Sprint offers numerous unique pricing plans that tend to emphasize data usage over more traditional voice applications. That seems a logical extension of their leadership in the adoption of 4G data transfer technology. Sprint is the TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award because the pricing plans offer different feature sets than those of other carriers, comparison can be a bit difficult, but the plans may well be best for any individual consumer’s needs. The cell phone provider has consistently lagged behind the competition in customer service surveys.
Unlimited Plans
This cell phone provider made quite a splash with the introduction of their Simply Everything plan for $99.99 per month. Even now the competitors don’t offer plans that really compare to it. The price includes unlimited anytime voice calls, unlimited messaging, unlimited web access and even unlimited Sprint Direct Connect for phones that offer that feature. Direct Connect is this cell phone provider's brand name for Push-to-Talk, or walkie-talkie, connectivity. The web access feature even incorporates services like GPS and Sprint TV. Additional lines of service are available in the Simply Everything Family plan for an additional $89.99 per line up to a total of five lines.
Does all that mean that we’re saying that this is the best deal going? Not really. The reason is that most consumers simply don’t need unlimited everything, so the plan is overkill. On the other hand, for those who do need all of these capabilities, it’s a good deal.
Comparing Sprint’s unlimited voice and text plans to the other major carriers is a little more complicated. The plan is called Everything Data with Any Mobile, Anytime. They claim that their $69.99 plan is worth a lot more than comparably priced plans from AT&T and Verizon Wireless because it includes unlimited messaging and web access. True though that is, it makes very little mention of the fact that the plan only includes 450 anytime minutes for voice calling. The unlimited calling feature that it includes is only to and from other mobile phones. A valuable advantage to this cell phone provider's plans is that free nighttime calling begins at 7:00 PM as opposed to 9:00 PM with other wireless providers. As usual, the devil’s in the details. We urge consumers to compare plans with their unique needs in deciding which is best.
The anytime minutes for the Everything Data with Any Mobile, Anytime plan can be increased to 900 minutes per month for an additional $20.00. Minutes used beyond the allowance are charged at $.45 for the 450 minute plan or $.40 for the 900 minute offering. Everything Data with Any Mobile, Anytime family plans are also available for up to five lines and with varying anytime voice calling limitations. There are also Everything Messaging plans available for individuals and families, which don’t include the unlimited mobile provision, at lower costs.
Traditional Plans
With all the emphasis on unlimited data and messaging plans, it’s not too surprising that the number of voice-only plans is pretty limited; nonetheless, they are available. A single-line plan with 450 anytime minutes costs $39.99 monthly with airtime used beyond the limit charged at $.45 per minute. The other individual plan includes 900 minutes for $59.99 and additional time is charged at $.40 a minute.
There’s a single voice-only family plan that includes 700 shared anytime minutes for the first two lines and costs $69.99 per month. Additional lines, up to a total of five, are $9.99 each and minutes used beyond the 700-minute limit cost $.45.
Sprint has a full range of phones from the most basic to some of the most advanced smartphones on the market. Though this cell phone provider has been the only American cell phone carrier to offer the decided advantage of 4G data transfer in selected markets, it’s been limited to mobile broadband service for devices such as laptop computers using an air card or MiFi device. The EVO will be the first cell phone available through a U.S. carrier to offer 4G connectivity.
While the advancement to 4G has no effect on voice calling, its impact on data services is dramatic. It means essentially that data transfer speed is increased by an order of ten compared to 3G, i.e. it’s about ten times faster. To make the availability of the EVO even more interesting, it’s simply a great smartphone with a dramatic 4.3-inch touchscreen and uses the latest Android 2.1 operating system.
Sprint is also the leader in iDEN or Push-to-Talk technology. With this feature, an individual or group of individuals can be contacted instantaneously. It’s the walkie-talkie feature that is so favored by public safety and industrial users. PTT was Nextel’s claim to fame, and Sprint has continued to lead in this realm since taking them over.
This cell phone provider's phones offer a variety of extra services that are highly desired by many customers. Using GPS technology, Sprint Family Locator can be in indispensible tool in keeping track of your most cherished treasure, your family. It provides interactive satellite maps that include street addresses and landmarks for locating loved ones. Safety Checks is an automatic feature that sends notifications of a child’s location at user defined times of the day. The feature can be used from any internet-enabled computer or cell phone once service is established. The service costs $5.00 per month and can be applied to up to four locatable phones.
Entertainment options include Sprint Music, Sprint Radio and Sprint TV. Sprint Music has over two million songs available for over-the-air download directly to the phone. Sprint Radio allows for streaming of commercial free or local radio stations and Sprint TV offers a wide variety of shows, news, sports and movies. A wider variety of programming can be accessed by subscribing to Sprint TV Xtra for an additional $9.99 a month.
Cancelling service before the end of a contract incurs a $200 early termination fee which is generally higher than the competition. After the first five months of service are completed, the ETF is reduced by $10.00 a month until it reaches a minimum fee of $50.00. If a phone is returned in like-new condition within 30 days of purchase, the ETF will be waived.
There’s a $36.00 activation fee when establishing a new contract but the fee is waived if a phone is purchased online. There’s also a $35.00 restocking fee if a phone is exchanged for a different one within the first 30 days of a contract period.
Sprint offers customer service via live chat, toll-free telephone line and email. Customer service can also be reached directly from the cell phone. Though customer service ratings have improved over time, they have consistently ranked behind other major carriers in objective surveys.
Sprint’s voice and data networks are extensive and reliable. As of now, they’re the only player in the 4G market, a technology that can be very valuable to consumers with heavy data demands. Their pricing structure differs from the other carriers in that they generally place greater emphasis on data usage than voice calls. We urge care in comparing plans to ensure that the plan you choose is the best one for your individual needs. Anecdotally, our contact with Sprint customer service has been excellent; nonetheless, we can’t ignore the consistently low marks that they’ve received over time compared with other cell phone providers.
