Sprint or T-Mobile???

[andrewbares]

I currently have T-Mobile, but when the Pre comes out, I wanna switch to Sprint. Is the service good on Sprint? I know that T-Mobile costs less, so it's gonna be tough to get my parents to switch over. So what else is better on Sprint? What's nice about T-Mobile is that you can do this Data Plan hack so you only pay $6 a month for unlimited internet! No other company can match that!

[clayjm]

by that you mean no other company has left an huge open hole in their network to let people exploit them...well, if it works out for you do what you gotta do, but currently Sprint's 3G network is rated top dog for data so if that is a major concern than you're moving to a better choice. They're expanding to 4G and while it may not be available yet, or with any current lineup of phones, the expansion will only bring better and faster to your future purchases with Sprint. As far as service goes, my recommendation is to check Sprint's site and coverage map for your area as well as do some google searching for cellular service in your area and read some reviews. You also have a 30 day trial period on the network so you can make sure that the service is good for you. In my area, reviews put Sprint as the most reliable, but with the fewest users. As far as prices between the two, if you're taking their normal fees and ignoring any "hack" the best comparison I could see was between the G1's plan and Sprint's Everything Unlimited + 450 minutes talk time. With Sprint you get Unlimited Data for whatever use (web, email, txt, video, pics) and 450 minutes of talk time for $69.99. With T-mobile 600 minutes of talk time and unlimited data for web and messages for $74.98, so in my book they are right at the same price point. I'm sure skimp has a few words he can add when he wanders through this thread in the near future.

[kindaskimpy]

I actually wandered in when he first asked this but didn't want to take the question because at some point people are going to start thinking I'm being insincere about Sprint service and I'm just trying to evangelize. That is not the case.

I would have said pretty much exactly what you said, Clay and I'm glad you did. T-Mobile left a bad taste in my mouth the way no other company has but I'm sure they are a god-send to some people. For my situation, I need reliable service, solid coverage and fast data at a fair price. I get all that with Sprint so I'm satisfied.

[cohoman]

I've used AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon in the past, and they all seem to work well where ever I travel. And I do seem to travel quite a bit across the US. I would be concerned with going to T-Mobile since they seem to operate mainly in large cities, so an advantage to switching to one of the previously mentioned carriers would be their network extent (in my opinion).

If I were you, I'd certainly check out the Sprint Network Map and make sure you have good coverage (voice and data) in your area.

[fortunz]

Data plan hacks aren't that reliable. You could end up getting charged per-kb if caught exploiting a service, and companies tend to start closing loopholes once enough people use them to make it worth the trouble. Sure, some people get away with it without massive charges. But there's always a risk. At minimum, choosing a particular service because you think you can pull off some antics and steal their service can leave you locked into a contract with a company whose legit plans don't serve you very well.

[goldone]

Why not just get Sprint's Everything plan?

[fortunz]

Why not just get Sprint's Everything plan?

The one that costs $100 a month? It sounds a little out of the price range of the OP who hacks to get his data for $6 a month.