[Sprint] Best option on how to upgrade

[burgertime]

So I'm planning on buying the LTE but am trying to figure out my options. I can either buy the phone outright ($599 price tag?) and sell my Photon (possibly get $250) or can sign my brother to my family plan and give him my Photon and I pick up the LTE on the new line. So that being said if I do pick up a new line is there any way to switch numbers so I keep my old number and my brother gets a new number on my Photon? He is in need of a cell phone but doesn't have the credit so obviously me picking him up on my line is a win/win...but for business reasons I'm not really wanting to get a new number, plus I've had my number for 4+ years. So for someone who has done this, what do you suggest? Should I just bite the bullet and buy the LTE outright?

For the record I was able to do the typical $200 upgrade for the Photon because I was a "gold" member before they upped the price and was able to get a courtesy upgrade. Just wondering if there are other options out there? Or what I should expect?

 

[Sauske]

So I'm planning on buying the LTE but am trying to figure out my options. I can either buy the phone outright ($599 price tag?) and sell my Photon (possibly get $250) or can sign my brother to my family plan and give him my Photon and I pick up the LTE on the new line. So that being said if I do pick up a new line is there any way to switch numbers so I keep my old number and my brother gets a new number on my Photon? He is in need of a cell phone but doesn't have the credit so obviously me picking him up on my line is a win/win...but for business reasons I'm not really wanting to get a new number, plus I've had my number for 4+ years. So for someone who has done this, what do you suggest? Should I just bite the bullet and buy the LTE outright?

For the record I was able to do the typical $200 upgrade for the Photon because I was a "gold" member before they upped the price and was able to get a courtesy upgrade. Just wondering if there are other options out there? Or what I should expect?

You can do the $200 upgrade or you can get the LTEvo for your "brother" on a 2yr contarct on the family plan once that is done, within your family plan do a ESN swap which is fine by Sprint, with your photon and LTEvo so you keep your #! If you are gold member:dancing2:, I think this will be the last time you can upgrade and it won't transfer next year!

 

[burgertime]

You can do the $200 upgrade or you can get the LTEvo for your "brother" on a 2yr contarct on the family plan once that is done, within your family plan do a ESN swap which is fine by Sprint, with your photon and LTEvo so you keep your #! If you are gold member:dancing2:, I think this will be the last time you can upgrade and it won't transfer next year!

Thanks for the info I think this is going to be my plan as I don't want to drop $400 bucks on the LTE. As for Gold membership I was Gold last year until they changed and claimed ignorance on it. They then gave me an early upgrade so I don't think I can pull that one off again . If could somehow get $300 for the Photon I might be willing to just buy it outright and tell my brother "sorry". hehe.

 

[SMALBA]

Can you explain what the gold status means and what do you mean he can only upgrade this year? Also where do you find out if you're a gold member or not ?

 

[falconey]

Gold status is a reference to an old 'vip' style customer program sprint had. Gold status premier memebers were allowed yearly upgrades as opposed to two year upgrades. The program is no longer available, but old Gold premier members still have one annual upgrade left that must be used by the end of this year.

 

[SMALBA]

Is there a way to find out what status I have? Also is there a status that gives you yearly upgrades or did they just remove that altogether ?

 

[burgertime]

Is there a way to find out what status I have? Also is there a status that gives you yearly upgrades or did they just remove that altogether ?

You would be a gold member if you had the Sprint Everything Plan and paid $89.95...sometime around August of 2010 I believe they changed the Premiere status to only that plan. I think it was anyone with an Everything Plan was allowed a yearly upgrade but they moved it to "Gold" by having the 89.95 plan. Now they are totally getting rid of it.

 

[falconey]

Is there a way to find out what status I have? Also is there a status that gives you yearly upgrades or did they just remove that altogether ?

You would know if you were gold status, you wouldn't have to ask. You would have received emails, mailings, etc from Sprint if you were in the Premiere program.

 

[drexappeal]

Get a new line for your brother and just swap the phones.

Just for example, I used one of my secondary lines that had an upgrade, to upgrade another line. I don't see any difference. I think it's more important for them to get the new line activated, than the actual upgrade/purchase itself.

Economically, they'll make ~$480 off a new line w/ a 2 year commitment. To lose that $480 based on not allowing a pre-existing customer to do a switch-a-roo on the device they're using and what the secondary line is using?...That just wouldn't make sense. And if they didn't allow the switch-a-roo, then that would mean a potential loss of a device sale as well.