Buh bye, Sprint! Dumped Sprint for T-Mobile just minutes ago.

[Overmind One]

I feel like I just took a healthy dump.

Sprint has had me by the short hairs for almost 8 years. Two-year contract after two-year contract, and false promises and rising prices, whilst the service remains mediocre. For years 4G was "coming soon". I couldn't even get it in my home, and when I did get it the switchover sometimes dropped my phone calls. They refused to work on my Epic 4G because it was rooted (at the time there was no rule against it). They started me on an "Unlimited Everything" for $99.00 which became almost $125/mo within a year (raising fees for smartphones, data in excess of 5GB/mo, service charges, etc). When it came time to upgrade my phone, they offered me nothing for my Galaxy SII so I had to pay $600 for my Galaxy S4. It goes on and on...


But T-Mobile is paying early termination fees of up to $350.00 if you trade in your phone for one of theirs (they have them all, including the S4 and all the iPhones). OR, you can pay the fee and then use your own phone (if it takes a sim) and just start up. This is the route I took.

http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/switch-carriers-no-early-termination-fee.html

My phone retails for almost $600.00 still. So, by paying the ETF and using my own phone, I save the cost of my phone, and only have to pay the ETF of $350. But my new monthly bill is only $50.00/mo instead of $102.75/mo, and I can even use the hotspot! T-Mobile does throttle internet after 500mb on the plan I chose to start, but that is because I really only need to be able to retrieve email and occasionally surf. Also navigation.

T-Mobile will port my existing number, and deal with the annoying Sprint Retention Team.

 

[Illiterati]

I paid full price for my phones, so no contract for me.

I've got Verizon and they've never done me wrong. I'm grandfathered in for unlimited internet and it's not throttled, like TMob does.

Glad you're happy with your TMobile.

 

[Overmind One]

I paid full price for my phones, so no contract for me.

I've got Verizon and they've never done me wrong. I'm grandfathered in for unlimited internet and it's not throttled, like TMob does.

Glad you're happy with your TMobile.

I paid full price for my phone too. The first phone years ago was free (Galaxy). But I paid half price for the Galaxy Epic 4G Touch (Galaxy SII). I paid the full $599 for my GS4. But I am on a two year contract which does not end until 2016. So, at the new rate with TMob, I will have recouped my costs in only 6 months.

 

[Bluce Ree]

I feel like I just took a healthy dump.

Sprint has had me by the short hairs for almost 8 years. Two-year contract after two-year contract, and false promises and rising prices, whilst the service remains mediocre. For years 4G was "coming soon". I couldn't even get it in my home, and when I did get it the switchover sometimes dropped my phone calls. They refused to work on my Epic 4G because it was rooted (at the time there was no rule against it). They started me on an "Unlimited Everything" for $99.00 which became almost $125/mo within a year (raising fees for smartphones, data in excess of 5GB/mo, service charges, etc). When it came time to upgrade my phone, they offered me nothing for my Galaxy SII so I had to pay $600 for my Galaxy S4. It goes on and on...


But T-Mobile is paying early termination fees of up to $350.00 if you trade in your phone for one of theirs (they have them all, including the S4 and all the iPhones). OR, you can pay the fee and then use your own phone (if it takes a sim) and just start up. This is the route I took.

http://www.t-mobile.com/offer/switch-carriers-no-early-termination-fee.html

My phone retails for almost $600.00 still. So, by paying the ETF and using my own phone, I save the cost of my phone, and only have to pay the ETF of $350. But my new monthly bill is only $50.00/mo instead of $102.75/mo, and I can even use the hotspot! T-Mobile does throttle internet after 500mb on the plan I chose to start, but that is because I really only need to be able to retrieve email and occasionally surf. Also navigation.

T-Mobile will port my existing number, and deal with the annoying Sprint Retention Team.

Welcome to the light. Prepare to be happy.

Oh, you also get to roam free of charge with unlimited data and text when you travel abroad in over 100 countries. Ain't that sweet?

 

[Joelist]

Good for you OM!

I hope T-Mobile works well for you. I had them a while ago and while the customer service was good the network where I am was just awful, so I went to Verizon and have been happy since. I gather you're in a stronger network area for them.

 

[shavedape]

I paid full price for my phones, so no contract for me.

I've got Verizon and they've never done me wrong. I'm grandfathered in for unlimited internet and it's not throttled, like TMob does.

Glad you're happy with your TMobile.

Watch out for their turd-like 4G MiFi Hotspot. Sometimes it works like a dream (like right now) and others it sucks donkey balls.

 

[Overmind One]

Good for you OM!

I hope T-Mobile works well for you. I had them a while ago and while the customer service was good the network where I am was just awful, so I went to Verizon and have been happy since. I gather you're in a stronger network area for them.

I get 4G at home with T-Mobile and not with Sprint, despite paying for "coming soon" for 4 years. And I had hotspot unlimited for two years before they blocked it and then scolded me for rooting my phone, despite there being no rules against it at the time. They added that in the next contract. I dont really care where I end up, as long as it isn't Sprint or AT&T (Apple Through & Through).

 

[Illiterati]

Watch out for their turd-like 4G MiFi Hotspot. Sometimes it works like a dream (like right now) and others it sucks donkey balls.

I have a MiFi hotspot and it's been just fine for me. My kid has one with an unlimited data phone number on it. So she's paying 40 bucks a month for unlimited internet on it. This does not suck.

 

[Overmind One]

I have a MiFi hotspot and it's been just fine for me. My kid has one with an unlimited data phone number on it. So she's paying 40 bucks a month for unlimited internet on it. This does not suck.

