Wall Street Journal says that Sprint has committed to buy at least 30.5 million iPhones

[1992casey]

Yikes. If accurate, the numbers are staggering, at least to an outsider looking in.

 

Snippets from "Inside Sprint's Bet on iPhone"…

Sprint has committed to buy at least 30.5 million iPhones, even though it would likely lose money on the deal until 2014, according to people familiar with the matter.…

 

Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse told Sprint's board in August that the carrier would have to agree to purchase the iPhones over the next four years—a commitment of $20 billion at current rates—whether or not it could find people to buy them, according to people familiar with the matter.…

 

To sell that many iPhones, Sprint would have to double its rolls of contract customers, convert all of them to the Apple device or a combination of the two.

 

"This is a bet-the-company kind of thing,'' said a person familiar with Sprint's decision making. The projected hit to the company's operating income is "staggering," the person said.

 

The board ultimately signed off on what the company internally called the "Sony" project, concluding Sprint couldn't compete otherwise. Directors figured, "How can we pass this up? We have to have it," the person familiar with the matter said.…

 

The lack of the iPhone is "the No. 1 reason customers leave or switch," Mr. (Dan) Hesse (Sprint CEO) said at an industry conference last month.…

[berniebrewer4life]

I'm currently with sprint, let's see if they offer a free iphone with a contract renewal or something(i am eligible for an upgrade soon).

[1992casey]

Pricing now goes like this with two year contracts:

 

iPhone 4S: $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), $399 (64GB)

 

iPhone 4: $99 (8GB)

 

iPhone 3GS: Free (8GB)

 

From the announcements made today, I'd assume that Sprint offers all three models. All three models run iOS 5, although certain iOS 5 features might be unavailable in the older models.

[1992casey]

From the announcements made today, I'd assume that Sprint offers all three models.

I'm now betting against the 3GS being offered by Sprint. Sprint uses CDMA, and the 3GS is GSM-only. The iPhone 4 has separate GSM and CDMA models, so it may be offered. The 4S combines CDMA and GSM into the same unit.

[Tailgat0r76]

As a Sprint investor, I'm definitely alarmed; but I do believe they've positioned themselves well going into the iPhone launch.

 

They've done away with a lot of the extra features (premiere rewards program, return policy, 1-year contracts, unlimited tethering to name a few) and raised a few fees (upgrade/activation and insurance) in order to be able to keep their unlimited plan at the same pricepoint even with the influx of iPhone users, and even with the diminished profit margin that selling Apple products yield.

 

The whole time Apple was showing off "Siri" today, it just made me think how that's yet another very data-heavy use of your phone and I think Sprint being the only carrier with truly unlimited data could be a reason for some people to switch. I realize the vast majority of people don't even use 1 GB of data a month; but for once in the last 5 years or so, they actually have a competitive advantage over the other carriers that's not just price.

 

 

Now Sprint just needs to do away with WiMax and build out their LTE network as soon as possible. Their October 7th "4G Strategy/Network Update" should be revealing and I'm hoping for good news from that front.

[thebruce44]

The whole time Apple was showing off "Siri" today, it just made me think how that's yet another very data-heavy use of your phone and I think Sprint being the only carrier with truly unlimited data could be a reason for some people to switch. I realize the vast majority of people don't even use 1 GB of data a month; but for once in the last 5 years or so, they actually have a competitive advantage over the other carriers that's not just price.

 

Now Sprint just needs to do away with WiMax and build out their LTE network as soon as possible. Their October 7th "4G Strategy/Network Update" should be revealing and I'm hoping for good news from that front.

Did Verizon stop doing unlimited LTE for new accounts? I have it and used something like 12 GBs last month. With these new speeds you end up using a lot more data.

And I agree about WiMax. I canceled it when I switched to Verizon's LTE since it never seemed to work inside and gets super spotty when moving more than 25 mph.

[1992casey]

Both AT&T and Verizon have killed unlimited bandwidth on new accounts. Additionally, both companies are throttling users who use too much bandwidth on existing unlimited accounts. To avoid throttling, users need to switch to a capped account that charges them when they go over their limit.

[LouisEly]

Not sure why they need the iPhone. Train their salespeople on how to compare/contrast the HTC Evo to the iPhone and people won't leave. The Evo is better than the iPhone, IMO, and if they market and sell it correctly they should sell plenty.

[Tailgat0r76]

Not sure why they need the iPhone. Train their salespeople on how to compare/contrast the HTC Evo to the iPhone and people won't leave. The Evo is better than the iPhone, IMO, and if they market and sell it correctly they should sell plenty.

