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The truth: Why the extra fees are a rip off

BlackDynamite

Android Expert
May 6, 2010
896
221
I am not happy about the extra fees. Yes, we all know Dan Hesse said 4G was so much cheaper to provide than 3G, and we know he said Sprint wouldn't charge us extra for it on the Evo. We also know Sprint currently doesn't charge extra for it on the mobile broadband plans. There is more to it than that though...
I keep seeing Sprint fanboys say ridiculous things like "It's still the cheapest plan out there" and "It's still the best deal..."
Lets put some facts to that bull. I have done the legwork for everyone. Here is the truth.
Sprint:
450 minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited web: $70 right now + $10 for Evo so $80
1500 minutes 2 line family plan: $130 right now + $20 for Evo so $150
1500 minutes 4 line family plan: $170 right now + $40 for Evo so $210
T-Mobile:
Even More + (no contract, pay full price for device)
500 minutes, unlimited text, unlimited web: $70
1500 minutes 2 line family plan: $120
1500 minutes 4 line family plan: $180
Even More (2 year contract, subsidized device)
500 minutes, unlimited text, unlimited web: $80
1500 minute 2 line family plan: $160
1500 minutes 4 line family plan : $230
I know, I know, the fanboys will say, "But T-Mobile coverage sucks..."
Here is a fact:
"By the end of 2010, T-Mobile expects to have HSPA+ deployed across the breadth of its 3G footprint, covering more than 100 metropolitan areas and 185 million people."
Source:
Unsupported Browser
So how does T-Mobile's HSPA+ compare to Sprint's Wimax? Here are a couple of quotes from a test PC Mag did (both in Philly):
Wimax: "average of 2.25 megabits down and 628 kilobits up, with peaks of 5.13 down and 1.17 up."
HSPA+: "average download speeds of 3.12 megabits/sec, with peaks of 7.65, and upload speeds of 1.26 megabits/sec with a peak of 2.02."
Source:
WiMAX vs. HSPA+: The Hands-On Test - WiMAX vs. HSPA+ Roundup | PCMag.com
And here is a video of the folks at Pocket Now doing a speed test on their T-Mobile HD2 and pulling almost 9 megs:
YouTube - T-Mobile's HD2 Get's Almost 10Mbps Download
Keep in mind, that HD2 isn't even made for HSPA+. It just so happens that HSPA+ is backwards compatible with HSPA, so the HD2 benefits from it. However, T-Mobile will be launching at least one device to compete with the Evo this year, made specifically for their HSPA+ network. And T-Mobile is claiming it will be 3 times faster than Sprint's 4G, as well as cover more people this year.
Source:
T-Mobile will launch HSPA+ smartphone in H2 2010, 3x faster than Sprint HTC EVO 4G – Android and Me
I don't have Wimax in my area right now anyway. But even if I did, assuming I could get T-Mobile coverage here, why the heck would I pay Sprint even more money? The CEO tells you one thing and then does another, so we can't be surprised when their reps don't know what the heck is going on.
 
I love that the comparison uses A) Family Plans (which are a whole nother can of worms), B) T-Mo's HPSA+ network which doesn't commercially exist and C) leaves out Verizon and AT&T, which is who most people are referencing about "being better than" in the first place.

That there is the tri-fecta of failure, folks.
 
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do we also forget that sprint's free mobile to mobile is for any carrier? That factors into how many minutes one needs. So if you compare minutes to minutes and the prices are the same, sprint still wins.

I do know I have 22 lines, all premier phones and my bill is $1600/mo and the average person talks about 2000+ minutes per month and the boss's son has the most expensive line with his Hero and all his services. All lines have insurance too. I'll still save money witth the Evo because I'll be dropping my air card. Mostly in 4g coverage so simultaneous data and text makes it a no brainer along with no sprint smartview software to install.

I wonder what will happen when the Evo gets 2.2 and hot spot is built in and hacked for free. What $30/mo?
 
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Maybe the op should just switch to T-Mobile and be happy.
Right, sit down and shut up always works, right? If Sprint knows we're pissed, maybe they'll do the right thing here. And you're kidding yourself if you don't think Sprint has cronies reading forums like this one.

