iPhone: Should I stick with AT&T or switch to Sprint?
October 28, 2011 6:09 PM Subscribe
I'm a brand new iPhone customer. Just 2 weeks ago I purchased my first iPhone from AT&T. I love the phone. But AT&T is very expensive (the cheapest plan is ~ $92 a month when taxes are included). I'm planning to use mostly data on my phone, so I think Sprint will be a better deal -- cheaper plan plus unlimited data. It would save me about $20 in the long run. I know that I wouldn't even use the full 200MB each month...but even with that taken into account, Sprint's deal is still cheaper.
I have 2 weeks to return the AT&T phone without paying the termination fee.
My question is, should I stick with AT&T and continue to pay almost $100 for a measly 200MB a month, even though their network is better? Or should I pay less for unlimited data on Sprint, even though they supposedly have a slow network?
Just how slow is slow? I don't plan to stream video or music on my phone. I just want to browse the internet, check my mail and upload the occasional photo to twitter or my blog. If you use a Sprint iPhone, is it a pain to do those things on their network?
Does anyone here have a Sprint iPhone 4 or 4s? What has been your experience? I live in the SF Bay area, and occasionally travel to my childhood home in NC. How good is Sprint in those areas?
I'm so angry with myself for not buying an AT&T or Verizon iPhone when those two carriers still had unlimited plans. Everyone I know has either AT&T or Verizon and can keep their unlimited plans with those carriers. But if I want unlimited, Sprint is my only choice. Are they any good?
Just how slow is slow? I don't plan to stream video or music on my phone. I just want to browse the internet, check my mail and upload the occasional photo to twitter or my blog. If you use a Sprint iPhone, is it a pain to do those things on their network?
Does anyone here have a Sprint iPhone 4 or 4s? What has been your experience? I live in the SF Bay area, and occasionally travel to my childhood home in NC. How good is Sprint in those areas?
I'm so angry with myself for not buying an AT&T or Verizon iPhone when those two carriers still had unlimited plans. Everyone I know has either AT&T or Verizon and can keep their unlimited plans with those carriers. But if I want unlimited, Sprint is my only choice. Are they any good?
Does Sprint have the same 30-day-return window? It would cost you a little more to have the overlap, but I wonder if you've thought about buying the Sprint one tomorrow and having them both for a week or two -- given how much you'll be using this device the upfront cost seems negligible in terms of making the right decision, and then you can see how it actually works for the locations where you go. Just don't mix up the phones...
posted by brainmouse at 6:17 PM on October 28, 2011
posted by brainmouse at 6:17 PM on October 28, 2011
I have a Sprint iPhone 4s and I've been thrilled with it. I use it much like you describe you want to - email, Words with Friends, internet browsing - and I haven't noticed any network speed issues at all.
I don't know in what part of NC you're talking about, but I live in Raleigh and ironically the only place I don't have service is my own house, right in the middle of town. You walk to either end of my street and it's fine, though. I've had Sprint for years and I'm used to it so it's not a huge issue. I have an Airave device for calls and use WiFi for the data at home.
posted by something something at 6:41 PM on October 28, 2011
I don't know in what part of NC you're talking about, but I live in Raleigh and ironically the only place I don't have service is my own house, right in the middle of town. You walk to either end of my street and it's fine, though. I've had Sprint for years and I'm used to it so it's not a huge issue. I have an Airave device for calls and use WiFi for the data at home.
posted by something something at 6:41 PM on October 28, 2011
This doesn't directly answer your question, but it may help you.
Call AT&T to cancel. Tell them it's too expensive. They will offer you unlimited minutes&data for free for 6 months!
At least, that's what happened to me!
ymmv, but you could get 6 months of only paying $30 for your minutes... then of course, they own you, but you may think it's worth it.
posted by katypickle at 6:51 PM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Call AT&T to cancel. Tell them it's too expensive. They will offer you unlimited minutes&data for free for 6 months!
At least, that's what happened to me!
ymmv, but you could get 6 months of only paying $30 for your minutes... then of course, they own you, but you may think it's worth it.
posted by katypickle at 6:51 PM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
I live in North Carolina and have had Sprint for about 5 years or so, previously with Android phones and now with an iPhone 4S (that I'm loving, btw). I live in Raleigh and have no problems with coverage and I also travel regularly to the NC mountains (near Asheville) and also have good coverage there. I believe AT&T's coverage in the NC mountains is rather spotty; most of my friends and family that live there have Verizon.
posted by SweetTeaAndABiscuit at 7:19 PM on October 28, 2011
posted by SweetTeaAndABiscuit at 7:19 PM on October 28, 2011
I've considered paying the termination fees (we have 4s so we're still under contract till jul) and moving to Verizon, that's how maddening the call drops and problems with AT&T have been for us.
What's kept me from it so far isn't so much the data speed but the inability to have both voice and data at the same time. I don't much care about really using the data while on the phone but my understanding is that even the action of the phone ringing under CDMA drops the data connection. I didn't see you mention it so I wanted to mention it in case it's a deal breaker for you.
posted by phearlez at 7:45 PM on October 28, 2011
What's kept me from it so far isn't so much the data speed but the inability to have both voice and data at the same time. I don't much care about really using the data while on the phone but my understanding is that even the action of the phone ringing under CDMA drops the data connection. I didn't see you mention it so I wanted to mention it in case it's a deal breaker for you.
posted by phearlez at 7:45 PM on October 28, 2011
katypickle has it!
