Items tagged with Sprint
LG made a splash at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month when it introduced its G Flex2 handset with its curved body and high-end spec sheet. If you've been patiently waiting for your chance to pick one up, you're on the homestretch -- Sprint will begin taking pre-orders for the G Flex2 tomorrow, February 20th, and offering the device on March 13. Using Sprint Easy Pay, you can nab the G Flex2 with no money down, no finance fees, and 24 monthly payments of $21. That's for the handset alone; you'll still have to pony up for a service plan, which is required. If going that route, you'll end up paying $504 for the device after adding up all the monthly...
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Verizon may not offer the best pricing promotions, but out of the four major wireless carriers in the United States, Big Red sits on top, according to RootMertics. Verizon was ranked as America's top carrier with an overall "Rootscore" of 93.9 out of 100, beating out AT&T (91.7), Sprint (86.6), and T-Mobile (84.0) for the honor.The rating is for the second half of 2014. During that time, Rootmetrics traveled 288,165 miles conducting over 5.7 million tests, including ones from 6,215 indoor locations. The goal is to evaluate each of the wireless carriers' mobile network performance from a consumer's point of view. That entails data, calling, and texting performance, both indoors and outdoors,...
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Thanks to the efforts of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and its Chairman Tom Wheeler, you shouldn't have too much trouble unlocking your cellphone post contract and taking it to another carrier. It's certainly legal, which was a bit of a gray area two years ago. But Wheeler and all four major wireless carriers in the U.S. came to an agreement that effective today, allows mobile phones to be unlocked upon request. If for some reason they can't, then they must "provide the necessary information to unlock their devices for their customers and former customers in good standing and individual owners of eligible devices after the fulfillment of the applicable postpaid service...
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As a kid growing up in the early 80s and 90s, I can remember making numerous trips to RadioShack (whether it be in a standalone location or at the mall). Most of the time, it was to purchase batteries or parts to fix whatever electronic gadget I was attached to at the time (R/C cars, R/C airplanes, my portable battery-operated black and white TV), but I often just liked stepping foot inside the store to find the next gadget that would go on my wish list. But as my gadgets became more miniaturized without an easy way to fix them and as stores like Best Buy came along, my fondness with RadioShack faded away. I’ve probably stepped into a RadioShack three or four times in the past decade, and that...
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In case you haven't noticed, wireless carriers are fighting each other tooth and nail, and they're fighting over you. Yes, you! That's especially true of Sprint and T-Mobile, two companies that nearly merged with one another a few months ago, and are now bitter rivals, each trying to steal subscribers away from the other (along with Verizon and AT&T). As a result, there have been a lot of new pricing plans and promotions, the latest of which has Sprint combining its "iPhone for Life" and "iPad for Life" plans into a single lease option.Taking advantage of the new deal, you can snag an iPhone 6 smartphone and iPad mini 3 tablet for $100 per month with no activation fee or upfront costs. The...
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We first brought you news of Google’s efforts to become a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) last week. According to sources for The Information, Google has plans to partner with both Sprint and T-Mobile (America’s third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers respectively) to provide voice and data service. Google’s Nick Fox is reportedly leading the development of the MVNO, which is currently operating under the codename Nova. A new report from The Wall Street Journal is shedding some more light on the service, which is expected to be available nationwide as early as the first half of 2015. According to the usual “people familiar with the plan,” Google’s MVNO would use intriguing new technology...
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T-Mobile CEO John Legere has made it a point to attack industry heavyweights like AT&T and Verizon on a regular basis, often with profanity and inflammatory language. T-Mobile’s various “Uncarrier” initiatives have been designed to siphon off customers from its larger rivals, and 2014 proved to be especially fruitful, as the company was able to add 8.4 million customers. More recently, Legere has made it a point to go directly after Sprint’s third place position in the U.S. wireless market. While T-Mobile fell short of securing the third place spot during 2014, it is starting off 2015 with yet another promotion that reminds of the line often repeated by so many used car dealership: “Bad credit?...
