clbowens

So my two cents on Direct2U, since I've actually met the guys who do the driving (was at the Apple store when they drove up with the iPhone 6S), thus have REAL world experience and knowledge, and I can tell you that people here LOVE the service.

 

The rep told me that he spends most of his day driving around to different customers, sometimes their offices, sometimes their homes, even local Starbucks.

 

That's spreading company goodwill, that Sprint is looking to add a personal touch to the customer's purchase, something that can't be bought.

What would be cool is if these guys could double as network quality checkers also.  Since they are driving around anyway.  Just carry around a little device that collects signal data.

You should have tried this.  According to this, you could have switched to the new plan if you "upgrade" to a new leased phone:  http://s4gru.com/index.php?/topic/7246-upgrade-date-suddenly-changed-from-months-to-now/&do=findComment&comment=448726

Then you wouldn't have to pay extra for the few months.

Since there hasn't been any updates for the S5 in a while, could it be possible that we will go straight to 6.0 skipping 5.1.1?

I hope so.

You can switch to that plan if you upgrade your phone.

 

Sent from my Sprint LG G4

Not according to the Sprint people I have talked to.

Or switch to the $60 plan + $18 and lease it for -$2 compared to your current bill.

 

 

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

I'm still on a contract until July 2016, so I can't switch to that plan.  And by that time, that plan will be $70.  :-)

Same here.  So, if I want a GS6 for example, it would be my regular contract plan price ($80) plus the lease payment for a GS6 ($18).

Now, if I could lease it for free, I'd jump on that!

I can see that being a benefit possibly, if it ever happens, but I'm still not sure making consumers buy new chargers and cables is a good thing.

 

Are we Apple now?

 

Sent from my SM-G925P using Tapatalk

It the nature of the beast.  :-)

First one is dumb, feel it or look at it.

 

Second one is nice, but I think now having to purchase and keep available 2 different cables is a pain in the arse.

 

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I also read somewhere that when it's fully used, you could use the USB-C cable to say transfer power from one phone to another.  In a rare situation where you may have a fully charged phone and your friend's phone needs a little charge.

I use OTA for network television. I don't have cable service. I do have high speed broadband though.

 

I don't need to have my OTA service cut because my wireless service provider needs more capacity. They can densify, if there is no additional spectrum available. It doesn't have to be an either, or proposition.

 

If a TV station is unprofitable or barely profitable and in danger of going under anyway, I don't see much harm in them auctioning off their channels for data. It kind of irks me they would profit from spectrum that's really owned by the public, but I can get over that.

 

But I think it's dangerous thinking to say that we should not have OTA television at all because there is a data explosion. This is still a new thing. And by giving out spectrum over and over again, we stifle new technology that could make wireless much more efficient. So taking existing spectrum from other legitimate uses is not a good answer.

 

In my opinion, 600MHz is really only a good option for rural areas. And there should be no problem securing ample 600 in these areas. But no one is talking about the rurals. Wireless providers are really only care about getting 600 in urban areas.

 

600MHz is not a good option for a semi-dense or dense network deployment. The propagation is too good, and its reflective 'bouncing' qualities are much higher. 600 will be an interference nightmare in urban areas with tight spacing. It will require a lot of work of reducing power, down tilt and adjusting. And furthermore, there just won't be much urban 600 that is going to come open. Urban areas should be about densification of existing spectrum. That's what they are doing in Japan, China and Korea. And they live much denser than we do.

 

Verizon and AT&T don't care much about 600. That's why they sound lukewarm. They are. I think their biggest reason to compete for 600 is to try to keep their competitors from getting it. They don't want to compete evenly with Tmo and Sprint on low band. It evens the playing field.

 

The 600MHz auction, if it goes on as scheduled, will end up with tons of wideband rural spectrum that will be largely ignored by the national carriers and an intense fight for small slivers of urban spectrum. Meanwhile those of us who live in tertiary and rural markets will be passed over again from meaningful low frequency wideband development. And The Top 25 markets will end up with one or two 5x5 licenses that they don't need.

 

For the future, primary/secondary markets are about densification. Tertiary and rural markets are about low band spectrum and network expansion.

