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Sorry if this is a dumb question. Does Sprint somehow differentiate between their 4G Wimax and 4G LTE networks and phones? All I see on their website is "4G" and I don't know which 4G they're talking about. Is Wimax as awful as I hear it is? I'm in the Chicago area if anyone can chime in regarding their network quality and speed here.
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Apr 6, 2012 18:45
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I'm willing to overlook not having the fastest network in exchange for unlimited data. I'm in the car a lot for work so I don't have the luxury of using wifi, and I use a ton of data from music and video streaming. WiMax would meet my needs there, but those 3g speeds are terribly hilarious... I hope it's just downtown congestion, I never go downtown anyways. I'm way out in the burbs.
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Apr 6, 2012 20:53
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Will the new LTE phones also work on WiMax? I think the answer is no but wanted to confirm that. Is there anyway to find out more information about the Sprint LTE rollout? I can't find anything on their website. I happen to live a block away in line-of-sight of a Wimax tower and I'm wondering if waiting specifically for an LTE phone is the better option.
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Apr 8, 2012 03:53
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What exactly is SERO, is it still available, and is it different than EPRP? I wasn't clear on this after reading the OP, but it sounds like a plan that was phased out?
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Apr 13, 2012 18:53
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Why doesn't Sprint have any real information regarding their LTE rollout on their website? It appears the only place to get updates is from s4gru.com, and that's just a fan site right?
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Apr 18, 2012 19:52
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I'm sort of in the game boat here. I am planning on switching to Sprint in August, and Wimax coverage here in the Chicago area is pretty drat good. Speeds aren't great (seem to be 3-4mbps), but coming from 3g that's still pretty drat good. If Sprints LTE network isn't running in Chicago by then, I'll probably grab a used Evo or something to hold me over (or go with a Tmo $30/mo 4g plan and phone). brc64 posted:The screen is large enough that she doesn't mind the soft keyboard, particularly in landscape. She does miss the physical keys, though. I don't understand this sentiment. Do you ever stream music or video, download apps, skype/voip, tether? (All of which are at times painful if not unusable on 3g) If not, why do you need a smartphone? To check your email? The Shep fucked around with this message at 03:06 on Apr 23, 2012 |
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Apr 23, 2012 02:59
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brc64 posted:What part of "Sprint 4G is loving useless" do you not understand? Any time I ever turn it on, if I get any signal at all, it's only available for a few minutes before it drops down to 3G anyway, so why even bother? I am connected to wifi most of the time to save my battery, and use my phone extensively. 3G generally works well enough when I'm on the go...certainly enough for me to upload a photo to Facebook or browse Google Reader. I thought you were talking about LTE in general, not the fact that YOU personally can't get a signal so therefore the whole technology is loving useless. I've never heard a single complaint regarding WiMax (other than battery life and signal penetration issues) and I have friends and family on Sprint, maybe you guys should move to Chicago? Heh. I don't know why Sprint would bother to market WiMax in areas that don't have it, causing so much customer outrage. The Shep fucked around with this message at 10:45 on Apr 23, 2012 |
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Apr 23, 2012 10:43
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Lowen SoDium posted:Hopefully, Network Vision will take care of this. I honestly think it will as long as they see it through. Reported 3g speeds on NV towers are pushing 2mbps.
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May 7, 2012 17:46
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How can anyone consider the Evo LTE anything but entirely broken with that multitasking bullshit? Am I missing something here?
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May 24, 2012 17:46
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St. Blaize posted:It boggles my mind that people in this thread still recommend the Galaxy Nexus over the Evo LTE. Multi-tasking / Sense kills the EVO for me. I know it's to each his own, but to me there is no choice at all when faced with vanilla Android versus a custom interface like Sense.
