So I bit and ported out of my (off-contract) nearly 12yr+ VerizonWireless service a few days ago and went for this phone and Sprint's unlimitted data, ect... on a 3 line plan which included a base LGE Android Rezound for my girlfriend & was also talked into their "Home Connect" box since I already had long ago dropped my home line since Verizon's coverage was superb in my home and I don't make enough calls outside of the network to bother with a home phone.
Here I am, All modded up running [ROM] Sep-13 MeanROM ICS v4.2 | 2.13.651.1 | Mods | Batt saver and a happy camper with my EVO other than:
-I only get about 1 bar in my house if any and numerous dropped calls.
-My Phone is stuck on "Roaming" even in a top/solid GREEN area on the Verizon coverage map where I work.
-The "Home Connect" is being shipped to me and won't arrive until Monday (This isn't a problem in itself). I just expect to have the same ****ty service with it as my home phone since I'm told it still uses the Sprint towers. (Note: My home is on the frings of good/fair regarding my address and Sprint's Coverage map which has been ruthlessly pointed out to me by the Sprint support techs I've talked to as of late)... Thus their excuse as to maybe I should just switch to another provider. (Insert another sarcasm smiley ---> )
So my first discussion with a Sprint Agent via *2 yesterday sounded promising. Immediately she recgonized and sympathized with my problem at home and mentioned/recommended a "Free" AirAve box system to plug into my highspeed cable wifi in order to boost my signal. She also had me try a "Profile" update just for kicks which did absolutely nothing. This agent felt like I was a strong candidate for one of these boxes and advised that it would likely be approved free of charge in order to retain me as a new customer.
Today, A whole new story. I first get a call back from that former agent that was working on the approval for the AirAve. She felt again, after I reported having several dropped calls today, one while we were attempting to converse, that I would get one of these shipped out. I told her about my concerns of the 14-day trial I was in and wanted to assure I would get and know if this device would benefit me before that was up and I would have no recourse then on getting a refund and out of my 2yr contract. She assured me she was working on getting it approved with her supervisor as we spoke and was just about to read me a confirmation number of some sorts when (*BINGO*) my call dropped yet again.
So back I go on the phone dialing *2 and going through all the bs steps to connect with yet another agent (you never get the same one, nor do they have the ability to connect you to that other one even when you give them their name...) This agent takes a new turn with me after I go through my dilema. I am told absolutely no free AirAve until I am with Sprint for 90 days. I tell her I can't accept this as I'm not going to chance waiting out my 14day return window in hopes to months later find out if I can actually have phone conversations whilst at home. She puts me on hold to connect to her supervisor to discuss but (*BOING*), yet another dropped call.
I call back several more times and speak to several different agents while not as harsh as the last, inform me that their normal policy is 90 days to qualify for an AirAve assist device BUT that their supervisors can sometimes over-ride this depending on the conditions. So things are left at their records indicating that the original Agent from yesterday whom is in my corner in trying to get me the AirAve has submitted for supervisor approval, however, they won't be making that decision until a weekday (Monday) at the earliest.
-----------------------------
So here I am pondering what to do.
-Keep having faith and patience with this run-around in hopes that this AirAve will solve my problems even if I do qualify to get one.
-Start shopping other providers: AT&T or back to Verizon which I don't really want to do. :crying:
Anyone have opinions on this or a similar experience?
Sprint is great but do not put yourself in a service crunch. The 14 days are there for you to review this. I suggest trying, T-Mobile & *cringe* AT&T before crawling back to Verizon.
Whatever carrier, just make sure you have reliable coverage where you frequent.
The cost will be restocking fees, .vs getting locked in a 2 year agreement you're unhappy with.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Did you have LTE coverage with Verizon at your house?? I'd be tempted to go back even if their data plans are getting ridiculous. AT&T basically just announced an almost identical sharing plan as Verizon so I guess the lessor of the 2 evils will depend on 4g coverage. At least AT&T has the HTC One so you can get close to the same phone as the EVO LTE. It really does suck being on fringe coverage and you definitely don't want to get locked in to 2 years.
cruise350 said:
Did you have LTE coverage with Verizon at your house?? I'd be tempted to go back even if their data plans are getting ridiculous. AT&T basically just announced an almost identical sharing plan as Verizon so I guess the lessor of the 2 evils will depend on 4g coverage. At least AT&T has the HTC One so you can get close to the same phone as the EVO LTE. It really does suck being on fringe coverage and you definitely don't want to get locked in to 2 years.
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Yep, I believe Verizon did/does have the LTE coverage at my house if you mean the 4G. I had the Droid X so never benefited by that though. I'm really at a toss as to what to do. I never chewed through that much data even when on Verizon, it was just the fact of them screwing us former subscribers updating to the Non-Unlimited along with the "New every 2 perks" ending up being a $30 off but +$30 upgrade fee and **** like that had me burned. I even had my Ford motor company 20% discount with Verizon. Wonder if I could even get back to where I was with that if I went back. :crying: Sprint was going to be giving me a 23% discount.'
Had my eye on that damn Droid Razr Maxx to, damnit!!! Actually, the girlfriend doesn't really even need a smartphone, just something to text with and I could do without a home phone since with Verizon my coverage was good.
Oh, what to do..... I'm still erked about having to leave Spring behind. Especially the EVO :crying:
Sprint provided us with an Airave because after 7+ years, all of a sudden we were getting poor signal strength at our house. My EVO didn't seem to be affected but my wife's flip phone was dropping calls so often it was pointless to use. Really just wanted to let you know that the Airave does work well (at least in our case) always 4+ bars and no more dropped calls. Doesn't do anything for data transfer though.
Hope you can get yours free, we did but have been with Sprint for 10+ years.
Good Luck!
Welcome to sprint..I have spent countless hours of non pleasure dealing with them on the phone.
