epic Touch and not have a $350 ETF? If he upgraded, he couldn't have done it before the 16th, which was AFTER the ETF was jacked up?
I might have a higher ETF, I have to call in and check, or sprint chat later today..
But I started service on the 20th of august with a 3d, swapped out for the epic touch as soon as it came out on sept 16th, a few days short of my trial 30 days.
I have an epic touch and a 200 etf. Only because I traded a friend though
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
t0t said:
I might have a higher ETF, I have to call in and check, or sprint chat later today..
But I started service on the 20th of august with a 3d, swapped out for the epic touch as soon as it came out on sept 16th, a few days short of my trial 30 days.
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Lucky loophole.
right! it is indeed 200, sprint rep just confirmed, so I lucked out. Im just going to wait it out with sprint, see what oct 7th brings, and if it gets real bad ill check out tmobile or att... or verizon. although Id prefer to go with something unlimited like t mobile / sprint, even if t mobile caps you.
WE have been duped by Sprint people. Go to their website and you will notice the announcement of the iPhone 4Gs. You can even pre order it. This privilege was not given for the Samsung Galaxy S 2 ET4G.
Why...was this you say...it's obvious that Sprint knew it had made a deal to buy a **** load of IOS devices to secure this deal with Apple.so they didn't promote the galaxy ET4g. Now they have a big announcement tomorrow. They are going out of their way to let you pre order the iPhone as well.
Sad, and yes I feel they used us to get this deal, by canceling all perks, while giving us crappy service. My Photon has a red circle and no service, and I don't have a ET4G yet. Service has been terrible most of the summer all over NY and in mid town NYC.
If service was being interrupted to better service I may stick around, but not getting signal, failed messages, and paying for it and no credit with lies is unacceptable. Not being able to pre-order the phone I wanted because they made a deal with Crapple is also unforgivable. Price isn't the only thing that matters in a business relationship. It's I pay for service and expect to have it when I want it, not when you decide to give it.
Hell I was told by a customer service rep that I should be happy because I have had a lot of usage on my line. I then said yes that is true, but when I need my service to work it failed to deliver....I missed important calls. and meetings with people because of failed service.
People were telling me when they called the phone rang 3x's and hung up no message was able to be left. Others told me that they would get a network busy message please try again later. One rep verified this condition of calling me, and could not get through. The phone rang 3x's and the line just went dead when they called. I have been to tech centers, and have made many battery pulls, and software reboots, and finally I was told that there was a net work issue and they did not know when it would be cleared. Now when I call to talk about it they put me on hold no music and never come back to talk.
I just don't see it getting better, and when the next generation of phones IE Prime or what ever hits Verizon, and this is not cleared I am gone. When I feel I have to beg for service, or a credit for not receiving service after paying my bills for 15 years, and at one point having a $300 a month phone bills for business it's time to go.
My bill analysis shows that I average 240 msg a month, and average about 2g of data a month, and since I use my phone mostly for calls a Verizion 69.00 phone plan with 10 data, and 10.00 for data equals what I am paying now. So if this doesn't clear with the loss of perks I am outta here.lol
My service is better than ever...by far too. I never saw over 8Mbps download speed in Los Angeles on 4G and now....
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Enjoy the larger bill on Verizon. It fast and rather reliable
Life is too short to complain on services you are not happy about. Great thing about America is that we have three major carriers
The sprint network can't compete with Verizon in "most" areas,
Can I have your phone when you leave? I've got a line with no phone....
care cup \__/
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
When sprint cancelled premiere the writing was on the wall. It was on your august bill statement. In addition, sprint raised the admin fee by 50cents which invalidated every contract. Also on your bill statement.
Then sprint raised ETF from $200 to $350. Then they changed 30 day phone trials to 14 days. All this in september.
I am here on this board with an E4GT because of these changes - I had to get my final premiere upgrade prior to 10/2/2011. Otherwise I was fully planning on just waiting another month for nexus prime.
Now the E4GT has serious radio issues. Like OP, I had calls go to voicemail for hours at a time. Others have LOS, dropped calls, no signal bars, phone refuses to roam, etc.
Sprint's CEO said that 54% of sprint customer churn is due to not having an iphone. Thats a pretty hard fact to not pay attention to.
