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7 things Sprint is doing right

Some of the things Sprint now offers which, in my oppinion, sets the company apart from other cariers:
1. $125 credit for any new number ported to sprint. If you’re on a contract this will help you with that termination fee. I’ve gotten $150 for one of my friends who switched.
2. Truly unlimited data. Few months ago sprint removed their 5GB throttle and is now advertising it while others are limiting their users. This may not be true with their data devices but it’s true with all phones.
3. Free port of your sprint phone number to Google Voice. It used to cost $20 and you had to be off contract to avoid termination fees to be able to port it to Google Voice. Sprint is the first telecom company to partner with Google and offer this.
4. 30 return/cancel contract no questions asked. Again, Sprint was the first one to offer this. If you don’t like the service, they’ll take you off contract after you return the phone with no questions asked.
5. Switch plans without signing up for new contracts. Once again, another dumb rule got thrown out the window and now you can switch plans all you want.
6. Recent change in policy will now require all Sprint service stores to service rooted phones.
7. Recent change in policy will now allow you to remove some or all Sprint pre-installed apps.
And no, I’m not working for sprint.

True 4G? No, I don't think so.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App

But they do charge an extra 10 dollars for 4g,and if T-Mobile does get gobbled up by att, who's to say if Verizon doesn't turn around and do the same to sprint...
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Great post, will definitely help inform people about sprint. Few things though. As far as unlimited data, the 5 gb cap still exists on 3g data, only 4g is uncapped. Also, nobody in USA has true 4g, not even Verizon's amazing LTE is true 4g. Wimax only pulls 10 Megs on average, thats about it. I think true 4g is like 4-6 x's that, or something. Either way, Sprint is not true 4g. You should also tell people the downside of sprint 4g, i.e., it really only works in cars/outside/or buildings with lots of windows. The bandwidth for Wimax doesnt penetrate at all.

I'm in Pittsburgh, so coverage isn't an issue with T-mobile, but let just say a couple things:
1. True 4g? Come on, lets be honest. If you're gonna pull that bull then Verizon is the only one with it.
2. If I remember correctly, Sprint's "4G" is actually slower than T-mobile's "3.5G", so it doesn't matter what it's called. I don't care if something's 10G if it provides lower speeds than 3G.
3. Sprint costs $40 for 4g, while right now I'm paying $20 for 4g (yeah I have a 3g phone, but that's not the point here).
4. Overall pricing is generally lower on T-mobile, so I think that's why several of us will stay. Once my contract is up 2 years from now, then I'll think about it (since a new contract would cost a lot more. Thanks AT&T&T)
That being said, I know sprint's coverage in other areas may be better, so experiences may differ. I thought I'd just offer my 2 cents

I prefer GSM phones

Sprint 4g is only $10 a month, their plans include data so its not 30 + 10. And I have to disagree with tmobile being cheaper. Sprint has unlimited plan starting at 69, add 4g you have unlimited evrything for less than 80 a month. Last time I was with tmobile I think unlimited plans were like 89 or 99. I am a huge fan of tmobile though and if they had a nexus s 4g also, I would go with them over sprint any day.
tsunami1609 said:
I'm in Pittsburgh, so coverage isn't an issue with T-mobile, but let just say a couple things:
1. True 4g? Come on, lets be honest. If you're gonna pull that bull then Verizon is the only one with it.
2. If I remember correctly, Sprint's "4G" is actually slower than T-mobile's "3.5G", so it doesn't matter what it's called. I don't care if something's 10G if it provides lower speeds than 3G.
3. Sprint costs $40 for 4g, while right now I'm paying $20 for 4g (yeah I have a 3g phone, but that's not the point here).
4. Overall pricing is generally lower on T-mobile, so I think that's why several of us will stay. Once my contract is up 2 years from now, then I'll think about it (since a new contract would cost a lot more. Thanks AT&T&T)
That being said, I know sprint's coverage in other areas may be better, so experiences may differ. I thought I'd just offer my 2 cents
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Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Some valid points. Except that unlimited cap. The 5GB is gone. I'm not sure where you get that info.
I agree with the 4G being slow but wimax can be definitely faster than t-mobile 3.5G it's just, as I mentioned, sprint has been offering that for over a year now and has many devices on it. When a bunch of people access the same tower speeds go down. Hopefully they can expand and improve over time. So I disagree that it's all about speed. I think it's all about the technology which, with enough hardware/$$ can create a faster speeds.
As far as pricing goes... it changes from day to day but they are both competitive and offer low prices compared to the other two giants. But I think sprint's coverage all around is better. I guess it depends where you live.
Also, gsm is better in many ways but one thing it doesn't do well in contrast to cdma is switch between towers. Drive 70mph on a state highway while talking on a gsm phone and find out.

obsanity said:
Some valid points. Except that unlimited cap. The 5GB is gone. I'm not sure where you get that info.
I agree with the 4G being slow but wimax can be definitely faster than t-mobile 3.5G it's just, as I mentioned, sprint has been offering that for over a year now and has many devices on it. When a bunch of people access the same tower speeds go down. Hopefully they can expand and improve over time. So I disagree that it's all about speed. I think it's all about the technology which, with enough hardware/$$ can create a faster speeds.
As far as pricing goes... it changes from day to day but they are both competitive and offer low prices compared to the other two giants. But I think sprint's coverage all around is better. I guess it depends where you live.
Also, gsm is better in many ways but one thing it doesn't do well in contrast to cdma is switch between towers. Drive 70mph on a state highway while talking on a gsm phone and find out.
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It appears you are correct sir, 3g is not capped anymore either. Funny, it only lasted a few months. And it appears it was rarely enforced anyway.

