[alreadylinked]

PCS Professional Pack (unlimited Internet): $15.00

Cingular: $44.99 (Unlimited Internet)

Verizon: $39.99 (Unlimited and 20 MB Plan)

Huh? Thats a difference of over $25.

Im looking to price a Treo but I have an existing plan w/ Sprint. Im tryna crunch the numbers to see how I can get the T650 for the cheapest price. It's a $150 term fee if I leave Sprint and goe w/ another provider, so even if I go to another provider and get the new customer deal It wont mean anything being that I would have to pay the $150 term fee.

[Rafale]

Lol...those kinds of ?s always tend to bring out the cheerleaders

I returned my 650, $45 for 1xrtt speeds can't be justified, evdo...maybe...

[t2gungho]

I dont really know why. I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that sprint has been working on spreading out their data network for a long time now (predicting that they could keep their data rates lower than competitors). Then take into account that sprint has rolled out the treo line before other carriers (#1 so you get the phone through them because you don't want to wait and #2 because they have low data rates so people can take advantage of 'unlimited'.)

If the rumors (?) hold true and sprint rolls out evdo next year, AND they offer it at a price point lower than verizon (which wouldnt take much) then they keep ahead of the game as well.

As far as cingular and tmobile being more, I assume it has something to do with how they have rolled out their data network coverage. If they could offer it lower, I have a feeling they probably would.

[HasanDaddy]

I think it could simply be because the execs at Verizon and Cingular are stupid

however, I honestly don't think that people are choosing cell plans based on data ------ Verizon is developing a HUGE customer base, due to that new card they sell for laptops that goes around 400 kpbs wirelessly

If Verizon and Cingular actually 'lost' customers to Sprint, then maybe they would lower their rates

at the moment though, I think Sprint is losing more customers to Verizon and Cingular, so obviously, Sprint is the only one that is going to make its data plan a competitive one

I almost switched to Verizon, but Sprint's data plan kept me with them

[meyerweb]

I read an article recently, don't remember where, that Sprint makes a larger percentage of it's revenue from data than any other carrier, in spite of Vision's low price. I think Sprint's model is that if you price it low enough, a lot more people will sign up.

At $45 a month, you have to really want data, or treat it as a business expense. At $15 a month, it's cheap enough for almost everyone to try.

(There's also a theory that Sprint priced it flat rate because they didn't have the technology to meter it.)

[Minsc]

Agreed. Sprint really tries hard to push Vision to all it's customers, hence the low price. As a long term thing, I wonder if this a slow move towards voIP. --Get more and more people using the data side, and then the switch is easier...? Completely wild guess of course, but once EV-DO release A is in place (probably a couple of years yet) the bandwidth should be there for VoIP. Heck, I think ReadyLink currently uses the data side, doesn't it?

And don't forget that you can actually get Vision for $10/month if you ask. (minus the $5 credit for "bling" tones and crap like that) Sprint is far from perfect, but you gotta give them credit for having a solid focus and direction for their data services. -especialy nice for us Treo users.

[hersko]

I'm a former Verizon customer who switched to Sprint last week, because of the data plan pricing. Since we have a family plan with two phones, the price difference was $90 vs $20. So far, I'm pleasantly surprised by the quality of both the phone and customer service.

[gadgetfreak]

I also switched from Verizon to Sprint when the Treo 600 came out (due to the earlier release of the Treo and the cheaper data). I have been very happy with Sprint (coverage, customer service and price) that I switched my other 3 family members to Sprint too.

[sledgie]

Look for Sprint to begin rollout nationwide around July. They already have it in Kansas City (sprint's headquarters, I believe)

The main reason I went with Sprint was because of the data plans and that if I roamed, it would be on verizon (which at the time had the best coverage).

of course, when I roam (no sprint signal) this also means I CANT use Sprint's Vision Data network, until I get a sprint signal again, but this has only happened once or twice on the way to New York in the middle of nowhere.

The best part about Sprint's data plan is ADDITIONAL lines that have vision are only $5 per phone. Which means if you have a fair and flexible plan (share minutes) you can have two data devices with unlimited for $20 combined... much better than $90 from verizon? Sprint just adds $5 per phone.

I suspect when Sprint begins rollout the EVDO will be HIGHLY competitive with Verizon. I just hope there is some deal like the current one, where every device added doesn't have to add the WHOLE data price to the plan

[alreadylinked]

With the Sprint PCS professional data plan, could I still have my corporate emails fowarded to a Treo 650?

With my company we just blackberrys and we have our exchange server foward emails to name@tm.blackberry.net

according to sprints pamphlet you can have unlimited emails from AOL MSN and Yahoo. Does anyone have corporate emails fowarded to their T650?

[Quake97]

My opinion on this is based on the size of the networks. T-Mobile and Sprint have the best prices, but also the smallest networks. On the other hand, Verizon and Cingular have the highest prices, but also the biggest networks.

Joe

[santas]

I can't explain the price difference between Sprint and Verizon, but isn't GSM data more expensive for the carrier? Something about higher % of bandwidth for data on GPRS and even EDGE than CDMA's options?

[ventnor1]

ptunes alone, (listening to radio paradise and other good stations all day at work) makes sprint a hands down winner at only $10 for data a month. cingular and vz are way more. My phone bill every month is lower than friends who don't even have a treo. Unless your company pays for your phone or you travel out of major cities, country extensively,..other carriers just don't make sense.

[GolfBallMan]

Look for Sprint to begin rollout nationwide around July. They already have it in Kansas City (sprint's headquarters, I believe)

The main reason I went with Sprint was because of the data plans and that if I roamed, it would be on verizon (which at the time had the best coverage).

of course, when I roam (no sprint signal) this also means I CANT use Sprint's Vision Data network, until I get a sprint signal again, but this has only happened once or twice on the way to New York in the middle of nowhere.