If you follow the phone tree it, you will get to the "retention dept." God, I love those folks!
Also, WHY are you paying so much?? Do you (hopefully) have rollover minutes from a previous AT&T phone?
I'm asking because when I upgraded, I had lots of rollover minutes banked. I had a sweet $5 for 200 text messages. I was paying for 450 minutes per month, a pittance. When I got my iPhone, I called through to the retention dept and made them re-instate my $5 per month text plan and I only paid $15 a month extra for data.
I currently have unlimited text for $10, the rate for 450 minutes, and $15 extra for data.
Tell them you are going to return your phone. See what breaks, offers, and promotions they will give you.
posted by jbenben at 7:56 PM on October 28, 2011
If you follow the phone tree it, you will get to the "retention dept." God, I love those folks!
Also, WHY are you paying so much?? Do you (hopefully) have rollover minutes from a previous AT&T phone?
I'm asking because when I upgraded, I had lots of rollover minutes banked. I had a sweet $5 for 200 text messages. I was paying for 450 minutes per month, a pittance. When I got my iPhone, I called through to the retention dept and made them re-instate my $5 per month text plan and I only paid $15 a month extra for data.
I currently have unlimited text for $10, the rate for 450 minutes, and $15 extra for data.
Tell them you are going to return your phone. See what breaks, offers, and promotions they will give you.
posted by jbenben at 7:56 PM on October 28, 2011
Research sprint in your area. Here on li , sprint has horrible coverage. Some other areas of the country they are great.
posted by majortom1981 at 7:19 AM on October 29, 2011
posted by majortom1981 at 7:19 AM on October 29, 2011
If your phone doesn't work where you need it to, then you aren't really getting more for less from sprint. So, do your best to figure out how sprint does for you. If they have the same return terms, hurry and get a phone from them and try it out.
I will suggest that your guess about how much data you'll use is probably off if you haven't had an iPhone before. You might find 200mb confining, but I doubt you'll need unlimited data. 2gb will probably hold you.
posted by Good Brain at 12:31 PM on October 29, 2011
I will suggest that your guess about how much data you'll use is probably off if you haven't had an iPhone before. You might find 200mb confining, but I doubt you'll need unlimited data. 2gb will probably hold you.
posted by Good Brain at 12:31 PM on October 29, 2011
Well, I tried Virgin Mobile on the Sprint Network and it was crappier than crappy. It took a month for them to return the money for the phone - make sure you have a tracking number - and they flat out stole the "top up" money from me, and I had stupidly paid an extra month in advance. I now look for threads like this to say "Avoid Virgin Mobile." Maybe it is OK in an urban area but not where I live.
posted by mearls at 4:07 PM on October 29, 2011
posted by mearls at 4:07 PM on October 29, 2011
I have been an iPhone user on the AT&T network for over four years. AT&T charges me less than $80 per month (including taxes) for my current cell phone plan which includes 2GB of data usage. Note that any iPhone data plan on AT&T includes "unlimited AT&T Wi-Fi." That means that whenever your iPhone is able to access a wireless network, you will have unlimited, free data usage.
I also recently checked on the AT&T website to see which plans, if any, were cheaper than mine and could not find one. So, I don't know why you couldn't find a plan that cost less than $92 a month.
posted by inconsequentialist at 1:48 AM on October 30, 2011
I also recently checked on the AT&T website to see which plans, if any, were cheaper than mine and could not find one. So, I don't know why you couldn't find a plan that cost less than $92 a month.
posted by inconsequentialist at 1:48 AM on October 30, 2011
If you only do web browsing, the speed won't matter too much.
Here's the comparison if you're interested:
AT&T uses HSPA with a maximum throuhgput speed of 14Mbps (for iPhone 4S)
Verizon and Sprint use EV-DO Rev A (I don't think Rev B will be rolled out for any carriers in the US) with a maximum throughput speed of 3Mbps and no simultaneous data and voice.
Of course maximum theoretical speed does not mean anything in the real world. I'd say on average you'd get 10-20% of that speed.
posted by 7life at 11:29 AM on October 31, 2011
Here's the comparison if you're interested:
AT&T uses HSPA with a maximum throuhgput speed of 14Mbps (for iPhone 4S)
Verizon and Sprint use EV-DO Rev A (I don't think Rev B will be rolled out for any carriers in the US) with a maximum throughput speed of 3Mbps and no simultaneous data and voice.
Of course maximum theoretical speed does not mean anything in the real world. I'd say on average you'd get 10-20% of that speed.
posted by 7life at 11:29 AM on October 31, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
AT&T coverage is painful in parts of NC. Don't know about Sprint. Everyone I know with a Verizon iPhone raves about no dropped calls--I get dropped calls on AT&T all the time. Not sure about Sprint--it's so new (iPhone-wise) that you're risking early adopter disease just by taking it on.
posted by litnerd at 6:17 PM on October 28, 2011 [1 favorite]