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Jun 13, 2012 17:39
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900ftjesus posted:Sprint.com says the Galaxy Nexus is now $149 after a $50 rebate which goes to $139 after the Google Wallet credit. Good deal on the only Android phone worth buying. How big of a difference are you really looking at performance-wise between the 1.2ghz processors of the Nexus and the 1.5ghz of the Evo? I've been pretty down on the Evo because of the multi-tasking issues, but if that can be solved by rooting then it might be a non-issue.
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Jun 14, 2012 22:11
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Duckman2008 posted:This. In the end just pick which ever phone you think is better. Simple as that. But I still don't know which phone is better.  Gonna have to go to a store and try both the Nexus and EVO I guess. I am more concerned with future proofing than anything, and though I was set on the Nexus the slower processor speed is beginning to bother me.
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Jun 15, 2012 14:08
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Is the EPRP plan online only, or can you go in-store to shop for a phone?
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Jun 22, 2012 16:34
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Giblet posted:A corporate store should be able to help you out. They will likely have to call sales support to swap the phone though. Not sure about a 3rd party store. Thanks. If I do the EPRP all online, at what point would the porting process start? Would I buy all the phones and then port right then, or would I have to wait until the phone arrives in the mail to activate/port the number from our old carrier? I am taking over our family plan and I need to reassure my parents (who are terrified of switching carriers) that when we switch and port over there will be no/little interruption of service. Also, I want to port my number to google voice, while I'd have everyone else in my family port directly to Sprint. I'm sure it wouldn't be tough to get a new number for my line (and point GV to it), and then port old numbers for the other lines?
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Jun 22, 2012 18:38
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Duckman2008 posted:Every time Sprint releases an official map, Verizon sends a snapshot of it to our customers along with a snapshot of their coverage with a big thing on why you need to switch. After June 28th when people see Verizons new plans, I have a hard time believing anyone would sign up for Verizon if they had any other choice at all.
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Jun 23, 2012 20:12
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Is SERO the same thing as SWAC, or did SERO become SWAC?
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Jun 24, 2012 21:16
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Giblet posted:Swac is a plan for current employees families and friends. Sero is the "severing employee retention offer". Swac accounts have Sero as an option if the employee quits and they have to change. So under SWAC for the 500min plan do you pay $30 (base plan) + $10 (premium data) + an additional $10 for the smartphone fee? Or it just the base $30+$10? This isn't clear in the advantage club website. The Shep fucked around with this message at 02:48 on Jun 25, 2012 |
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Jun 24, 2012 22:55
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The Nexus has been reported as "laggy" compared to the SGS3 in recent reviews. That alone is enough to make me shy away from the Nexus. I need a phone that's going to last more than a year and I think the best bet for future-proofing is the superior hardware of the the SGS3. What phone are you guys referring to when you say E4GT? The Evo 4G LTE?
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Jun 25, 2012 19:50
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Duckman2008 posted:If you want a galaxy 3, then buy it. Just dont expect software updates. I plan on rooting as soon as I get it. I never expect updates to phones I've purchased, so I don't hold it against manufacturers for not providing them. I'm still using an HTC Desire that's over 2 years old and I'm running ICS on it and it's smooth as silk - the last official update was a broken version of froyo. Like someone said, you shouldn't have to root your phone to get one you want - but it's just a fact of the Android world. I've solved a number of friends and familys issues with phones by rooting and installing a stock rom on them and it's like a whole new phone. My sister was ready to buy an iphone before I rooted and installed a stock rom on her Desire.
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Jun 25, 2012 20:41
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Ender.uNF posted:For the record they have upgraded about 1,000 towers out of 36,000. We should be just about at the point where 1,000 towers a month are coming online. So far the snag seems to be backhaul issues, and not actual tower work. They are blazing through getting the towers upgraded, but when it comes to backhaul - not so much. edit - On another topic, anyone have input on the LG Viper 4G LTE? It's free on contract now and it would be a great option for my Dad or sister who are reluctant to drop $200 on a high end phone they really don't need. The Shep fucked around with this message at 18:42 on Jun 26, 2012 |
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Jun 26, 2012 18:32
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Well, I pulled the trigger on the EVO today. I was pretty set on the Galaxy S3 but the EVO screen was the deciding factor. Love that screen!