The best part about Sprint's data plan is ADDITIONAL lines that have vision are only $5 per phone. Which means if you have a fair and flexible plan (share minutes) you can have two data devices with unlimited for $20 combined... much better than $90 from verizon? Sprint just adds $5 per phone.

I suspect when Sprint begins rollout the EVDO will be HIGHLY competitive with Verizon. I just hope there is some deal like the current one, where every device added doesn't have to add the WHOLE data price to the plan

Sprint is already live in a few markets. They are just lighting up EVDO in Newark. They were testing near the airport last week. Boston is scheduled to be live late summer.

You cannot beat the data pricing on Sprint. No reason for the disparity between carriers. Verizon customers tend to not mind paying top dollar -- kind of like a loyal Cisco Customer. Cingular & Tmobile are you only choice for international...so, if you need international you gotta pay.

Sprint, didn't have a Blackberry solution untill recently and was stuck competing with BCEE. Low data price and BCEE is less than blackberry solution from the other carriers... just my 2 cents.

[Smartphone Fan]

Sprint is already live in a few markets. They are just lighting up EVDO in Newark. They were testing near the airport last week. Boston is scheduled to be live late summer.

You cannot beat the data pricing on Sprint. No reason for the disparity between carriers. Verizon customers tend to not mind paying top dollar -- kind of like a loyal Cisco Customer. Cingular & Tmobile are you only choice for international...so, if you need international you gotta pay.

Sprint, didn't have a Blackberry solution untill recently and was stuck competing with BCEE. Low data price and BCEE is less than blackberry solution from the other carriers... just my 2 cents.

There are serveral options for international coverage with both Verizon and Sprint. If you opt for the Samsung a790, you get a CDMA phone for use in the US (and other CDMA locations wherer a roaming agreement is in place like parts of Mexico and Jamaica) and a INTERNATIONAL, not US, GSM radio in the phone (GSM 1800 mhz and 900 mhz, US GSM 850 mhz and 1900 mhz is NOT supported in the phone).

A second option is to call Sprint Customer Service/International Roaming. They will activate international roaming for CDMA markets (like parts of Mexico and Jamaica) but will also send you a SIM card for use in a unlocked GSM phone. The SIM card will be coded with your Sprint phone number. It will work outside of the US on GSM carriers, but will be roaming coverage, so it will be more expensive.

Note, since it uses your own phone number, you can use your Treo 650/600 on Sprint in the USA, then if you had an unlocked GSM 600, GSM 650, or other GSM phone, you can put SIM chip in and use it overseas.

You will have two phones, but only one number.

I do not know if the Sprint SIM chip will work in a phone supporting GSM 1900 mhz or 850 mhz in the US as I do not think there are roaming agreements between Sprint and either Cingular or TMobile in the US.

Cost is about $6.00 per month in addition to your basic plan plus a onetime $36 set up fee.

I suspect Verizon has a similar program teamed with Vodaphone. You will have to check with them.

[midmofan]

I can't speak for the other carriers, or even other areas of the country, but around the midwest where I am at, Sprint really caters to the "low end" unsophisticated user. They do a good job of talking people into at least trying Vision (3 free months). I have no doubt most of these people rarely use it, certainly not enough to justify paying even $15 for it but keep it since it is not that expensive since its "only" $15 and not like it jumps out at you on the bill. I also bet that even people that drop it eventually, wind up paying for several months after the free period.

If I am correct, for MOST of their customers, the Vision is close to pure profit.

Now if they Charged $45/mo much or so less likely that they would nab the lower end users. So, Sprint does not make as much money, or perhaps even loses some, with the high volume users (note though that they do charge extra for PPC devices, or at least are supposed to) but more than makes up for it with everybody else. The other carriers don't seem to think that way.

[meyerweb]

midmofan may be right, but even if he is, it works for me. I use data more than I use the phone, and $15 a month rocks.

[xenophonite]

On Sprint's EVDO, it is just now rolling out. I'm testing it on a laptop and it works very well. I also have a Verizon EVDO card (from work). Sprint's EVDO does about same speed (300K-1Mbit/s) but has better latency than Verizon at below 1 second vs 1-2 sec for Verizon. Sprint's PC card will also step down to the 1X network if not in an EVDO area. My Verizon card doesn't do that (maybe it depends on card model).

Verizon EVDO is now in about 30 cities. Sprint EVDO is only in sections of a few cities (Kansas City, St. Louis) and many major airports, preparing for the first release. Sprint's rollout schedule includes 50 cities this year and supposedly their entire network by Q1 next year. I doubt they have the cash to do the whole network so soon but Sprint will likely pass Verizon in EVDO coverage by next year.

Verizon charges $80/month for EVDO. No word yet on Sprint pricing but likely about the same as Sprint's 1x PC cards are also $80/month. It will be interesting to see EVDO pricing for smartphones. I wonder if they plan on $80/month.

[sledgie]

highly doubtful that sprint's evdo will be $80 for smartphones. verizons evdo for smartphones is $45 or $49 (i forget). Sprint's moto is, "anything Verizon can do, we can do better." i would doubt that sprint does not have enough money for full rollout; they've been planning this for a long, long time. if sprint raises the evdo vision plan slightly, but less than verizon (or doesnt charge a difference from current vision at all) expect a Grand Slam (from consumer viewpoint, at least). i do not doubt Sprint, i'm just hoping to see product and action soon (maybe a july 4th introduction?). if data is your game, then sprint should be your provider; plain and simple

[TreoRock]

I left Verizon too because the Treo is cheaper on Sprint Network. So far I'm very satisfied and my wife is happy too. She knows other providers charge double or more for data.

Al