I have to say I like sprint a lot. I bought the nexus s on T-Mobile after being lied to by their customer service that it was excellent cell and data coverage in my area. But after getting the phone, I had absolutely no coverage in my home....well to be honest I had 1 bar to none. Then the data was a joke...it was 2G.
I personally don't mind paying the $10 extra fee.
Sprint's plans is nice...and the 1500 minute family share plan is basically unlimited everything because you get free mobile to mobile minutes. I got ridof our house phone and got my wife and my daughter a cellphone....sprint is becoming a strong company...but this is all my opinion.
I'm sure people feel the total opposite and like T-Mobile, but to each their own.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk

My biggest problem with sprint is the 3g speed ...wimax is fast but using it all the time sucks down battery...so most of the time you are using sprints slow 3g ....contrast that with T-Mobile where the speeds don't impact battery life or signal strength...on my nexus s I average 3mb down ...on sprint 3g I would be lucky to see 800kb down
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

well for sprint users a reason to change to the nexus s could be to get away from the rude evo community

Something I don't understand is why people will stay in a contract for 2 years because they do not want to pay the early termination fee. I can understand if you do not have the money right now. Simple math tells you what the cheapest answer is. I will make up some fictitious numbers for my example. Which is cheaper, paying 300 dollars for the early termination fee, or paying your cellphone bill of let's say 50 dollars a month for the next 24 months. Now granted when you change carriers, your first months bill is going to be pretty high. The reason behind that is, you are paying for a phone, a prorated month, a regular month, and all the fees associated with starting a new account.
But all that added together is still cheaper than paying 1200 dollars for 2 years of service. I do understand the differences between long term and short term cost. I also understand that many people may not have enough money to make the switch now. Regardless of you switching now or later, you will still pay the same amount of money when starting a new line of service with a new carrier.

mikeyinid said:
Great post, will definitely help inform people about sprint. Few things though. As far as unlimited data, the 5 gb cap still exists on 3g data, only 4g is uncapped. Also, nobody in USA has true 4g, not even Verizon's amazing LTE is true 4g. Wimax only pulls 10 Megs on average, thats about it. I think true 4g is like 4-6 x's that, or something. Either way, Sprint is not true 4g. You should also tell people the downside of sprint 4g, i.e., it really only works in cars/outside/or buildings with lots of windows. The bandwidth for Wimax doesnt penetrate at all.
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As far as I know, no one in the world has true LTE yet. LTE theoretical shared rate is ~320 Mbit/s or ~172 Mbit/s in download and ~90 Mbit/s for upload, usually the "merchandised 4G" is a HSPA++ at 48 Mbit/s (where it can reach that rate) or some "early stage" 4G implementation as the entire standard involves deep core network changes.
At the moment it is... merchandise

Can someone explain if sprint is a mobile operator or another version of Nexus S.
I have nexus S bought with T-mobile, is it possible for me to get 4G on my phone? does it support 4G ?!?! If so, its Superb news, since we have 4G everywhere soon in Sweden.

mikeyinid said:
Sprint 4g is only $10 a month, their plans include data so its not 30 + 10. And I have to disagree with tmobile being cheaper. Sprint has unlimited plan starting at 69, add 4g you have unlimited evrything for less than 80 a month. Last time I was with tmobile I think unlimited plans were like 89 or 99. I am a huge fan of tmobile though and if they had a nexus s 4g also, I would go with them over sprint any day.
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Sprint's 69.99 is 450 minutes and unlimited data, + the $10 fee which they swear is not for 4g (and technically it's not since they slap it on all smartphones), so really their cheapest plan is 79.99 for 450 minutes and unlimited data.
T-mobile has basically the same plan for the same price, 500 minutes, unlimited data (yes you're throttled after 5gig but you're not cut off), 79.99 if you're on contract.
If you're NOT on contract (ie; you bought your phone outright), you can get the same package for 59.99 with an Even More Plus plan (basically if you aren't subsidizing your phone, and thus are not on a contract, your plans are $20 cheaper across the board). Sprint doesn't do this. Even if you finish your full contract time on sprint, you'll still pay the same 79.99 per month.
You really don't want to try and claim that Sprint is cheaper than Tmo, they are not. They're about the same if you're on a contract, and Tmo is about $20 cheaper if you're not on contract.
Ultimately in the end it boils down to who has better service in your particular area as to which carrier you prefer.
In my case, I had sprint, the voice service in my area was good, but the data speeds were terrible, so I switched to Tmo, who has excellent voice and data service where I live, and I pay less per month since I own my nexus-s.

all depends on who your calling sprint offers any mobile any time with that 450..
also for sprint family plans its 20 bucks a line +10 bucks if they are smart phones.. how much are they for tmobile?

Raver27 said:
But they do charge an extra 10 dollars for 4g,and if T-Mobile does get gobbled up by att, who's to say if Verizon doesn't turn around and do the same to sprint...
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Sprint no longer has the $10 fee
Tapa tapa tapa

mlin said:
Sprint no longer has the $10 fee
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That is completely and totally false. Sorry.

Hey netarchy....
I thought tmo did away with off contract prices being 20 bucks cheaper? I can't find that anywhere on their site and I could have sworn that when I bought my nexus s the tmo reps telling me that buying it off contract won't save me on my monthly bills.
And yes sprint still hits you for the ten bucks a month.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

[HELP] Family Plan Decisions

Hi, thanks for looking at my thread. Hopefully you can help me out. My situation is described below.
My family and I are currently on a Verizon Wireless plan. We have two smartphones connected to the plan, and two dumb phones. One smartphone has been grandfathered into the unlimited 4G data plan and needs to keep it because that line uses about 4-8GB/month. The other smartphone is on the tiered data plan of 2GB, which is fine for this line because it uses about 1-1.25GB/month. We have 1400 minutes (we do not use all of this) and unlimited text (necessary) shared throughout the plan. We are using a corporate discount, yet our bill is still ~$200USD/month, which is pretty absurd for what we get in return. The two dumb phone users really wish to upgrade their line to smartphones, but we have not proceeded because the bill is already quite high and we are looking for alternatives. The contract is ending in the next few months, and I am looking for guidance on what to do that would allow the following:
# of lines: 4 (all smart phones)
Minutes: 800-1000 shared
Text: Unlimited shared
Data: Preferably unlimited, but each device really only needs about 2GB, with the exception to the one line requiring unlimited. Also, 4G is important, and I have grown to love the speed, but it is something I am willing to part with to allow the other two lines upgrade to smartphones.
My goal is to overall lower the monthly costs of our plan and allow all four lines obtain smartphones. From research, I have found that this, from my knowledge, is more than unlikely to occur at Verizon Wireless and this is why we are planning on taking our business elsewhere. I have been doing intense research on prepaid plans, and considering this instead of the traditional plan, but I am new to this and need some guidance.
If anyone wouldn't mind pointing me in the right direction, I would really appreciate it. All suggestions are highly appreciated.
Lastly, since one of the lines requires a more extensive plan (unlimited data), I am willing to split that line into a second plan if it would save money as the other lines would more than likely be able to share 5GB/month.
Thank you very much!
If you need any additional information, please let me know.