It is clear sprint is putting all eggs in one basket - the iphone basket. Sprint has lost money for 15 straight quarters. This will either save sprint or ruin sprint.
I've been with sprint 10 years now, and im no iphone fan. THe writing is on the wall: We'll let you keep your android devices and stay on our network, but we really don't care about you now. Of course I knew all this over a month ago and I was still willing to sign a 2 year contract in september for the Epic 4g touch. That was before all the LOS issues arose.
We'll see what the next 2 years brings. But the days of customer loyalty perks, retention plans, etc are clearly over.
I just switched from verizon to sprint, so I can give you a good preview of what to expect.
First of all, the service is top notch, and the lte speeds were incredible - I regularly got over 20 mbps in my area, many times close to 30. Of course, keep in mind that their lte service is fairly new, and at the time they only had 3 expensive phones that could use it, so that will likely change as more people upgrade and the network gets saturated.
So why did I leave this awesome service? Price. Everything across the board is way more expensive - service and phones. I paid $50 more for a Droid Charge than I did for my E4GT, and that phone isn't even in the same league. For our family plan with unlimited text, only 700 minutes, 2 data plans and 2 other phones, it was $230 a month. Our kids wanted smartphones too, but to add 2 more data plans would have put our bill up to $300. I'm not broke, but not rich either, and that cost is pretty hard to justify.
Also, keep in mind that all those policies Sprint just changed are the same policies Verizon has - 14 day return, $350 etf (even after being way overcharged on the phones up front), and no more New Every Two program.
The only carrier I've found with good pricing and great coverage (in my area) is Tmo, and I almost jumped to them, but no way in hell I want to risk being an att customer again.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
txmikester said:
I just switched from verizon to sprint, so I can give you a good preview of what to expect.
First of all, the service is top notch, and the lte speeds were incredible - I regularly got over 20 mbps in my area, many times close to 30. Of course, keep in mind that their lte service is fairly new, and at the time they only had 3 expensive phones that could use it, so that will likely change as more people upgrade and the network gets saturated.
So why did I leave this awesome service? Price. Everything across the board is way more expensive - service and phones. I paid $50 more for a Droid Charge than I did for my E4GT, and that phone isn't even in the same league. For our family plan with unlimited text, only 700 minutes, 2 data plans and 2 other phones, it was $230 a month. Our kids wanted smartphones too, but to add 2 more data plans would have put our bill up to $300. I'm not broke, but not rich either, and that cost is pretty hard to justify.
Also, keep in mind that all those policies Sprint just changed are the same policies Verizon has - 14 day return, $350 etf (even after being way overcharged on the phones up front), and no more New Every Two program.
The only carrier I've found with good pricing and great coverage (in my area) is Tmo, and I almost jumped to them, but no way in hell I want to risk being an att customer again.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
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Perspective ftw!
This is called "grass is greener" syndrome. You're gonna love it at first. Then 6 months later you're posting the same crap in another forum.
AbsolutZeroGI said:
Perspective ftw!
This is called "grass is greener" syndrome. You're gonna love it at first. Then 6 months later you're posting the same crap in another forum.
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It all comes down to service.....ETFs, and other fees are basic...it's about service when I want it....I am worn out this summer by Sprint's evasive bull**** regarding the service issues that we are experiencing. Collecting my money for inferior service, and lying about is bad business practice......
Piece out!!!!
QWIKSTRIKE said:
It all comes down to service.....ETFs, and other fees are basic...it's about service when I want it....I am worn out this summer by Sprint's evasive bull**** regarding the service issues that we are experiencing. Collecting my money for inferior service, and lying about is bad business practice......
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Amen. I am tired of flipping on Roam Control and dealing on 1x every time I enter a building. What good is unlimited 3g if it is slow as molasses, and 4g which is spotty and hardly ever works indoors? At this point, I am off contract and if Prime comes to VZW and is not full of bloat I may be gone.
dohturdima said:
Amen. I am tired of flipping on Roam Control and dealing on 1x every time I enter a building. What good is unlimited 3g if it is slow as molasses, and 4g which is spotty and hardly ever works indoors? At this point, I am off contract and if Prime comes to VZW and is not full of bloat I may be gone.
