Considering switching from Verizon to Sprint for the GS2

[mrpaulc]

I have the original Droid Incredible. I've been waiting for the Galaxy S2 to come out on Verizon for what feels like an eternity. Verizon isn't getting the GS2 and the Nexus/Driod Prime won't be out for a while so I'm considering switching to Sprint.

Is anyone else switching? Any thoughts on Sprint (in Los Angeles)? Any feedback would be appreciated!

 

[Thunder82]

I have the original Droid Incredible. I've been waiting for the Galaxy S2 to come out on Verizon for what feels like an eternity. Verizon isn't getting the GS2 and the Nexus/Driod Prime won't be out for a while so I'm considering switching to Sprint.

Is anyone else switching? Any thoughts on Sprint (in Los Angeles)? Any feedback would be appreciated!

Yep, I'm dropping my droid charge for the Sprint GS2. I love LTE, but hate Verizon's chokehold on devices and software. I'm sure Sprint 3G / Clearwire 4G won't perform to Verizon's level, but with my company discount, my bill should be almost half as expensive also..

 

[whatsitsname]

Yep, I'm dropping my droid charge for the Sprint GS2. I love LTE, but hate Verizon's chokehold on devices and software. I'm sure Sprint 3G / Clearwire 4G won't perform to Verizon's level, but with my company discount, my bill should be almost half as expensive also..

Lets hope your service and reception isn't half as well.

 

[Thunder82]

Lets hope your service and reception isn't half as well.

I really doubt 3G and calls will be much different, although I'm trying to keep my 4G expectations low so that I'm surprised/delighted if it's anything but awful. Verizon's LTE network has been awesome - a superior technology on an ideal band/spectrum i'm sure blows Clear's wimax on 2.5/2.6ghz out of the water.

 

[steveh552]

Sprint has improved in the last ten or so years and works well. For what its worth sprint will have 4glte in a couple years and currently still offer unlimited data.

Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk

 

[JayWill]

I'd say it really depends on how much data you use. Verizon's LTE data network is no doubt the largest and fastest in the country. If you download a lot of large data files, like video, over the cellular network rather than WiFi, you'd have to strongly consider keeping the network and your grandfathered unlimited data plan. If you use data casually, browsing the web and streaming, I think you'll find Sprint's WiMax network to be very capable, and 3G good enough for most needs. At least Los Angeles has a decent WiMax footprint. It's virtually non-existent here in San Diego.

Honestly, if I were a heavy data user and an existing VZW customer, I would stay with them regardless of their device portfolio.

 

[Cory Streater]

Big Fat YES.

My only concern is Sprint's text messaging delays. Every time I've been a customer of theirs there have been times where I could carve a text in stone and deliver it faster than Sprint could. I will not be doing a port the day it comes out, that's for sure.

 

[JayWill]

Big Fat YES.

My only concern is Sprint's text messaging delays. Every time I've been a customer of theirs there have been times where I could carve a text in stone and deliver it faster than Sprint could. I will not be doing a port the day it comes out, that's for sure.

I don't know if they've improved things since you were a customer, or if it's your geographical area, but I haven't had a single issue sending or receiving immediate texts since I bought my Palm Pre two years ago.

 

[chuckz28]

I'm doing it. Already have my gs2s preordered. I asked my brother to run a couple speed tests on his evo 4g for me and he was getting 8mbps down. Plenty enough for me even though it is more about the cheaper bill and much better phone.

 

[whatsitsname]

One thing about WiMAX is that they don't penetrate buildings that well. I get good 4g speeds in front of my home but when inside it's slow and sometimes nonexistent. The Photon is the only WiMAX phone that could hold a signal throughout my home. Evo 4g and Nexus S couldn't hold the signal. Something to consider. Good luck.

 

[leopard2lx]

I'm switching from Verizon on Friday for the GS2.
Verizon LTE is awesome but their prices and phones are NOT.
Seriously...$300 for almost every new LTE phone? What a joke/

 

[Latteart]

Just left Verizon for Sprints unlimited data plan. I had an Android break on me, activated a dumb phone and tried to buy a new smartphone and get my unlimited data plan back and no go. Verizon is getting so greedy and I am totally sick of it. They built a good name with the OGD but fell off after that. I went through 4 Android's on their network and was never totally satisfied with any of them besides the Incredible.

 

[txmikester]

I have been wrestling with this decision for the past month, and I've decided to switch, even though I will rack up $750 in ETF's, mainly from the Droid Charge I had to get a couple of months ago when my OG Droid died on me 6 weeks before I was eligible for upgrade.

I've been seriously looking at Sprint or TMo's Value Plan, but due to some promotions I'll mention in a sec, Sprint gets the nod. Being able to get an SGS 2 for myself and the wife is just delicious icing on the cake. And I also don't want to end up an AT&T customer again, so that's another big strike on the TMo side.

In case you don't know, Sprint is running a port-in promotion this month, where you will get $125 in bill credits for each line you transfer in. Also, I checked on their website to see if I had a discount through my employer, and they sent me this offer instead: My Nextel - Custom Aisles Error

That's a $50 service credit per phone, and free shipping and activation through their web store. Since I'm porting 4 lines, that's $700 in bill credits AND free activation (worth another $144), so that makes it really easy to say bye-bye to big red.

The biggest factor for me with Verizon is the price. We currently pay about $220/month for 700 minutes, unlimited text, and 2 data plans, 4 lines total. Now the kids are ready for smart phones, and I just can't justify/afford tacking on another $60/month, especially when their data plans will be limited to 2GB.

And don't even get me started on what they charge for the phones. $700 retail for the Droid Charge? Give me a break. And when I saw that the Bionic was going for $300 with contract, I knew they had officially lost their minds. That phone was obsolete before it even hit the store shelves, and yet it's their "flagship" - at least for another 2 months until the Nexus Droid Prime comes out (which I'm sure will be so overpriced and loaded with bloatware it will be a joke).

With Sprint, for 50% more than the cost of 1 Bionic, I can get a pair of SGS 2's for myself and the wife, and a pair of Nexus S 4G's for the kids (that $29 web deal is insanely good for a phone that is really way more than a teenager needs). For about the same monthly price, we will get twice the minutes and data plans for everyone. And something I've always wanted to do - port our numbers to Google Voice so we can take full advantage of it - will now be possible with Sprint. Unless I'm missing something, combine all that with the credits mentioned above, which basically negate my ETF charges, and it really seems like a no-brainer in my situation.

Now, in the interest of fairness, I will say that Verizon's LTE network is top-notch. In my area, I routinely get 15-25 mbps down, putting it on par with my home broadband connection. However, since 90% of the time I'm either at home or in the office and using wifi, that's more of a luxury than a necessity, and I can't really justify the higher cost. However, if you are a road warrior who needs the fastest data rates on the go, it may well be worth the premium Verizon is charging for their service.