Well I guess this will be a list of my reasons that I've lost faith in Sprint. This is just from the past 18 months of my time with Sprint that started in 2005 when I left T-Mobile. I'm so fed up, I need to vent.
1. Discounts removed from add-ons
2. Discounts removed from lines 3-5
3. Discounts removed from premium data (but you can't elect out of premium data, so not really an add-on)
4. Discounts removed from line 2
5. Administrative charges changed 3 times
6. Introduces Sprint Premier's New Every 12 feature (cool, finally a reason to stick around)
7. Six months later, Sprint Premier is changed so that a majority of users no longer get the New Every 12 benefit (Sprint said I should add another line or increase share plan to 3000 plan)
8. Adds Any Mobile, but still no smaller minute plans (right fit promise my ass)
9. Still no true successor to the Evo 4G (Evo 3D = gimmick, Shift = nothing but Android Touch Pro 2, Design = not leading edge hardware)
10. The Evo line-up is now dead (HTC MWC 2012 announcement, no Sprint announcements, HTC no longer doing side projects -- last one will be the Droid Incredible 3 since it was ordered before the change to One series)
11. Sprint/Clear 4G still not reliable and kills battery flipping in and out of service while driving to/from work (have to stick to 3G to make it through a 16-hour day)
12. Sprint has killed 3G for non-iPhone devices (we can both speedtest.net at the same speed from the same tower, but if we do anything via the web we the iPhone gets 1,000kb+, Evo & Epic both get <=100kb)
13. Increase in protection plan prices
14. Sprint will never grandfather anything
We have 3 lines that used to cost us 131$/month after tax. Now the most recent bill is 173$. I have not had 3 bills in a row for the same price in 2 years. And Sprint wonders why they bleed customers.
Sprint needs smaller plans with smaller prices to help keep customers right now, instead of jacking up discount customers. Sprint is delusional to think they are still the cheapest carrier. They are no longer a true national carrier.
Our total usage average over 18 months: (this is all usage, including n/w and any mobile mins)
Line 1: 230 mins, 400 text, 640mb data (50% talk n/w)
Line 2: 320 mins, 500 text, 420mb data (50% talk n/w)
Line 3: 280 mins, 0 text, 0mb data (50% talk n/w)
Based on this usage, I was able to quote the following prices with the other 3 major carriers: (including corporate discount applied)
Sprint: 173$ (w/ 25% discount) - 1500 Everything Data, Add 1 Line, Insurance Line1/Line2, Premium Data Line1/Line2
T-Mobile: 136$ (w/ 15% discount) - 1000 Classic Share with N/W, 2GB+throttle for Line1/2, Add 1 Line, N/W, Unlimited Text, Insurance Line1/Line2
Verizon: 151$ (w/ 22% discount) - 700 Family Share with N/W, 1000 Text Line1/Line2, 2GB data Line1/Line2, Insurance Line1/Line2
AT&T: 178$ (w/ 12% discount) - 550 Family Talk with N?W, Family Messaging, 3GB data Line1/Line2, Insurance Line1/Line2
Looking at this comparison, Sprint is actually in 3rd place in price but is last place in speed tests from my house and work. And they are device dead until the GS3 comes out. Once that comes out, Sprint will only have the iPhone (hell no), and the GS3 (Line 2 would buy it, I'd be SOL still).
If Sprint has anything up their sleeve, in terms of devices, they sure have failed to gauge their customer reactions and plan their marketing and policy changes accordingly. They are now the worst deal in wireless.
Our Line1 and Line2 used to use about 2GB/month and 1GB/month until we rooted, froze apps that track/update items we don't want, and installed ad blockers. Now our data usage has dropped 60-70% since then. Why should we pay for all that ad traffic and tracking updates? We shouldn't. But analyst groups show that average smartphone usage is 1GB/month, and power users are averaging about 3.75GB/month. This begs the questions of why can't you just buy data at 1GB/10$ shared across the family? And how convenient is it that data from other companies is sold as 2GB or 3GB for 30$ or 5GB for 50$. Neither of those prices or buckets actually match market usage or consumer needs.
Anyhow, now things are so bad at Sprint, I don't see how they can survive on marketing themselves as "the truly unlimited" service, when it isn't even competitive on price or devices anymore. And I haven't even included prepaid services like Straight Talk (SIM plan), Simple Mobile, or Boost/Virgin flashing.
Looks like T-Mobile has the best price and usage availability. Verizon is still cheaper than Sprint, has the best network/speed available, and likely the strongest device selection. AT&T is apparently the example that Sprint is trying to mold themselves as, including how they handle discounts and piss off customers. The problem is that AT&T actually has more network and more cash to get top end devices now. Sprint blew too much cash on iPhone and can no longer get exclusive devices like the Galaxy Note, HTC One X, or Motorola Razr/Maxx.
If anyone can show some concrete evidence that shows Sprint has any hope in the immediate future in terms of pricing or devices, please show me. I want to be with Sprint, but I will not waste money for inferior service, on outdated devices, and watch my price keep rising every other month.