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+1
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
I was told that the unlimited everything plan for the IPhone will be $20 a month more than ours..
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
I like android and I never want a I-PHONE.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
Feel free to kick me in the Jimmy if I ever buy an iAnything.
Sent from my extra sensory space modulator while performing the slippery cricket
dohturdima said:
Amen. I am tired of flipping on Roam Control and dealing on 1x every time I enter a building. What good is unlimited 3g if it is slow as molasses, and 4g which is spotty and hardly ever works indoors? At this point, I am off contract and if Prime comes to VZW and is not full of bloat I may be gone.
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It doesn't really matter if it has bloat where cause you can root the stock rom and use titanium backup to remove it all. Its super easy to do
dohturdima said:
Amen. I am tired of flipping on Roam Control and dealing on 1x every time I enter a building. What good is unlimited 3g if it is slow as molasses, and 4g which is spotty and hardly ever works indoors? At this point, I am off contract and if Prime comes to VZW and is not full of bloat I may be gone.
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I am not just talking 3g/4G.....I get a red circle with a line almost daily. I have been missing calls. getting network busy try back later errors, and not receiving calls for hours a day. I missed getting calls with 4-5 bars in mid town Manhattan, and people told me the phone just rang 3 times and stopped ringing with no option to leave a voice mail. Others were told to "try back later network busy". This can only get worse if iPhone is coming. I am not the only one experiencing this issue the Sprint online community is filled with this same complaint.
JohnCorleone said:
I was told that the unlimited everything plan for the IPhone will be $20 a month more than ours..
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using xda premium
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Nope, it is the same price. You can go on and pre-order to see the pricing.
Hey guys,
I currently use a Nexus One, however I'm looking to upgrade. The n1 is getting to the point where I'm running out of internal space and I'm disappointed there are no more software updates on it.
I'm really yearning for a HTC One S, but there is a caveat. I am on an older T-Mobile EM+ plan so I do not get a subsidy on my phones and I'm uncertain I want to migrate to a new classic plan. Because of this, I feel like the One S will end up being too expensive. I'm assuming T-Mobile will price it at a minimum of 599 like the current Amaze and SII. Further after the 6% sales tax, I might regret spending 635 dollars on the phone.
The thought of a Galaxy Nexus has crossed my mind, but I figured if I was spending $450 on a phone I should be buying one that is HSPA+ 42, which the galaxy nexus is not. However, vanilla ICS is a big plus in my book.
So then comes the T-989. I found one on Craigslist for 400. It includes a one month old phone, extra battery, 16gb class 2 microsd, charging stand and a body glove case. It seems like the value is there. Furthermore, after contacting the person, they end up going to my university so I have a good feeling about the transaction trust wise. I'm going to check out the phone today.
I'm wondering, is this the phone for me? Am I silly and should wait for the S3, or go for the GN or One S instead? Will I be happy with the SII, especially because it will end up being cheaper than all my other options.
Thanks for the insight,
Mike
well there's one thing you can try to do... Tmobile recently altered their terms and condition where data roaming is no longer free. so if you ever used data roaming, you could fight it and get an early termination without ETF and sign up with them again using a different account holder of course. You can legally try to fight it without ever use data roaming because it is a breach in contract... but it is a lot harder to do... you can check out SD, they have a whole giant thread on it.
okay about the phones
1. i would not wait for any HTC phones because their recent releases have been disappointing.. I have used or played with every HTC phone for t-mobile... and they have fallen since the mt4gs.
sooo i wouldn't hold my breath for any htc phones yet.. maybe after some great reviews from xda members..
2. when the s3 is released, it is going to be very expensive... you're talking about not wanting to spend 635 or not even 450 so I would rule the s3 out of your budget.
3. you can't really go wrong with the galaxy nexus or the tmobile t989.. besides we just got ICS.. well still in the works lol
4. ASK yourself.. is there really a need to upgrade from the n1?
yes our phone is everything better than the n1.. but in terms of usability... do you really need to fish out $400+ for a phone you're already questioning about dropping money on. You can do anything on the n1 that you can on the gs2, don't fall for the hype that our phone has because of all the commercials and stuff.
alternatives:
1. why don't you exchange your phone or any cheap "smartphone" (bb, old iphone, etc) with the microsoft store promo, it's free... you should check that out. although they're WP phones... it would be nice to be rocking the htc radar, titan, or samsung focus by trading a crappy phone.