 

Using Tapatalk on BlackBerry Z30

I also use OTA for network television.  Mainly because of the ever increasing cost.

What you propose with an actual "R+" indicator probably would require Sprint specialized firmware.  So, we could all go back to Sprint splash screens and Sprint bloatware.

 

AJ

Ok.

So, you want Sprint to start requiring operator specific firmware on all handsets again?  No more unlocked, third party handsets.

 

AJ

I don't know what that means, I just wish/hope they would distinguish when the phone is in roaming and roaming+.

If that's the case, it would probably be best to make the standard roaming with caps the flashing 'R' as it would catch the attention of the user that they are burning through their roaming allotment. And I would make the Roaming+ the steady 'R', as there is no concern in using it.

 

To me, I wouldn't call Roaming+ as pseudo-native. To me, nTelos is pseudo-native. It shows on maps as native. Where there is a wholesale agreement to provide full native service to Sprint customers. In the case of full pseudo-native, like nTelos, a roaming indicator would not be used at all.

 

Using Tapatalk on BlackBerry Z30

Or 'R' and 'R+'.

The biggest problem with Boost is device selection.

 

Sent from my SM-T237P using Tapatalk

And also absolutely no roaming.

http://officialandroid.blogspot.com/2015/09/committing-to-rcs-latest-standard-in.html

 

This was missed in yesterday's flotsam and jetsam, Google acquiring Jibe Mobile to presumably back in RCS as a serious iMessage competitor. If anyone can push RCS as a global standard faster, Google would be it. 

Yeah, I read about this yesterday.  I like it.  I wonder which messaging app they will put it in?

Clear's B41 works pretty well in KC... works the basement, and my parent's house is almost a mile from the site. 

Clear's B41 works nowhere NEAR as good as that here.  I'm about half a mile from a site, I get 1 bar on the 1st and 2nd floor of my house and drop to 3G in the basement.

That may be one way to look at it.  Another way is it adds confusion to managing use of my roaming quota.  I wonder how many people will check the coverage map, think they are in a Roaming + area, then burn through regular roaming minutes.

 

 Not providing users a clear way to know what type of coverage they're using seems like a way to generate a lot of unhappy calls to customer service when roaming caps are inadvertently reached.

I agree.

Unlimited Plan price going up on 15 October...$70 now instead of $60.

 

http://newsroom.sprint.com/news-releases/sprint-says-hurry-in-before-its-too-late-last-two-weeks-to-get-unlimited-high-speed-data-talk-and-text-for-just-60month.htm

Boo.  Too bad that I'm on a contract.

Not that I'm aware. I'm waiting to see before I decide between MXPE, N5X or possibly, just maybe, a N6P (albeit unlikely).

 

Using Tapatalk on BlackBerry Z30

For me, it's going to be either the N5X or GS7 next.

Oh, I didn't even think about Pebble.  I did get some updates for that recently.

Actually, I don't own a Pebble.  I mis-read it.  I thought it said Peel.  Sorry for the confusion.

Strangely I'm having that issue on my Note 4.  Could be something with my Pebble software though.

Oh, I didn't even think about Pebble.  I did get some updates for that recently.

Does anybody know what kind (AWS, PCS, cellular, etc) and how much spectrum Dish controls?

Hello everyone. I possibly could be moving up to Cleveland because of a job offer. I would like to know what the overall experience is like with Sprint there? I'm from Columbus and my service here is pretty outstanding and wondered if I'll get the same or similar too?

 

 

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I would say that Sprint is probably not as outstanding and dense as Columbus, but I would say it's good overall.

Is anybody else having an issue with Bluetooth taking up a lot more battery lately?  It's #1 on my battery list.

Two threads were discussing the same thing. The threads were merged. Unfortunately only one title lives, but has been edited.

 

Sent from my LG G4

Oh, ok.  Thanks for the clarification.

The title for the thread should mention the coverage map, too. 

 

And yes, they might not have replaced the ugly thing yet, but it looks like they're listening and changing something. I notice a difference in estimated coverage for Spark/LTE in areas with the same coverage. And they added the Spark coverage for new markets. 

That's interesting.  I didn't name this thread "Sprint Roaming +".  Somebody must have changed it.