Thanks for listening. And if anyone can prove that Sprint is worth the money, I'm all ears.
1. Discounts removed from add-ons
2. Discounts removed from lines 3-5
3. Discounts removed from premium data (but you can't elect out of premium data, so not really an add-on)
4. Discounts removed from line 2
5. Administrative charges changed 3 times
6. Introduces Sprint Premier's New Every 12 feature (cool, finally a reason to stick around)
7. Six months later, Sprint Premier is changed so that a majority of users no longer get the New Every 12 benefit (Sprint said I should add another line or increase share plan to 3000 plan)
8. Adds Any Mobile, but still no smaller minute plans (right fit promise my ass)
9. Still no true successor to the Evo 4G (Evo 3D = gimmick, Shift = nothing but Android Touch Pro 2, Design = not leading edge hardware)
10. The Evo line-up is now dead (HTC MWC 2012 announcement, no Sprint announcements, HTC no longer doing side projects -- last one will be the Droid Incredible 3 since it was ordered before the change to One series)
11. Sprint/Clear 4G still not reliable and kills battery flipping in and out of service while driving to/from work (have to stick to 3G to make it through a 16-hour day)
12. Sprint has killed 3G for non-iPhone devices (we can both speedtest.net at the same speed from the same tower, but if we do anything via the web we the iPhone gets 1,000kb+, Evo & Epic both get <=100kb)
13. Increase in protection plan prices
14. Sprint will never grandfather anything
We have 3 lines that used to cost us 131$/month after tax. Now the most recent bill is 173$. I have not had 3 bills in a row for the same price in 2 years. And Sprint wonders why they bleed customers.
Sprint needs smaller plans with smaller prices to help keep customers right now, instead of jacking up discount customers. Sprint is delusional to think they are still the cheapest carrier. They are no longer a true national carrier.
Our total usage average over 18 months: (this is all usage, including n/w and any mobile mins)
Line 1: 230 mins, 400 text, 640mb data (50% talk n/w)
Line 2: 320 mins, 500 text, 420mb data (50% talk n/w)
Line 3: 280 mins, 0 text, 0mb data (50% talk n/w)
Based on this usage, I was able to quote the following prices with the other 3 major carriers: (including corporate discount applied)
Sprint: 173$ (w/ 25% discount) - 1500 Everything Data, Add 1 Line, Insurance Line1/Line2, Premium Data Line1/Line2
T-Mobile: 136$ (w/ 15% discount) - 1000 Classic Share with N/W, 2GB+throttle for Line1/2, Add 1 Line, N/W, Unlimited Text, Insurance Line1/Line2
Verizon: 151$ (w/ 22% discount) - 700 Family Share with N/W, 1000 Text Line1/Line2, 2GB data Line1/Line2, Insurance Line1/Line2
AT&T: 178$ (w/ 12% discount) - 550 Family Talk with N?W, Family Messaging, 3GB data Line1/Line2, Insurance Line1/Line2
Looking at this comparison, Sprint is actually in 3rd place in price but is last place in speed tests from my house and work. And they are device dead until the GS3 comes out. Once that comes out, Sprint will only have the iPhone (hell no), and the GS3 (Line 2 would buy it, I'd be SOL still).
If Sprint has anything up their sleeve, in terms of devices, they sure have failed to gauge their customer reactions and plan their marketing and policy changes accordingly. They are now the worst deal in wireless.
Our Line1 and Line2 used to use about 2GB/month and 1GB/month until we rooted, froze apps that track/update items we don't want, and installed ad blockers. Now our data usage has dropped 60-70% since then. Why should we pay for all that ad traffic and tracking updates? We shouldn't. But analyst groups show that average smartphone usage is 1GB/month, and power users are averaging about 3.75GB/month. This begs the questions of why can't you just buy data at 1GB/10$ shared across the family? And how convenient is it that data from other companies is sold as 2GB or 3GB for 30$ or 5GB for 50$. Neither of those prices or buckets actually match market usage or consumer needs.
Anyhow, now things are so bad at Sprint, I don't see how they can survive on marketing themselves as "the truly unlimited" service, when it isn't even competitive on price or devices anymore. And I haven't even included prepaid services like Straight Talk (SIM plan), Simple Mobile, or Boost/Virgin flashing.
Looks like T-Mobile has the best price and usage availability. Verizon is still cheaper than Sprint, has the best network/speed available, and likely the strongest device selection. AT&T is apparently the example that Sprint is trying to mold themselves as, including how they handle discounts and piss off customers. The problem is that AT&T actually has more network and more cash to get top end devices now. Sprint blew too much cash on iPhone and can no longer get exclusive devices like the Galaxy Note, HTC One X, or Motorola Razr/Maxx.
If anyone can show some concrete evidence that shows Sprint has any hope in the immediate future in terms of pricing or devices, please show me. I want to be with Sprint, but I will not waste money for inferior service, on outdated devices, and watch my price keep rising every other month.
Thanks for listening. And if anyone can prove that Sprint is worth the money, I'm all ears.