Tip #1. Get it in writing...they hardly ever follow thru... I record our conversations and tell them up front that I am..2 out of 3 agents hang up ( accidental disconnect) as soon as I tell them
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Sprint Airave
I was having horrible signal and dropped calls in my house for almost 18 months. I wasn't aware of the airave and was close to cancelling my contract. After finally taking on the issue (which was prolonged via work, kids, etc) I came across information on the airave. I called sprint and gave them the old sob story on service and how disappointed I was. The supervisor spoke with me about my issue and explained the airave further. 10 minutes later I had an airave shipped out to me for free and no service charge (4.99/m). It absolutely makes a difference. I went from having like 0-1 bars and dropping calls to 5-6 bars instantly. Call quality is great and data moves like it should (I got the 3g airave that does voice and data)...it's absolutely worth it. Keep on pressing them...you should be able to qualify and get the device with service for free..Good Luck
cheeb said:
I was having horrible signal and dropped calls in my house for almost 18 months. I wasn't aware of the airave and was close to cancelling my contract. After finally taking on the issue (which was prolonged via work, kids, etc) I came across information on the airave. I called sprint and gave them the old sob story on service and how disappointed I was. The supervisor spoke with me about my issue and explained the airave further. 10 minutes later I had an airave shipped out to me for free and no service charge (4.99/m). It absolutely makes a difference. I went from having like 0-1 bars and dropping calls to 5-6 bars instantly. Call quality is great and data moves like it should (I got the 3g airave that does voice and data)...it's absolutely worth it. Keep on pressing them...you should be able to qualify and get the device with service for free..Good Luck
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Thanks for your post. It gives me some hope, althought admittedly I'm currently on hold with the Verizon Winback Dept to check out my options in coming back to their service. The last thing I wanted to do but unfortunately Sprint CS has drivin me away and hard with last night's described communications as per the OP. I'll keep you all dated.
If your service is that bad and the Airave does not help out any(which if on fringe of signal it might b/c its able to pull more power to get signal as its not worried about battery life we are with cell phones...amongst other differences)....
If that doesn't help out and you can't get through the current time with it, then you might be best off switching to anyone else at least till Sprint makes it's NetworkVision upgrades in your area....After they are done you very well might see a signal increase as the upgrades will make some big changes to the markets overall...Sprint is set to have these completed by end of 2013, and you market isn't one of the early ones I dont think....thats why I suggest switch till then if the airave doesn't help...
sgt. slaughter said:
If your service is that bad and the Airave does not help out any(which if on fringe of signal it might b/c its able to pull more power to get signal as its not worried about battery life we are with cell phones...amongst other differences)....
If that doesn't help out and you can't get through the current time with it, then you might be best off switching to anyone else at least till Sprint makes it's NetworkVision upgrades in your area....After they are done you very well might see a signal increase as the upgrades will make some big changes to the markets overall...Sprint is set to have these completed by end of 2013, and you market isn't one of the early ones I dont think....thats why I suggest switch till then if the airave doesn't help...
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Click to collapse
Oh, I agree 100%. My real problem seems to be even having the chance at obtaining the Airave device at this point and I'm not willing to wait out the 90days I'm being told in order to acquire it on the whim it may or may not work if that is their stance I am prepared to go back to Verizon I guess the way it looks at this point. I will know by the end of tmrw on my decision and based on whether Sprint gets back in touch with me with a final answer and/or Verizon "Win Back" dept. gives me satisifaction and reason to come back. Their "limited" data pisses me off though. That is my biggest drawback, however, having non-limited data with Sprint as per how my service is now is useless. And no, I'm not looking or expecting to have the data necessarily at home as I have a strong Time Warner Cable Internet connection with Wi-Fi for that and also Comcast business for Wi-Fi at work, it's the situations like when streaming music whilst driving and/or out and about with no Wi-Fit/hotspots and wanting to watch Netflix, ect... where the "Un-limited" becomes viable to me.
This thing has totally consumed my time the past few days and my nerves are so shot. Why Sprint, Oh why..... Please treat the customer better and not give multiple conflicting answers between your agents that are misleading.
Just an update. I've called Verizon and had much better luck with their "Winback" department. Activation fees waived and all, even got my previous company discount re-enstated Phone on the way so a fair goodbye to Sprint, they had there chance and blew it. Never could cooperate between the reps in authorizing me an Airave device so I'm going with the coverage I know that works for me.
Farewell and thanks for the help! :angel:
word to the wise
lazer9 said:
Just an update. I've called Verizon and had much better luck with their "Winback" department. Activation fees waived and all, even got my previous company discount re-enstated Phone on the way so a fair goodbye to Sprint, they had there chance and blew it. Never could cooperate between the reps in authorizing me an Airave device so I'm going with the coverage I know that works for me.
Farewell and thanks for the help! :angel:
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Click to collapse
The Sprint 14 day return policy is really a 13 day, plus the remainder of the day you activated policy..
If you you activated on a tuesday you have a week from monday to return the phones.
redwings23 said:
The Sprint 14 day return policy is really a 13 day, plus the remainder of the day you activated policy..
If you you activated on a tuesday you have a week from monday to return the phones.
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Thanks, Signed on with Sprint on 9/12/12 (Last Wednesday). Verizon Phones due either tomorrow or Thursday so I should have plenty of time. I plan on wrapping this up this week.
Read down below :d
---------- Post added at 05:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:14 PM ----------
lazer9 said:
Anyone have opinions on this or a similar experience?
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Click to collapse
Just a heads up, if you decide not to stay with Sprint. And go with any other carrier. Not that you might have the same problem with other networks. And note that if you go with AT&T, they no longer carry Unlimited Data. From experience 4+ years...If you had Unlimited Data with AT&T and you use more then 3GB they will Slow down your Data Speed. I know this because I was a victim and got notitied by text messages.
That is one of the reason I canceled and came to Sprint.
