It’s that time of year again – the end of January, when I realize I’ve had my phone for more than eight months, and I start getting antsy for a new one. Usually, I only upgrade once a year. When I entered the smartphone market, I started out with a Samsung Blackjack II, then a T-Mobile myTouch 3G, then an HTC EVO 4G, then an EVO 3D, and now the EVO 4G LTE – each phone lasted me about one year.
Until recently, I’ve been relatively happy with Sprint and HTC. I loved my EVO 4G, was amazed by the 3D capabilities of my EVO 3D, and was blown away by the new version of Sense on my EVO 4G LTE. I also thought Sprint had fair prices and decent service.
Oh, how quickly times can change, right?
Long time readers of both Pocketables and G&E will know that I’ve been a long time defender of both Sprint and HTC. When Sprint began making all its cutbacks and sneaky price increases (i.e. no more annual upgrades or Sprint Premier, increased activation fees, cancellation of unlimited data for tablets, etc.), I was the first to shout out: “Don’t worry! Sprint is going to use the money to improve its network and bring 4G LTE to everyone!”
Meanwhile, speeds have continued to degrade for most people across the country, in spite of a lucky few who report improved speeds. And even though the LTE buildout is progressing, Sprint is behind schedule in almost every market.
For me personally, I’ve talked to Sprint almost every few months for over a year, and every time I call to ask them when I will be able to have usable data, and when I will be able to be sure that my phone will actually ring when someone dials my number, I’m told – every time – “a couple months.” Meanwhile, Sprint has confirmed extreme capacity issues on every single tower in my city. Every. Single. One. The only thing that kept me from cancelling my service was the very generous monthly credit I’ve been given until these issues are resolved.
But there comes a point where even very cheap cell phone service just won’t cut it anymore if it’s not reliable. More and more, T-Mobile or MVNOs like Straight Talk are looking pretty darn attractive.
And then there’s HTC. Where do we even begin? Between HTC’s delayed OTA updates, bootloader shenanigans, and recent hostility towards the developer community, I’ve pretty much had it. There’s a reason the company is struggling financially, and it looks like HTC doesn’t really want to do anything radical enough that will correct its downward decent.
So here I am, approximately four months before I’ll seriously start looking for another phone, and I have a growing suspicion that the time is coming for me to bid HTC and Sprint farewell. I know a lot of readers already have, and I’d be very interested to know the reasons why you left HTC and/or Sprint. I’d also like to know where you moved to. Comment below, or rant along with me in this related thread in the forums.
Check out the rest of our Android coverage, including app reviews, Nexus news, and more at pocketables.com/android.
Check out Ting http://androidspin.com/2013/01/17/ting-will-give-up-to-350-credit-per-line-for-etf-to-transfer/
the article you linked in your comment confuses me as this article here on Pocketables.com is about leaving sprint, not leaving sprint and going to another company that piggy backs of off sprint, so you still on the same crappy service.
My last two smartphones has been the HTC Evo 4g and LTE with Sprint service. I love Sprint’s integration of Google Voice and that was a great sell for me. Then there was Wallet integration and that was a bust. My feelings for both Sprint and HTC has diminished after fail 4G LTE coverage in Long Beach, CA and the lack of support for the open source community. When my contract is up, i’ll be rethinking my brand loyalty as well.
I stand one month away from parting ways and saying hello to Verizon and the note 2. Samsung may not be the best company out there but there doing something right.as for Verizon there 4g will be done by the end of this yr covering all there 3g….why wait when someone can give better service now
If the Sony Xperia Z comes to T mobile?
Sayonara! Sprint! If not? Maybe one more year with
my original Evo 4G to see how Sprint’s NV
is coming along in Hawaii?
Wow!
Well, looks like the G in G&E might stand for “Gone”.
My Evo 4G continues to work. Calls come in. Messages are recorded. Internet works. Email fine.
As for Sprint, the service is expensive, the data rates are not good, the promised speeds and network never materialized despite the extra monthly charge, and Sprint refused to even consider giving me more than the $20 trade in value for my trusty Evo 4G when the newest phone (now almost a year old) came out.
But, I am not upset for I learned long ago that US mobile phone providers grovel with the same class of vermin as are found in the cable TV industry. It’s a cesspool of greed and ineptitude.
So I expect that (a) promises will never be kept (b) service will suck and (c) I will be gouged.
As some old philosopher once said, “expect nothing, and you will not be disappointed”.
Works for me.
My Evo, despite its issues and Sprint’s service, is still far better than an i-Device. Even if it were an old flip phone, it would still be better.
considering the developers are stating that they’re leaving in droves (which may just be annoyed talk) might indeed.
the EVO had the biggest and most interesting development of any phone I’ve seen. It has the greatest hardware and a great development community, but it’s like a Porsche in a school zone with Sprint, and it’s got a bad set of mechanics from HTC
Paul, I am not certain that HTC or Sprint designed the Evo as a device that would ride upon the independent software developers surf. The way this was handled, particularly with a very late entry into root enabling and the latest shots across the developer community bow, suggest to me that the initial desire was to keep it closed, and only HTC’s and Sprint’s blundering and bad luck permitted the persistent de-root attempts to pay off. When it was discovered that this might mean something, or that killing it would impact sales, they backed off.