While I agree with you (I own the Evo 3D), and I strongly believe that the Samsung Galaxy SII is far superior to the iPhone 4S as well, there's something to be said about the user-interface of iOS and just how easy it is for absolutely any user to be able to master pretty quickly.

[1992casey]

I don't trust cell phone sales people, so I'd be taking whatever they

did to compare phone A to phone B with a huge grain of salt. One Sprint

representative told me that it didn't matter that Sprint didn't cover

northern Wisconsin because I wouldn't ever be going there. Really. I

also recall an Alltel rep selling a friend a $40 USB cable to transfer

ringtones from her computer to her phone. The rationale was that doing

it via Bluetooth "didn't really work." It took me about a minute to

figure out how to pair the phone with my Mac and send the files over.

 

On the other hand, I do trust Apple Store people, and if I were in the

market for an iPhone, I'd feel good about any advice they offered when

weighing the advantages of AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint.

 

I don't own a smartphone. I'd love a data plan, but I can't justify the

cost of the number of minutes they make you buy every month. That makes

my experience with these devices limited.

 

I can say that when a friend asked me to get directions and a map on his

iPhone, I pulled it off immediately without a hitch. When another

friend recently asked me to do the same thing on her Android phone, it

was a collaborative effort that took several tries.

 

Back to cost and availability, I was correct in reply #3. AT&T will offer all three phones. Verizon and Sprint won't be offering the free iPhone 3GS, but they will offer the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. Here's a comparison of the three phones from Apple. As far as iOS 5 features, an iPhone 4S is required for Siri.

 

Here's a cost comparison. All things being equal, Sprint probably offers the best financial deal. Of course, all things aren't equal, so what's right for one person isn't going to apply to everyone.

 

One question that hasn't been answered is if Sprint's network will handle the influx of iPhone users. They say it's ready, but that's not something that can really be tested until people actually go live with their new phones.

[berniebrewer4life]

I can say that when a friend asked me to get directions and a map on his

iPhone, I pulled it off immediately without a hitch. When another

friend recently asked me to do the same thing on her Android phone, it

was a collaborative effort that took several tries.

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/indifferent.gif

 

Open maps, put in address, hit go. That's pretty simple. But maybe that's because my Hero is a bit outdated, but it takes me about the same amount of time on an iphone as an android.

[1992casey]

Things were going wrong. Zooming wasn't happening, and it'd jump to the starting point when I wanted to look at the destination. The way it was supposed to work seemed pretty straightforward. Things just that it didn't happen that way.

 

I wouldn't expect this from all Android devices. The phone could have been a lousy model, or it might not have been running the best version of Android. Unfortunately, you're at the mercy of the phone manufacturer for Android updates, so even if this had been an issue that was addressed by Google, getting a fix may not have been an option. Either that or the phone manufacturer might have borked Android somehow.

[thebruce44]

I can say that when a friend asked me to get directions and a map on his

iPhone, I pulled it off immediately without a hitch. When another

friend recently asked me to do the same thing on her Android phone, it

was a collaborative effort that took several tries.

Did you try holding the search button down then saying "navigate to the address?" Its actually considerably easier on Android than on iOS right now.

[thebruce44]

I wouldn't expect this from all Android devices. The phone could have been a lousy model, or it might not have been running the best version of Android. Unfortunately, you're at the mercy of the phone manufacturer for Android updates, so even if this had been an issue that was addressed by Google, getting a fix may not have been an option. Either that or the phone manufacturer might have borked Android somehow.

Not true. One of the great things about Android is that you aren't at the mercy of anyone for updates to Android and especially to your Apps.

[1992casey]

Then I ought to be able to fix her phone like I frequently fix her Windows. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif What should I look to do?

[thebruce44]

Then I ought to be able to fix her phone like I frequently fix her Windows. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif What should I look to do?

Open the Market App, click Menu, then update apps. She may have her Apps not set to auto update.

 

In terms of upgrading Android to the latest, go to Menu, Settings, About Phone, Software Information. What version of Android is she running and what phone does she have with what carrier? It should be higher than 2.2. If you want to upgrade it and the upgrade wasn't pushed to her phone you can hit Software Update and then Check New.

 

Otherwise, you can root the phone then pretty much do whatever you want with it depending on the model. If you want to go this route I can point you in the right direction.

[DHonks]

Some reports last month showed that informal polls say that up to 50% of Sprint users will likely consider switching to an iphone if one becomes available. Sprint is betting on that data being true.

