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Dan Hesse: Sprint's not following Virgin's tiered data movement, but 'nothing is guaranteed forever'
Without a doubt, it's the 800 pound gorilla in the carrier realm: will Sprint follow AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless down the woeful tiered data route, laced with pain, confusion and general awfulness? We asked Sprint CEO Dan Hesse that very question today at Sprint's campus, and the answer wasn't exactly heartening. He stated that people are simply willing to pay a price premium (when it comes to rate plans) for something that's just dead simple -- something that they don't have to think about when they use. He (rightly) admitted that most average consumers have no concept of what a gigabyte is, or how long it takes to use one up, and that's why the outfit's unlimited plans are still striking a chord -- and in fact, more so now than ever with its three main rivals giving it an even stronger differentiator. When asked whether Sprint would eventually have no other option but to switch to tiered data plans if heavy users begin to come over in droves, Hesse replied that having enough bandwidth to efficiently go around "could be an issue," and while it's working diligently with OEMs and app developers in order to implement things like WiFi offload, we were told that "nothing is guaranteed forever." We specifically asked if the recent tiered testing implemented at Virgin Mobile (which runs on Sprint's network) was an early indication that Sprint was also leaning this way, and Dan was steadfast in his denial. According to him, the postpaid and prepaid sectors are markedly different beasts, and it's not reasonable to consider that Sprint will follow Virgin's footsteps. Moral of the story? Sprint's clinging to unlimited for as long as it can, but we get the impression that a transition is imminent -- even if it's still a few years out.
Sprint adds two new 3G mobile broadband plans, unlimited WiMAX for all
Want an unlimited WiMAX hotspot for $45 per month? Sprint's got a new plan that gives you just that, plus 3GB of 3G data. There's also a brand-new 10GB plan for $90 if you need to cruise a bit further down the slow road. Sprint's 4G-only devices still carry a $50 monthly fee, and like the carrier's existing 5GB plan (still $60), the new ones also have unlimited WiMAX, making the $45 plan a bargain if you happen to own a compatible device. If you already pay for unlimited service on a Sprint cell phone, you can also avoiding paying the included $10 "premium data" surcharge -- this means Unlimited Everything and Everything Data subscribers can now add an unlimited 4G hotspot (with 3GB of 3G usage) for just $35.
Sprint's Dan Hesse differentiates between unlimited and 'unlimited' in latest TV spot
We're not the biggest fans of new tiered data plans that are slowly but surely becoming the norm, and if the latest ad from Sprint is any indication -- that particular carrier isn't either. CEO Dan Hesse takes the offensive, reminding viewers that the word 'unlimited' shouldn't include things like metering or throttling, while touting the company's "Simply Everything" plan that actually does include, uh, everything. With customer gains on the upswing, the move is probably a good one -- though that whole 'premium data' thing is a little iffy. Full PR after the break.
Sprint increasing 3G data plan pricing by $10/mo, calling it 'premium data'
Oh, Sprint, you sneaky devil. The nation's third-largest carrier just announced that it's tacking on an extra monthly $10 "premium data" charge to its 3G Everything data plans -- in effect, charging 3G phone owners the same total price that Evo and Epic owners pay now for 4G service. It's especially weird because Sprint's hidden the price increase in a press release entitled "Smartphones Drive Wireless Data Explosion" that initially appears to be about increased use of data before shifting abruptly into a defense of the additional charge and potshots at tiered data plans -- we know no one wants to talk price increases, but let's have some gumption, guys. Existing 3G Everything plan holders won't see their rates go up until they "upgrade or activate another smartphone," which doesn't sound great for family plans, but we'll get some clarification on that and let you know. Either way, we'd say picking up a non-4G Sprint phone just got real silly. PR after the break.
Verizon testing a $99 unlimited plan that simply matches Sprint's famous offering
Carriers test the waters on new plans all the time, but this new one from Verizon seems -- at least at cursory glance -- squarely aimed at its CDMA competitor. According to research from Current Analysis, the nation's top carrier is trying out an unlimited Nationwide Talk & Text plan for $69.99 in San Diego and Los Angeles retail outlets. That's $20 less than the current price, and coupled with a $29.99 data plan, we're looking at a monthly fee that's within pennies of Sprint's Simply Everything plan. As with other network trials, this one may never expand beyond certain test markets -- but needless to say, this seems to indicate Verizon's taking its smaller CDMA rival a whole lot more seriously. Amazing what a quarter of positive subscriber growth can do, isn't it?
