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Sprint May Have Unlimited Data Plans, But Not Unlimited Customers

Posted by timothy on from the get-busy-living-or-get-busy-dying dept.

mitcheli writes "Sprint announced a Q2 loss of $1.6B as 2 million subscribers left their service. While Sprint remains one of very few carriers to continue to allow unlimited data on their networks, the failure to reconcile two competing network technologies (iDEN Nextel and CDMA Sprint) combined with the lack of upgrades to their network and degrading service prompted a mass exodus of subscribers from their network. Of course the fact that during the iPhone 5 release, Sprint openly advertised that their iPhone would not be carrier locked, only to turn around and push out an OTA two months later that locked them probably didn't help much either."

3 of 207 comments (clear)

  1. Carrier Lock Not That Big An Issue by adisakp · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While slashdot users may like to complain about carrier locking, your average US consumer doesn't really care. Why?

    Because they typically get a discounted or free phone that locks them into a 2 year contract anyhow. And by the time 2 years are up, they want a new phone anyhow.

  2. Re:t-mobile is the best low cost carrier by alen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    nope, need to have an iphone and want a full GSM network so i can buy any GSM unlocked phone in the future

    i have an iphone 5 i'm looking to keep for 3-4 years and every phone after that i'll pay full price and keep 3-4 years. no reason to upgrade every 1-2 years anymore

  3. Re:Carrier locks suck, but who buys unlocked by jittles · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why pay more for an unlocked phone? So you aren't in a contract, they don't give you a discount on services. It makes no sense that they make a person with a locked or unlocked or out of contract phone pay the same amount. Make it worth my while and I'll bring my own phone to the game.

    You can get an unlocked Nexus 4 for $300, sign up for T-mobile's $30/month unlimited data/texting (100 voice minutes), and save a ton of cash over Verizon/ATT/Sprint. Or if you want unlimited everything, it's $50 a month. Considering that I was at almost $100 a month with ATT and at $80 a month with Sprint, that $300 Nexus 4 would be paid off in 10 months with unlimited everything on T-mobile.