Honestly it depends on coverage for all the carriers. If you have good coverage on all four carriers I'd consider T-Mobile honestly. If your current Verizon smartphones have GSM built in you should be able to get good speeds. Or you could sell your account (with the unlimited grandfathered plan, you could get something good for that), then use the money to recoup some of the cost involved with moving over. I think out of the four postpaid carriers T-Mobile isn't a bad way to go, and data is per line. There's also plenty of prepaid options like Virgin Mobile. You can get the $35 plan x4 = $140 a month (pay a little more for the one line with more data) and you can get 4G up to either 2.5 or 3.5GB unthrottled then it throttles down. If VM/Sprint works good in your area that might be something to consider.
Honestly it's gonna take research. The problem is if you sign up for a plan you'll have to pay for phones. If you have the money to plunk it down up front you could buy 4 Nexus 4s or even find some used phones and start there off of like Craigslist/eBay or something. You can very easily spend less than $200 a month, just do some research.
You never did state your area.

Thank you very much for your reply. I am sorry I forgot to state my area, I am in central Ohio, USA. I live in a rural area, so out of most providers, we don't get the best service. I'm on the very edge of Verizon's 4G service (I only get it in one corner of the house), but this is not particularly important because our wifi works quite well, and 4G LTE is a battery hog anyhow. I've been looking into T-Mobile, especially since they announced their family plan, but I'm slightly worried about coverage because some people I have spoken with said they cannot even receive text when in our area, and that would be a big problem. I may look into grabbing a monthly prepaid on one line and testing the network prior to switching. Thanks again!
Edit: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/family-plans.aspx is the tmobile family plans I am referring to, but unfortunately, this is only saving $20/mo, but on the bright side, everyone is able to have smartphones on the plan.

c21johnson said:
Thank you very much for your reply. I am sorry I forgot to state my area, I am in central Ohio, USA. I live in a rural area, so out of most providers, we don't get the best service. I'm on the very edge of Verizon's 4G service (I only get it in one corner of the house), but this is not particularly important because our wifi works quite well, and 4G LTE is a battery hog anyhow. I've been looking into T-Mobile, especially since they announced their family plan, but I'm slightly worried about coverage because some people I have spoken with said they cannot even receive text when in our area, and that would be a big problem. I may look into grabbing a monthly prepaid on one line and testing the network prior to switching. Thanks again!
Edit: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/family-plans.aspx is the tmobile family plans I am referring to, but unfortunately, this is only saving $20/mo, but on the bright side, everyone is able to have smartphones on the plan.
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If you're in a partner area, then yeah you will only get roaming coverage, which will suck. If your area is a 2g area, you will get either GRPS which is dialup speeds or edge which is up to 256kbps down, but really is more like 100 kbps or maybe 150 kbps real world conditions, enough for streaming Pandora on low or having it buffer. Since I don't know exactly, it looks like Sprint only has 3g so it may be crappy fast but might be decent (comparable to Verizon 3g EVDO, but slower as they don't seem to have as much bandwidth to their towers as Verizon). You might ask people on Sprint/AT&T and then consider Virgin Mobile.
Another option is to get a SIM card and test the network on prepaid for T-Mobile. They let you have full access to their network speeds in your area on prepaid so if you have a LTE capable phone unlocked and stick a T-Mobile SIM in and active on like the $3 a day play or the $30 5GB plan you would get LTE speeds. But you'd be stuck on edge probably and you might have to go with one of the big two companies or maybe Sprint. Some MVNOs are pretty good and reading up on HowardForums would be a better option

Unlimited data, keep it no matter what?

The subject kinda says it all. I'm one of the lucky ones that got grandfathered in on big red's unlimited data plan.
My wife has been on at&t and she's tired of it. Her phone (Atrix 4G) is falling apart and she isn't thrilled with the phone offerings from at&t.
She loves the Razr M so I've been looking to get her added to my account. It would also save us about $30 per month for her not to be on at&t separately.
A few months ago it was still possible to add an individual line to an existing account, without affecting the primary account.
Now they force me to convert my primary line over to a share-all-your-money plan, which will mean I lose my unlimited data.
The thing is, I use, on average, about 2.5G of data. I'm not a heavy user and I know that. My wife isn't either so we could make due with 4GB.
So, I need some thoughts.
1) Keep my unlimited and sign my wife up for her own individual big red plan? (no savings per month, but happy wife)
2) Convert over to a shared data plan, and add line for wife. ($30/mo savings)
So, it comes down to this: is having unlimited data you don't really use worth the $30 in added cost?
One side of my brain says no, the other says yes.

I have been battling that same question. My answer was keep my unlimited data as long as I can. Why? With more and more things going towards the cloud my data usage is sure to go up in the future. So I'm thinking for then and not now. I don't think Verizon is doing this because the masses asked to share data as they would have us believe. Verizon seen data usage dramatically increasing in the future as well and is trying to get us to switch now when our usage is low. Now is when they can convince us we don't use much data.
Sent from my XT926

I was grand-fathered into unlimited data for a while, but then I started tracking my actual data usage and it was only about 1.5-2.0GB per month so I just switched over. The only time now where I would maybe want it back, is if I was using 4G has my home Internet connection and just using my phone as a mobile hotspot. I don't feel that would be reliable enough so I'm fine with it.
I have a feeling sooner or later Verizon will come up with some way to get those who are still on unlimited data and won't sign a new contract.