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Jul 5, 2012 00:57
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How does the Airrave work? I know it plugs into your home internet, but does it create a publicly accessible network point or is it just for private use?
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Jul 7, 2012 01:42
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Having an issue with my new EVO4GLTE. Whenever the screen turns off, it seems to freeze/shut down cellular and wifi connections. I have the wifi set to never sleep, but it doesn't seem to matter. If I start an App download over 3g and then let the screen fall asleep, I return later to find a stalled download, and it then continues downloading once I wake the device back up again. I thought it might have been a singular issue, but this has been the case for the past 2 days now and it's driving me nuts. Why won't the 3G or Wifi connections stay active upon sleep? A quick google search revealed very little regarding this seemingly huge misstep on HTC's part. Anyone else having this problem? I thought this might finally be the first phone I wouldn't have to root. edit - Found this in case anyone is having the same problem, but this is way more complicated than I want to do. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1697375&highlight=smartsync The Shep fucked around with this message at 22:58 on Jul 7, 2012 |
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Jul 7, 2012 22:34
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EVO trip report: I've only had the phone 4 days and already the Sense multitasking (or lack of) is driving me crazy. Leaving the apps or the browser to send a text message causes the app or browser to have to be reloaded when returning to it. It really is as bad as it has been characterized as. Luckily, rooting it was as simple as a click of a button and now I'm going to try a couple custom Roms because what the gently caress HTC?
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Jul 10, 2012 11:22
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7 Bowls of Wrath posted:Keep us posted on how the custom ROM's work out on this phone as it is the biggest thing keeping me from just buying a nexus. My mom and brother have the EVO4GLTE and its pretty darn nice from the hardware perspective, particularly when you compare it side-by-side with the GNEX. The hardware on the EVO4GT is pretty amazing, and it's why I picked the phone despite the non-removable battery and the awful Sense skin. Sense 4 may be an improvement over the past Sense skins, but it's still Sense and it sucks a big one. It looks and feels like Gingerbread, and I have no idea why they did that. Rooting the EVO is really easy using this method - basically one click root: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1690919 I'm running MeanROM ICS right now which does help fix some of the flaws in Sense, but it's still a Sense rom and while the multi-tasking is better than stock, it still feels like it kills off apps way too fast. With MeanROM, I clocked 5194 in Quadrant. Hopefully they get the source code soon because all the roms out now are basically touch-ups and not rewrites. I can't wait until there's a stock ICS rom or even a CM9 port. ICS is just so drat good, I can't understand all the fuckery that the phone manufacturers are doing. Sense 4 shits all over all the good parts of ICS and it boggles the loving mind. Have I really emphasized how awful Sense 4 is yet? Because god drat. If the Gnex wasn't so out-dated, it would've been a no brainer for me. The Shep fucked around with this message at 16:58 on Jul 11, 2012 |
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Jul 11, 2012 16:56
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Ender.uNF posted:You should already be seeing faster 3G speeds near upgraded towers. It can be a bit frustrating at times... On one block I'll get 1.2Mbps download even during peak hours, further down the road you are lucky to get 50Kbps during peak hours... I'm experiencing this in the Chicago area right now and it really sucks. Streaming music in the car is impossible because you're handing off from 1.5mbps towers to dial-up speed towers.