I love that the comparison uses A) Family Plans (which are a whole nother can of worms), B) T-Mo's HPSA+ network which doesn't commercially exist and C) leaves out Verizon and AT&T, which is who most people are referencing about "being better than" in the first place.

That there is the tri-fecta of failure, folks.
Right, because I didn't mention single user plans at all. Oh wait, I did. And I didn't post anything about T-Mobile's HSPA+ being available. Oh wait, I did...

I wasn't aware the T-Mobile Even More plans came with unlimited mobile to mobile.
I don;t care too much about mobile to mobile on any network. If someone has a cell phone, I text them rather than calling anyway. All my friends are the same way. Even my friends with dumbphones text way more often than calling.

So who has a family plan with 4 lines and all of them are getting EVOs resulting in $40 in "EVO Taxes"?

I just don't see that situation happening often.
I have a family plan with 4 Touch Pro 2s right now. If you don't think teenagers want smartphones in this iPhone era, then you obviously don't know very many teenagers.

I don't get why I have to pay 10 more when I can't even use 4g. I don't need the cap removed from 3g.. And I can't tether for the 10 more.. I have to pay 29.99 more on top of that wtf.
There was no cap removed. Sprint had unlimited data on smartphones all along. The only 5GB cap was on the data cards.
 
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Salty, u do realize you are comparing current tech vs future tech. Of course future tech is going to be better

The fact that you parry Sprint's unlimited mobile to mobile by saying you only text discredit your plan comparisons.

From what I see you are pretty set on not getting evo. Fine by us, rest of us with Sprint premier in 1 year will be gettin even better phones with refined service.

Don't the door hit you on the way out
 
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Wimax: "average of 2.25 megabits down and 628 kilobits up, with peaks of 5.13 down and 1.17 up."
HSPA+: "average download speeds of 3.12 megabits/sec, with peaks of 7.65, and upload speeds of 1.26 megabits/sec with a peak of 2.02."

Well then you just need to go get tmobile.

The hspa+ thing is a terrible lie. They are lying to you. If feb, there was zero people using hspa+, which means that you can get really great speeds. But once you start add traffic, you will get majorly slowed down. When you have about 25% of the network being used. The connection is forced down to 1.2 mbps. I can get 1.2 mbps on sprints 3g connection.
Hspa+ is already maxed out, wimax can only get faster.

All you can do is complain about the 10 dollar fee.

Do us and yourself a favor, get tmobile and hspa+ and stop trolling the forums. You have zero clue what you are talking about.
 
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By the end of 2011

Clear/Wimax coverage in America will exceed T-mobile current 3g coverage..

HSPA is a band aid and will be at is max speed in America when it finally rolls out.

T-mobile will 99% partner with Clear to add wimax to its network..

LTE sucks and will be at Wimax current speeds when it finally rolls out in 2010.

Wimax 2.0 will be active and ready to roll out at minimum 50% current speeds..

By 2014 Wimax will cover more areas in the world than any other

Clear will add LTE to its network and be the king of the hill
 
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Got my EVO friday morning, and even though my home (North of Atlanta) & my office in downtown Atlanta is under the 4G coverage map, I haven't gotten a whif of a 4G signal yet. The 3G runs like a dream, and I must confess, my building probably is blocking the 4G signal, but $10 extra, and I can't use it kinda pisses me off.

The phone is the bomb tho.:cool:
 
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Salty, u do realize you are comparing current tech vs future tech. Of course future tech is going to be better

The fact that you parry Sprint's unlimited mobile to mobile by saying you only text discredit your plan comparisons.

From what I see you are pretty set on not getting evo. Fine by us, rest of us with Sprint premier in 1 year will be gettin even better phones with refined service.

Don't the door hit you on the way out

tjwoo <---- sheeple. Getting shafted and he doesn't even care. How about we pay the $10 when the forkin service is available? When was the last time you paid for something you might get in some unknown future period? Have you been reading the 4G threads? Lot of people can't get 4G indoors. Heck, I'd bet your city doesn't even have 4G. You're blinded by the bling... previous iPhone user aren't you?
 
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