I would just get her a verizon pay as you go plan. Decent phones. Give your wife your phone and then make twelve monthly payments on yours?
I am almost certain if you keep calling back eventually you'll get someone to transfer you that can help. You can probably find a rep to finagle 29.99 4GB...
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

THe only reason to a share plan is to get subsidized phone.
I have resigned myself to keep unlimited until they kick me off. I'll buy my phone retail if I have to.
If they kick me off I'll switch to Sprint.
Keep unlimited at all costs.
We use a combined 11-13GB on three lines.

I kind of split the difference. I stayed on the old voice plan but was able to get a subsidized phone upgrade by losing my unlimited data. I instead got a 5GB data plan and dropped unlimited texting and switched completely over the Google Voice (which I had been meaning to do). So I pay the same as a 2GB share everything plan but with 400 minutes of voice (not a problem for me) and 5 GB of data... I only ever use up till 3 GB so I have been considering lowering to 3 or 4GB and just paying the $10/GB overage on months that I go over.

So there is some room for negotiations when you talk to the tele sales folks. That's good to know!
-- Android: It's a UNIX thing. You wouldn't understand.

Keep it no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT. Even if you don't use the unlimited, you could sell it to a friend (someone trustworthy) who has a crappy home internet connection, and turn a hefty profit. Just give them the activated SIM card and they can put it in a mobile hotspot and easily beat ADSL speeds for less money and better reliability.
Seriously, you guys are making a huge mistake by giving up one of the last reasonable cellular data plans in North America; nay, the entire world.
Don't do it. Keep your unlimited. Set up a new account for a new phone if you have to. Pay retail on new phones if you have to. Sell your activated SIM to someone you trust who'll use the data for a huge profit. Do anything EXCEPT willingly give in to The Man and the fascist data plan, oops I mean the shared data plan.
Sent from my Motorola RAZR Maxx HD with Tapatalk 4

I wish I never got rid of mine. I switched to the 2gb plan when they first offered it to save money because I used about a gig a month. Now I have the 15gb plan.. Damnit
Sent from my PACMAN MATRIX HD MAXX

Howard forums has people wanting to do assumption of liabilities. Now I've never heard of someone selling their unlimited plan but that's only because most people that go the aol route are in contract, need out, and find people that really need unlimited.
I would not be advising someone to use the sim solely for home Internet. Yes it's unlimited but some use hundreds of gigs of data. This isn't good for others. You could also get caught.
The only reason I'm keeping my unlimited plan is because we have 2 smartphones and 3 feature phones. Always transfer upgrades to the feature phones and transfer new phone back. Why waste upgrade when feature phones are super cheap retail?
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

jfriend33 said:
I would not be advising someone to use the sim solely for home Internet. Yes it's unlimited but some use hundreds of gigs of data. This isn't good for others. You could also get caught.
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Few things:
1. You can consistently use between 50 and 75 GB per month and not get in trouble. Believe it or not there are people who use more than that and haven't been threatened with disconnection. But yes, if you download at 100% line capacity 24/7 you will get disconnected. Even 50 GB can be downloaded in an extremely short time (about 1 to 2 days depending on your LTE signal), leaving a lot of room for other users on the network.
2. Verizon is contractually prohibited by the FCC, which allows them to operate the licensed 700 MHz spectrum, from discriminating against a user because of that user's choice of device, which means you can either tether a smartphone or use a mobile hotspot, or even a USB modem, and they can't do anything against you based solely on your choice of device or they risk losing their operating license.
3. All of Verizon's towers will throttle your LTE speed down to a lower level (faster than 3G, but way slower than your LTE is capable of) if they identify you as a heavy data user AND the tower is 100% utilized. So they minimize data hogs' impact on other users by slowing them down when the tower is busy. Light or Occasional data users will be able to use the tower at full LTE speeds. When the tower isn't busy, well, why do you care if unlimited users are just using up spare capacity? That doesn't hurt anyone at all, and doesn't cost Verizon a penny, since all their back haul and peering is unmetered, so if they aren't 100% utilizing it they are actually paying for capacity that isn't being used, which is a waste.
I'm lucky that the tower closest to me at home is ALWAYS extremely under-utilized. I get fantastic speeds and no throttling, ever, at home. In the city I have seen close to 3G speeds on the LTE network due to saturation, which I am fine with. I still benefit from LTE's improved reliability and ping compared to 3G, so even if it's not 20 Mbps, I'm happy to have what I'm allowed. Verizon keeps me on a pretty long leash.
And no, I don't make the network worse for everyone else by using 70GB on an underutilized tower. 70GB over a month is not even a drop in a bucket to Verizon's back end infrastructure. I know some FiOS users who run multiple terabytes per month.
Sent from my Motorola RAZR Maxx HD with Tapatalk 4

I love my unlimited data and I'm definitely gonna keep it. If i like a new phone that comes out, ill just pay full price for it. I canceled my internet and cable at home because I have access to both thru my phone. I average around 150gigs a month and haven't seen a decrease in speed.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app

I seem to have struck a nerve with someone and that was not my intention. You are probably used to having countless people advocating for verizon and following their rules. I am not one of them.
I was not aware that such policies were in place to protect the consumers. This is good to hear. I was under the impression that 4G devices weren't throttled (for the most part), even when on 3g and that only 3g devices were being throttled after heavy use. Verizon has obviously updated their guidelines so I need to read up on it.
I could not limit my home internet consumption to only 50 gigs. What is an average use anyway? I'm generally under 200 gigs. I am in areas where 4G is new and isn't that fast (under 10mbps, 3g tops off at 0.75) or in a big city where it's over utilized. I pay $20 a month for 50 mbps cable internet and that is a luxury many do not have.
Let's face it. We are lucky to have this unlimited plan. There are no guarantees on how much longer it will last. Just keep it, please?
Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX HD