2. Are you out of contract? since you're on the EM+ plan... you can get a lot of deals by extending your contract another 2 years. If so, I can give you few pointers.
---------- Post added at 04:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:45 AM ----------
holy ****, just noticed this is your first post after 1.5 years lol
Thanks for the reply Teo032!
1,2 & 3 - Thank you for the advice. It is very assuring to hear such things.
4 - This is the hardest question to answer. I don't need to upgrade. However, I have the phone bug itch. I want a new phone. You do raise a good point though, the actual functionality won't differ too much.
A1 - I did not know about that challenge! I would definitely do that if I could. A new WP for free is exactly what I need to fix my itch for a new phone. I live in eastern PA. The closest MS Store would be Bridgewater Commons, which is about an hour away. Unfortunately, that store is still stated as "coming soon" and the promotion ends March 29, 2012. Hopefully they extend it once that location opens, since that would have been worth the drive...
A2 - For a contract extension, I'm a little hesitant since I am moving in about 1 yr and don't want to be locked into a 2 yr contract. Although I would probably have no coverage issues, I would not be too happy if I had poor reception at my new place but it wasn't bad enough for t-mobile to allow me to leave w/o an ETF.
Again thanks for the insight. You brought up some really great points. At this point I really don't know if I can answer that I need to upgrade and I think that might be my answer to whether I should buy the SII or not. I'm really disappointed the Bridgewater MS store isn't open yet, since I would have had made that drive today...
P.S. - Yes! My OP was my first post. After years of lurking, I finally made the leap. If I purchase a new phone today or not, I hope to continue contributing to the community through posting.
Why don't you check the coverage at where you're moving? If anything, use wifi calling.
If you're eligible for an upgrade, you won't get "discounted" phones since you're on em+... but if you talk to the retention department, simply ask them, what is the best deal they can give you if you plan to sign up for another 2 years. Each rep will give you different offers, you can call multiple times to try to get better offers. some will match a previous offer or even best it.
Common offers
$250 credit (this is actually the "discount" for the phones, although you would still be paying the full price for the phone but $350 isn't too bad for a new phone)
or $10 off each month for your contract ($240)
Your rate might even be better depending on what you need. My 5 line is actually paying about $20 less with a better plan now, which is NOT available to new contracts, only loyalty plans.
I called about 4 different reps. I made sure I told them to let me think about the deal and to call me back at certain times.
One guy was able to give me $200 credit + $10 off each month.. they're not suppose to do this, it's usually only one choice... but this guy sounded like a supervisor and hooked me up with a lot of stuff. I asked him to call me back, hoping to get $250 + $10/month from another rep.
next rep told me that it is impossible to apply both deals etc etc, And i was like are you sure? he told me yeah because the system only allows us to apply one discount and what the other guy told me was misinformation. He told me I only could get one or the other... The other guy called me back and I told him, I talked to another rep about the situation, and he simply told me, well lets just say I can do more things than any other rep can.
So my rate for 5 lines, unlimited talk text and 5 gb for 3 lines, 2 with premium insurance (7.99 each) is $155 without the tax and fees + 200 credit.
well unlimited for the 2 primary lines, and 500 minutes EACH for the remaining 3, which is still a lot.
EDIT: oh and after a year.. the ETF should be about what? $100? $150?
another tip: in my area, the skyrocket goes for less than the hercules. about $50 less, so I would look into that if you're planning to just CL
throw MIUI on the N1 and hang on to it for a bit longer. will feel like a newer phone.
otherwise yea what he said. S2 is still a great phone and will be for quite some time. best phone i've ever owned and I also love my N1
U not silly, I just bought my sII for 29.99 plus tax on Feb. 17...
First off, I'm not writing this to draw attention or comments. It's a rant to get it off my chest and nothing more.
