Considering the switch for a few reasons:
1. Wanted to pick up the GNex but obviously sprint isn't getting it for some time. I wouldn't normally "phone chase" to another carrier, but...
2. I've just not been that happy with the service. I have no 4g where I spend 99% of my time (I'm only rarely in Baltimore, which is the closest area with decent 4g coverage); my speed numbers are not the worst I've seen, but they're consistently pretty bad (avg about 0.3-0.5 down, 0.2-0.3 up)
3. I get zero service in my building at work whereas most VZ customers seem to get reception just fine.
4. Sprint seems to have hitched their wagon to Apple, and being that I won't own a Iphone (though I have two ipads and a MBA, the lack of flash and other compromises are too much to bear with a phone), this doesn't strike me as a positive thing.
5. Sprint's data rates competing with the other big two in a non-urban area (like mine) doesn't look likely for quite some time. I'm skeptical about their ability to effectively roll out LTE or even the "advanced LTE" they're talking about for late '13. Especially given that they say they need $7 billion in capital to make their improvements (of which a substantial portion will go to their idiotic apple deal)
6. I really feel that the days of true unlimited plans are numbered. As with virtually every other aspect of their service (ETF, mobile hotspot data caps, etc), it's only a matter of time before sprint thinks it has the clout to "compete with the big boys" in negative ways as well as positive. Only thing here is that they may grandfather some people in, but if anything, I think this would put the SERO plans even more at risk for being canceled.
Both my wife and I currently have the 500 min SERO plans (she's paying $30 for her "dumb" phone, I'm at $40+$10 for my Epic 4g). With my corp discount I'd be able to get a VZ 1400 min family plan with 2gb data for me and 250 texts for each of us for about $110/month, which isn't much more than I'm paying now. I have a few doubts though:
1. My usage profile shows that we would not exceed any of the limitations of the new plan (texts, data, mins), but I question whether I would miss the true "unlimited" nature of sprint.
2. Sprint has traditionally done very well by me as far as a hardware lineup is concerned. In the past, they often have some of the best phones available. If I dump them altogether, I may _really_ regret it if (when) the tide turns back toward sprint having the hottest phones (as opposed to VZ)
3. Since I really only have 3g, and I don't think any form of 4g will be coming to my area (I'm in a Baltimore suburb) on any network anytime soon, the data rates for VZ might only be marginally better than what I have.
4. The pricing differences are marginal, and it seems like a no-brainer assuming VZ's better reliability and coverage, but if my wife decides she wants a real smartphone in two years and we have to pick up a pricey second data plan, this would no longer be true.
I've honestly thought about just keeping one of the sprint lines even though I don't need it just in case one of us wants to make a switch back. It's $9 a month to keep a line open without using it.
Sorry for the length. Your thoughts and recommendations are appreciated.
1. Wanted to pick up the GNex but obviously sprint isn't getting it for some time. I wouldn't normally "phone chase" to another carrier, but...
2. I've just not been that happy with the service. I have no 4g where I spend 99% of my time (I'm only rarely in Baltimore, which is the closest area with decent 4g coverage); my speed numbers are not the worst I've seen, but they're consistently pretty bad (avg about 0.3-0.5 down, 0.2-0.3 up)
3. I get zero service in my building at work whereas most VZ customers seem to get reception just fine.
4. Sprint seems to have hitched their wagon to Apple, and being that I won't own a Iphone (though I have two ipads and a MBA, the lack of flash and other compromises are too much to bear with a phone), this doesn't strike me as a positive thing.
5. Sprint's data rates competing with the other big two in a non-urban area (like mine) doesn't look likely for quite some time. I'm skeptical about their ability to effectively roll out LTE or even the "advanced LTE" they're talking about for late '13. Especially given that they say they need $7 billion in capital to make their improvements (of which a substantial portion will go to their idiotic apple deal)
6. I really feel that the days of true unlimited plans are numbered. As with virtually every other aspect of their service (ETF, mobile hotspot data caps, etc), it's only a matter of time before sprint thinks it has the clout to "compete with the big boys" in negative ways as well as positive. Only thing here is that they may grandfather some people in, but if anything, I think this would put the SERO plans even more at risk for being canceled.
Both my wife and I currently have the 500 min SERO plans (she's paying $30 for her "dumb" phone, I'm at $40+$10 for my Epic 4g). With my corp discount I'd be able to get a VZ 1400 min family plan with 2gb data for me and 250 texts for each of us for about $110/month, which isn't much more than I'm paying now. I have a few doubts though:
1. My usage profile shows that we would not exceed any of the limitations of the new plan (texts, data, mins), but I question whether I would miss the true "unlimited" nature of sprint.
2. Sprint has traditionally done very well by me as far as a hardware lineup is concerned. In the past, they often have some of the best phones available. If I dump them altogether, I may _really_ regret it if (when) the tide turns back toward sprint having the hottest phones (as opposed to VZ)
3. Since I really only have 3g, and I don't think any form of 4g will be coming to my area (I'm in a Baltimore suburb) on any network anytime soon, the data rates for VZ might only be marginally better than what I have.
4. The pricing differences are marginal, and it seems like a no-brainer assuming VZ's better reliability and coverage, but if my wife decides she wants a real smartphone in two years and we have to pick up a pricey second data plan, this would no longer be true.
I've honestly thought about just keeping one of the sprint lines even though I don't need it just in case one of us wants to make a switch back. It's $9 a month to keep a line open without using it.
Sorry for the length. Your thoughts and recommendations are appreciated.
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