T-Mobile has a non-throttled plan at $70.00/mo, but I want to see what the $50.00/mo gets me before I upgrade. For me, hotspot is fairly important since sometimes I am in locations with no wired internet (because it is a new space). But I dont want to use a separate device for that. T-Mobile does not care if I am using hotspot or my phone, it allows me to use internet either way for no extra cost (albeit at throttled speeds on 2G on the lower priced plans).

 

[Overmind One]

Sprint is bleedin' customers like a mofo!

http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/11/5400610/sprint-q4-2013-earnings-financials

They were the only carrier to post a net loss. I used to love them...before they turned to the Dark Side. And they are actually trying to buy T-Mobile! LOL, that will most likely not happen:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-...g-seen-as-obstacle-for-any-sprint-merger.html



Now, I need to prepare to dump my Sprint software and grab myself a T-Mobile rooted stock ROM.

Ping Bluce: Is your GS3 rooted?

 

[Gatefan1976]

I have a question on this

Here is the bit I want to question

T-Mobile does throttle internet after 500mb on the plan I chose to start, but that is because I really only need to be able to retrieve email and occasionally surf. Also navigation.

Don't you watch most of your content via the net rather than cable?
If so, isn't 500mb less than your standard streaming 2 hour movie?
Does your throttle still allow uninterrupted streaming of content?
I ask because if I bust my limit, I tend to have to wait 3 times the length of what I want to watch to allow it time to buffer, and now with the launch of the WWE network, Mrs GF wants to get it when it arrives out here and I am trying to work out if she would need to upgrade our service to actually "unlimited downloads" rather than what we have now (which I think caps at 50 gig).

 

[Overmind One]

I have a question on this

Here is the bit I want to question


Don't you watch most of your content via the net rather than cable?
If so, isn't 500mb less than your standard streaming 2 hour movie?
Does your throttle still allow uninterrupted streaming of content?
I ask because if I bust my limit, I tend to have to wait 3 times the length of what I want to watch to allow it time to buffer, and now with the launch of the WWE network, Mrs GF wants to get it when it arrives out here and I am trying to work out if she would need to upgrade our service to actually "unlimited downloads" rather than what we have now (which I think caps at 50 gig).

Yes, I watch basically all my streaming content on the net. The internet on my phone is most used for email and navigation and making international calls with Skype (next to nothing compared to adding international calling to my plan), and the occasional remoting in to servers or computers. I cant answer the other questions because I dont have the service active yet. Something else you should know, the phone will grab wifi networks from remembered sources if they are within range, and switch to them when available. My Time Warner Cable internet allows unlimited access to all TWC wifi hotspots, and I have been able to maintain a continuous line of access on them from where I live to Santa Monica or to Long Beach with no gaps.

If the $50.00 plan with throttling is not working out, I will upgrade to the $70.00/mo plan with no throttling. Also, the "throttle" is connecting you at 2G.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Yes, I watch basically all my streaming content on the net. The internet on my phone is most used for email and navigation and making international calls with Skype (next to nothing compared to adding international calling to my plan), and the occasional remoting in to servers or computers. I cant answer the other questions because I dont have the service active yet. Something else you should know, the phone will grab wifi networks from remembered sources if they are within range, and switch to them when available. My Time Warner Cable internet allows unlimited access to all TWC wifi hotspots, and I have been able to maintain a continuous line of access on them from where I live to Santa Monica or to Long Beach with no gaps.

Ahh, ok so you are not dependant on that 500meg, Ok, that makes more sense to me, it's just your phone??

If the $50.00 plan with throttling is not working out, I will upgrade to the $70.00/mo plan with no throttling. Also, the "throttle" is connecting you at 2G.

What speed is 2G?

 

[Overmind One]

Ahh, ok so you are not dependant on that 500meg, Ok, that makes more sense to me, it's just your phone??


What speed is 2G?

Just my phone. 2G is somewhere around 0.07-0.10mbps. This is an older article regarding T-Mobile 2G, but it still applies:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/251008/what_happens_when_you_get_throttled_.html

 

[Gatefan1976]

Ahh, ok so you still have your......"root source of unlimited downloads" via your internet cable provider at home then?

 

[Overmind One]

Ahh, ok so you still have your......"root source of unlimited downloads" via your internet cable provider at home then?

Yes, big time. I have TWC's Ultimate Internet (the fastest they provide). I can get a 2gb movie in 15 minutes. Not only that, but I can access all of my library on the go from my phone, through the internet. If it becomes a problem, I will simply load the movies directly on to the phone or tablet (or even my spare 32gb micro sd card) and run it from the card.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Ahh, ok, this makes more sense now, cheers

 

[Bluce Ree]

So how are you liking your t-mobile?

 

[Overmind One]

So how are you liking your t-mobile?

I havent received the SIM card yet. My concern is how I am going to remove all the Sprint bullshit from the phone. Fortunately, it is a Samsung branded phone and not a Sprint branded one (which means it is already unlocked). The first GS4 was replaced by Samsung on insurance, so it should be easy using ODIN and Clockwork.

 

[Overmind One]

Seems easy enough to do this...the SIM card from T-Mobile will reconfigure some features. I have to wait for the card before I start futzing arounf with it. Evidently, the porting procedure takes only 15 minutes or so. Sprint is gonna shit. They have made THOUSANDS from me and associated accounts (referral). T-Mobile promises me that the Sprint Retention Team will not bother me. I canceled once before, and Sprint's RT managed to calm me down and get me to stay. Not this time.