I've been a very loyal T-Mobile customer for 8 or more years. I signed up when they were still transitioning from the Voicestream moniker. Now, having said that, I'll continue by saying that I've maintained the exact (almost) same plan with them since the day I signed up. I pay $20/month for voice, $10/month for texts, and $10/month for unlimited web. Now, this plan was cheap even when I signed up. There was a promotion running, and I was sick of Cingular, so I jumped over to T-Mobile. I got a shiny new RAZR or whatever bar phone Motorola was selling at the time.
Along with that plan and device combo, I also was treated to a free T-Mobile WiFi Hotspot add-on for my account. This allowed me access to T-Mobile's handful of WiFi Hotspots scattered around the US. Most of them were in airports or New York/LA coffee shops. It was free, so who was I to complain? Now, I didn't realize until later, but this WiFi Hotspot feature also included a line in the description about "Internet sharing," since "tethering" wasn't a thing yet. Out of curiosity, I did some research, and figured out the basics. I had to download some Motorola software, and connect it via a special USB cable to my laptop, and I'd have blazing fast EDGE data anywhere I went. Boy was I excited!
This actually led to my first smartphone purchase, where, shortly thereafter, I found XDA. So, we're somewhere around 2006 or so now. I kept on "Internet sharing" for a while, moderately. My university didn't have WiFi set up yet, so it was handy to pull up stuff during class. Facebook was just becoming a thing around that time, and had just been rolled out to my college. (Yea, back then they required a .edu email and actual enrollment in college... Ah, the good ol' days.) Anyway, I've never been a big data user, nor big on tethering. Even now, I use less than 3GB of data per month. I'm normally around WiFi networks, so most of my data use is streaming music while I drive around.
Fast forward to last year. I got a review device in of a Samsung Galaxy S2 on T-Mobile. My Sammy rep forgot to throw the SIM card in the box for this review unit, so I decided to go ahead and test it out with my personal SIM. I went about my day and continued using it all day and into the next. Sometime before noon, I went to the S2 and tried to pull up some television specs for a customer, but found that I was redirected to some weird page about not having a data plan. Obviously that wasn't the case as I had been using data on it just that morning, and had been using data on my HD2 with Android for a long while before that.
I got on the phone with T-Mo only to find out that they changed APNs and my old one could not be used on newer devices. The rep said she would fix the problem, as I told her that I was only using a review device, so I didn't want to change plans or anything. She said that the plan would not be changed, but I would still lack data service on the S2 with my old plan. I asked her if my hotspot add on was still on the plan, and she confirmed it. Ok, so minor inconvenience, but it was my own fault for being impatient with the review unit.
Skip ahead to a later date when I actually decide to update to the S2. I call again after losing data just like before. The nice man on the phone mentions that nothing will change other than the APN settings on their end. I again inquire about my hotspot add-on, to which he confirms is still there.
I later found out that the change he made was to move me to another plan at the same price. Still at $10/month, I had a newer data plan with the 5GB data cap. I still wasn’t using much data, so I didn't care. It was, to me, the same thing I had before.
Skip ahead to a month back, when I got a Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet. There is an option with this tablet to open it up and install your own miniPCI wireless card for mobile data depending upon which service provider you use. I thought it might be cool to make use of that, and I had heard about T-Mobile's new unlimited data plan, so I called them up to see what I could do. As it turns out, I could add the tablet to my account for $10 extra a month for its own 5GB allotment of data. The unlimited data plan for me was $20 a month. Now, my logic here was that I always have my phone with me, so let's just upgrade to the unlimited plan and skip the tablet plan altogether. Apparently, the unlimited data plan cannot be paired with a tethering plan of any kind. Ok, fair enough, I'll call back for the tablet plan as soon as my card comes in. I made sure to ask about my tethering add-on again to make certain that my account was reverted to the exact state it was in before the call, just as I always do.
Skip ahead to my Note 2 purchase. I decided to go through T-Mobile on a monthly installment plan. This evidently requires a 2 year contract extension, but does not change any features on your account, since I'm paying the full price for it, but in monthly installments. I confirmed with the sales rep that my plan would remain unchanged and that my tethering add-on would carry over. She confirmed that nothing on my account would change, since I'm purchasing the device outright. Ok, cool, then let's do it.
