Hello, I will be getting a cell phone soon, and I have been doing my research the past few weeks. I live in Ann Arbor, MI, and I've narrowed down my options to Verizon or Sprint. I'm looking at the $45/month Free and Clear plan without vision for Sprint, or the $40 a month America's Choice plan with Verizon. With Sprint I'd probably buy the LG 5350; Verizon would be the LG 4400. (I know Sprint offers better phones, but a.) I like the color flip phones, and b.) I'm not looking to spend a whole lot of money. Now, it says that Sprint provides free roaming with a Free and Clear plan, so I would be getting quite a bit of coverage without being charged even more (unless I'm misunderstanding this...please correct me if I'm wrong). That, in addition to the nicer phones Sprint provides, is making me lean towards Sprint. I also have quite a few friends with Sprint, and they say that their coverage is decent. But I'd like to get other opinions of Sprint in my area (especially around U of M campus). I know Michigan studens sued Sprint a few years back, and from my research, the service seems to have improved. I've also heard that the opinions of Verizon in the area differ depending on the person. Some say it's good, others bad in the same general area. If anyone has any experience with Sprint in the area, or has a correction to make about that free roaming, the help would be appreciated. Thanks.
I think there are some people from around that area here. In general Verizon would give you a larger calling area.
If you've got a Sprint dealer around, check out the Sanyo 8100. Much better reception than the LG, and the cool factor can't be beat. And if you do decide to go with Sprint you're going to want an unlimited Vision plan. Being able to check your email, surf the web, send pictures, etc. is worth the $15 a month. - sheureka
Yeah I have been reading around about the 8100...seems pretty nice. I agree, the cool factor is definitely there, and better reception is always good too. Still wondering about the Free and Clear America plans...are they different from regular Free and Clear plans? There's no listing for Free and Clear America plans on the website with my area code. But I read somewhere that they were different...?
The Free & Clear America Plans offer Sprint coverage nationwide with....guess what...NO Roaming. It's been the talk of the current...you should look into it. I don't think they give you maps or rates on their site, though. They specifically make you go to their store just to find out about it...what a pain...
I'm not a technical expert on the pros/cons of Sprint or Verizon or phone choices....but, I am a Sprint and Verizon customer in the AA market. So, I'll offer my points of view. It looks like you're interested in the new Free and Clear "America" plan. I don't currently have that service so I can vouch for how good it is (national coverage vs. Verizon) but it does sound very attracitve. One thing to consider is that most older phones offered by Sprint (including the 5350) are not capable of roaming on all frequencies. That phone does not have CDMA 800 capability so I'd expect its roaming functionality would be limited. More technologically knowledgeable folks can correct me or offer their views. For what its worth, I wouldn't pick a phone first, especially for its color shell, then pick the service provider. Sprint is rumored to have more phones coming out by mid-May and Verizon may have some by June 1. Assuming you're not in a hurry, you could wait to see your options but they're likely to be on the more expensive side. My experience w/ Sprint and Verizon coverage in the AA area is pretty equal. Generally, Verizon will offer the better signal strength and Sprint is more prone to dropped calls. Having said that, I do like many Sprint features and I think its far less expensive - the PCS to PCS alone could save you in a huge way - all my family use Sprint and live in different states...we virtually talk for free anytime. If cost is important and you're in AA, I'd go for Sprint. But, I'm not a fan of the 5350 phone! Good luck, the more advice you get the more confused you'll be...but, its worth every penny you pay for it. LOL
Since service from both carriers seems to be fairly good. I would suggest you try them both out for your self. Sprint has a 14 day trial period, and Verizon has a 15 day trial. And it looks like you are looking for a color phone for each provider. With Verizon I would recommend the Audiovox 9500 if you can still get one, over the VX4400. My personal experiance with the VX4400 was horrible, bad reception and many other bugs with the phone. I never had the 9500, but I havn't heard that many complaints about it. But if you do get one make sure you get the extended battery for it. As far as a phone for Sprint, I agree with sheureka. I have the 8100 and it is simply awesome. From what I have heard about the 5350 and my experiance with LG, I will never buy a phone from them again.
With the Sprint free PCS to PCS calling, is there any way to get that with a one year contract? I was looking around at the site, and it seems to only be provided with a two year contract. This being my first cell phone, I'm not sure how good of an idea it is to sign up for a two year deal. The price is pretty big to cancel a contract before it finishes. And yes, with the feedback I've received, I have ruled out the 5350. There seems to be better stuff out there.
You can get PCS to PCS with a 1 year contract but it will cost you $5 more a month to get it!! You also need to be on a rate plan of 500 mins. or more to have the $5 option!!
The Sprint Free and Clear America seems to be a good deal but it's only until the end of June. Half of your daytime minutes must be used on Sprint's network where as Verizon dosen't care. They do show maps for zip code 48101. Looks like the whole country is covered everywhere. Good move for SprintPCS.
I doubt that Sprint would absolutely hold you to using less than 50% of your minutes off network every month. They just don't want people making a habit of it. But it would be very hard to use more than half of your minutes off network anyway. And if you do you shouldn't be using Sprint in the first place.
Budney what rate plan are you on? They tend to allow the $5 waiver on 1 yr contracts if you're on the higher-up rate plans.
The LG 4400 is a great phone... there is a bug with the phone showing roaming even in your home area (when you end the call it says "roaming 4:41" or whatever. Software update is pending, so no big deal. Keep in mind you can only roam with Sprint where they want you to roam it's not just wherever you can get a signal. VZW could cut out all roaming on their America's Choice plan but you'd have no signal in some areas where you might need it... keep this in mind.