I recently moved to a new home about two weeks now and noticed that when I had At&t. I could not get a signal for shut while I was indoors with the iPhone 4 I had. Now being a proud owner of a EVO I can use the phone indoors but to tell you the truth I am having issues with Internet. If I go upstairs or chilling in the living downstairs I can get decent Network speed to surf the web. At least its better then the no Data with the iPhone. Its weird cause my girl has the iPhone 4S with At&t. (she stayed with them cause she just upgraded to the iPhone 4S) She can not use the phone downstairs but can rock it upstairs with no problem. Internet and all..Well as we tested only in our room. Don't know about the other rooms. But yea she still needs to go out side to use her phone when making calls or surfing facebook when down stairs. So my point is, either check your other resource before pushing out on Sprint. Btw, at work I wasn't able to use my iPhone with ATT due to service. But now I can go all the way with this Sprint EVO at work. That's how I'm writing to you. Lol... Well even though I'm having Internet problems at my Casa, Im not that concern cause I will be getting WiFi soon from Comcast. Also check this link out:
http://now.sprint.com/airave/?INTCID=TSC:MyS:ICP:IHCC:062512
You can check your self if your location qualify. Click on CHECK COVERAGE AREA. Then call them here
1-855-752-2066
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
dreammaker23 said:
Just a heads up, if you decide not to stay with Sprint. And go with any other carrier. Not that you might have the same problem with other networks. And note that if you go with AT&T, they no longer carry Unlimited Data. From experience 4+ years...If you had Unlimited Data with AT&T and you use more then 3GB they will Slow down your Data Speed. I know this because I was a victim and got notitied by text messages.
That is one of the reason I canceled and came to Sprint.
I recently moved to a new home about two weeks now and noticed that when I had At&t. I could not get a signal for shut while I was indoors with the iPhone 4 I had. Now being a proud owner of a EVO I can use the phone indoors but to tell you the truth I am having issues with Internet. If I go upstairs or chilling in the living downstairs I can get decent Network speed to surf the web. At least its better then the no Data with the iPhone. Its weird cause my girl has the iPhone 4S with At&t. (she stayed with them cause she just upgraded to the iPhone 4S) She can not use the phone downstairs but can rock it upstairs with no problem. Internet and all..Well as we tested only in our room. Don't know about the other rooms. But yea she still needs to go out side to use her phone when making calls or surfing facebook when down stairs. So my point is, either check your other resource before pushing out on Sprint. Btw, at work I wasn't able to use my iPhone with ATT due to service. But now I can go all the way with this Sprint EVO at work. That's how I'm writing to you. Lol... Well even though I'm having Internet problems at my Casa, Im not that concern cause I will be getting WiFi soon from Comcast. Also check this link out:
http://now.sprint.com/airave/?INTCID=TSC:MyS:ICP:IHCC:062512
You can check your self if your location qualify. Click on CHECK COVERAGE AREA. Then call them here
1-855-752-2066
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply and concerns along with the suggestions and help. Much more than SPRINT CS offered me other than the one lady whom disappeared into the wind...
I already have re-committed to Verizon. And I'm rather stoked and happy as they have waived the activation fees on the two lines and also upon me receiving an email from their winback dept after the fact, have granted me another $50 discount to be applied on my first bill for the purchase of my DROID RAZR MAXX of $199 so -$50 net cost will be $149 and my girlfriends phone will net out free after the $50 rebate.
I know I get great coverage with Verizon and will now even benefit from their LTE/4G expansion in my areas which SPRINT doesn't yet offer not is on their road map.
The Verizon winback rep even went over my previous account over the years and the max data usage I ever had (1-line though was just on a data plan then) was 2GB and my base plan includes Unlimited calling to anyone landline or cell / Unlimited Text to anyone / and 4GB Data which I can always upgrade/downgrade to an extra 2GB per month for $15
All in all I'm getting what I would have got with SPRINT regarding the price end of things. Aprox $160 a month plus the benefits I've stated above.
Again, SPRINT could have kept me IF they would have been more understanding and open with getting me an AIRAVE device and better explaining what roaming really meant on my plan. The store kiosk manager claimed I would incur absolutely no roaming charges ever no matter what and the last CS rep I spoke with at SPRINT claimed I would incur a .41 cent per minute charge beyond 800 min. per month roaming.
I'm roaming at work and roaming with very little signal at home. On their coverage map ironically, my work area shows in one of their Excellent/Good areas whilst my home shows Good/Fair.
Nothing makes sense with them. I have no idea why all this went south so quick but glad it did as it gave me the opportunity to return to a known reliable provider with good coverage and some extra perks/incentives for coming back. :highfive:
lazer9 said:
Thanks for the reply and concerns along with the suggestions and help. Much more than SPRINT CS offered me other than the one lady whom disappeared into the wind...
Nothing makes sense with them. I have no idea why all this went south so quick but glad it did as it gave me the opportunity to return to a known reliable provider with good coverage and some extra perks/incentives for coming back. :highfive:
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Click to collapse
Aight bud..Good it worked out for you!
Enjoy your New toy... Peace!
BTW: Enjoy this video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L7flsHhQxY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Hodge Twins are Hella Funny!
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
dreammaker23 said:
Aight bud..Good it worked out for you!
Enjoy your New toy... Peace!
BTW: Enjoy this video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L7flsHhQxY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Hodge Twins are Hella Funny!
TAKE THE BLUE PiLL THE STORY ENDS, YOU WAKE UP IN YOUR BED AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BORING LiFE. TAKE RED PiLL, YOU STAY IN WONDERLAND & I SHOW YOU HOW DEEP THE RABBiT HOLE GOES.
SENT FROM EVO - THE MATRIX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol That video was nutz. I couldn't even watch the end. :laugh:
Related
ok, so I picked up the VZW Touch Pro tonight. Everything is great except for the sucky feeling I got jipped on memory compared to the Sprint.
Those of you who bought the Sprint model and have Verizon service, did Verizon still honor any warranty or insurance service on it? My big fear is I pay cash to Sprint for the phone, flash it to work on Verizon, and then I drop it, etc.
