Changing from Verizon to Sprint

[MaHoTex]

If you go with Sprint for the data you will be sorry. I was stuck in a Sprint contract for 2 years and made the jump to VZ in December and NEVER looked back. Unlimited data is worthless when you can only download at 1Kbps.

[decepticon6551]

My S3 has faster data on Metropcs than my 4s had on Sprint
I'd stick with Verizon if I were you.

[angry]

big mistake

[vliberatore]

All other details aside, Verizon is the best network because of their low position on the radio spectrum. Lower frequencies penetrate buildings, elevators, tunnels, and hills better - meaning you have a stronger signal in those situations. Personally I've been very happy with Verizon's data speeds and service. I haven't been a Sprint customer in over 5 years but I used AT&T recently and hated it.

Low frequency spectrum has great penetration but poor data speed. Sprint's upcoming tri-band network will have 800, 1900, and 2500. Low for range (voice) and high for speed (data).

Stay with Verizon. We had Sprint at work and could not wait to get out of that contract. Great prices but poor coverage. Unlimited is only good if you can use it.

Verizon has the best coverage in the US at the moment. That is not going to hold true forever-especially with the deployment of small cells.

I work for a wireless giant and have worked on both networks. VZW outperforms Sprint on all accounts. They hold a bigger market share, have more land, labor, capitol and entrepreneurship and a superior LTE offering. Sprint claws for the market scraps of the big boys and as a result of smaller margins has contract their network builds and maintenance to a third party. VZW does it all in house. Both are CDMA carriers but sprints flavor of 4G employs Wi-Max, a substandard flavor of 4G tech that will have to be revamped before they are able to offer a competitive LTE offering. As an end user, this means more service interruptions, outages and lower quality of services.

To test this, you should consult a coverage map of both carriers and run a speed test via speedtest.net using LTE devices from users on both networks. I'd stay with VZW, cheaper isn't always better.

NastyNate

Funny how you failed to mention how Sprint owns more spectrum than Verizon or ATT. In fact, Sprint owns the most spectrum of any wireless carrier in the US. LTE is offered in 120+ markets and growing. Sprint may be behind at the moment but that does not hold true forever. Your knowledge of Sprint isn't quite accurate anymore.


If anyone has any gripes with what I've posted, I work in network engineering at Sprint.

[radgokart]

^does Sprint have the cash to utilize their spectrum? They lost $1.6 billion last quarter.

[Sheepdog1968]

You need to check and find out how good the reception is where you will use it.

[vliberatore]

^does Sprint have the cash to utilize their spectrum? They lost $1.6 billion last quarter.

Sprint is in a better cash position than they have ever been in and probably in a better position than Verizon and ATT. Many of the losses were attributed to shutting down the iDEN (Nextel) network. In case you weren't aware, SoftBank (Japanese telecom firm) has invested approximately $21.6 billion in Sprint for a 78% stake. Sprint finally has the capital to upgrade their network and utilize their spectrum.

You need to check and find out how good the reception is where you will use it.

Even though I work for Sprint, I 100% agree with this. If Sprint isn't right for you at this point in time, then you shouldn't switch. The only point I was trying to make is that it's not going to be that way forever.

[Brianguy]

Low frequency spectrum has great penetration but poor data speed. Sprint's upcoming tri-band network will have 800, 1900, and 2500. Low for range (voice) and high for speed (data).



Verizon has the best coverage in the US at the moment. That is not going to hold true forever-especially with the deployment of small cells.



Funny how you failed to mention how Sprint owns more spectrum than Verizon or ATT. In fact, Sprint owns the most spectrum of any wireless carrier in the US. LTE is offered in 120+ markets and growing. Sprint may be behind at the moment but that does not hold true forever. Your knowledge of Sprint isn't quite accurate anymore.


If anyone has any gripes with what I've posted, I work in network engineering at Sprint.

yeah can you get some more towers in OC

[radgokart]

In the long term, coverage may eventually become the same, but in the span of a new 2 year contract, Verizon will keep their lead.

[Ryououki]

And since I'm also rooted, I can actually use a tool to force the phone onto one network or the other at any time, and stay on that network indefinitely.

Beware that when changing your PRL so that you can sit on Verizon as the native connection, the networks know you are still roaming and once you go over 300MB of data, you will get a nice letter from Sprint saying watch the roaming data usage, then the next month you go over, you will find you have no more service with Sprint.

[Donkeypunch0420]

Thank you for all the responses gents! Unfortunately, they are making me second guess myself. I like the idea of a 15 day trial. I have never heard of this before, can anyone enlighten me as to the details? This is going to be a family plan, so should I just get one phone for now, and in 15 days if I like I can port the others?

Although I am concerned with data/service at the moment, I am also thinking about the future (hence having unlimited voice/text/data). I believe Vliberatore when he says that service will catch up eventually, but I'm also taking everything with a grain of salt.

In all honesty, Tmobile sounds like it would be the best for me and my family plan. However, when pricing out plans, I don't like how you pay monthly for 2 years for the phone. Not that other carriers don't do that, but I just don't like the idea of paying $25 for the next 24 months. I understand that Tmobile also offers an unlimited plan, anyone know if this is something you'll be able to keep the life of the company like Sprint?

I've got a lot to think about still. I know VZW's service and coverage probably the best, I'm just sick of them as a carrier though, and want to make a change. Thanks again for your info and opinions guys.

[Donkeypunch0420]

Just read about Sprints satisfaction guarantee. So basically, stay with VZW for another month, but have a concurrent Sprint phone as well? It will suck paying for 2 plans for a month, but I can certainly see the advantage of it. A problem I see with this though is; I've been planning to order online so I can take advantage of buy one get one free Galaxy S4's. According to their policy, I would need to return the device to the original place of purchase. Not sure if their policy changes when not buying from a brick and mortar store.

[the86d]

I went from Verizon to Sprint when I realized how much they were raping people for the old data plans (before they had the new ones) while sprint was charging all customers an additional $10 fee for 4G that wasn't available anywhere I went at the time including the ONT airport. I never had service in my office with Sprint (I AM behind like 2-3 concrete wall in the department). In a week (still during the 1st 30 days with Sprint, so I didn't get charged a penny) I decided to try T-Mobile, and I have better service in my office, however I was using WiFi calling and that solved all my issues of service then, unfortunately the Sidekick 4g has software issues as they modified Android to use the crappy-memory-leaky-touchtwiz interface (I think) before the Cyanogen guy joined Samsung and helped them make functional devices, but he left soon after: http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/25/41...eparts-samsung

I have been durned happy with T-Mobile, aside from the 2 crappy Sidekick 4g phones I was stuck with, but a derivative ROM made things at least better.

Sprint would give me just over dial-up speeds for no reason at all, and dropping it into Airplane mode and back off of airplane mode sped up the connection to great speeds, but a Virgin mobile phone I had experienced the exact same issue (Sprint network/towers, I guess), and nobody should have to do that as much as required. I don't know if Sprint fixed the issues on the data network, but it WAS terrible, and everyone I knew on their service stated the same thing back 2 years ago.

[Eldraque]

You get what you pay for

[vliberatore]

Guess it doesn't make sense to deal with sprint...

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/red-pocket-att-mvno-add-sprint-services/2013-08-07