Somewhere in there, I also added a military discount and was randomly given some sort of "loyalty discount" that I can't recall the origin of. My monthly bill is under $30 a month for essentially unlimited everything. Anyway, for the military discount, I also made certain to verify the tethering thing and that no account options would change. It was assured to me that this was the case.
So, I'm sure anyone who is still reading this long, drawn out mess is aware of where it is going. I've been happily using my Note 2 for a month now with no problems. I've been tethering off and on since I got it. I hit an all-time high of 3.3GB of data this last billing cycle, still well under my cap. I used the tethering feature just this past weekend to download a few files to my laptop. Now, three days later, I try to use the tethering option, and I get a message pop up saying I have to add a tethering option to my account in order to use that feature. I thought it might be the custom ROM, but I figured, what the hell, let me call T-Mobile and make sure before I clog up the thread.
The first person I spoke to was the worst Customer Service rep I've ever dealt with in my long history with T-Mobile. I felt like she was reading from a set of flash cards. She was not letting me explain my situation, and kept repeating the "T-Mobile offers its customers a $15 tethering add on option for users who wish to use their phone to connect tablets and computers!" I eventually ended up hanging up on her out of frustration. I called back and explained my story to a much more understanding rep, who informed me of a recent change in T-Mobile's system.
What?!
Yup. My "WiFi Hotspot" add-on, which has been on my account for years now, has magically vanished. The only way forward was to pay an extra $15 for the tethering add-on or pay $15 extra to be "upgraded" to the 5GB plan that includes tethering. Why did this occur, you may be wondering?
Exact quote: "The Note 2 and other high end smartphones are not compatible with the grandfathered hotspot plans, so those features are dropped when you add them."
Not compatible? That makes no sense other than for you guys to charge more money for a service I'm already paying for. My main concern with this is that I'm on a limited data plan. I'm capped at 5GB per month of 3G/4G data. Beyond that it's crippled 2G speeds. I say crippled not to indicate that 2G speed is slower, but because it actually is crippled. My normal EDGE speed with T-Mobile in my area is around 300Kbps or so. A buddy of mine who went over his limit and was throttled was sent back to the dark ages at around 50Kbps or so. Slow enough that most everything data-related is completely unusable. So, not to quibble over the fact that I still technically have an unlimited data plan, we're going to just call a spade a spade here and admit that it's a 5GB cap.
That being said, who the upside down **** gives two ****s how I use MY ALLOTMENT of data per month. I'd understand if it were an actual unlimited plan that had this issue, but I am paying for 5GB of data per month from T-Mobile. They have ZERO right to tell me where the hell I use that. It honestly makes zero sense no matter how you slice it.
After explaining all this to the woman, she then relented that it was the Note 2 which killed my add on ( as I mentioned prematurely above). Yup, the device which the sales rep had no problem telling me would not affect my plan, affected my plan. I then stressed to her that I always check to make certain of how my plan changes, and for her to go back and listen to the conversation, since everyone records my conversation for "quality control." The woman who sold me the phone lied to me to my face. The rep I was speaking with hesitated, as she did not want to admit fault, but simply said that the rep may not have known or been informed of the possible change.
"Are you kidding me? That's even worse. If I were to commit a crime, and I didn't know it was a crime, I'd still go to jail for it. The fact is that she should have known, and lied to me."
After a brief pause, she acknowledged that she wouldn't like to be in my position either and asked me to hold on while she researched what she could do for me. After waiting a while, she offered me the new data plan with tethering and an additional discount of $15 per month for the next six months. She said that that this was the most she could do for me, but I could probably complain again in six months and get another discount.
Right now, I'm still pissed that it had to come to this. Some people will claim that the contracts always had a line about not using the phones for tethering or some such nonsense, but my original T-Mobile contract, which I signed on the dotted line, said nothing of the sort, since it wasn't even a thing at the time. I've never subsidized a phone through T-Mobile since that time, and have never signed another contract. I've extended my service agreement with them once, but without having to sign, initial, or agree to anything but to keep paying my bill on time every month.
Now, without any warning, and with complete disrespect to me, a T-Mobile employee has willingly or unwilling lied to my face in order to sell me a new device. I am still in disbelief.