While I don't think the memory limit is going to hurt me much today, with 6.5 coming out I suspect it might.
What to do, what to do...
I bought my TP from ebay, it worked great for a month then the charge port broke. I bought spare batteries and chargers and used it for a while because nobody (verizon or sprint) would warranty the phone. Then, a bad flash reset the phone to having a msl of NOT 000000 anddwiping the MIN and MDN back to 0's.
I bought a squaretrade warranty at the time from ebay, so the device is off getting fixed and I am using my titan again for the time being. I f they fix the phone (warranty was a little under $50) then it is the same price as insurance and I will be happy. I can only report my opinions after I receive a working device back though
Moral of this story: If you do not have the original receipt, HTC will not warranty it. Verizons insurance wont cover a sprint phone, most you would get back is a verizon Pro. Sprint won't touch it unless you have a line of service with them.
Hope this squaretrade deal works out...
Kdj,
I'd be really curious how this works out for you, as I have 29 days to decide if I want to go that route.
My Titan ear piece speaker died and VZW swapped it out no problem. I would hate to have something similar with the TP, and not be able to get it fixed.
Good luck!
Yeah, I will definitely chime in on this thread when I get it back. Should be within a week if they work as fast as they claim!
So far, I filed a claim online with them, they emailed me a prepaid UPS returns label and I printed it and stuck it on a box and it is enroute as we speak. If they are able to replace or repair it and have it back in a reasonable fashion I will be pleased.
I also would be very interested in seeing your results. I have a Verizon Touch Pro I got about 2 weeks ago and am loving it so far but also cant help but feel like I got jipped with the -96mb.......... but there is a certain ammount of security in buying from Verizon , you get great support and service for your Verizon device that you wont be getting for the Sprint one from either provider.
Anyways I am waiting to hear your results. Thanks!
Verizon only provides my data and voice access, XDA and PPCgeeks provide the rest!
As an update Squaretrade has received my pro, so I am really getting anxious as to how this proceeds from here. I have been doing research about squaretrade, and most things I hear are good. But I have yet to read anything but random posts or articles saying they are good. Does anybody know personally or can give testimony to the quality of worksmanship they can provide?
Would any body like to see a thread specifically devoted to Squaretrade warranties and feedback from actual users? If this pans out, a one year warranty from them is cheaper than most providers Asurion policies. Maybe I will start a thread in the general section...
Easy answer!
Guys listen up. I was with Verizon for several years and I must say their network and coverage is great. BUT Verizon's pricing is way up there and I was paying a lot every month for 2 Blackberries with data plans and 3000 minutes. $300+ per month got old after about a year of those outrageous bills kept coming each month. So I started shopping all the carriers service plans and NO carrier can compete with Sprint's pricing and plan packages or offer as much as Sprint does for the money. And these days money is an important thing to be using sparingly and we all need to watch our spending. So I jumped ship from Verizon and hopped on Sprint's "Simply Everything" plan and my bill for 2 pda's with unlimited everything Sprint has to offer is only half of what I was paying over at Verizon. And I was only getting 3000 minutes and data with nothing else. I had to pay extra for the text messaging plan. You get the idea...
So now that I got all that out of the way lets get to the question at hand. Which Touch Pro should a person go with??? Ofcourse I went with the Sprint version. (the Verizon version is too square and the sharp corners make it ugly to me as well as less memory and crippled ofcourse as always with Verizon devices). There are a few factors you need to concider when making your decision to stay with the Verizon version or to go with the Sprint version.
1. Network? First things first...decide which network works best for you where you will be using your service most of the time. If the network's coverage in your area blows then don't go with that carrier no matter which device they have that you want.
2. Pricing? If this is of any concern to you then there is an obvious winner in this dept. It's Sprint hands down! You get literally everything for one low flat rate so no suprize phone bills.
3. Devices offered by the two carriers Sprint and Verizon. Both carriers have nice offerings BUT Verizon is famous for crippling their phones while Sprint does not. (another big reason I left Verizon... locked gps on my verizon Blackberry and others and forcing customers to pay extra for a factory equipped gps chip had me furious to say the least! Sprint devices have gps that is as free as a bird to use with any 3rd party app of your choosing).
4. Customer Service??? Honestly Verizon and Sprint both have good customer service so that's not such a concern here.
5. Device warranty? Both carriers are equal in that dept. too. Very good for both.
OK... knowing what I know now, if I were you guys I would return the Verizon Touch Pro asap if you are still within your 30 day "no worry guarantee" period and go over to Sprint and pick up their Touch Pro which is better in every way. Appearance is nicer looking, more memory, gps isn't locked, etc. And ofcourse you are going to save a lot of money AND get a lot more at the same time. That's a win win if you ask me!
Since I've been with Sprint, apx. 6 months) I have had very good network coverage, call quality, etc. It is at least as good as Verizon if not better. Oh there is one thing that is definetely better with Sprint... it's data speeds are far faster than Verizon. This I do know for a fact because I used data with Verizon on several pda devices the past 3 years or so. Sprint's data speeds are faster. If you are stuck in a Verizon contract then your stuck unless you are willing to pay early termination fees. If you're currently with Sprint then you are in the right place. As for using a Sprint branded Touch Pro on Verizon's network, I didn't know Verizon started allowing non Verizon branded devices on it's network. But if they do then that's all good but you will not be doing the Sprint Touch Pro any justice since Verizon doesn't offer what Sprint does. And it would be simply dumb to activate a Verizon branded Touch Pro on Sprint's network, if that's even possible. I tried to activate my Verizon BlackBerry Curve on my Sprint account and that was a huge big fat negative. The device esn's are in each carrier's data bases and if it's from a different carrier then they will not activate it period. That goes for both Sprint and Verizon. I know Sprint will not do it. Verizon on the other hand unless they just recently started allowing non Verizon branded devices on their network, they will not do it either. The bottom line in my post is to go with the better device (Sprint's Touch Pro) on a very good network with awesome plan pricing as well as all the bells and whistles that you can't get with Verizon. Did I mention Sprint is a lot cheaper??? HELL YES I DID!!!