I switched from Sprint Unlimited to Verizon "share-all-of-your-money" (that's about right) plan. I had a real hard time letting go, but my wife and I have been on for 2 months now and it hasn't been a problem. We went with 4GB, and I initially thought it would be a problem, but we haven't even come close to 2GB yet. I mitigate that a lot by using WiFi as much as possible. Especially when I'm home, but also at work. I've also become a lot less bashful about asking for their WiFi password. What's the worst that could happen? They just say no. Many of them don't care though and don't give it a second thought. I also make the conscious decision to wait until I'm home to watch that YouTube video or what have you everyone one is clamoring about. I also used to tether my laptop to my phone and used that as my primary internet connection. Haven't needed to do that, so data consumption has gotten a lot less.
I haven't found it that difficult to live with a 4GB cap.

tech_head said:
THe only reason to a share plan is to get subsidized phone.
I have resigned myself to keep unlimited until they kick me off. I'll buy my phone retail if I have to.
If they kick me off I'll switch to Sprint.
Keep unlimited at all costs.
We use a combined 11-13GB on three lines.
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And what happens when Sprint cuts off unlimited? I agree with the idea of voting with your wallet but in this case, I feel there needs to be an exception. Given the financial standing of Sprint atm, I can't see why any one would risk jumping to them. Plus if enough people follow suit like you, it is bound to bog down Sprint's network until they start to cap data plans to.

Xplorer4x4 said:
And what happens when Sprint cuts off unlimited? I agree with the idea of voting with your wallet but in this case, I feel there needs to be an exception. Given the financial standing of Sprint atm, I can't see why any one would risk jumping to them. Plus if enough people follow suit like you, it is bound to bog down Sprint's network until they start to cap data plans to.
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They claim "unlimited forever".
What financial standing, they just got bought by SoftBank Mobile (Japanese).
They are building out their network and adding more LTE from their old iDEN spectrum, that and they bought Clearwire.
When Verizon makes me move from unlimited, I'll be jumping to Sprint.

tech_head said:
They claim "unlimited forever".
What financial standing, they just got bought by SoftBank Mobile (Japanese).
They are building out their network and adding more LTE from their old iDEN spectrum, that and they bought Clearwire.
When Verizon makes me move from unlimited, I'll be jumping to Sprint.
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There is an old saying. Talk is cheap. I seriously doubt they will retain unlimited forever. I would ask for a contract and read that thing over and over and over again as I would not be surprised to see some sort of clause in there that they have the right to terminate the unlimited data at any time because they get greedy like ATT and VZW.
Finance wise, you're right. I forgot about the buy outs. They are in a much better position financially and network wise, but they are still in the early roll out stages making it to early to judge just how well the network upgrade will be in the end. I also haven't heard how involved SoftBank has been so far. Have they only put up the money while still letting the former Sprint execs run the company for the most part?

My wife and I both gave up our unlimited data. She gave up hers to upgrade and I just gave mine up to save money. We have 3 smart phones sharing 4GB. I was using more than 10GB every month myself on unlimited. But a little prudence and control and we have no problem. In fact our month is over next week and we haven't even used 2GB between three phones.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Xparent Purple Tapatalk 2

I'd say to just do the math of what saves you more of the course of 2 yrs. If its cheaper in the long run by a significant amount to switch to the new plan and get a subsidized phone, and you can't foresee needing unlimited data, it just makes sense to switch. I personally am planning on keeping my unlimited plan while buying phones at full price due to highly fluctuating data usage.

Xplorer4x4 said:
There is an old saying. Talk is cheap. I seriously doubt they will retain unlimited forever. I would ask for a contract and read that thing over and over and over again as I would not be surprised to see some sort of clause in there that they have the right to terminate the unlimited data at any time because they get greedy like ATT and VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, they've already added that to the contract, effective July 1st. If you no longer qualify for a plan or they no longer support a plan, they can switch you to a new one. (Paraphrased, but close to a direct quote)
So glad I jumped ship from Sprint in May.
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk 2

Verizon Brings Back Unlimited Data!

Not sure if anyone noticed but Verizon announced yesterday it was bringing back unlimited data! I was on the 24 GB plan with 10 devices. The VZ web site is basically down when you try and upgrade so I spent 2 hours on hold. When I finally got someone they compared what I pay now with what it would cost to go to unlimited. My cost went DOWN 30 bucks a month to go to unlimited. They can throttle you after 22 GB but only if there is heavy network congestion. I think this is the same thing T-Mobile and AT&T too. This new plan also provides 10 GB of hotspot use. I signed up just now.
https://www.verizonwireless.com/pla...=p&gclid=CNG6oabNjdICFcPqDQodRpkFHw&gclsrc=ds

Yeah this was all over Internet. Bad news: you can't use corporate discount. I am better off on their short lived 12 GB plan+2 extra GB wth rollover as it is cheaper wth corporate discount. Many months I have 20+ GB which is more than enough for me.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Just read up on this. Not a huge fan of Verizon but some things seem a little off to me about this plan.
"Everything included in Verizon Unlimited:
Unlimited talk, text and data.
If a line uses 22GB of data in a billing cycle, Verizon can throttle that line within the rest of the cycle should it attach to a congested network location.
10GB per month per line of 4G LTE tethering; drops to 3G after first 10GB.
Unlimited calls and text to Mexico and Canada.
Unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. Only first 500MB of data at 4G LTE speeds; 2G afterwards.
“Full-quality HD video,” which Verizon says comes at you the way the partner sends it. It’s not throttled to 480p like T-Mobile and Sprint do. Technically, that should mean you get 4K streams, 1080p streams, and whatever else is sent to you from a partner (the app you are streaming from). There isn’t a toggle on or off – you just get HD and above streams if the partner is sending that level of stream."
Source: http://www.droid-life.com/2017/02/12/verizon-unlimited-plan-faq-pricing-availability/
I've highlighted two bullets there for a very specific reason. In my experience, the unlimited plans are great for people that are constantly scrolling their way through Facebook and Instagram and can't stay off Snapchat. Additionally (and perhaps more importantly), these plans are useful for people that like to stream videos and shows when WiFi isn't available to them. The fact that these videos are streamed to your device in the highest quality the connection can achieve is actually a problem. This is because you only get 10GB of 4G LTE data a month, afterwards it's throttled to 3G. This means that watching videos will use up your 10GB in a flash and then you'll be stuck with mediocre speeds.
For comparison, the equivalent T-Mobile plan gives you 26 GBs of unthrottled data for $10 less, after which you have the chance of being throttled. The only drawback being that all of the video content you watch is in 460p or less. Either way, it's kind of cool to see Verizon bringing this plan back. Competition is usually good for consumers.
EDIT: jk, this is wrong lol