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Jul 12, 2012 22:15
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ExcessBLarg! posted:Otherwise the S3 and Evo are very similar in terms of hardware, except the S3 has twice as much RAM, external storage, and a significantly larger, removable battery. The EVO has external storage, not sure why you mentioned that as a selling point for the S3. Battery life on my Evo is outstanding. I routinely get through an entire day of heavy use using only 50-60% of the battery. The extra RAM on the S3 is a non-issue in most benchmarks. I was actually really dead set against the Evo when it first launched and now that I own it, I love it. The thing with the Evo is that you have to root it and install a custom rom, because the stock Sense rom is broken. The removable battery doesn't bother me at all because the hardware buttons work just fine for rebooting and powering it down. I consider myself an Android enthusiast, and to that end I went with the Evo over the S3 because it outperforms the S3 in about every benchmark, has an amazing screen, the camera is second to none, the kickstand is drat useful, the build quality is great, and the device just looks good. If you don't plan on rooting and installing a custom rom, I couldn't recommend the EVO to anyone except those people who use their smartphones like dumbphones. Like I mentioned earlier, it took 3 days before the broken multi-tasking issue got the best of me. Having to reload an app because I exited out for a second to type a text message was infuriating. I still think the S3 is a great phone, and I'd almost say to anyone that you'd be happy with either phone. I don't know why anyone is still considering the Nexus given these two great and powerful phones out now. The Shep fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Jul 16, 2012 |
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Jul 16, 2012 18:31
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I understand the love of the Nexus for the updates, but we're talking about a CDMA Nexus here. Honestly, it's just not in the same league as the GSM Nexuses. Saying that the EvoLTE won't get ICS is kinda naive. It's a flagship phone with a huge userbase across similar variants (The One series), development will be pretty aggressive. Hell, I even had a stable ICS rom running on my old HTC Desire. When I buy a phone, I don't expect it to be updated. That's why we root, right?
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Jul 16, 2012 20:13
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SpelledBackwards posted:That's because it shipped with ICS. I meant JB. Of course when Sense 4 looks and feels like Gingerbread, you can hardly blame me for the slip up.
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Jul 17, 2012 05:39
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Deathlove posted:Welp, so long, 25% credit union discount. Also, so long, Sprint! Are you going to get a better deal elsewhere? With NV in full kick, it seems like a really bad time to leave Sprint, unless you're in one of the areas of the country that won't get NV until 2014 or something.
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Jul 18, 2012 18:10
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mastershakeman posted:Wait, really? Service is horrible throughout Chicago, and everyone I know with Sprint is really frustrated with it. What the hell? At the rate they're going, the problems will be cleared up nearly entirely by September or so. They increased the rate of Chicago's rollout because there is an issue with handoff between NV equipment and legacy equipment. I've been happy with my service so far, but the spottiness of the service makes it difficult to do things like stream radio on a car ride. Because you're going from upgraded towers to legacy towers, you're bouncing between high speed 3G and dial-up speed 3G. My 3G on upgraded towers is pretty drat amazing, generally between 1.5-2.2mbps. The Shep fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Jul 19, 2012 |
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Jul 19, 2012 15:55
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Fat and happy on Sprints EVDO Chicago Network Vision towers.   Good things are coming, but I understand those who aren't getting NV anytime soon wanting to get out. Not shown: A 70kbps speedtest on a legacy tower 
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Jul 19, 2012 20:20
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I don't know how well the GNex plays to Android enthusiasts. I consider myself an Android enthusiast to the extent that I'm always tinkering with roms and want the best performance possible, and the GNex was just too outdated for me by the time I was able to get a new phone. The only way the GNex would've played out for me was if I was able to get it on release or close to it, otherwise it has been overshadowed by bigger and better devices even if those devices aren't running stock Android. Just a matter of time until I can put stock ICS/JB on my EvoLTE, and the hardware will outlast that of the Gnex. Although, why can't you people with the GNex just root and install a JB rom instead of waiting for some official update that may never come?
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Jul 22, 2012 20:36
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Yeah, I see where you guys are coming from and I shouldn't have commented on the rom scene for the GNex being unfamiliar with it. I try to stay away from the insane number of no-name roms from people who have no coding experience at all (what the hell are they doing releasing a rom then?)