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Is Google about to win the wireless wars? It's a logical question that needs to be asked, analyzed, re-asked, re-analyzed, and debated. And if you're wondering what the flip we're talking about, it's this -- there's a new report suggesting Google is partnering with select wireless carriers to sell its own brand wireless voice and data plans directly to consumers.Whoa, that's big. But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's consider those select carriers. According to subscription site The Information and the "three people with knowledge of the plans," Google will tap into networks belonging to Sprint and T-Mobile for its new service, buying wholesale access to mobile voice and data in...
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T-Mobile has been on a winning streak for the past year. Lead by the brash CEO John Legere, the “Uncarrier” added 8.3 million customers during 2014 and has launched a number of initiatives — including Data Stash and cut-rate unlimited LTE data plans — to battle larger competitors like Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Legere even made it a point to specifically target Sprint, saying that T-Mobile would overtake its bitter rival to grab third place among wireless carriers. Unfortunately for T-Mobile, Sprint retained its third place position, and Legere will have to try again during 2015. T-Mobile US’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, had hoped that there wouldn’t need to be a bitter fight between...
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It’s hard to believe this, but the Lumia 635 is actually the fist Lumia device to grace Sprint’s wireless network. The smartphone has been available on Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile since December 23, and it finally made its way to the flagship Sprint brand yesterday. The entry-level smartphone will be available on Sprint for free with a new, two-year contract. If you choose the no-contract option, the Lumia 635 will cost you $168. You can also go the Sprint Easy Pay route, which will see you paying an additional $7 per month for the cost of the smartphone.And now, please welcome the #Lumia 635 to the @Sprint family! #TeamLumia https://t.co/sVv7HdMiXe pic.twitter.com/jHXiof2ZDU— Lumia US (@LumiaUS)...
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Sprint this week reported some preliminary customer results for its third fiscal quarter of 2014, noting that it added 967,000 customers to the fold, including postpaid net additions of 30,000, prepaid net additions of 410,000, and wholesale net additions of 527,000. What's significant about these numbers is that it means Sprint was able to hold onto its position as the third largest wireless carrier in the U.S. That's bad news for T-Mobile, which has been pulling out all the stops as it attempts to catch up with surpass Sprint. And T-Mobile would have, if only Sprint posted a loss in subscribers -- T-Mobile earlier this week announced that it added 8.3 million subscribers in 2014, bringing its...
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It's always a good idea to comb through your wireless phone bill each and every month to make sure you aren't being hit with any unauthorized charges, such as ringtones, screensavers, and other third-party items that you never agreed to purchase. It's a practice known as bill cramming, and it's something the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) takes very seriously. The FCC is so serious that it may slap Sprint with a hefty fine for allowing its customers to be charged for services they never wanted or requested. According to Reuters, FCC commissioners are currently reviewing the situation and will soon vote on the proposed $105 million fine. It's the same amount the FCC punished...
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New York City seems to be on a mission to provide Internet access to everyone. While the LinkNYC program is converting old payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots, it was recently announced that NYC libraries are rolling out a program that will provide free Wi-Fi device rentals after Google donated $1 million to the program and 500 Google Chromebooks. Called The Library Hotspot program, it is designed to give families that lack broadband access the chance to borrow free Wi-Fi devices from a local library. With Google’s $1 million donation, in addition to a $500,000 grant from the Knight News Challenge, the program has expanded to all three library systems and is looking to offer around 10,000 families...
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If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Yesterday, Sprint caught the attention of numerous wireless subscribers with its “Cut Your Bill in Half” promotion. The United States’ third-place wireless provider promised AT&T and Verizon Wireless customers that it would cut their bills in half if they made the switch to Sprint. The promotion, however, was loaded with caveats with the biggest one being that you had to trade in your existing smartphone to Sprint with no compensation in return. In addition, customers that don’t handover their current smartphone within 30 days are hit with a $200 charge per line. It’s this part of the promotion that makes it a profitable venture for Sprint....
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The pricing war between wireless carriers continues to heat up. AT&T initiated a limited time promotion back in September that doubled the data available for Mobile Share Value customers on existing 15GB and higher plans. Verizon Wireless and Sprint then followed up with competing plans of their own. Now, Sprint is looking to kick some dirt in AT&T and Verizon Wireless’ eyes with a new promotion. The company is introducing a new “Cut Your Bill in Half” promotion that will dramatically reduce the price of your wireless plan if you leave AT&T or Verizon Wireless. Starting on Friday, AT&T or Verizon Wireless customers can upload a copy of their current bill to Sprint.com or visit...