It's a no brainer guys. times are getting rough so you better start thinking about saving $$$ anywhere you can! And we all no that we will pay our cell phone bills no matter what and not pay something else if it comes down to it. Sorry for the long post and I hope this helps some people put some thought into the subject.
That is the classic Sprint convert post
Thanks for your opinion, but sprint and verizons data networks are prety much the same. In the northwest for the most part in far out places that I travel, sprint users have to roam ont verizon network to make calls and data roaming is a whole other animal. I agree that sprint has better pricing and their coverage is getting better. Sprint does not have any roaming agreements with ACS to my knowledge, which serves alaska especially on the kenai peninsula where I travel often. I am not sure if there are many if any GSM coverage up there, as no one in alaska outside of anchorage that I have ran into uses ATT or tmobile. These are my observations and I could be wrong, but when I take my verizon phones to alaska, they play nice with ACS and even recently have allowed EVDO data roaming for me which is nice. I even roam with telus and bell out of canada for reasonable rates. Lets not start another Ford/Chevy/Dodge/Verizon/Sprint/ATT debate
Kinda back on topic, I started a thread in the general section regarding getting opinions on Squaretrade if anyone is looking for options on insuring their Sprint/Alltel/whatever device on a foreign network:
HERE And I hope we can get some feedback.
kdj67f said:
That is the classic Sprint convert post
Thanks for your opinion, but sprint and verizons data networks are prety much the same. In the northwest for the most part in far out places that I travel, sprint users have to roam ont verizon network to make calls and data roaming is a whole other animal. I agree that sprint has better pricing and their coverage is getting better. Sprint does not have any roaming agreements with ACS to my knowledge, which serves alaska especially on the kenai peninsula where I travel often. I am not sure if there are many if any GSM coverage up there, as no one in alaska outside of anchorage that I have ran into uses ATT or tmobile. These are my observations and I could be wrong, but when I take my verizon phones to alaska, they play nice with ACS and even recently have allowed EVDO data roaming for me which is nice. I even roam with telus and bell out of canada for reasonable rates. Lets not start another Ford/Chevy/Dodge/Verizon/Sprint/ATT debate
Kinda back on topic, I started a thread in the general section regarding getting opinions on Squaretrade if anyone is looking for options on insuring their Sprint/Alltel/whatever device on a foreign network:
HERE And I hope we can get some feedback.
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Click to collapse
It's true Verizon has great coverage and roaming agreements. In your case living way out where you live/work you probably don't have too many choices and gsm networks just suck so that's totally out of the question, especially for you. As for most people, we live in metro areas that have good coverage where we commute on a daily basis. As for my post being a "classic" Sprint convert... sorry I wasted your time but it's my personal take and nothing that needs to be titled as classic or however you see it way out in the boonies where you live.
Back to the post topic... Does Verizon even allow non Verizon devices to be activated on their network? The Sprint devices esn's will not be in Verizon's database so even if you flash the Sprint Touch Pro with Verizon firmware that's still not going to change the esn or rebrand the device. Someone enlighten me if this carrier policy has been lifted...
There is a large thread on ppcgeeks devoted to getting Sprints touch pro on verizon network. I have one that was fully functional (minus the charge port issues stated) and the process has worked for various other HTC models including the diamond and mogul too. If you can load a verizon PRL on a device and change the MSL to 000000, it can be on verizons network. Verizon customers can call *228 and choose option 3, which programs whatever phone your calling from to your account and number.
And calm down, I was teasing you about being a sprint convert!
So technically, we know we CAN use a Sprint phone on the Verizon network. It's just the "What if it dies" factor is still there. It's not an inexpensive device, so the thought of carrying it around all day, potentially losing it, is pretty deterring.
Let's hope your warranty works out
I agree with tx_dbs_tx. He gave pros and cons for both sides. I personally agree with him choosing Sprint's version over Verizon's for the performance, memory, and looks of the device. The Sprint Pro is slick and sturdy, there data speeds ARE faster than Verizon's and I have seen the numbers to prove it. Sprint's data is the #1 reason I have service with them, #2 reason is the great prices, #3 the insurance and service and repair is nice and have always had good luck with that. If you REALLY want to do it, and have found the correct way to use the device on that network then go for it, but you won't be disappointed with Sprint.
Thank you all for your opinions, but the original topic was about insuring the device, not which service is better.
As a little update, they sent me an email today saying my device had been repaired and it has already left via UPS second day air. Got an email with tracking number from UPS too. I think they may exchange it for a refurb unit for how fast it took them, but I am not too concerned with that. Post back with final results in a few days.
So far, I am pleased with my experience regarding Squaretrade.
For anyone interested, Squaretrade fixed my charge port and shipped my Touch pro back the same day they received it. I got the actual same device back and the port works and I have been able to reprogram it and get it working again. For $47.99 and no deductible for part failure I would definitely say it was worth it to buy their warranty.
They even replaced the little friction slide in my stylus hole that I accidently ripped out trying to take it apart They stand behind their claims and are inexpensive, so I would recommend them to anyone buying phones off of ebay.
I bought a sprint TP on ebay after trying the phone @ both Sprint and Verizon. The verizon phone had a lag by comparison. Memory is the key here. Interestingly enough the Verizon party line is that they lowered the memory to keep the cost down. HMMM... They still charge more than Sprint for the phone.
Moving the phone off Sprint to Verizon was not for the faint of heart, but not all that difficult if you are willing to invest the time. The one thing you will have to put up with (at least I have not figured it out) is that the phone will show that you are roaming at all times.
Oh, and the Sprint phone looks better...
IMHO
You can definately move devices between networks.
You need QPST 2.7.3+, DUMA KEYS, YOUR MSID, bITPIM, MODEM DRIVER, and some guts.