[1992casey]

Sprint broke it's single day sales record on Friday.

Sprint today reported its best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family in Sprint history with the launch of iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. We reached this milestone at approximately noon CT/1pm ET. The response to this device by current and new customers has surpassed our expectations and validates our customers’ desire for a truly unlimited data pricing plan.

 

--Fared Adib, Sprint Product Chief

Sprint reports 'best day ever' of sales with iPhone 4S launch

[1992casey]

I wouldn't expect this from all Android devices. The phone could have been a lousy model, or it might not have been running the best version of Android. Unfortunately, you're at the mercy of the phone manufacturer for Android updates, so even if this had been an issue that was addressed by Google, getting a fix may not have been an option. Either that or the phone manufacturer might have borked Android somehow.

Not true. One of the great things about Android is that you aren't at the mercy of anyone for updates to Android and especially to your Apps.

Can you reconcile what you're saying with what's in this article?

 

Android Orphans: Visualizing a Sad History of Support

I went back and found every Android phone shipped in the United States¹

up through the middle of last year. I then tracked down every update

that was released for each device - be it a major OS upgrade or a minor

support patch - as well as prices and release & discontinuation

dates. I compared these dates & versions to the currently shipping

version of Android at the time. The resulting picture isn’t pretty -

well, not for Android users…

 

Other than the original G1 and MyTouch, virtually all of the millions of phones represented by this chart are still under contract today. If you thought that entitled you to some support, think again:

• 7 of the 18 Android phones never ran a current version of the OS.
• 12 of 18 only ran a current version of the OS for a matter of weeks or less.
• 10 of 18 were at least two major versions behind well within their two year contract period.
• 11 of 18 stopped getting any support updates less than a year after release.
• 13 of 18 stopped getting any support updates before they even stopped selling the device or very shortly thereafter.
• 15 of 18 don’t run Gingerbread, which shipped in December 2010.
• In a few weeks, when Ice Cream Sandwich comes out, every device on here will be another major version behind.
• At least 16 of 18 will almost certainly never get Ice Cream Sandwich.

A chart showing the update status of phones released through mid-2010 is provided. Comparisons are made to iOS, but data for Windows, Palm, RIM, etc. aren't provided.

DeGusta continued:

---

Why Don’t Android Phones Get Updated?

 

That’s a very good question. Obviously a big part of the problem is

that Android has to go from Google to the phone manufacturers to the

carriers to the devices, whereas iOS just goes from Apple directly to

devices. The hacker community (e.g. CyanogenMod, et cetera) has frequently managed to get these phones to run the newer operating systems, so it isn’t a hardware issue.

[1992casey]

I'll post this separately because it deals with stuff that's so much different than the message above.

 

Apparently, Sprint is dumping the availability of unlimited data on all devices except smartphones. That makes me wonder how long unlimited data for smartphones will last. As of now, however, as long as you're in an area that's covered by Sprint's network, data seems to be a good deal.

 

Also, they're telling us that iPhones don't tax the network as much as Android phones. The rationale is that iPhones are more efficient because they're better able to switch users to WiFi when it's available. Of course, what they don't say is that the availability of the iPhone is adding millions to the network that weren't there before. Along with that, internet statistics demonstrate that iPhone users tend to use the 'Net more than users of other smartphones.

 

I'll try to dig out some links for this unless someone else finds them first. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[thebruce44]

I wouldn't expect this from all Android devices. The phone could have been a lousy model, or it might not have been running the best version of Android. Unfortunately, you're at the mercy of the phone manufacturer for Android updates, so even if this had been an issue that was addressed by Google, getting a fix may not have been an option. Either that or the phone manufacturer might have borked Android somehow.

Not true. One of the great things about Android is that you aren't at the mercy of anyone for updates to Android and especially to your Apps.

Can you reconcile what you're saying with what's in this article?

Sure, the article agrees with me:

The hacker community (e.g.CyanogenMod, et cetera) has frequently managed to get these phones to run the newer operating systems

I said you aren't at the mercy of anyone for updates to Android and thats true. You don't need to wait for official Google support to upgrade your phone to the newest OS. I don't know why the Nexus One won't be supported, but owners who want to hold onto their two year old phone when ICS comes out can still upgrade if they want, it just wont be officially supported. Two years is about the time most people upgrade anyway.

Why isn't it officially supported? If I had to guess its just not as smooth of an experience as Google wants due to the older technology. iOS5 runs on the 3GS I've heard (though not with all the features) but not the 3. So iOS supports a 6 month older phone than Google is going to support with ICS. Thats probably about the cutoff point (2 years) where the tech is too old to continue support.