I've been a customer myself for many years, and have converted at least 12 people to T-Mobile through my own praising over the years. No more. I'm not happy about the end result, but I also have little choice, as there are not any better options anywhere else. Sprint is nice, but their 3G data is slower than my T-Mobile 2G data. Verizon is way too expensive for what they offer. My T-Mobile plan would be $135 on Verizon using a comparable plan. Finally, AT&T is... well, I don't even need to finish that thought, do I?
Anyway, that's my rant. Again, if you read it all the way through, I'm not looking for comments or attention or anything. I just needed to get it off my chest is all. Thanks for reading.
I'm sorry, could you repeat that? ... so you're saying you're happy? LOL ... Hopefully you can get your discount extended in 6 months.
I hate cell companies, they really don't know about customer loyalty. Most of them are so big that they don't care if they lose some customers. Hell not long ago I wanted verizon to help me out and give me an early upgrade on a phone (2 months early), the sales rep told me she couldn't help me. I told her I had 4 lines that I could cancel in March and asked if she would rather I cancel all those lines in march than give me a phone 2 months early. Her reply was "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do". All of a sudden when I started asking about ETF fees they were able to give me my upgrade. I don't know why customers who have been with them for so many years have to go to those extremes in order for them to actually try and help.
What's even worse is the $30 upgrade fees. They are charging ME for the PRIVILEGE of allowing me to make another 2 year contract with them.
So far I've only used T-Mobile prepaid with the $30 plan so I can't really say I've had any bad experiences with them.
I also agree that if they give you a data LIMIT then it really shouldn't matter how you decide to use that data. Verizon finally got rid of the tethering fee when you have the family share everything plans (not that you aren't paying for it in the extremely expensive fees), I wish T-Mobile would also get rid of it.
I can feel you, man. I've been a customer since Powertel days, was on a Legacy plan with unlimited calls, texts and data for $75 per month, and included tethering on my old HD2. I recently upgraded to a Note 2, but I decided I wasn't going to take the party line on plans. I talked to five -- yes, five -- Loyalty Department reps, before I had apparantly ranted and raved enough to move up the food chain two levels worth of supervisors. Bottom line, I got a new plan with unlimited everything and a monthly discount that covers the "mobile hotspot" fee (the new name for tethering). No upgrade or shipping fees. And eligibility for the rebate on the device. So, I'm paying the same monthly amount as before I purchased the Note 2.
In other words, and though it's a real shame to have to do so, I would suggest that you keep calling until you get satisfaction.
tsnstuff said:
I hate cell companies, they really don't know about customer loyalty. Most of them are so big that they don't care if they lose some customers. Hell not long ago I wanted verizon to help me out and give me an early upgrade on a phone (2 months early), the sales rep told me she couldn't help me. I told her I had 4 lines that I could cancel in March and asked if she would rather I cancel all those lines in march than give me a phone 2 months early. Her reply was "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do". All of a sudden when I started asking about ETF fees they were able to give me my upgrade. I don't know why customers who have been with them for so many years have to go to those extremes in order for them to actually try and help.
What's even worse is the $30 upgrade fees. They are charging ME for the PRIVILEGE of allowing me to make another 2 year contract with them.
So far I've only used T-Mobile prepaid with the $30 plan so I can't really say I've had any bad experiences with them.
I also agree that if they give you a data LIMIT then it really shouldn't matter how you decide to use that data. Verizon finally got rid of the tethering fee when you have the family share everything plans (not that you aren't paying for it in the extremely expensive fees), I wish T-Mobile would also get rid of it.
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Click to collapse
Sorry, but it sounds like you feel entitled to something from the carrier which isn't covered by your contract with them. The early upgrade thing and your threatening to leave them isn't even close to what I'm going through. That's a problem you created for yourself.
Asquared said:
I can feel you, man. I've been a customer since Powertel days, was on a Legacy plan with unlimited calls, texts and data for $75 per month, and included tethering on my old HD2. I recently upgraded to a Note 2, but I decided I wasn't going to take the party line on plans. I talked to five -- yes, five -- Loyalty Department reps, before I had apparantly ranted and raved enough to move up the food chain two levels worth of supervisors. Bottom line, I got a new plan with unlimited everything and a monthly discount that covers the "mobile hotspot" fee (the new name for tethering). No upgrade or shipping fees. And eligibility for the rebate on the device. So, I'm paying the same monthly amount as before I purchased the Note 2.
