[Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE] smkyle:
Just a couple things.

1) I actually love Sprint, but I have a very specific problem. At home I just use wifi but at work I don't have wifi. There is a 4G tower nearby but I seem to be right on the edge of it. This means that my phone goes back and forth between 4G and 3G every few minutes and when I lose 4G I lose all data for a minute or two. It drives me insane. I love this phone, but I'm willing to switch to an S3 if it will give me access to 4G at my desk. The EVO has a well documented issue connecting to and staying connected to 4G. Also, the antenna is different than my wife's Optimus G and will not switch over to 4G when the phone is actively using 3G. If you ever map with Sensorly you will see that the EVO either adds a point to 3G or 4G. The Optimus G will add to both. Therefore, while I'm streaming audio, I will never get 4G if I started in a 3G area or if I lose the 4G connection I started with. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

2) I use between 2-5GB/month in data and that would go up drastically if I had 4G coverage everywhere. So only data plans with unlimited data make financial sense to me. That excludes the other big 3 carriers. If I switch, I would switch to Eco Mobile which also works on Sprint's network. $60/month per phone for unlimited data is a better deal than what I have now. The reason they can offer lower prices is because Sprint's higher price goes into recovering costs from subsidizing phones. If I get out of my contract, then I will own my phone free and clear I believe. Again, please correct me if I'm wrong.

3) I'm irritated that Sprint won't swap out my phone with either an S3 or an Optimus G. The reason is that they don't guarantee their 4G network in Charlotte because it hasn't been officially announced. They interpret my problem as a problem with their 4G network. If I turned off my 4G, then there would no longer be a problem. Makes sense I guess, but I don't see what's so devastating to them about giving me a refurbed S3. That would probably have cost them less than having me take up hours of time with their customer service. Not to mention I had a separate issue with my first EVO and they had to swap it out anyway with another EVO. So they're just being stubborn and irrational at everyone's expense. That said, everyone I've talked to on the phone has been polite and as helpful as their authority allows them. But a policy is a policy, bla bla bla.

4) People, think carefully before you jump ship. A lot can change in 2 years. And just because you only use X amount of data now doesn't mean you will use that same amount for another 2 years. Web pages take more data, apps get bigger, more and more video content is streamed, etc. Sprint has been frustratingly slow in rolling out their LTE network, but it is blazing fast. I was in Atlanta for a while and they are so saturated in 4G that my phone didn't have the switching issue. Who knows what Verizon will do after you sign a contract with them, or how the Softbank (I think that's the right name) deal will benefit Sprint. Everyone's needs are different too so...

5) I don't see a downside to ending a contract without paying an ETF. I might lose my mobile number, but I bet there is a way around that.