Alcolawl said:
Just read up on this. Not a huge fan of Verizon but some things seem a little off to me about this plan.
"Everything included in Verizon Unlimited:
Unlimited talk, text and data.
If a line uses 22GB of data in a billing cycle, Verizon can throttle that line within the rest of the cycle should it attach to a congested network location.
10GB per month per line of 4G LTE tethering; drops to 3G after first 10GB.
Unlimited calls and text to Mexico and Canada.
Unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. Only first 500MB of data at 4G LTE speeds; 2G afterwards.
“Full-quality HD video,” which Verizon says comes at you the way the partner sends it. It’s not throttled to 480p like T-Mobile and Sprint do. Technically, that should mean you get 4K streams, 1080p streams, and whatever else is sent to you from a partner (the app you are streaming from). There isn’t a toggle on or off – you just get HD and above streams if the partner is sending that level of stream."
Source: http://www.droid-life.com/2017/02/12/verizon-unlimited-plan-faq-pricing-availability/
I've highlighted two bullets there for a very specific reason. In my experience, the unlimited plans are great for people that are constantly scrolling their way through Facebook and Instagram and can't stay off Snapchat. Additionally (and perhaps more importantly), these plans are useful for people that like to stream videos and shows when WiFi isn't available to them. The fact that these videos are streamed to your device in the highest quality the connection can achieve is actually a problem. This is because you only get 10GB of 4G LTE data a month, afterwards it's throttled to 3G. This means that watching videos will use up your 10GB in a flash and then you'll be stuck with mediocre speeds.
For comparison, the equivalent T-Mobile plan gives you 26 GBs of unthrottled data for $10 less, after which you have the chance of being throttled. The only drawback being that all of the video content you watch is in 460p or less. Either way, it's kind of cool to see Verizon bringing this plan back. Competition is usually good for consumers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing that is getting throttled is your tethering (hotspot) after 10gigs ..
As far as streaming movies and TV shows from your phone, you can do that as much as you want. And you won't notice and slowdown unless there is heavy network congestion AND you've used over 22gig already.
Nothing off or weird about this at all.

swapavi said:
The only thing that is getting throttled is your tethering (hotspot) after 10gigs ..
As far as streaming movies and TV shows from your phone, you can do that as much as you want. And you won't notice and slowdown unless there is heavy network congestion AND you've used over 22gig already.
Nothing off or weird about this at all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I stand corrected. Thanks for clearing that up, I misread the DroidLife article on the matter. Carry on.

Alcolawl said:
Just read up on this. Not a huge fan of Verizon but some things seem a little off to me about this plan.
"Everything included in Verizon Unlimited:
Unlimited talk, text and data.
If a line uses 22GB of data in a billing cycle, Verizon can throttle that line within the rest of the cycle should it attach to a congested network location.
10GB per month per line of 4G LTE tethering; drops to 3G after first 10GB.
Unlimited calls and text to Mexico and Canada.
Unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. Only first 500MB of data at 4G LTE speeds; 2G afterwards.
“Full-quality HD video,” which Verizon says comes at you the way the partner sends it. It’s not throttled to 480p like T-Mobile and Sprint do. Technically, that should mean you get 4K streams, 1080p streams, and whatever else is sent to you from a partner (the app you are streaming from). There isn’t a toggle on or off – you just get HD and above streams if the partner is sending that level of stream."
Source: http://www.droid-life.com/2017/02/12/verizon-unlimited-plan-faq-pricing-availability/
I've highlighted two bullets there for a very specific reason. In my experience, the unlimited plans are great for people that are constantly scrolling their way through Facebook and Instagram and can't stay off Snapchat. Additionally (and perhaps more importantly), these plans are useful for people that like to stream videos and shows when WiFi isn't available to them. The fact that these videos are streamed to your device in the highest quality the connection can achieve is actually a problem. This is because you only get 10GB of 4G LTE data a month, afterwards it's throttled to 3G. This means that watching videos will use up your 10GB in a flash and then you'll be stuck with mediocre speeds.
For comparison, the equivalent T-Mobile plan gives you 26 GBs of unthrottled data for $10 less, after which you have the chance of being throttled. The only drawback being that all of the video content you watch is in 460p or less. Either way, it's kind of cool to see Verizon bringing this plan back. Competition is usually good for consumers.
EDIT: jk, this is wrong lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alcolawl said:
I stand corrected. Thanks for clearing that up, I misread the DroidLife article on the matter. Carry on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol not a problem. Just didn't want any misinformation about the new plan being thrown around, because in some regards, this could be better than T-Mobile's plan.

TMobile is upping there game now! Gotta love competition...
http://www.droid-life.com/2017/02/1...ted-plan-caves-hd-video-high-speed-tethering/

Inapplicable corporate discount is what's keeping me from upgrading to this plan. I get 21% off. That's a significant amount.

