ahecht

Looks like Sprint is phasing out Airave and Magic Box devices. I got the attached email, and I've seen reports of similar Magic Box ones going out today. I wonder if the pebble is impacted as well.

 

For what it's worth, calls from home are nearly impossible without using WiFi calling, but I guess that's what they mean by "improved network experience".

 

At least I'll save ~$40 per year in extra administrative fees.

Any news on the Moto e (2020), aka the e7?

In a hilarious display of incompetence, Sprint is still redirecting NXDOMAIN errors to search-error.com, but they also let the domain expire so it's now just a godaddy ad.

Signal Check Pro is working fine on my Pixel 3a, but on my Wife's Pixel 3XL (on Android 10) Signal Check Lite crashes as soon as it is launched, even after a fresh install from the play store. Are there any known incompatibilities with the Pixel 3 XL, Android 10, and Signal Check Lite?

I got an unlocked 3a and was able to easily activate the eSIM after upgrading to Android 10 (out of the box, it needed a QR code for the eSIM). VoLTE, Wifi Calling, and 3xCA weren't activated by default, so I had to enable those manually.

For VoLTE, it was under Settings>Network & Internet>Mobile Network>VoLTE

For WiFI Calling, it was under Settings>Network & Internet>Mobile Network>Advanced>Wi-Fi calling

For 3xCA, I had to dial *#*#3282#*#*, go to LTE, choose "Edit", enter 000000 as my MSL (presumably it's always 000000 on unlocked phones), and change "CA Enabled" to "On".

 

Looks like Sprint finally got fed up with RingPlus not paying their bills, and after cutting off their ability to activate new users a few days ago, they have now announced that they are discontinuing all service to RingPlus customers on February 11th. RingPlus is suing to stop the shutoff as a hail mary.

 

The text of the lawsuit was posted to reddit in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/RingPlus/comments/5rwphy/ringplus_files_suit_against_sprint_with/

 

Some of the more interesting tidbits:

• RingPlus claims to own a patent on using custom music instead of a ringing noise when making outgoing calls. They licensed it to Sprint for Sprint's "Music Plus" feature.
• RingPlus claims that their free ad-supported plans were a joint venture between them and Sprint.
• RingPlus claims that Sprint intentionally built a crappy cell network and then offered consumer discounts and promotions just to drive RingPlus out of business.
• RingPlus has been unable to pay their bills, but Sprint let them stall for 8 months before deciding to cut them off.

Reading between the lines, it seems more likely that Sprint just offered RingPlus a discount on MVNO fees in exchange for the patent license, not that it was a joint venture.

Sprint Global Roaming is no longer showing up as an option to add when I try to modify my account online, only Open World shows up. I was still able to get it added via chat (I had switched to Open World when traveling to Canada, but I was trying to switch to Global Roaming before my Europe trip).

Landed in St. Maarten today. I got the usual text from Sprint and Open World is working as it should right off the bat. Interesting thing is that the Sprint international map shows there only being coverage on the French side of the island, Saint Martin provided by Digicel. It shows that there shouldn't be any coverage at all on the Dutch side of the island, Sint Maarten, yet there is from TelCell. A pleasant surprise to be sure.

 

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

How is your bill? My wife got a $1000 roaming bill after using Sprint Global Roaming/International Value Roaming on the Dutch side because Sprint claimed that only the "Saint Martin" side was covered. It turns out that if you go to https://support.sprint.com/support/international/roaming/Philipsburg%2C%20Sint%20Maarten the Dutch side is shown as purple "Extended Coverage", not eligible for Global Roaming, and the only data option is "Regular Casual" at $19.46/MB.

 

I eventually got the roaming fees waived, since "Netherlands Antilles" is listed as an included country in Sprint Global Roaming (despite not existing any more) and Sint Maarten was part of the Netherlands Antilles, but is was a multi-month ordeal to get it resolved.

It doesn't say that you will be forces off of subsidy, just that you can't do it at a Sprint retail store. You can still get a subsidy through telesales, sprint.com, and third-party retailers such as Best Buy.

According to http://www.bestbuy.com/site/htc-10-with-32gb-memory-cell-phone-glacier-silver-sprint/5221000.p?id=bb5221000&skuId=5221000:

 

Voice Band: GSM 1800, GSM 1900, GSM 850, GSM 900

Data Transmission Operating Band: LTE Band 1, LTE Band 12, LTE Band 25, LTE Band 26, LTE Band 4

 

But I don't believe it because it doesn't include any CMDA or Band 41. Hopefully there will be more information tomorrow.

If the phone supports domestic SIM unlock, wouldn't they be required to test GSM?

Here you go.

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=97dlNMvb1V3zJcKcL%2BsnUw%3D%3D&fcc_id=NM82PS6400

From the HAC RF test report, it looks like the phone supports VoEVDO, VoLTE and VoWiFi.

 

The deal killer, if I'm reading it correctly, is that it looks like the phone has NO GSM support, which makes it worthless if you plan on using Sprint Open Word or Sprint Global Roaming (since both only operate when the phone is in GSM mode). Of course, it's possible that they're lumping both CMDA2000 and WCDMA into the "CDMA" category, but the test reports for the other models call out GSM/GPRS/EDGE and WCDMA specifically, while this one either says CMDA or EVDO. I wonder if this is a reaction to the FCC requiring domestic unlocking of phones.