Now, if you aren't very tech savvy and you want the official updates, I will admit that certain companies have been lousy about getting the latest software upgrades out to their users. My HTC Thunderbolt comes to mind. Gingerbread was released, then pulled because of a few bugs, and was just finally released officially again by HTC in the last couple of weeks. However, most people have been running Gingerbread for months though on their Thunderbolt because its been available all over the internet in very bug free versions.

[thebruce44]

I'll post this separately because it deals with stuff that's so much different than the message above.

 

Apparently, Sprint is dumping the availability of unlimited data on all devices except smartphones. That makes me wonder how long unlimited data for smartphones will last. As of now, however, as long as you're in an area that's covered by Sprint's network, data seems to be a good deal.

 

Also, they're telling us that iPhones don't tax the network as much as Android phones. The rationale is that iPhones are more efficient because they're better able to switch users to WiFi when it's available. Of course, what they don't say is that the availability of the iPhone is adding millions to the network that weren't there before. Along with that, internet statistics demonstrate that iPhone users tend to use the 'Net more than users of other smartphones.

 

I'll try to dig out some links for this unless someone else finds them first. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

It could also have to do with Sprint's Android phones over the last year running on their WIMAX network, which the iPhone can't use.

[MJLiverock]

From Fierce Wireless

Sprint's LTE getting Advanced in 2013, WiMAX's inferiority complex intensifies

By Michael Gorman posted Oct 25th 2011 11:09PM

Sprint just started building out its LTE network, but being the eager beavers that they are, the folks in Overland Park are already talking about taking the Now Network to the next level. Iyad Tarazi, Sprint's VP of network development and engineering, said that Sprint will be rolling out an LTE-Advanced network in the first half of 2013. (As a brief refresher, LTE-Advanced is a true 4G technology that can make regular LTE speeds look positively pedestrian in comparison.) Tarazi added that we would see 12 LTE devices in 2012 and that over 250 million people will have access to Sprint-flavored LTE by the end of 2013 -- with voice over LTE service coming in the first quarter of that year. For those (hundreds?) of you worried about the fate of of WiMAX, well, don't. Apparently, the out-of-favor 4G network will continue to be supported for several more years due to Sprint's agreement with Clearwire. So, it appears Sprint's really making a run at Verizon's LTE hegemony. Good luck Mr. Hesse, you're probably going to need it.

[1992casey]

However, most people have been running Gingerbread for months though on their Thunderbolt because its been available all over the internet in very bug free versions.

 

Are you suggesting that the majority of Android users root their devices? Is there data somewhere that shows that? I have a hard time believing that the majority would do that simply because it's like pulling teeth to get a lot of people to apply updates that are handed to them on a silver platter (e.g. updates to OS X, Windows, web browsers, or whatever).

 

I certainly wouldn't expect current devices to be updated with every new feature. For example, you mentioned that Siri doesn't run on an iPhone 3GS. Actually, it doesn't run on an iPhone 4 either. For these devices, I think that iOS 5 falls back on the previous speech recognition technology, which I believe was licensed from Microsoft.

 

If features have to be designed for the least common denominator, progress would be hindered. However, I think it's reasonable to expect security and bug fixes while devices are still under contract. Generally, that would mean two years from the point that a device was discontinued.

[thebruce44]

Are you suggesting that the majority of Android users root their devices? Is there data somewhere that shows that?

 

I don't know. All of the polls I've seen online are probably skewed data so I probably spoke incorrectly and should have said that most of the people I know and on online polls have been running Gingerbread for a long time now.

 

I certainly wouldn't expect current devices to be updated with every new feature. For example, you mentioned that Siri doesn't run on an iPhone 3GS. Actually, it doesn't run on an iPhone 4 either.

 

I never mentioned that. I know Siri doesn't run on the iPhone4. Not really sure what you are getting at here.

 

If features have to be designed for the least common denominator, progress would be hindered. However, I think it's reasonable to expect security and bug fixes while devices are still under contract. Generally, that would mean two years from the point that a device was discontinued.

 

I agree, but it sounds like we are talking about two different things here. The article you posted talks about how a nearly 2 year old phone wont be getting Ice Creme Sandwich and I talked about how the Thunderbolt just got Gingerbread after a long wait.

 

Thats different than receiving updates or bug fixes. I believe the Thunderbolt has had 2 updates already before the Gingerbread update. If a security flaw or bug turned up after two years with the original Nexus I don't think that article was saying they wouldn't provide a fix for it.