You can find good instructions and tools @ PPC GEEKS.
Search "Sprint Touch Pro on VZW Network Tutorial "
MM
mike2037 said:
I bought a sprint TP on ebay after trying the phone @ both Sprint and Verizon. The verizon phone had a lag by comparison. Memory is the key here. Interestingly enough the Verizon party line is that they lowered the memory to keep the cost down. HMMM... They still charge more than Sprint for the phone.
Moving the phone off Sprint to Verizon was not for the faint of heart, but not all that difficult if you are willing to invest the time. The one thing you will have to put up with (at least I have not figured it out) is that the phone will show that you are roaming at all times.
Oh, and the Sprint phone looks better...
IMHO
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There are some patched PRLs over at ppcgeeks that gets rid of the roaming triangle, and you can use QPST to change your carrier banner. I never was able to update my ERI.
Thanks. I actually found those after leaving my post. The ERI did not work for me either.
Hey guys, long time xda/android user here, and I am currently still on my folks family plan with at&t with a captivate (rooted/rom of course). I was thinking of branching off and going with a carrier that still offers unlimited data, or bumping up to 2 gigs with att ($25). I want to watch movies, play pandora, all that, without having to get on wifi, and without worry of going over my limit. What do you guys think? Are you able to watch netflix on 3g without a lot of buffering with sprint? How are your own 4g/3g speeds? How do you like sprint in general? I am in texas and will be around midland, dallas, and houston. I ask in this forum because I am interested in the photon, and the data heavy people are definitely in here.
clocke said:
Hey guys, long time xda/android user here, and I am currently still on my folks family plan with at&t with a captivate (rooted/rom of course). I was thinking of branching off and going with a carrier that still offers unlimited data, or bumping up to 2 gigs with att ($25). I want to watch movies, play pandora, all that, without having to get on wifi, and without worry of going over my limit. What do you guys think? Are you able to watch netflix on 3g without a lot of buffering with sprint? How are your own 4g/3g speeds? How do you like sprint in general? I am in texas and will be around midland, dallas, and houston. I ask in this forum because I am interested in the photon, and the data heavy people are definitely in here.
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Click to collapse
As long as you are in a good sprint service area you shouldn't have any issues. I would try sprint out by starting up a new contract and if you like it then port your number over from att.
Sent from my MB855 using Tapatalk
And does anyone know if I signed up for a contract, if I didn't like the service, could I terminate without a fee within a certain date?
I don't know about Texas, but I'm up in northeast Wisconsin, in a small town, and while there's no 4G until you hit Chicago, the 3G is surprisingly strong up here, as long as you don't get too rural.
As for the canceling with no fee, you have 30 days on Sprint. See www DAWT sprint DAWT com/landings/returns/
About the Photon, since you mentioned that you are rooted with your Captivate, I'd assume you'll be doing the same thing with the Photon. Rooting is easy enough, but unlocking the bootloader took me the better part of yesterday, and I've been doing this stuff (flashing ROMs and such) since the day I got my original Evo 4G, sometime in August of 2010.
Although the unlock proved difficult and time consuming, a good chunk of that time was waiting for all the requisite files to download over the Photon's 3G connection.
Other random thoughts: I really like the Photon, this thing absolutely flies. This implementation of MotoBlur isn't too bad, either, although I prefer AOSP-based Android any day of the week. (Here's hoping for CyanogenMod one day soon.) Oh, and the 3G radio in this thing is way better than the one in my old Evo 4G. I get much better data speeds, to the point where it's noticeable in everyday use.
I hope this helps, and welcome to Sprint! Unlimited data is awesome.
To me, the best part of Sprint is the Google Voice integration. Which, by the way, not only means advanced voicemail, but also dirt cheap international calls and really convenient texts. With Google Voice enabled, I can send a text with my number from virtually everywhere: web, Google Chrome widget (sooo useful), iPad, oh you name it, and then have history of the texts stored neatly on the web.
If you're worrying about coverage, know that the $69/mo (+ $10/mo) plan covers 450 roaming minutes with Verizon. Pretty much covers all sorts of emergency "NOOO SIGNALLL OMGGGG" situations.
wow, thanks guys for the replies. I think I will try Att's 2 gig plan for a month, then consider switching if I get close to the cap. Yeah, I'm hoping that unlocking the bootloader and such will become easier once more people jump on board to the dev scene, and people have more time to play with it. I watched a couple of video reviews that talked about the radio and consistently getting more bars than the evo in many areas, and the headset is pretty loud, both of which are more important to me than 3d. Didn't know about the roaming minutes, that is great information as well.
If anyone has anything else to share, please do, I'll keep you guys posted with what I do in the future, thanks!
Im in fort worth and switched from T-Mobile I am enjoying the unlimited data and yes I stream netflix on 3g at work all the time and it's a crappy area so sprint has surprised me big time.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
Peetahzee said:
If you're worrying about coverage, know that the $69/mo (+ $10/mo) plan covers 450 roaming minutes with Verizon.
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Where is this number of minutes specified in the TOS ?
technically, as long as you stay under 50% of your total voice minutes while roaming, they wont complain much... And if you bounce off that barrier, they will usually call u first and tell u to knock it off..
My wife and I purposely used over 10gigs of roaming data each 2 months I a row and didn't even get talked to
YMMV
Sent phrom my Mo-Pho
daddymikey1975 said:
Where is this number of minutes specified in the TOS ?
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I never studied the ToS or anything, but the rep told me that they come from your Anytime Minutes.
Peetahzee said:
I never studied the ToS or anything, but the rep told me that they come from your Anytime Minutes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is no finite number of minutes allocated to roaming before their panties get bunched up. The way the ToS reads (paraphrased) it's 'the majority of' or greater than 50% I believe..
if you use 3k minutes and 1k are roaming minutes, they aren't going to care.
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
Not we. I use more messages, more data and pay half that. Verizon wouldn't be an option even if I wanted to.