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Sprint is planning to reduce its workforce by approximately 2,000 employees, or 6.5 percent, a move the company says will save $400 million annually on labor costs. Unfortunately that is what is has come to for Sprint -- looking for ways to cut costs following a dismal quarter underscored by an operating loss of $192 million. Going forward, Sprint's goal is to reduce expenses by $1.5 billion annually. "We have started a transformational journey," said Marcelo Claure, who was appointed CEO of Sprint in mid-August. "While the company continues to face headwinds, we have begun the first phase of our plan and are encouraged with the early results. Every day we are focused on improving our standing...
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Recently, Sprint went on the offensive with its data plan by offering families 1GB of shared data for $20 per month and introducing a double data plan that offers 20GB for $100. In response, Verizon and AT&T have fired back with their own updated data plans to entice consumers over to their services. On Friday, Verizon announced a price reduction for its $100 and $110 per month plans. Effective November 1, new and existing customers who go with the company’s new "More Everything" plan will receive 10GB for $80 and 15GB for $100. In addition, Verizon is also offering a $150 port-in credit for consumers who switch to their service and purchase a new 4G LTE smartphone with a two-year contract...
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As the wireless wars heat up, Sprint continues to modify its plans in hopes to offer customers the best deal around. Sprint has been especially aggressive in trying to attract iPhone customers with special plans, including a lease option starting at $30 per month in which you would be eligible to trade up to a new iPhone model every two years. Starting November 14, Sprint will offer customers the same deal, but bump up the upgrade eligibility to every 12 months. "Consumers have told us they want the best value and the ability to upgrade their devices every year," said Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO. "Sprint delivers with its new 12-month lease offer, allowing customers to upgrade to the latest iPhone...
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Wireless carriers continue to up the ante in an effort to claim the most subscribers, but which has the best plan? Well, that depends on your needs and situation. For low-end data users, Sprint just ducked under the competition by rolling out a Family Share Pack that offers 1GB of shared data for just $20 per month. That's double the amount Verizon offers and a three-fold increase compared to AT&T at the same price point. "This entry-level sharable data allowance reinforces Sprint’s commitment to offering customers the best value in wireless," said Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO. "We’re offering customers a choice – whether they need a small amount of data or are a high-end data user." Verizon's...
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The recent launch of Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets has wireless carriers tripping over each other in a race to get your business. What about existing subscribers? Don't worry, you haven't been totally forgotten -- in fact, Sprint just announced that existing subscribers can lease an iPhone 6 model for just $5 per month. Sprint is offering what it calls a "Loyalty Service Credit" of $15 per month to existing customers interested in leasing an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. It costs $20 to lease an iPhone 6, so after applying the credit, the price drops down to $5 per month. If you're interested in the iPhone 6 Plus instead, the cost is $10 per month after applying the loyalty credit,...
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Sprint may catch some flak for playing favorites here, but if you're an iPhone fan and plan on picking up the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, the wireless carrier has a deal you might find to be too good to refuse. In an attempt to trump its competitors, Sprint is offering individuals a special $50 per month plan that includes unlimited data, talk, and text. "The best iPhone ever deserves the best deal in data," Sprint states in relation to the deal. Along with the special pricing promotion, Sprint is offering a an "iPhone for Life Plan" that ensures you'll have a new iPhone every 2 years. There's no upfront cost or sales tax, just a monthly fee to lease the phone plus the special $50 price mentioned...
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You don't hear too many smartphone owners complaining about the premium design of their handset, and certainly the metal construction of HTC's One M8 is a highlight of the device. However, there's something to be said for plastic -- it's lighter and cheaper, which are two traits of the new polycarbonate HTC One E8 available at Sprint. The HTC One E8 is similar to its M8 sibling in almost every way, save for the plastic construction and a few little details. It sports the same 5-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) display, 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and excellent front-blaring speakers with HTC BoomSound, all wrapped in Android 4.4.2...
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