Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone • Hacker News Board

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#61

Post by codenerdz » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 9:51 PM UTC

dvdhsu wrote: post #23

xsmasher wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Unimited data" might be an distinguishing feature they can press. I know I a lot of iPhone+ATT users, but none who tether. Too expensive.

The unlimited data that Sprint gives you is not supposed to be for tethering. If you want the tethering app on Android to work, you need to pay Sprint a monthly fee of $30 a month. [1] I have a hunch that this will apply to the iPhone too. Of course, you would be able to jailbreak then tether, but I'm not sure how many ordinary users would be willing to do that. According to my first reference below, tethering will a…

Supposed is the keyword. Once you root/jailbreak the phone, nothing is stopping you from using WifiTether/Tetherme for your tethering needs. If youre a power user and require over 5GB a months, then youre in trouble. But for most of us that need tethering for those select moments we're away from wifi, its a godsend.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#62

Post by jallmann » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 9:55 PM UTC

joebadmo wrote: post #21

jallmann wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have an unlimited data plan on Verizon, and was told last week it could transfer to LTE. (Didn't make the switch though; I opted for the Droid 3 and its physical keyboard.)

They said you could transfer to unlimited LTE?

Yep, the salesman explicitly said unlimited LTE.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#63

Post by kyleslattery » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:02 PM UTC

Raphael wrote: post #29

kyleslattery wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also, a lot of people on Verizon who wanted a smartphone probably had already bought an Android phone when the Verizon iPhone came out (I know I did). The original Droid is just about two years old, which means that a lot of Droid owners are going to be looking for a new phone in the coming months. I'd bet a lot of them will be getting iPhones. I know a lot of friends that have Droids, and none of them have any inten…

They don't like Android? Or do they prefer Apple hardware to Motorola?

Probably a combination of both, but I doubt it really matters either way—at the end of the day, they had a poor experience with an Android phone, and they don't want to have that happen again.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#64

Post by jwallaceparker » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:06 PM UTC

acslater00 wrote: post #50

kenjackson wrote: post #25

BGR is reporting that the iPhone5 may be a Sprint exclusive. That's pretty big for Sprint. Explains why Sprint has been completely mum about Windows Phone Mango. If this is true, it might be time for me to leave Sprint. http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/03/sprint-guarantees-to-buy-over-...

If Apple made the iphone5 a Sprint exclusive, it would be unavailable to every single one of their existing customers. Literally...Every...Single...One. There's a better chance that Tim Cook will eat an iPhone than announce a Sprint exclusive.

Customers are loyal to the iPhone, not the network it runs on.

I left Sprint to get an iPhone. If I need to rejoin Sprint to get the next iPhone, that's no problem.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#65

Post by josiahq » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:07 PM UTC

veyron wrote: post #44

Lewisham wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can believe this story. Apple spins it that Sprint is ready now, AT&T and Verizon need to get their LTE networks ready. It'll be a very public push. Apple has never shied away from telling their "partners" exactly how annoyed they are at [X] facet of their business. If this did happen, I'm not sure what the knock-on effect for Sprint is. Anyone who wants an iPhone has one. The Verizon thing is over. All those peopl…

The AT&T 3gs crowd joined in June 2009, and many of them (myself included) are just out of contract and waiting to upgrade to the new phone. I think there's plenty of demand, especially if its not an ATT or verizon

I'm up for renewal and its perfect timing with my move to Bay in a month (and the crappy 3G coverage AT&T has there).

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#66

Post by tlholaday » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:15 PM UTC

Lewisham wrote: post #42

kenjackson wrote: post #25

BGR is reporting that the iPhone5 may be a Sprint exclusive. That's pretty big for Sprint. Explains why Sprint has been completely mum about Windows Phone Mango. If this is true, it might be time for me to leave Sprint. http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/03/sprint-guarantees-to-buy-over-...

I can believe this story. Apple spins it that Sprint is ready now, AT&T and Verizon need to get their LTE networks ready. It'll be a very public push. Apple has never shied away from telling their "partners" exactly how annoyed they are at [X] facet of their business. If this did happen, I'm not sure what the knock-on effect for Sprint is. Anyone who wants an iPhone has one. The Verizon thing is over. All those peopl…

I believe you underestimate the general level of discontent with AT&T and Verizon.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#67

Post by equalarrow » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:19 PM UTC

jwallaceparker wrote: post #64

acslater00 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Apple made the iphone5 a Sprint exclusive, it would be unavailable to every single one of their existing customers. Literally...Every...Single...One. There's a better chance that Tim Cook will eat an iPhone than announce a Sprint exclusive.

Customers are loyal to the iPhone, not the network it runs on. I left Sprint to get an iPhone. If I need to rejoin Sprint to get the next iPhone, that's no problem.

Yah, exactly. Most of the people I know still in contract with AT&T are waiting to jump ship to whatever carrier will have the iPhone 5. My gf and I are both a year in on our iPhone 4 contracts with AT&T and we have no problem dumping them.

You have to figure how much is your time really worth?! All the AT&T network b.s. (esp in San Francisco & NYC) that we've had to deal with costs me and my gf much more than the cancellation fee ever will. That said, the cancellation fee is still a load of crap.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#68

Post by cpeterso » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:20 PM UTC

ary wrote: post #46

kenjackson wrote: post #25

BGR is reporting that the iPhone5 may be a Sprint exclusive. That's pretty big for Sprint. Explains why Sprint has been completely mum about Windows Phone Mango. If this is true, it might be time for me to leave Sprint. http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/03/sprint-guarantees-to-buy-over-...

The likelihood of Apple giving Sprint an exclusive to their newest device this late in the game (ie, they're not an unknown quantity like they were in 2007) is highly unlikely. Where one to entertain this crazy notion though the reasoning could center around Sprint's WiMAX deployment and the iPhone 5's need for higher bandwidth. Should the much rumored "Assistant" feature of the new iPhone require a bigger pipe to th…

The Sprint exclusivity would probably be a short period, like 6 months. Apple could milk payola money from Sprint. Sprint could sell AT&T and Verizon switchers new contracts. 6 months later, Apple lets AT&T and Verizon release iPhone 5s to soak up any cheapskates that want to upgrade but did not want to break their AT&T and Verizon contracts.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#69

Post by insanecanadian » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:28 PM UTC

acslater00 wrote: post #51

Flashback to 24 months ago, when Sprint "bet the company" on the Palm Pre. Something tells me this is going to go just as well.

To be fair, they are "betting the company" on something that the lack of probably lost them a large number of potential customers.

Re: Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

#70

Post by agileqr » Mon, Oct 03, 2011, 10:31 PM UTC

jwallaceparker wrote: post #64

acslater00 wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Apple made the iphone5 a Sprint exclusive, it would be unavailable to every single one of their existing customers. Literally...Every...Single...One. There's a better chance that Tim Cook will eat an iPhone than announce a Sprint exclusive.

Customers are loyal to the iPhone, not the network it runs on. I left Sprint to get an iPhone. If I need to rejoin Sprint to get the next iPhone, that's no problem.

I wouldn't say that customers are exclusively device-loyal and network-agnostic. The convenience of using the same device can be outweighed by frustration over the network's coverage, downtime, etc. Everyone has different breaking points, but I guarantee that if you couldn't get reliable service where you spend most of your time, you'd strongly consider a different device!