I don't really think Sprint needed to market the ET4g, everyone and their mother knew that phone was coming to Sprint.
Sent from my Photon.
And why the hell is this thread in the PHOTON forum? Smfh...where is a mod when you need one......
Sent from my MoPho using XDA Premium.
Wrong forum dude, and i'm perfectly happy with my service. Who cares if they give iPhone pre-orders? Its not like its a big surprise. you're just bitter.
I'm team Android all the way, but let's be honest...Apple users aren't nearly as discerning as we are, because they dont have a choice. Therefore if you want one of their phones there is but one launch day, hence a partial explanation for the need of a pre-order.
Sent from my MB855 using xda premium
even still not having preorders on one of sprints flagship phones (wether they know it is or not) is still poor choice. i mean hell i preordered my ns4g and that was a year too little too late
Thank you for sharing OP.... Now beat it.
Man for a second I thought I was in the wrong forum! Lol!
R2DeeTard said:
Wrong forum dude, and i'm perfectly happy with my service. Who cares if they give iPhone pre-orders? Its not like its a big surprise. you're just bitter.
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bitter....what would I be bitter about poor service through out the NY metro area, and getting no help but run around. Missing important calls and finding out about it hours and days later. This has to change and I am not the only one having connection issues around the states.
I have touted Sprint for 15 years buddy, so get a grip. But, now they seem to be reverting back to the early 2000 era when they fell off the 60 stock high....rofl.
I know I should be ecstatic for my paltry cash that I got **** service with no real explanation for the last 4 months. If it doesn't change by the time a the Prime launches on Verizon I ll be gone. This is not being bitter it's called paying for service, and expecting to get it every day in the areas that I normally have service rather than when they decide to fix it and then lie about it. A few of the major tech sites has made this same issue of service alert in their blogs, and to Sprint about this issue. Sprint has told them in mid September they are working on it , and yet tell me there is no know issue. When I tell them its all over the Sprint forums, and and tech sites they then say oh yeah we are working on it and don't know when this issue will be fixed. Not to mention that because they recognize there is a issue they even opted to let me out of my contract. Let me tell you if the Prime was on Verizon I'd be gone.
Please Big Red bring out the Prime so the Photon owners can have our forum back.
Is it me or has the Sprint Network has been a dogg for about 1.5 weeks? I put my phone back to stock @ 3 weeks ago and the phone was flying like a bat outta hell!! Now, it takes 10 - 15 seconds to open a webpage. Facebook takes just as long, the app opens, but then it just sits for 10 - 15 before content shows up. E-mail comes up, but its 10 - 15 seconds spinning to get updates. Sprintfeed, the same!!
Strangely, like I said, when I put it back to stock I was happy as heck, so it not the phone or my area. And "Auto-Update" is off for all my apps? I rebooted several times, still the same!
I feel the same way...
ZeroManArmy said:
I feel the same way...
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Well, it seems a he** of a lot better today and guess what? Again I did nothing to it!!!
Sprint has just been crappy in general for me for months. I sold my Evo and bought a Photon primarily because so many of you here (and on other forums) raved about the radios -- and you were right, the call and data reception is unbelievably and significantly better -- but still pitiful compared to my gf's RAZR on Verizon. I've been assured by Sprint executive customer service that the upgrades to towers in my area will make a dramatic difference to 3g come May (and they've agreed to cut my monthly bill in half until then), so I'm hanging on in the hopes that is true (and LTE comes to my area).
In the meantime, thank [insert deity of choice here] for the Photon, it seems to be the only device that makes Sprint reception bearable.
To be honest, I really have had no network related issues with Evo or Phonton on Sprint until I started f**king with them (Unlock and Root!) Once I put them back, all was well BUT............
As I stated in OP, for a 1.5 weeks, the network has been pure **** and my times are not exgerated! Today, things are back to normal! What I don't get, wih the purchase of Nextel, the Government is giving them like $20+Billion to get Nextel off their network, so that have the money to go LTE over the entire country in 2 weeks if they want (Well, they had to kick LightSquare to the curb first, but still......)
Service is great here, surprisingly. I'm in a rural former-IPCS area and I can honestly say Sprint is on top of things. I can say that I'm happy with the service right now but am looking forward to great things, hopefully by this time next year.
A few years ago data service suddenly stabilized and speeds went up. Within the last year Sprint's status page indicated a few voice upgrades and a single data upgrade. I found out just recently that this string of towers is scheduled for Q3 LTE upgrades and I tend to believe it after seeing a lot more activity there than has been typical in the past. Some of the work trucks even have Sprint logos.
*This post is relevant only to the tower(s) near me and may not indicate service quality for other locations.*
High-population areas still have capacity issues but from my limited travels seem to be slowly getting better.
Kevets said:
High-population areas still have capacity issues but from my limited travels seem to be slowly getting better.
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Evo and Photon worked great in NYC?
Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
I just loaded up the yahoo desktop Site on my LTE in about 18 seconds and I have 1 bar and very bad 3G reception in my house.
Radios seem to be just fine on the Evo and from the GSIII. Sure Samsung had issues in the past but I think they have gotten them all squared away. Sprints network is just down right awful but as you said they are working to improve a large coverage area over the next 18 months.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Wow the was a beating to read but imo the radio is pretty good and I'm sure its getter than the gs3 also overall build quality is getter than the gs3 but if I were you I'd get a gs3 to play with for a little bit and compare side to side. I'm die hard HTC so there was no question for me
Sent from my htc_jewel using Tapatalk 2
Speeds will differ from city to city. I get 25kbps in my city where the towers are clogged and undergoing maintenance. I was on a road trip this weekend and got 2mbps a few hours from my hometown.
WiFi is your friend
Sent from my htc_jewel using Tapatalk 2
I tend to agree. I'd get the GSIII too if I were them. I just have a thing for Evo's and HTC.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Also, if you have high speed internet at home you can get an adaptor for your house to allow a mini like sprint tower for your house. My buddy did it and its only a few dollars a month for taxes. Something to consider if poor signal around the house.