In other words, and though it's a real shame to have to do so, I would suggest that you keep calling until you get satisfaction.
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Click to collapse
Oh, I plan to call again about it.It's a shame that this is the "best they could do" for one of their reps lying to my face. That's what I'm most upset about. I shouldn't have to call them four times to get a resolution...
I feel you man.
all the telco's lie to your face.
its ridiculous.
i've been in the same shoes as you. i always make sure NOTHING on my plan changes.
its stupid.
my contract is up in less than a month and i'm seriously looking into other avenues of services unless T-mobile
makes it worth my while to stay with them. Now that they are getting rid of classic plans, that exit looks more enticing.
cajunflavoredbob said:
Sorry, but it sounds like you feel entitled to something from the carrier which isn't covered by your contract with them. The early upgrade thing and your threatening to leave them isn't even close to what I'm going through. That's a problem you created for yourself.
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Click to collapse
And you feel entitled to having them stick to a contract from years ago. Things change and I don't think there is anything wrong with a customer wanting some perks after being with a company for years. In my case, yes, I felt that allowing me to get an upgrade 2 months before I was supposed to wouldn't be a big deal, my phone was horrible. I wasn't threatening to cancel my accounts, I was ready to do it.
But whatever dude, good luck with your issue.
Amount of times the rep has said something that I knew to be wrong and they kept trying to pass it off as legit. "Can I get that in writing please?" "ah, I'd have to check... oh, you WERE right after all"
yeah...
I had the same issue at one point. I was using a MT4G at the time and needed an upgrade since the wifes 3G slide broke. We ended up getting a MT4G Slide (wife) and I grabbed the Amaze since i was a die hard HTC fan. After dealing with customer reps for 3 days straight in regards to color of the phone, tethering being turned off, flat out being lied to several times including the rep that fixed everything (pay attention and being nice helps) they ended up giving me two phones for FREE, lowering my bill by 60 bucks a month. Granted i no longer had the wifi but a quick root would fix that.
Sometimes dealing with the right person can get you things as long as your nice and you pay attention. Im going on 10 years with Tmo! I do say when you get the right person they make you feel special or make things as right as they can.
tsnstuff said:
And you feel entitled to having them stick to a contract from years ago. Things change and I don't think there is anything wrong with a customer wanting some perks after being with a company for years. In my case, yes, I felt that allowing me to get an upgrade 2 months before I was supposed to wouldn't be a big deal, my phone was horrible. I wasn't threatening to cancel my accounts, I was ready to do it.
But whatever dude, good luck with your issue.
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Click to collapse
A contract doesn't magically degrade over time. A contract is a ConTract. In your case it would be like signing up under the condition that you would get to upgrade every 2 years, and then all of a sudden, your second year comes up, but then you're told that you can no longer upgrade ever.
I said entitled because that's what it is, like it or not. Early upgrades are at the carrier*S discretion, not yours. You wanted an early upgrade and got indignant when they initially didn't allow it. That's what sparked my response. All I wanted was to get my situation off my chest. I did not want this to become a frivolous *****-fest about t-mobile or any carrier.
Here comes the wahmbulance.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
I don't mean to brag but wait until I post my wall of text about what happened with my upgrade a month ago. I have NEVER EVER EVER imagined it would end up like what I am going to post over the weekend. Be prepared ladies and gents, this will blow your mind as to how HORRIBLE T-mobile is.
Tmobile sucks
Sprint sucks
Att sucks
Straight talk sucks
Ect ect.
Expect crappyness and u wont he disapointed
As for the op, theirs a time limit to contest changes written into most cell contracts if ur past the time your contract has magicly degraded, if not, contact carrier and bbb and if no luck theyd prolly just offer contract droppage at no fee, idk. I hate contracts, I stick to prepay, it sucks too. But atleast if I have problims its nothin a new 10 dolla sim wont fix, new sim, new account, clean slate. Considering im up to about 65gb this month that matters to me.
Sent from my SGH-T889