First time smartphone owner here, what's the best carrier?

Niceguyeddie616

Title currently says it all, I currently have a feature phone under Verizon, and I'd really like one a them newfangled Androids, but Verizon's pricing is waaaay too expensive for my tastes. it came out to pretty much close to 95.00/mth under them, and that's with a 2 GB data limit. Sprint's plan looks pretty attractive, with the smartphone charge it comes out to $80/mth, which after taxes will probably be around 85 based around current cell phone bill fees. What I wanna ask is, is it a good decision to switch to Sprint? Is there anyway other than dropping to limits on certain things that I could get something cheaper with Verizon? What's a good plan to get a Droid phone without paying a king's ransom?

If it helps, I'm currently in Massachusetts, and my current plan with Verizon allows unlimited texting and data, but isn't compatible with Smartphones. I'll be using Christmas money to pay for the actual phone, so I'm not that worried about price, but I want a phone that's relatively recent and won't have much of a problem running current stuff a couple years from now.

Thanatos

While I have heard a lot of complaints about Sprint from other people, I've had nothing but positive with them. The only downside is that Verizon's network coverage is much better, however if you spend most of your time in big cities, Sprint's network is, if anything, one of the best, IMO. My phone tends to be more reliable than my friends' phones in Seattle (mostly because I think there are way fewer Sprint customers).

Inquisitor77

This really depends on where you go the vast majority of the time, and how the coverage is for the carriers in those specific places. Verizon in general has "the best" coverage, but that's meaningless if one of their rare pockets happens to be in your bedroom. I'd take the time to ask neighbors, friends, and colleagues how their coverage is in your most frequented spaces. Even some informal polling can help you cross specific carriers off the list pretty quickly. For example, if someone near my house asked if they should use Sprint, I would tell them to stay as far away as possible.

If you absolutely need a reliable connection, travel frequently, tend to roam every which way locally, or need dependable talking/data coverage while in transit (i.e., you're on the train and need to be on a conference call the entire time), then things like Verizon's coverage become more valuable. Otherwise, you're paying several hundred dollars more per year when you could be getting away with T-Mobile on the cheap.

Artreus

I've been looking at smartphones lately, trying to save up for one.

It looks like if you can afford it, get an unlocked phone. Then you can pick your carrier and you won't have the ridiculous charges you would get on the major carriers if you got a phone at a subsidized cost with a 2 year contract.

My current plan is to get an unlocked smart phone and go with T-mobile, and spending $40-50 a month instead of $70-90. It is more expensive up front, but you end up saving over the course of the 2 years your contract would have been.

Wassermelone

Try Virgin Mobile. You gotta buy the phone, but the prices are really good. And no contracts. And unlimited data and texts.

Muse Among Men

Yes! Seconding Virgin Mobile! Their everything plan (Beyond Talk, I believe it is called) nets you 300 talk minutes and unlimited everything else for only $35. I love it. No contract is the best part, just pay month by month or preload your account with cash online. It is excellent if you use a lot of data or text a lot. They use Sprint's towers and I have never had dropped calls or trouble with signal outside of subways (LA and Santa Barbara here). You could go to them with an unlocked phone or buy their phones, none more costly than $300 and most are cheaper and they have a nice if limmited assortment of Android phones. I personally intend on staying with them for the long run since I got grandfathered into their $25 price point and am getting a new Android phone from them this winter (the LG optimus V I hope).

Essee

Yeah, I don't have a smart phone, but Virgin Mobile's coverage really is plenty great unless you're in the basement of some building (like the subway example, but I had a few classes in rooms that were surrounded by a lot of metal as well and couldn't get a signal in them sometimes when others could, though that might be my cheap phone) or possibly way up in certain mountains where cell coverage is usually a bit spotty anyway. I've been with them for like... 7 years now or something? Since my first year of high school. There have actually been a couple times when their (Sprint's) signal was actually BETTER than our friends with Verizon's, where they would have a spotty signal at best but we'd have two bars for some reason. I didn't really live in a major city, either, but I am from California originally so coverage may not be as solid elsewhere as it was there or is in Washington (where my mom moved to), not sure. I've traveled a fair amount, though, and really never had any trouble getting a signal wherever I was except in the two situations I mentioned.

bowen

They're all about the same. Find the one that has the smart phone you want, has the best plan (price) and go with them. Keep in mind you'll most likely have a 2 year service contract.

I personally prefer verizon because their coverage is crazy good. And if you're not planning on using your smart phone as a tether, it is impossibly hard to hit the cap if you're in range of a wifi signal most of the day.

Inquisitor77

I'm going to point out the obvious, that a 2-year contract means that you will have to live with the same phone and the same level of coverage for 2 years. That's not an insignificant period of time (and money) to find out that you can't make or receive phone calls from home. Don't assume that they are "all about the same". Everyone's situation is different, so take your own needs into account when selecting the carrier and the phone.

bowen

When I said, "They're all about the same" I mean that they all offer roughly the same services and abilities. Deadzones are deadzones, if you're in one you still have a 15-30 day window to get out of the contract I believe.

I have a verizon phone with unlimited texting so I don't know what the OP is having issues with. My cellphone has two smart phones with unlimited texting, unlimited internet and the basic service plan for $120 ($40 of which is the double service/insurance/text agreements) a month. I don't know why the OP is getting shafted on that.

Thanatos

bowen wrote:

When I said, "They're all about the same" I mean that they all offer roughly the same services and abilities. Deadzones are deadzones, if you're in one you still have a 15-30 day window to get out of the contract I believe.

I have a verizon phone with unlimited texting so I don't know what the OP is having issues with. My cellphone has two smart phones with unlimited texting, unlimited internet and the basic service plan for $120 ($40 of which is the double service/insurance/text agreements) a month. I don't know why the OP is getting shafted on that.

Because he only has one phone.

The second phone on a plan is waaaaaaaaayyyyyy cheaper than the first. $95 a month is pretty typical Verizon pricing.

NotYou

virgin mobile. 35 a month for unlimited data/text. 300 minutes i think.

The data is very slow, but usable.

bowen

Thanatos wrote:

bowen wrote:

When I said, "They're all about the same" I mean that they all offer roughly the same services and abilities. Deadzones are deadzones, if you're in one you still have a 15-30 day window to get out of the contract I believe.

I have a verizon phone with unlimited texting so I don't know what the OP is having issues with. My cellphone has two smart phones with unlimited texting, unlimited internet and the basic service plan for $120 ($40 of which is the double service/insurance/text agreements) a month. I don't know why the OP is getting shafted on that.

Because he only has one phone.

The second phone on a plan is waaaaaaaaayyyyyy cheaper than the first. $95 a month is pretty typical Verizon pricing.

I could actually downgrade my service to something like $70 a month if I only had a single phone if I recall, but I'd get like 200 minutes, no unlimited texts and have to pay for data too. But still, I use it in place of a home phone so fuck it, that's $60 right there.