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Jul 22, 2012 22:34
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I'm pretty sure they only launched with like ~30% of the LTE sites live, right? At least according to S4GRU. That doesn't sound like it makes for a very good coverage area. edit - According to the S4GRU map for Dallas, I see exactly ONE LTE site at 2400 K St. in Dallas, that looks like the only tower in the whole city. Unless the information that S4GRU has is terribly inaccurate, I think Network Vision is starting to lose a ton of steam. We are at the point where Sprint needs to be bringing over 1,000 sites a month online to reach their 2014 goal, and they're trickling in at 20-50 a week. The Shep fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Jul 22, 2012 |
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Jul 22, 2012 23:14
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So has anyone here had any experience with the LTE network yet? It seems to be pretty hit or miss in areas where it has launched. I'm already starting to see slow-down on their 3G NV towers in the Chicago area, I'm guessing a ton of people that just stopped using data altogether are now trying to use data again. I know some can be chalked up to the fact that they're still rolling out upgrades, but it's frustrating to start seeing <1mbps speeds when a month ago I was seeing 1.5-2mbps speedtests.  Because of all the Legacy towers interspersed throughout the market, you still can't do anything on the move like stream pandora or watch youtube because legacy towers are so slow getting handed off to them kills your data. Driving around doing speedtests and running netmonitor all the time makes me feel like a huge nerd. The Shep fucked around with this message at 11:04 on Jul 24, 2012 |
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Jul 24, 2012 10:54
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With only 2,000 NV towers up and running, I'd be really surprised to see them have 12k towers done in just 4 months. I am kicking myself for not buying their stock a few weeks ago, but I was betting on the fact that NV was basically in the early stages of failure based on the progress we've seen, and now it was probably too soon to assume that.
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Jul 27, 2012 10:56
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Hoppy posted:Unrelated, I got the ICS OTA installed on my wifes Evo3D. Her reaction was "So they just changed the look? Where are all the lifechanging features and whatnot?... can you change it back to the old look?" Isn't that exactly what Sense does to ICS anyways? Give it the old look?
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Aug 1, 2012 13:25
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ExcessBLarg! posted:Two things: I disagree and think it's a valid argument that you want to keep unlimited data based on how your needs might change. I would love to stream video/netflix/olympics to my phone, but the network is too slow to do that. I used less than 1gig last month, and not because I wasn't trying. Audio streaming doesn't work half the time, and unless you're on wifi or a rare upgraded 3G tower with good backhaul, you're not going to get youtube or netflix either. A lot of the time, "upgraded" NV towers still don't push more than 500-800kbps, which is still a vast improvement over the dial-up speed 3G that Sprint has on their legacy towers, but still not enough to really chew through any amount of data. Once NV rolls out completely, I could see myself blowing through gigs of streaming video. You just can't base your future usage habits on what your current usage is because we're limited by Sprints abysmal data network.
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Aug 5, 2012 18:01
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Ender.uNF posted:Those speeds were most likely not an upgraded Network Vision tower. That was a old tower that had some additional T1 lines added to it. The only places you might see speeds like that on the new network are really dense parts of Chicago (because Sprint has relatively less spectrum there) or NYC. I'm utilizing programs like Netmonitor and maps on S4GRU.com to determine when I'm connected to an NV tower or not. And yes, this is in the greater Chicago market. New NV towers tend to push 1.5-2.0mbps 3g, but then slowly degrade until several months later (now) where I'm seeing 500-800kbps be more normal. I blame it on the fact that more Sprint customers are seeing that data is working again and using it, therefore bogging it down again. Hopefully once they fill in the rest of the market and complete their backhaul upgrades, speeds will be more stable and over the 1mbps mark. But by that time, I should hopefully be on LTE the whole time anyways. I just worry that the NV backhaul they're installing won't be enough to handle the demand. I know people on Sprint who rely almost entirely on wifi and don't even bother turning on their 3G radio because it's literally useless. How Sprint even got into a position where 3G towers are posting sub 100kbps speeds is beyond me.
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Aug 5, 2012 21:34
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