Sprint is currently the third wireless carrier next to AT&T and Verizon. If you reside in an area where you have choice of one or all three of these services you are probably comparison shopping for the best type of service. All three of these cellular services vary in price, talk minutes, and data plans for Internet access plus they all have their advantages and disadvantages.
If you are researching a number of services in order to choose a cellular carrier that accurately meets your needs, hopefully you will find the information we provide on Sprint helpful for including in your comparison information you will collect as you shop other 3G and 4G carriers. Let’s start with an overview of what Sprint provides:
Sprint Service Plans
Sprint offers three different plans which vary in monthly cost, the amount of talk minutes, data transfer, texting, and using tethering with a hotspot. In terms of monthly costs prices can range from just under $50 per month to more than $109 per month.
The basic Sprint plan which is just under $50 per month offers 3G data transfer for 3 cents per kilobit (KB) of data you use when you access the Internet. You also receive unlimited texting, 450 talk minutes during weekdays, and unlimited minutes during evenings and weekends. The basic plan also includes visual voicemail and unlimited connectivity to other Sprint-enabled devices.
The mid-level Sprint Internet and data plan can be obtained for just under $80 per month and offers unlimited data transfer when you access the Internet, unlimited texting, 450 minutes of talk time during weekdays, and unlimited minutes in the evenings and on weekends. This plan also offers visual voicemail and tethering hotspot with a 5GB cap for an additional $30 per month.
The top level Sprint plan is just over $109 per month and offers unlimited everything including data transfer when accessing the Internet, text messaging, weekday talk time, and evening and weekend minutes. The plan includes visual voicemail and tethering hotspot with 5GB cap for an additional $30 per month.
Pros of Sprint Plans
If you are considering using Sprint wireless Internet one of the advantages of using the service is it offers both 3G and 4G coverage. If you are in an area where 4G Internet is available then you will be connected at the faster data transfer speed. In the event 4G is not available you will be automatically switched over to the 3G service which is a slightly slower rate of data transfer. The 3G network which is provided by Sprint is not as far reaching as some of the other cellular carriers but regardless, you can still access 3G Internet if you are in an area where there is coverage.
Sprint is also one of the few carriers which offer pricing for unlimited data usage when accessing the wireless network. This advantage also includes unlimited text messaging with no charges for going over your data limit.
Sprint recently joined the iPhone world and is currently the only wireless carrier service which offers an unlimited data plan for new subscribers. Sprint also is the leader of the most inexpensive plans for data usage as long as you do not use your iPhone as a hotspot which adds an extra cost on your phone bill every month.
Sprint has a fairly straightforward pricing plan which helps you to learn ahead of time what your costs of using the service will be.  A word to the wise on this is you should make sure you completely understand the charges and read all of the fine print in the service agreement. There have been some customer complaints on deceptive billing practices but Sprint has recently been working to improve their billing process.
Cons of Sprint Plans
Like other wireless carrier services there are some disadvantages to using Sprint for Internet access and cell phone service. First, the coverage area is not as wide as Verizon but it still has the upper hand over AT&T coverage. If you are constantly traveling to different locations this could pose a potential problem when trying to establish Internet access.
For the iPhone user there remains the question as to whether or not the wireless network remains stable when you engage in heavy data usage with your iPhone. This is a concern due to the number of applications which are offered on the iPhone for multitasking.
Another disadvantage is that there are times when Sprint’s wireless network displays limitations when you attempt to talk on the phone and browse the web at the same time. Others beg to differ with this finding however, it is one of the disadvantages to be aware of before you commit to using the service.
Many Sprint users also find the tethering hotspot plan to be rather excessive in price due to the fact that you are paying an extra $30 in addition to the regular monthly fee for your cell phone service. The amount of data transfer is also limited to 5GB instead of offering an unlimited advantage.
Comparison of Sprint with Other Data Plans
If you are trying to compare Sprint with other data plans to find the cheapest way to go, the reality is there is no easy answer to this dilemma. Instead, you must first assess your wireless networking and cell phone needs which include the amount of time you browse the Internet, use text messaging, and talk on the phone, as well as the time of day where you use these services the most.
Once you have a handle on what your needs are then you can calculate which plan will be the most inexpensive for you to choose. For example, if you use the Internet quite frequently and require unlimited talk minutes then you must compare plans based on these criteria. On the other hand, if you use a lot of data but you do not require unlimited talk minutes you can significantly reduce the cost of your wireless plan and should compare plans according to this criteria.
You can also create your own comparison chart so you can see all cellular services in front of you making it easier to compare them with Sprint.