Is this a good deal on a cell phone?
I signed up for a Samsung Galaxy III phone(Droid??Android??) with a 2-year Sprint plan, with "estimated" monthly charges of $79.99.
Can anyone tell me if this is a good plan, good phone? It seems to be in line with the charges other people pay per month. The phone is supposedly worth over $600 without a contract.
Is Sprint a good plan/have good service? Please tell me all you know. There is a 14 day return clause on the sales receipt, and I believe you have 3 days to legally get out of any contract. Please tell me anything you feel I need to know.
Thanks in advance,
sheana
Can anyone tell me if this is a good plan, good phone? It seems to be in line with the charges other people pay per month. The phone is supposedly worth over $600 without a contract.
Is Sprint a good plan/have good service? Please tell me all you know. There is a 14 day return clause on the sales receipt, and I believe you have 3 days to legally get out of any contract. Please tell me anything you feel I need to know.
Thanks in advance,
sheana
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IMO, I think that the entire branded phone range is a waste of hard earned money.
In this case, the Samsung Galaxy SIII is nearly in the range of the iPhone 4S or even the iPhone 5. The former runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich or Jellybean. Whilst a company like Samsung will maintain updates and patches for that phone, there are more economical alternatives like the InnOS I5 which is made in China (as is the iPhones and many other leading brands) but sells for under a quarter of the price. This is just an example.
Most companies charge you a lot the first month as it includes an advance rental. Check on this prior to buying. Also Android can be heavy on data usage so if you do access the internet and check emails, play games or similar internet intensive work, your data usage will also be high. So learn how to maximise on free wi-fi and also disable data connectivity for background tasks leaving the phone data enabled for what you want it for.
Also, compare rates for calls taken. If one network allows you 500 minutes calls for the charge incurred, another network may provide you with 650 minutes. The phone unit cost may be slightly higher in some cases but the lower call rates will save you moe cash in the long run.
Just my two cents. Hope this helps you at least a bit.
In this case, the Samsung Galaxy SIII is nearly in the range of the iPhone 4S or even the iPhone 5. The former runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich or Jellybean. Whilst a company like Samsung will maintain updates and patches for that phone, there are more economical alternatives like the InnOS I5 which is made in China (as is the iPhones and many other leading brands) but sells for under a quarter of the price. This is just an example.
Most companies charge you a lot the first month as it includes an advance rental. Check on this prior to buying. Also Android can be heavy on data usage so if you do access the internet and check emails, play games or similar internet intensive work, your data usage will also be high. So learn how to maximise on free wi-fi and also disable data connectivity for background tasks leaving the phone data enabled for what you want it for.
Also, compare rates for calls taken. If one network allows you 500 minutes calls for the charge incurred, another network may provide you with 650 minutes. The phone unit cost may be slightly higher in some cases but the lower call rates will save you moe cash in the long run.
Just my two cents. Hope this helps you at least a bit.
ASKER
From reading your comments, there is obviously a lot of "geeky", technical things about the contract & phone that I'm hopelessly unfamiliar with. For instance, what is "throttling"?
I also got the phone at RadioShack, if that means anything......bad, for instance.
I just got the phone last night - can I return it and not be charged anything, i.e. restocking, early termination, whatever. I thought you had 3 days to get out of a contract. Please advise, and as quickly as possible. I already regret it, and I haven't gotten my first bill. I think I bought way more "phone" than I need.
I also got the phone at RadioShack, if that means anything......bad, for instance.
I just got the phone last night - can I return it and not be charged anything, i.e. restocking, early termination, whatever. I thought you had 3 days to get out of a contract. Please advise, and as quickly as possible. I already regret it, and I haven't gotten my first bill. I think I bought way more "phone" than I need.
"Throttling" is when an internet provider (even your home internet) is slowed down, usually because of excessive data consumption. Most cell phone providers are advertising "4G" service lately. With throttling, you will get this 4G speed until you reach your monthly data allocation. Once you hit this cap, all data afterward is served to you at a slower speed (3G I think).
Many of the providers are now providing data in tiers. You can purchase data access in a 2GB (gigabytes), 5GB, 10GB, etc. tiers. The 2, 5, and 10 are the amount of data you can request in any billing cycle. In any billing cycle, if you go over the limit you signed up for, you are charged for the overage. These charges (and the data limits themselves) vary by carrier. As I mentioned above, I think Sprint is doing unlimited data with no throttling. You shouldn't have to worry about this--but wait for someone who actually has Sprint service to confirm.
Also, I believe every provider provides for a "cancellation fee." It's usually expensive enough to perform some mental voodoo on you to cause you to think it's cheaper to just keep the phone. For my provider, Verizon, the cost is $375. At any time after that initial "buyer's remorse" period, I can pay the $375 and cancel my contract. I have heard that this fee is reduced the longer you have been under contract, but I am not certain myself. You can check with Sprint to see if have they this option.
Many of the providers are now providing data in tiers. You can purchase data access in a 2GB (gigabytes), 5GB, 10GB, etc. tiers. The 2, 5, and 10 are the amount of data you can request in any billing cycle. In any billing cycle, if you go over the limit you signed up for, you are charged for the overage. These charges (and the data limits themselves) vary by carrier. As I mentioned above, I think Sprint is doing unlimited data with no throttling. You shouldn't have to worry about this--but wait for someone who actually has Sprint service to confirm.
Also, I believe every provider provides for a "cancellation fee." It's usually expensive enough to perform some mental voodoo on you to cause you to think it's cheaper to just keep the phone. For my provider, Verizon, the cost is $375. At any time after that initial "buyer's remorse" period, I can pay the $375 and cancel my contract. I have heard that this fee is reduced the longer you have been under contract, but I am not certain myself. You can check with Sprint to see if have they this option.
"Throttling" is when an internet provider slows your connection speed down to broadband speed once you have used up your monthly high speed data transfer quota in GBs
The quota of your plan will be writen in your contract.
You are stuck with your own countries mobile phone rates, as they all compete on a level playground in your area.
I pay monthly Yen 315 = $ USD 3.0 for unlimited calls & mail within my providers network ( softbank ... formally vodaphone )
Also the phone was free with a 2 year contract, then new upgaded phones are also free every 2 years.
I do not need internet connection on my mobile phone as the screen is too small, thus I also pay monthly Yen 4600 = $ USD 45.0 for high speed fiber optic 100MBs unlimited use internet connection for my PCs which also includes a landline phone / fax @ 10 cents per 3 minutes nation wide. ( Japan )
The quota of your plan will be writen in your contract.
You are stuck with your own countries mobile phone rates, as they all compete on a level playground in your area.
I pay monthly Yen 315 = $ USD 3.0 for unlimited calls & mail within my providers network ( softbank ... formally vodaphone )
Also the phone was free with a 2 year contract, then new upgaded phones are also free every 2 years.
I do not need internet connection on my mobile phone as the screen is too small, thus I also pay monthly Yen 4600 = $ USD 45.0 for high speed fiber optic 100MBs unlimited use internet connection for my PCs which also includes a landline phone / fax @ 10 cents per 3 minutes nation wide. ( Japan )
http://adroitalien.hubpages.com/hub/Is-The-Sprint-Family-Plan-Any-Good-A-Look-At-The-Pros-And-Cons