Sprint wastes no time touting its unlimited plans over Verizon's
Not since AT&T called an audible to offer unlimited voice the same day as Verizon have we seen this kind of hustle out of a big-four carrier -- though it's only ending in hastily-prepared PR this time around, not any material changes in calling plans. Sprint is countering Verizon's new offerings announced this morning with a release of its own, running the numbers to find that its Everything Data plans at the 450, 700, and unlimited voice bucket levels should save users about $240 a year against Big Red, while comparing Sprint's 1,500-minute family plan with unlimited data to Verizon's 1,400-minute plan yields savings of about $600 annually. For better or worse, Verizon and AT&T have historically viewed themselves as "premium" nationals with justification for charging higher rates than smaller rivals Sprint and T-Mobile -- but depending on where you go, what you do, and how you use the service, the cheaper guys could end up working every bit as well, if not better.
Sprint's big surprise to be unlimited calling, data, text, and MMS for $70 (update: official)
We can't say we expected Sprint to actually surprise anyone with its "game changing" announcement tomorrow, and right on schedule, the details have come leaking out. Apparently Sprint's $70 rate plan going unlimited, meaning seven Hamiltons will get you endless mobile-to-mobile calling (to any network, not just Sprint), texts, data, and MMS -- stuff you could already get on the Simply Unlimited plan, but the big change at this price point is the unlimited mobile-to-mobile voice, up from 450 minutes in the current plan. Yeah, it's a good deal, but is it a revolutionary deal? We'd say that all depends on whether or not it comes with a free Palm Pixi.Update: The Any Mobile, Anytime plan is now official.
Sprint's big surprise to be unlimited mobile calling, data, text, and MMS for $70 (update: official)
We can't say we expected Sprint to actually surprise anyone with its "game changing" announcement tomorrow, and right on schedule, the details have come leaking out. Apparently Sprint's $70 rate plan going unlimited, meaning seven Hamiltons will get you endless mobile-to-mobile calling (to any network, not just Sprint), texts, data, and MMS -- stuff you could already get on the Simply Unlimited plan, but the big change at this price point is the unlimited mobile-to-mobile voice, up from 450 minutes in the current plan. Yeah, it's a good deal, but is it a revolutionary deal? We'd say that all depends on whether or not it comes with a free Palm Pixi.Update: The Any Mobile, Anytime plan is now official.
Sprint Simply Everything plan now includes mobile broadband for laptops
Sprint's Simply Everything plan's always brought a lot of bang for the buck, and it looks like it's about to include a little more everything -- you'll now be able to add mobile broadband to the package. $149 a month ain't cheap, but you won't be short of connectivity with unlimited messaging, data, and voice, GPS navigation, and 5GB of laptop internet access a month. That explains Sprint's willingness to promote the Pre's data tethering abilities -- anyone going to take the plunge?Update: Sprint pinged us to clarify that the additional fee only covers the use of a USB stick or laptop card, not tethering. We'd still love to just carry one thing, though.[Via Phone Scoop]
Sprint debuts "Simply Everything" plan for $99 a month
We're not sure what took them so long, but Sprint finally has joined its fellow major carriers in offering an unlimited plan for a flat rate -- the now industry standard $99 -- only this time it's for all the marbles. Instead of just the unlimited voice offered by AT&T and Verizon, or the voice + SMS that T-Mobile has on offer, Sprint is undercutting the competition with a $99 plan that includes voice, data, text, Sprint TV, GPS and more. "Simply Everything" is available today to both CDMA and iDEN customers, and is open to existing and new subscribers. If you've got a family plan, it's $5 less for every line you add ($99 + $94 + $89 and so on). While those with the gift of gab but no desire to surf the mobile webs might be disappointed that the rumored $60 unlimited voice plan didn't materialize, this certainly undercuts the competition by healthy margin for the smartphone crowd, which is exactly what we were hoping for out of Sprint.
