[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] bigdano:
Hey Everybody

I am writing in regards to my experience with Sprint's "cutting edge" Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch phone. Let me tell you all, it has been nothing short of disappointing. Here's why...

I "upgraded" the phone from Sprint's old flagship: the HTC Evo 4G. This was the first 4g phone to ever hit the US... and I was onboard. See, I have been a Sprint customer for years now. I have always believed that Dan Hesse was starting to turn things around at the company. So, naturally, when I saw this Epic Touch and its AMOLED display, I was enticed to renew my contract. Only problem is that Sprint decided to do away with their Preferred Rewards program. So I was no longer eligible for an upgrade. I would have to wait an extra 6 months. But lo, a Sprint rep at customer service suggested that I "buy out" my current contract for a mere $40 so I can upgrade my phone. In addition, they would credit me $40 on my next bill for being a loyal customer.

So you see what Sprint did here? They eliminated their customer rewards program and still made me happy with being able to upgrade my phone. Apparently they removed the program to increase profitability. There is nothing wrong with a company trying to turn their first quarterly profit in years, right?

Fast forward a few months down the road. I did upgrade my phone... but only after being backdoored by Sprint. You see, that $40 credit they threw on my bill automatically extended my contract out another 2 years. I bought my contract up with the option to upgrade, but now I was basically forced to upgrade as Sprint extended my contract for 2 years without telling me they were doing so. Their response, "Well your contract would have been extended when you decided to upgrade your phone anyway." This is true, but the fact of the matter is I was not informed that this $40 was actually a front to extend my contract two years so I was essentially locked in already at that point in time. To me, that is, for lack of a better word, shady.

So now I have the Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch. Wow, that's a long name for a phone. Anyway, long story short, is that this phone FAILS in multiple areas in comparison to the old HTC Evo 4G I had before. What areas does it fail in? Cell reception, call quality, data reception, roaming, tower acquisition. Simply put, this Epic Touch FAILS to lock on to towers and transfer data.

I have had the phone a few months now, and this is the best comparison I can make. You remember the mid 90's and those old Packard Bell computers that started to pop up in houses across America? Well they often came with a Dial-Up modem that often failed to connect when dialing up to the server. You know the sound that modem would make, you could tell when you were actually going to get a connection. Sometimes it would work, sometimes it wouldn't. That's just how it was. And when it did connect, you better just have patience when you tried to use browse the web.

Well that is EXACTLY how this phone is. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. And if you decide to use ANY data whatsoever, you better have some damn patience when doing it.

Turns out for me when the new wore off and I got past the blazing processor and the awesome display, I decided to return it because it just couldn't perform. Only one problem... I was out of town for my job and I was already on day 30 of my initial month. And now I am stuck with this slick flat screen that doubles as an old Packard Bell paperweight.

Calls into customer service, PRL updates, prayers to God, they have not helped. And I venture to say that exchanging it for another unit at the store that sold me my phone is out of the question. And I will take a wild guess and say that a trip to my local Sprint repair center will not help either.

So if the above fails, where am I at? I am stuck with a brand new $200 Slick Packard Bell Paperweight.

Do any of you have any suggestions on what your course of action would be? Should the following be my philosophy from here on out?

Business is business. And it is what it is. Sprint, if you fail me I am going to bring out the big guns. I am going to attempt to continuously stream so much data on roaming towers that you will cancel my contract on YOUR end. I will do whatever it takes to make my contract unprofitable for your company. I will hack my phone, I will load Ice Cream Sandwich, I will edit my PRL, I will load programs that FORCE me to roam. Fix it, or I will.

Disgruntled customer.