I wonder what the core differences are between the old Unlimited data plan that costs $50 now vs this new one. I know they both will have the 22GB "soft cap" as that has been a thing for quite some time now. Since I'm sure quite a few of us tether without the extra monthly charge I wonder if we were to switch over and they provision our line, Verizon would be able to detect this? If that is the case 10GB being tethered will go fast especially when you're watching videos. I tether my devices a lot at work to listen music and watch YouTube and I can exceed that quite quickly. I'm wondering with the new plan with custom software on our devices if they would be able to detect the tethering activity or not. Looking forward to seeing people's thoughts on this . I'd save $8/month switching to the new plan even w/ my 21% discount not applying.

I get veterans discount so I'm really debating about doing this. I wonder since I have the bypass that the tethering would still get bypassed so instead of the 10gb it would be on the mobile side data.
*update*
Just switched to new unlimited. saving me like $24

coldconfession13 said:
I get veterans discount so I'm really debating about doing this. I wonder since I have the bypass that the tethering would still get bypassed so instead of the 10gb it would be on the mobile side data.
*update*
Just switched to new unlimited. saving me like $24
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you tell me please when you tether does it show your 10GB allotment being used on your Verizon page?

Won't go into effect till next bill period which is in march

coldconfession13 said:
Won't go into effect till next bill period which is in march
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it would be a messy bill if you did make the change to go into effect immediately. Verizon and their prorations and month in advance billing.

Yup it would have been 213 or some crap

I switched immediately. Dropped my bill by about 20 or so.

won't save me any money with them taking away the corporate discount. It would cost me 45 more. I rarely use more than 2 GB a month, always on wifi (at work, home, wherever xfinity has a hotspot). I am on the 12GB plan and have 2 GB of bonus data from getting my pixel xl.

zetsumeikuro said:
I wonder what the core differences are between the old Unlimited data plan that costs $50 now vs this new one. I know they both will have the 22GB "soft cap" as that has been a thing for quite some time now. Since I'm sure quite a few of us tether without the extra monthly charge I wonder if we were to switch over and they provision our line, Verizon would be able to detect this? If that is the case 10GB being tethered will go fast especially when you're watching videos. I tether my devices a lot at work to listen music and watch YouTube and I can exceed that quite quickly. I'm wondering with the new plan with custom software on our devices if they would be able to detect the tethering activity or not. Looking forward to seeing people's thoughts on this . I'd save $8/month switching to the new plan even w/ my 21% discount not applying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The old plan doesn't have a throttle cap at all.

I lost my 20% Corporate discount but I kept running out of data with a week left in my cycle and I had the 30 GB plan. I have 6 phones and one tablet on my account. This new plan winds up costing about the same as the old plan with the 20% discount but I'll get more data as one phone rarely uses the bulk of our data. It's 4 of the 6. Even if they do throttle at 22 GB per line, that would be 88 GB in total on the 4 lines that use a lot of data.
It's not perfect, but it suits my needs better.

I have the old UDP with no cap use 200gb monthly never throttled and there's a loophole for the $29.99 pricing for UDP

Mike02z said:
Not sure if anyone noticed but Verizon announced yesterday it was bringing back unlimited data! I was on the 24 GB plan with 10 devices. The VZ web site is basically down when you try and upgrade so I spent 2 hours on hold. When I finally got someone they compared what I pay now with what it would cost to go to unlimited. My cost went DOWN 30 bucks a month to go to unlimited. They can throttle you after 22 GB but only if there is heavy network congestion. I think this is the same thing T-Mobile and AT&T too. This new plan also provides 10 GB of hotspot use. I signed up just now.
https://www.verizonwireless.com/pla...=p&gclid=CNG6oabNjdICFcPqDQodRpkFHw&gclsrc=ds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn, 10 devices?!?! Very cool! What all do you have?
markwebb said:
Yeah this was all over Internet. Bad news: you can't use corporate discount. I am better off on their short lived 12 GB plan+2 extra GB wth rollover as it is cheaper wth corporate discount. Many months I have 20+ GB which is more than enough for me.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right now I am on 12 Gigs +6 Gigs Bonus Data. When I switch my bill goes up quite a bit. And I never use more than 10 gigs in a month. Not sure this is for me.
BurtGummer said:
Inapplicable corporate discount is what's keeping me from upgrading to this plan. I get 21% off. That's a significant amount.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, that was the other thing... No Corp Discount and must Auto pay on Checking Acount or a Debit Card... No credit cards allowed for auto pay on this program. :crying:
coldconfession13 said:
I get veterans discount so I'm really debating about doing this. I wonder since I have the bypass that the tethering would still get bypassed so instead of the 10gb it would be on the mobile side data.
*update*
Just switched to new unlimited. saving me like $24
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am also a veteran... But I get a better discount with my employer. Did they let you apply veteran discount?

Grandfathered UDP => New Unlimited VZW Plan

I was very surprised to see VZW offer unlimited data with their new plan after attempts to kill off grandfathered UDP accounts. It seems too be good to be true: I can switch to the new plan and save $50/month.
Is there any downside to doing so? I hate to give up my coveted UDP without ensuring there is no catch.

svtkobra7 said:
I was very surprised to see VZW offer unlimited data with their new plan after attempts to kill off grandfathered UDP accounts. It seems too be good to be true: I can switch to the new plan and save $50/month.
Is there any downside to doing so? I hate to give up my coveted UDP without ensuring there is no catch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They may throttle you down to 3g speeds after 22gb per month per line, but only if the tower you're connected to is congested.
Otherwise, I really see no downside.
Posted from my phone, forgive any spelling errors.

