[thecaptain42]

I live in heavily populated Redondo Beach, CA which has excellent Sprint 3g, no 4g. My wife & I really each want another Android, Galaxy S 2, but of course will use very little 4g near home. My contract is us for renewal, meaning I'm paying subsidy fees, not subsiding anything. Been happy w/Sprint for 10+ yrs, really don't want to wait 12+ months for LTE, if it ever happens. Lightsquared/GPS really scares me. Any advice?

Went into local Verizon store. Based on my family plan with a good corp discount, Verizon would be just about double what I'm now paying. Unfortunately, won't be able to get same corp discount w/Verizon. Not worth that much $$$ for 4g.

Thanks.

[legion125]

Sorry, no more WiMax coverage except what is out there. If your area has it along with a good signal, than the Epic Touch would be a viable option. Sprint will be supporting WiMax until 2015, so plenty of time for you to get your money's worth from the phone.

However, since you don't have 4G, then the Epic is still a good phone, or hold out until summer and get an LTE phone. Although you won't have LTE coverage there either.

[slick69]

How much will you be paying with the smartphone fee on Sprint and how much will the plan be on Verizon?

[ericdabbs]

Originally Posted by thecaptain42

I live in heavily populated Redondo Beach, CA which has excellent Sprint 3g, no 4g. My wife & I really each want another Android, Galaxy S 2, but of course will use very little 4g near home. My contract is us for renewal, meaning I'm paying subsidy fees, not subsiding anything. Been happy w/Sprint for 10+ yrs, really don't want to wait 12+ months for LTE, if it ever happens. Lightsquared/GPS really scares me. Any advice?

Went into local Verizon store. Based on my family plan with a good corp discount, Verizon would be just about double what I'm now paying. Unfortunately, won't be able to get same corp discount w/Verizon. Not worth that much $$$ for 4g.

Thanks.

well my advice is to wait for a LTE device. You live in the Los Angeles area which should be getting LTE for sure some time later this year since it is a big market. If you are saying that you don't get Wimax much currently and mostly use 3G then why not just wait and get a LTE device and use 3G in the mean time. When LTE comes to Los Angeles, your phone is future proof and will have superb coverage and speed. I would not advise anyone to get a Wimax device and sign a new 2 year contract at this point since it is just dead technology. LTE devices should be coming out sometime in April or May in anticipation for the first LTE markets to launch in June.

[thecaptain42]

Originally Posted by slick69

How much will you be paying with the smartphone fee on Sprint and how much will the plan be on Verizon?

To go to 4g, Sprint will charge me $8 ($10-20% for me) + $10 (wife)=$18 over my current $118.

Verizon wants $120 (shared family voice + text, 1400 [not 1500 minutes Sprint gives me]) + $30 (each person) * 2 = $60 for 2GB data. There was a 4GB for the price of 2GB promotion, think may have lost that. Besides, Sprint has ANY mobile, Verizon is only to Verizon mobile (though Vzn gives me 10 friends, Sprint gives me 3 friends). Besides, Vzn night starts at 9PM, Sprint 7PM. Then throw in Sprint unlimited data (at this time).

To summarize moving to 4g:
Sprint $118 (forgot to mention that includes taxes), nite starting 7PM, 100 extra minutes/month, currently unlimited minutes + $18 = $136

Verizon $120 + $60 (data) + taxes, guess at $10 = $190

Then if I keep my current Android phone, Sprint costs $118 incl taxes.

What bugs me is I'm paying "subsidy" fees which we're not taking advantage of.

[starstrukk]

Originally Posted by thecaptain42

To go to 4g, Sprint will charge me $8 ($10-20% for me) + $10 (wife)=$18 over my current $118.

Verizon wants $120 (shared family voice + text, 1400 [not 1500 minutes Sprint gives me]) + $30 (each person) * 2 = $60 for 2GB data. There was a 4GB for the price of 2GB promotion, think may have lost that. Besides, Sprint has ANY mobile, Verizon is only to Verizon mobile (though Vzn gives me 10 friends, Sprint gives me 3 friends). Besides, Vzn night starts at 9PM, Sprint 7PM. Then throw in Sprint unlimited data (at this time).

To summarize moving to 4g:
Sprint $118 (forgot to mention that includes taxes), nite starting 7PM, 100 extra minutes/month, currently unlimited minutes + $18 = $136

Verizon $120 + $60 (data) + taxes, guess at $10 = $190

Then if I keep my current Android phone, Sprint costs $118 incl taxes.

What bugs me is I'm paying "subsidy" fees which we're not taking advantage of.

Sorry to burst your bubble... but if I'm not mistaken, your discount will not work on the $10 premium data charge. =\

[Dan]

Discounts only apply to the main line of the base plan as of 2/1/12. No discounts on the $10 premium / 4G fee, etc.

[irev210]

Originally Posted by thecaptain42

To go to 4g, Sprint will charge me $8 ($10-20% for me) + $10 (wife)=$18 over my current $118.

Verizon wants $120 (shared family voice + text, 1400 [not 1500 minutes Sprint gives me]) + $30 (each person) * 2 = $60 for 2GB data. There was a 4GB for the price of 2GB promotion, think may have lost that. Besides, Sprint has ANY mobile, Verizon is only to Verizon mobile (though Vzn gives me 10 friends, Sprint gives me 3 friends). Besides, Vzn night starts at 9PM, Sprint 7PM. Then throw in Sprint unlimited data (at this time).

To summarize moving to 4g:
Sprint $118 (forgot to mention that includes taxes), nite starting 7PM, 100 extra minutes/month, currently unlimited minutes + $18 = $136

Verizon $120 + $60 (data) + taxes, guess at $10 = $190

Then if I keep my current Android phone, Sprint costs $118 incl taxes.

What bugs me is I'm paying "subsidy" fees which we're not taking advantage of.

I would hang in there for about 2-3 months.

Sprint LTE IS coming and the first LTE phones are coming as well. Originally, a blog reported that the Galaxy Nexus will be landing on Sprint by March. From what I've read though, it seems like ~April 15th will be most likely landing time.

I think waiting ~3 months is well worth it.