[Sprint Samsung Galaxy S III] nerys71:
I have been with sprint for over 15 years. they must love me for although I am a sero user (they offered it to me nice big flyer in the mail so I signed up 5 accounts got the whole family on it :)

it was a no brainer. in fact UNTIL the S3 the phones I got on sero (required new activation could not simply move to existing handsets so I might as well get handsets) I never used an upgrade. just no need. I would buy my phones used outright and just esn change.

the "limitations" on sero bother me quite a bit. they are underhanded and immorral since my original terms included no such silly restrictions and that is why I have no problem morally bypassing such restrictions.

anyway onward and upward. I have been VERY satisfied with their services for 15 years. still am for the most part. their data has never been fast but its been reliable and "good enough"

LATELY however its been horrible. not the speed. not dropped calls (I don't experience much of that though more than I did the last 15 years for sure)

my issue is simply NO SIGNAL. period. its almost as if towers are being "shut down" or putting out reduced power. its to the point that I am going to invest in some wilson hardware.

I have always had "weak" area's but the phones were able to "hang onto" that weak signal and functioned just fine.

these smart phones simply lack the ability to hang onto weak signals like my sanyo 6200 and 8400 could. I guess its all the extra hardware and extra radio's involved and probably slightly lower "quality" overall since that energy (manufacturer energy not battery energy maybe effort is a better word?) is going elsewhere (screens processors etc..)

I have a "freedompop" wimax device. 500mb a month FREE no monthly cost period. I keep it running and when I am in wimax area (anytime I am home I am) I use it or my home wifi for data anyway so I don't experience much "data" issues. I am planning to get a second one. a gig a month is MORE than enough for my typical non wifi data usage.

I average around 12-18gigs a month wifi 800mb to 2gig a month 3G.

I use a ton of "data" time on the phone but its not "heavy" data (streaming music video etc..) its casual data. whatever my apps use which does not really amount to much and does not need "faster" bandwidth for.

I DEAL with it because I am paying $42 a month (I have pick 3 for $5) really should get rid of pick 3 I don't need it I NEVER go over my 500 minutes. Ever. but I know I can NEVER add it again if I get rid of it. with google voice as one of my numbers in theory I have unlimited minutes for $42 a month.

I also have a boost account at $35 a month (there are many times where I want to active usable data connections) I hit my 18 shrinkage months 2 months ago. its sweet.

One thing I TRULY miss from my 8400 and my Tp2 is the ability to simply click roaming. I don't roam much but its NICE when your in a spot with no usable sprint signal.

hopefully roam control gets sorted out soon I am gonna plunk down for that now that I have 2 S3's

90% of my data is over wifi so I am not feeling the pain "too" much especially for what I am paying.

I DO hope they get on the ball and fix things up. right now most of their revenue is coming from their MVNO's but if their network continues to crumble those MVNO's will also crumble and "move on" to other networks.

for me a phone is a luxury not a necessity. if I could not get it for a price I can swallow I won't have it. that simple. my S3 works just fine over wifi only with groove ip. :) cellular is a convenience for me nothing more.

let me tell you sprint was "shocked" when I told them I would cancel over the $5 fee if you did not have "automatic" payments (this was before we fixed the overdraft fee issues with our criminal banking system) well mostly fixed.

when she said well where would you go at this price? as if she "had me" by the balls or something.

I said no where. she said thats right no one has prices this low.

I said excuse me I am sorry we had a miss communication. You mis understood. I would go NO WHERE. I would cancel service and not get service anywhere else.

you don't seem to understand my situation. this phone is a luxury nothing more. I do not NEED it on any level that is relevant I don't have service because I need it but because I enjoy it. I want it I don't want it that bad. I would simply "do without" cellular service and be none the worse for wear. I have been with you for some 12 years (this was 3 or 4 years ago) and under the right conditions I don't see me going anywhere in the next 12 years but I will not pay you another $5 "just because" its simply non negotiable.

she was stunned into silence. it just never dawned on her I did not "NEED" them. they removed the $5 fee. (I am hard core anal about "because we can" fee's they really make me mad)