Verizon Vs. Sprint (or other carrier)

GopherM

GopherM

Darwin was right
Anybody got any experience with Sprint or other provider as opposed to Big Red (Verizon)? My contract is up and it looks like there are better deals for smartphones, voice, and data and data plans from other providers compared to Verizon.

Despite the price being cheaper, if I can't talk to anyone or get data connection I don't want to switch even if the other providers are free.
 
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icequeen2727

New Member
I got my new Samsung Galaxy S4 (when it was newest model) off Amazon.com for a penny. I was only charged the $36 connection fee. Not sure how it works with new accounts since I was already a customer. I had my phone in 2 days and it was easy enough to do the set up myself. Didn't even have to go to the store or call customer service. I switched from Verizon to Sprint because of the unlimited data plans. Now the plans are even better priced (up to 10 lines for $100) I think. Never had a connection issue with Sprint and data connection is good too. Good luck!
 
GopherM

GopherM

Darwin was right
Thanks! I don't give a crap about the equipment. I'll pay what I need for a phone. I am interested in the quality of connections. I am in Leonardtown and work on the base. What is the connection like at both ends and everywhere in between?
 
Chasey_Lane

Chasey_Lane

Salt Life
Verizon seems to get the best coverage in this area. AT&T isn't too bad either. Friends have Sprint and theirs is spotty but nothing too horrible.
 
MMM_donuts

MMM_donuts

New Member
In the Pax area our AT&T service is pretty crappy. We only stay with them because we're grandfathered in to an unlimited data plan. We crunched the numbers and we'd easily be in the highest data tier for Verizon. We're fine on wifi but don't get great service otherwise.
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
I have had Sprint for 3.5 yrs now, it seems comparable to my work phone 2 yrs ago we had T-Mob - currently AT&T

the all share each others cell towers ....


[I like closer to the beltway near National Harbor]
 
lucky_bee

lucky_bee

RBF expert
Chasey_Lane said:
Verizon seems to get the best coverage in this area. AT&T isn't too bad either. Friends have Sprint and theirs is spotty but nothing too horrible.
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:yeahthat:

I have sprint bc that's what everyone has in New England where I came from and since the prices are better, I kept with it. Service is a little spotty, but I also live in the Ranch Club. I got one of those signal boosters for free from Sprint for the house...helps a lot. But I have similar coverage to everyone everywhere else except the CRE.
 
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phobos512

Member
GopherM said:
Anybody got any experience with Sprint or other provider as opposed to Big Red (Verizon)? My contract is up and it looks like there are better deals for smartphones, voice, and data and data plans from other providers compared to Verizon.

Despite the price being cheaper, if I can't talk to anyone or get data connection I don't want to switch even if the other providers are free.
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Are you on a Share Everything plan or are you on an older plan that's since been retired, or one of the new Single Line plans? The Single Line pricing is very competitive if you don't need data sharing amongst multiple devices. That's what I'm on; it's only $60/mo with 1GB of data and unlimited text/messaging (I think it's actually $70 but I get a $10/mo "discount" for being on an Edge policy also).
 
PeoplesElbow

PeoplesElbow

Well-Known Member
MMM_donuts said:
In the Pax area our AT&T service is pretty crappy. We only stay with them because we're grandfathered in to an unlimited data plan. We crunched the numbers and we'd easily be in the highest data tier for Verizon. We're fine on wifi but don't get great service otherwise.
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All depends where you are at. I can sit at my desk and talk on my phone but alot of my coworkers with Verizon have to go outside to use their cell.
 
GopherM

GopherM

Darwin was right
phobos512 said:
Are you on a Share Everything plan or are you on an older plan that's since been retired, or one of the new Single Line plans? The Single Line pricing is very competitive if you don't need data sharing amongst multiple devices. That's what I'm on; it's only $60/mo with 1GB of data and unlimited text/messaging (I think it's actually $70 but I get a $10/mo "discount" for being on an Edge policy also).
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I'm on one of the older plans. Gophette just has a simple flip phone and I have unlimited data on my smartphone. We share the talk minutes and neither of us uses texting.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
I got away from plans and major carriers and went with SmartTalk at WalMart and a Galaxy S3. $45/m unlimited up to 3Gb, then it throttles. Never got close to the limit. Runs on the Verizon backbone, but I have had no issues whatever with coverage from Arkansas to Florida to New York. In fact, I had my truck bluetoothed into my S3 and played Pandora from NY to home today with absolutely no drops, and took a call at the same time somewhere just before the 895 exit off Rt 95.

Interesting thing is that SmartTalk is actually supported by TrakPhone, and I've seen some great month-to-month plans under TrakPhone.
 
GopherM

GopherM

Darwin was right
GWguy said:
I got away from plans and major carriers and went with SmartTalk at WalMart and a Galaxy S3. $45/m unlimited up to 3Gb, then it throttles. Never got close to the limit. Runs on the Verizon backbone, but I have had no issues whatever with coverage from Arkansas to Florida to New York. In fact, I had my truck bluetoothed into my S3 and played Pandora from NY to home today with absolutely no drops, and took a call at the same time somewhere just before the 895 exit off Rt 95.

Interesting thing is that SmartTalk is actually supported by TrakPhone, and I've seen some great month-to-month plans under TrakPhone.
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I have a friend with SmartTalk and was pretty impressed with everything except that it blocked me from using FoxFi to create an independent hotspot you don't have to pay an access fee to use. On very rare occasions that comes in handy when staying with very senior relatives that don't have any internet connection. It's true I could do everything I need from the phone but being a senior myself it is easier on my eyes and fingers to have a full screen and keyboard with the laptop linked in.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
GopherM said:
I have a friend with SmartTalk and was pretty impressed with everything except that it blocked me from using FoxFi to create an independent hotspot you don't have to pay an access fee to use. On very rare occasions that comes in handy when staying with very senior relatives that don't have any internet connection. It's true I could do everything I need from the phone but being a senior myself it is easier on my eyes and fingers to have a full screen and keyboard with the laptop linked in.
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Right. It's in the TOS, no tethering.
 
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BernieP

Resident PIA
GURPS said:
I have had Sprint for 3.5 yrs now, it seems comparable to my work phone 2 yrs ago we had T-Mob - currently AT&T

the all share each others cell towers ....


[I like closer to the beltway near National Harbor]
Click to expand...

Sure, you'll get a connection, but it might cost you the roaming charges and be of lower quality (i.e. 3G instead of 4G)
Verizon is probably the most expensive and that higher cost is driven by the demand for bandwidth.

Which cell phone carrier is better is like debating which restuarant is better, it all depends on what your expectations are.
The old ads that AT&T and Verizon ran comparing the two networks seemed to contradict each other, but the fact was they were using two different statititcics to argue who was better. AT&T claimed to be the largest network based on the number of people who were in their coverage area - which was then focused on major metropolitan areas. Verizon claimed to be the largest network based on the area they covered - they had more of the country covered.

When we first moved to St. Marys the only service was Bell Atlantic (now Verizon). I think it was the Sprint store in Waldorf that tried to sell us on their service EXCEPT that it didn't reach much further than Charlotte Hall.
 
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