For the past few months, I eagerly anticipated the end of my two-year contract with T-Mobile. I wasn’t sure if I was going to stick with the pink logo’d carrier or not. I was convinced by T-Mobile’s commercials that they had the best priced plans, but I wanted a cool phone and most of their devices are boring.
Initially, I wanted the iPhone. For years I used the iPod Touch but always had iPhone envy. The issue is that my past experience with AT&T (more specifically Cingular) wasn’t that great. Additionally I didn’t want to pay for one of their overpriced plans (no offense AT&T users). So based on my previous AT&T experience and the current pricing models, I opted to look elsewhere.
My next choice was Verizon and the Android, but even with my corporate discount, I felt that Verizon’s plans were overpriced. Infact, Verizon and AT&T were similar with only a few dollars separating the two. So, it looked like I was back to exploring my options with T-Mobile; I figured I’d just stick with them since the coverage was pretty decent and the prices were fair. When I called to inquire about signing a new two-year contract with a new phone, they wanted to increase the price of the plan that I was currently on. I couldn’t believe my ears.
Me: “…I’ve been with you guys for years and you want to raise the price of my current plan?” T-Mobile Rep: “Yes sir, we do not offer that plan anymore at the price you are paying.” Me: “So, I guess I’ll have to take my business elsewhere”. T-Mobile Rep: “Is there anything we can do to keep you with us?” Me: “Keep my current plan the same price if I sign a new two-year contract” T-Mobile Rep: “I’m sorry sir, we can’t do that.” Me: “Are you really that stupid?” Okay, I really didn’t say the last quote, but I thought it.
So now I was back at the drawing board. I spent days going over Verizon and AT&T phones/plans and was at a loss. What’s a cheap guy to do? And then it happened… like an epiphany.
I was signed into a site and a contextual ad for Radio Shack came up. They were having a sale on the HTC Hero for new Sprint two-year contracts, and the price was sweet! $99 for a highly regarded Android phone. I then went to Sprint’s site and checked out their rate plans… and I was SHOCKED at how reasonable they were. Why hadn’t I considered Sprint before?
I called Radio Shack to make sure they still had a Hero left, ran down to the store and signed up. In the few days I’ve had my Hero, it’s been amazing. The reception is clear, the Web is super fast, the interface is simple, and the phone looks pretty hot. Furthermore, I’d never known how poor the quality of T-Mobile’s service was until I switched to Sprint… the difference is like night and day.
While I can’t compare service or reception to AT&T and Verizon, I can compare price. The plan I signed up for with Sprint is $69.99 a month. For that price, I get: unlimited mobile to mobile, unlimited Web, unlimited texting, nights starting at 7, and free weekends. AT&T and Verizon were both over $100 a month.
So, if you’re looking for a new phone/service provider, I highly recommend taking a look at Sprint and the HTC Hero.
And a note to T-Mobile, take care of your loyal customers!
