Sprint Plans and the Pre: What's Required, What's Not (Webinar) 16
If you were hoping for big big news from the Webinar, you will be disappointed -- the event was all about Sprint and aimed at people who might have been new to the Pre and be part of an endangered species: looking to invest.
Anyhow, in an event designed to be all about Sprint, it makes sense that the question of plans would crop up. As you might expect from a Sprint exec, a clear answer on SERO was nowhere to be found, but we do know a bit more about what the plans can be. For inviduals:
- $99 Simply Everything
- $69 Unlimited data + 450 minutes - "Everything Data"
- $89 Unlimited Data + 900 minutes - "Everything Data"
The situation is pretty much analogous with the above for family and business plans -- any plan you want, as long as it has unlimited data.
Sprint used the word "required" a lot when it came to having an unlimited data plan with the Pre -- but it's theoretically possible that you could try to argue your way out of that for a cheaper plan. Well, we should say "cheaper" plan, because the Pre sucks down data willy nilly all the time with Synergy. It's even worse when you're using the device actively because, well, it does such a great job rendering web pages and pulling in email. So we're saying that you'll almost surely go over pretty much any data cap you may have no matter how diligent you are about WiFi hotspots.
In other words -- it looks like there won't be any hard and fast requirements, but if you are looking to get a plan not enumerated above, schedule in some extra time for haggling, the hard sell, and hire a personal assistant to keep track of your data usage.
16 Comments
The $69 Unlimited data + 450 minutes - "Everything Data" sounds good to me. I'm finding that I now text more with my wife and kid so I dont need as many voice minutes.
I currently have the Everything Data - 900 on my Instinct and am happy with it. I'm glad it will work with the Pre!
Pretty much following the ATT iPhone plans - just cheaper! I tried an iPhone a few weeks ago - 900 minutes, 200 texts msgs and data - $95/mo.
The shared plans are cheaper with more minutes. I plan to go with those. I'm glad these are a bit cheaper than the AT&T iPhone plans (which doesn't include sms mms or gps)
$189.99 - 2 lines Unlimited everything except data tethering
$129.99 - 2 lines Unlimited data 1500 minutes
$169.99 - 2 lines Unlimited data 3000 minutes
Only problem with Sprint Family Plans is that there is not one with just unlimited data on one phone. I would think it would be a cheaper option for families that only need unlimited text with voice minutes and only 1 phone with unlimited data.
even if you have sero (which has unlimited data), what if you already have an older non-sero plan that has already unlimited data?
And if you're not on Sprint currently, there's the question of how to sign up (for a Pre) on SERO.
But can you just go stick on their boost subsidiary for $50 a month? How about that soft data cap?
Like everyone is asking, what if you already have unlimited data..does one need to subscribe to one of these 3 plans if you're a sole customer?
Griffon, there is not soft data cap with any unlimited data plan. The only way you can have a soft data cap is if you add the PAM plan to you account. This will cap you at 5g.
You cannot add the PAM plan to any of the Simply Everything plans.
Is it just me is excitement for the Pre dying down? Look at how many posts there were on the comments section of articles when this site first launched (average of 50). Now there is only an average of 10...sad. Come on Palm/Sprint...get on the ball.
The continual obfuscation by Sprint (and the other carriers) about just exactly what each "feature" costs makes me less and less interested in any "upgrades" or other changes to my plan. Too many landmines, and you can't trust a thing the customer service representatives tell you.
Spent 15 minutes yesterday trying to help a friend figure out what adding a Phone-as-modem feature to his parent's phone would cost, couldn't get a straight answer on the web. Told him to call *2, but report back to me. When he did, I still have no clue what they want for it. And reading above, they won't let you add it to a Simply (not) Everything plan, and apparently they limit your "unlimited" data if you add it, etc? Sheesh.
I wish they would just standardize the rates and features, then compete on coverage and customer service and hardware. Makes me long for the old days of Ma Bell....
simple, it's 15 dollars.
you can add it to anything except the simply everything plans.
those do not allow it, period.
take two seconds and google it.
I wish they would just standardize the rates and features, then compete on coverage and customer service and hardware. Makes me long for the old days of Ma Bell....
We have an older family plan with two phones for $89.99 it includes 1500 shared minutes, nights and wekends at 7:00, unlimited to sprint phones, and no long distance or roaming. we have added 3 other phones at 9.99 per month each. We have unlimited texting incoming and outgoing for $20 for all 5 phones and my wife and I who have Centro's have unlimited data plans for $15 per month each. If there is a soft cap, not sure what it is, because I burn kilobytes like the Isralis burn ammo. The plan works great for us, and since they don't offer anything close any more we don't plan on changing. Hopefully the Pre will work with our plan. The manager at our Sprint store says it will so hopefully he is not up in the night.
Let me see SERO $30 with 500 minutes unlimited data and text versus 2 year contract for $69 with 450 minutes and unlimited data. If Pre without contract cost less than $468 I break even in one year. I'll stick with SERO.