That is what I am thinking - thx for reply.

svtkobra7 said:
I was very surprised to see VZW offer unlimited data with their new plan after attempts to kill off grandfathered UDP accounts. It seems too be good to be true: I can switch to the new plan and save $50/month.
Is there any downside to doing so? I hate to give up my coveted UDP without ensuring there is no catch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also don't forget the 10 GB hotspot limit before throttling kicks in for that. Just depends on your usage/habits if it is worth it.

bakemcbride21 said:
Also don't forget the 10 GB hotspot limit before throttling kicks in for that. Just depends on your usage/habits if it is worth it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Solid point. If rooted, is there a way around that 10GB limit by making data appear to be normal phone data usage instead of hotspot data usage?

svtkobra7 said:
Solid point. If rooted, is there a way around that 10GB limit by making data appear to be normal phone data usage instead of hotspot data usage?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be a very useful mod!!
Posted from my phone, forgive any spelling errors.
---------- Post added at 06:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:38 PM ----------
Also, they only throttle to 3g now, not the dial up speeds that safety mode throttles to, so it's not so terrible.
Posted from my phone, forgive any spelling errors.

JustinChase said:
That would be a very useful mod!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See image - I'm pretty sure Orbot will accomplish this by using Transparent Proxying (Requires Root) => Request Root Access + Tor Tethering. See image.
I'm sure there are numerous ways to skin this cat though.

Just want to point out that the 10GB hotspot does count towards the 22GB. Not a big deal but good to know. It was one of the FAQs we got in an email at work.

If you have a discount on your plan now, you'll lose it when you switch to an unlimited plan.

buddahj said:
If you have a discount on your plan now, you'll lose it when you switch to an unlimited plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this confirmed? Or just speculation?

Spinkness said:
Is this confirmed? Or just speculation?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
100% confirmed ... see attached when I start to initiate the switch online ... "Your employee discount doesn't apply to the new Verizon Plan Unlimited option."
also: https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/927745

svtkobra7 said:
100% confirmed ... see attached when I start to initiate the switch online ... "Your employee discount doesn't apply to the new Verizon Plan Unlimited option."
also: https://community.verizonwireless.com/thread/927745
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only a military discount will discount the unlimited plan. The accessory discount will still apply, but not any other employee discounts.
At least for now. I suspect this will change in the future.
Posted from my phone, forgive any spelling errors.

Has anyone made this switch? I was wondering if you have a rooted phone like my HTC 10, am I still limited to 10gb or does it it treat it like regular LTE through the phone.?
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using XDA-Developers Legacy app

im_high_tech said:
Has anyone made this switch? I was wondering if you have a rooted phone like my HTC 10, am I still limited to 10gb or does it it treat it like regular LTE through the phone.?
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, February 13th. Running lee droid. Here is a screenshot of how much data I've used since. 2 Be honest, I have not noticed any difference at all except for apparently when I get the bill it'll be cheaper. Yes, rooted, unlocked, s-off
Sent from my HTC6545LVW using Tapatalk 2

I HAVE noticed a huge difference. Its much worse on the new plan. As soon as i went over 20 gb, i felt delay and weak speeds .
One of the screenshots are downtown Columbus OH ( home) where i used to never had any kinds of issue and the other one is downtown Nashville TN. The signal bar shows good, but even a YouTube video would not load.

New plan Nothing like the old.
They may say only in congested areas but I've got audio recording from supervisor level CS who readily admits its nothing more than the same throttling other carriers do. Maybe even worse. When I changed I heard all the same that its only after 22gb and only noticeable in congested area. I live square between three towers at less than 4 miles and my entire county has less population than 8000 (40 square miles of area). The first day was fine speeds around 3 to 4 gb/s the following day speeds of .05 to .25 we're the norm that's dialup and less. Numerous calls to CS including escalated to exec CS found no one willing to admit problem with their claim to not throttle. In an area like mine at 3 am speeds slower than dial up are plain ridiculous. 3rd day finally got someone to admit it amounts to throttling with "high use" customers. They agreed to move me back to old plan since new billing hadn't started and so far so go on old plan speeds back up and not noticeable problems.
Please be careful changing to new plan because odds are you won't notice these spped problems until after new billing begins and then no chance to get old plan back. BE AWARE. THEY WANT OLDER UDP GONE. Along with just finally booting some extremely Hugh use customers now they're coming for us with what amounts to false advertising.

H1L2J3 said:
They may say only in congested areas but I've got audio recording from supervisor level CS who readily admits its nothing more than the same throttling other carriers do. Maybe even worse. When I changed I heard all the same that its only after 22gb and only noticeable in congested area. I live square between three towers at less than 4 miles and my entire county has less population than 8000 (40 square miles of area). The first day was fine speeds around 3 to 4 gb/s the following day speeds of .05 to .25 we're the norm that's dialup and less. Numerous calls to CS including escalated to exec CS found no one willing to admit problem with their claim to not throttle. In an area like mine at 3 am speeds slower than dial up are plain ridiculous. 3rd day finally got someone to admit it amounts to throttling with "high use" customers. They agreed to move me back to old plan since new billing hadn't started and so far so go on old plan speeds back up and not noticeable problems.
Please be careful changing to new plan because odds are you won't notice these spped problems until after new billing begins and then no chance to get old plan back. BE AWARE. THEY WANT OLDER UDP GONE. Along with just finally booting some extremely Hugh use customers now they're coming for us with what amounts to false advertising.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know several people on the new unlimited, and they are getting speeds of 40 to 60 MB/s after racking up 100GB in downloads for the month. They are definitely not throttling everyone. I guess everyone's mileage varies.
Posted from my phone, forgive any spelling errors.

JustinChase said:
I know several people on the new unlimited, and they are getting speeds of 40 to 60 MB/s after racking up 100GB in downloads for the month. They are definitely not throttling everyone. I guess everyone's mileage varies.
Posted from my phone, forgive any spelling errors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My point is what they are telling everyone isn't applicable to everyone and they have zero control once you go past billing date. I got lucky and caught it because I switched mid cycle. Please just be careful when it comes to giving up your older UDP. Also since you've pointed out others getting by I'm back to the 20-40 I used to get before the change so it looks like no I'll effects from switch back. Just be aware. They've wanted rid of the grandfathered plans for a while now and the best way would be to trick us into thinking the new plan was "basically" the same. Then after its to late to do anything BOOM you stuck with crappy speed and big bill. Anyhow just trying to warn others of the trap I fell through.