 

The documents say the 6400 (Sprint) model supports:

• CDMA BC0, BC1, BC10, EVDO
• LTE Bands 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 25, 26, 41
• WLAN 2.4G, 5G
• Bluetooth 2.4G

Whereas the 6500 model supports:

• GSM 850, 1900, GPRS/EDGE
• WCDMA II, IV, V, HSPA
• CDMA BC0, BC1, EVDO
• LTE Band 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 13, 17, and 30
• WLAN 2.4G, 5G
• Bluetooth

I was really looking forward to getting this phone, but I travel enough that a lack of GSM support means I'm going to have to start looking at the GS7.

Well, here is something :

 

http://newsroom.sprint.com/blogs/devices-apps-and-services/picture-this-htc10-coming-to-sprint-lte-plus-network.htm

That sort of implies that the HTC 10 will only have 2xCA.

Arysyn, on 16 Mar 2016 - 8:21 PM, said:

However, I hope Google doesn't choose Nutella or anything containing the word "Nut" or refers to anything containing nuts, such as "Nougat", as there are many people who have allergies to nuts, which may put off some people from purchasing Android-based products. Not that it really ought to matter, but I can imagine this may very well be a real concern for marketing people at Google.

Outside of Italy, I think most people associate "nougat" with the weird spongy stuff in a "3 Musketeers" bar, or in what Americans call a "Milky Way" bar (and what the rest of the world calls a "Mars" bar). It has nothing to do with nuts.

 

Also, I think there are more diabetics out there than people with serious nut allergies, and that hasn't hurt the marketing yet. Not to mention the 60% of the world's adult population that are lactose intolerant and couldn't have eaten an Ice Cream Sandwich.

Are you aware of Sprint Open World (https://www.sprint.com/landings/openworld/index.html) and Sprint International Value Roaming (http://www.sprint.com/landings/international-value-roaming/)?

 

Sprint Open World gives you free unlimited texts, calling for 20¢/min, and 3G data for $30/GB

 

Sprint International Value Roaming gives you free unlimited texts, calling for 20¢/min, and free unlimited 2G data

 

Both are going to be cheaper than a foreign SIM if you're only going to be in France for a week. Only downside is that you don't get a local French number.

You were told by whom?

 

Most likely case is that Google Wallet automatically updated to Android Pay, which will happen on any phone with automatic updates enabled in the Play Store. It happened on the HTC EVO 4G LTE, HTC One M7, HTC One M8, and HTC One M9 in my household.

I've had this happen on every single phone I've purchased from Sprint on my line (although not on other lines on my account). Starting with a Palm Centro, and then later the EVO 4G LTE and HTC M8. Each one arrived fresh in the box from Sprint already attached to someone else's account. The first time, after being called a thief and being accused of stealing the phone by customer service and a supervisor, who threatened to call the police if I didn't send the phone back, I was finally able to get someone in the Dan Hesse's office who found the other account and got it fixed. With the second phone, when the first CSR told me it wasn't on the account I just hung up and directly called the person in executive support who had helped me the first time. By the time the M8 arrived, the CSR said there was a note on my account to have all activations handled directly by the "Escalations Group".

The speed of light hasn't changed lately as far as I'm aware.

 

- Trip

 

 

No, but in the last year the O3b satellite constellation has come online, and SkyEdge II has been certified to use it (http://www.gilat.com/O3b-Certifies-Gilat%E2%80%99s-meoEdge-TDMASCPC-Terminal).

 

O3b is using low earth orbit satellites to provide low-latency high-bandwidth internet connections (round-trip time of less than 150ms). They use a constellation of satellites large enough that there is always one in view (as long as your latitude is somewhere between 60 North and 60 South), the antennas on the satellites are steerable to track the ground stations, and the ground stations have two receivers, making the switchover between satellites seamless. Some of the newest Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been using O3b with very good results.

If SERO, buh bye. Why did you warrant SERO in the first place? Practically all SERO subs have been frauds -- but Sprint has looked the other way. That does not make it right.

I wouldn't say that most SERO users are frauds. There are two versions of SERO: Sprint Employee Referral Offer and the Separating Employee Retention Offer. While some people got the former by "borrowing" an employee email address or purchasing cloned and ToL'd accounts, Sprint did market it to the public on social media for a time in 2007 using the "holiday@sprint.com" and "savings@sprint.com" email addresses. I still have one of the flyers they distributed somewhere in my records.

Anyone find out when the codes expire? I purchased a gift membership in January when they were on sale, so I need to let my current membership expire at the end of the year so that I can use that gift membership. Hopefully the Sprint code won't have expired by then.

Sweet, got one Prime code on each of my lines.

10% off iTunes gift cards when you bill the purchase to your Sprint Account.

I've been having a weird issue with both phones on my account. About half the time when people call, they will hear just one ring and then just silence until I eventually pick up. My phone rings normally, it's only the person calling that has the issue.

 

I haven't been able to pin down exactly what is causing the issue, but it doesn't seem to correlate with being on a WiFi-calling-enabled network, 3G/4G, or being connected to my airave, not does it seem to matter if the person calling is on Sprint or not. However, since it occurs on both lines on my account I'm assuming it's a Sprint problem.

 

Anyone else have anything like this happen?

I found this article amusing: http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/08/technology/verizon-5g/index.html

 

They start by saying that Verizon was the first to deploy a 4G network (maybe the first US carrier to deploy an LTE network, but Sprint beat them with WiMax by a couple of years and Korea had it a couple years before that), gush about how great Verizon's new network will be, and then go on to admit that they don't have a clue what 5G actually means.

I've seen Sprint trucks along Memorial Drive a couple of times, I believe it was for the Head of the Charles and the 4th. I would certainly expect to see some for Monday.. perhaps they're stuck in traffic..

 

-Mike

I'm on Memorial Drive almost every year for the fourth and I've never see a Sprint truck, just AT&T and T-Mobile, but I didn't go in 2014.