Sent from my ClassicJewel
I just picked up the EVO for me and the wife. The radios are fine. You really can't go wrong either way, with the SG3 or the EVO. I had an SG1 before this. I would say you have to try it out at your house. If sprint doesn't fit the bill then you just stuck with Verizon.
There are some other differences between the SG3 and the EVO, I found that the Evo had the things that I really wanted like camera button. I really did think that I would have the SG3 about 2 months ago, just saying really look at them closely if that is the way you go.
I, too, am an HTC fan. Love Sense and I don't care for Touchwiz. I'm sure either phone would suit your needs. I would think Sprint would trade out your phone if there was a defect issue. I got mine through Best Buy but have bought from Sprint before and had issues with my 3D after I had it for about 6months and they traded it out for me. Also, just wanted to mention, in case you didn't already know, that any phone call made to any mobile number with Sprint does not come off your minutes. I barely touch my minutes because most of my calls are made mobile to mobile. And the nights and weekends start at 7pm instead of 9pm. You may not need the unlimited calling plan if you don't do a lot of land line calling.
Sent from my EVO LTE using xda premium
Let us know what you decide. I don't know what sprints return policy is. Think you should just go to Best Buy & see what there return policy is.
As far as price, sprint really is great. The network can vary greatly from horrible to average on 3g depending on if your tower has gotten the network Vision upgrade. (there are places online that you can check if it's gotten the upgrade, but I don't know the link)
As someone mentioned, you can get the airwave femtocell to improve service in your home and sometimes you can get that for free.
I too am a fan of Sprints green policies. And I love the screen on the this (evo) compared to gs3. But they are both great phones.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app
I love the sprint pricing/plan practice, but the network is terrible. It's usually been pretty good but lately it has been garbage, I'm hoping it's due to the upgrades and tower converting..
I wouldn't recommend Sprint at this time with someone who has health issues, but you can try them and see. I think they have a decent return policy
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
in my area the NV upgrades are causing lots of dropped calls for me and my wife... the 3g speeds have always been abysmal with sprint... the unlimited data sounds great, but do you really need more than the 2gb caps that most other companys have in place? I don't think I've ever used more than 1gb of data in a month.
If I were you, I'd wait a bit before switching to sprint, make sure NV actually does what is promised, before you commit to them for 24 months
varaonaid said:
I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes).
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Keep in mind that Sprint does free mobile to mobile. My family plan has only 700 minutes, and we usually end up with 500 minutes unused every month. That's free *any* mobile to any mobile. If you get a call from a verizon user, for example, you're still not using your minutes. Lots of minutes is nice, just make sure you don't end up paying more for a plan you don't really need
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sprint has very similar coverage to Verizon, since they rent towers from each other. The difference is that Verizon uses different frequency signal, which penetrates some hard objects (like walls) better than Sprint. So yes, your reception indoors is likely to be worse with any Sprint phone.
Sprint can give you a minitower for your house though (they call them Airave). If you tell them you don't have reception in your house, they will give it to you for free. It plugs into your network router and gives you about 100' radius of very good reception.
As far as Galaxy vs Evo, I can't really say, since I don't have a Galaxy. Evo's reception seems to me to be very good, compared to my old Moment, Transform, and Epic. Similar to slightly better than my wife's iPhone4.
I'll let you know. Mostly I want to know that Sprint will stand behind either phone if the radios aren't up to par without the restocking fees and a second activation fee... I can't afford $210 of activation, restocking and another reactivation fee for phones that are defective. I'm not talking about just changing my mind and wanting a different phone but needing to trust that one way or another I'll get two phones with no radio issues.
It's not as simple as just staying with VZW, my husband's phone was stolen during one of my medical emergencies... He's currently using an old phone but it's not working very well. So, we either pony up for a new phone (even if it's via Craigslist) or we get a new provider (who hopefully gives a care bc Vzw certainly didn't!), both get new phones and sell our current ones to cover most of the upfront cost of the new phones. We could wait until Network Vision is completed or moreso but will they still be able to offer unlimited data plan at that point. Since we feel that we want to switch, now feels like a good time to do so. Does that make sense?
No we're not out of contract with Verizon but have people lined up to do an AOL (assumption of liability or contract takeover) so we'd be out of it with no fees. However, we won't complete the AOL until we're sure that Sprint will work for us now.
Does anyone know if the everything data plus (we'd be looking at the 1600min family plan) has free activation? I'd have to order online and it would be via employee referral? Also, do you get any numbers you can pick that are unlimited to those numbers? Verizon had friends and family where you got to pick a handful of numbers that you call the most that don't count against our minutes. My only concern is my in laws as they have a VERY limited cell plan and use their land line almost exclusively. If we could add that one number that would help a ton. I'd read somewhere online that Sprint had something similar but now, of course, can't find it again.
I appreciate all of your help and advice so very much. I hope this explains more why we're considering the switch and why we need good phone reception... At least as good as is currently possible on their network.
BTW, when we informed Vzw about the phone theft we were tracking the phone on Google latitude and the refused to help or advise us as to what to do in any way. Super disappointed with their lack of help. If the customer service had been better, we might have gotten our phone back. I've heard good things about Sprint's customer service.
Any other thoughts or suggestions or advice... Please share! And many thanks to all of you who have shared!
I'll add my 2 cents. I have bought phones from Sprint local stores, employee referral that you mentioned (I have the 1600 employee referral plan). I have had similar service from all places. And yes, Sprint does have an add-on for call any number for free. It is called pick 3. After you sign up for service, call customer service, and tell them you came from Verizon which had that feature and you really miss it. Ask them about pick 3 and they should be able to give it to you for free. 3 numbers that don't use your anytime minutes. Can be different numbers for each line.
Sent from my Meanie ICS LTEvo