For the phone vendor and carrier, the game is to keep selling devices and plans at the highest margins with the lowest possible service (both performance and customer/technical help after the sale). If there is any altruism or “developer community” talk, I see it as lies against a backdrop of profit.
The old analog of used car salesman as scum of the earth has been far surpassed by mobile phone companies and needs to be updated.
Well it’s all well and good to “expect nothing”, bit I don’t expect to be charged MORE for nothing.
@Paul E King, how did you go about getting them to give you a credit? I think they should give me one as well.
You realize that the EVO 4G LTE was the 2nd phone in the US to get JB, outside of the Nexus line, right? Sprint SG3 was the first in the US BTW. Your upgrade argument doesn’t hold water. As for service in your area, that is a whole other story
EVO View Honeycomb upgrade? EVO 3D ICS upgrade? I rest my case.
Hell, let’s get really old school. The slow and delayed Android 2.1 update for the Sprint HTC Hero back in 2010.
And then, subsequently, no Android 2.2 update. The Hero FLIES on Android 2.2 and Android 2.3 (CyanogenMod 6 & 7), but HTC and Sprint gave up on it (their once flagship, and original HTC Sense equipped Android device).
I personally was never with Sprint. My parents were once with Nextel and I had a line. The service definitely sucked, both coverage-wise and customer service-wise. Ever since I’ve had my own plan I’ve been with Verizon. I’m willing to pay a bit more for better service. My first smartphone on Verizon was an HTC DROID Eris and I’ve ventured away once or twice but I keep coming back. I’m currently on a DROID DNA and I love it. Without any issues I have no reason to look anywhere else, be it phone or provider.
My signal sucks most of the time on 3G. I’m mostly in WiFi but I get 22% off of plan and like having unlimited data even though it do WiFi slot. I wouldn’t mind Verizon and the Droid DNA by HTC or a Galaxy S III or Note 2. My contract not up for a bit. I just hit ten years and they allowed me one last upgrade and I have to wait 2 years. I got my EVO 4G LTE which I love especially now with Jelly Bean. but several of my friends and coworkers have the Galaxy s3 and love it. My one friend gave up her new EVO for the note 2 and loves it.
I felt the same way and took action. I’m on my 3rd week on Straight Talk (AT&T) on my Nexus 4. No regrets, my HSPA+ speeds are as fast as the the Sprint Wimax was with better battery performance.
(sf bay area)
How is the camera on the Nexus 4? As another longtime sprint customer, I’m pretty much fed up too. But I love my EVO LTE and the camera on it. That’s what kept me away from the Galaxy Nexus. Anyway, if the Nexus 4 has a comparable camera to the EVO, I’d seriously consider making the switch.
I have very few issues in my city with Sprint. 4G is plenty fast, my EVO LTE does all I need it to, and my bill is certainly less than it would be on ATT&T or Verizon. I stream music everyday at work, couldn’t do that with a capped plan. I had MetroPCS and customer service is what you would expect when you only pay 50 dollars a month. I have no loyalty to Sprint or HTC but so far I have no gripes.
You’re fortunate then. Where I am in Cali there is no 4G, I can’t stream music over 3G anymore without it buffering every 20 or 30 seconds.
I’m in Orange County, CA and right there with you. Sprint data is TERRIBLE. I average less thn 300kps down on Sprint’s 3G service and Wimax is so hit or miss it is a non-factor. There are times I can’t even open a web browser. I actually hit a blazing 8kbs download yesterday!! I have a few months before my contract is up and I will be taking my business to Verizon. I have been with Sprint for 15+ years and the last 6-12 months Sprint has REALLY gone down hill here in the OC. I am dropping more and more calls too – yes I still use a phone for calls.
@FrozenRiff – I think the upgrade argument does make sense. Samsung released the GSIII months later than the Evo 4G LTE and it still managed to release an update months BEFORE HTC. On top of that, I haven’t heard GSIII owners complaining that their upgrade is full of bugs.
The Nexus line should also count against updates. The fact that HTC has so modified the core OS with Sense (which I like btw), that they can’t get an update out in a timely fashion means they are doing it wrong.
I am feeling the same way regarding HTC and their treatment of the DEV community right now. The Bootloader locks are insane. They wouldn’t be bad if S-ON actually allowed users to do upgrades easily AND without voiding your warranty. Add to that HTC’s RUU fiasco lately, I think it might be time to leave too.
Such a shame actually.
I’m with you, I just ordered my Nexus4 yesterday and am waiting for it to come. Once it arrives, I will call Sprint and hassle them until they let me out of the contract with no fees. I live in NYC and work in a huge metro area, and everyday I check speeds all around and the best I got was 300kb/s. I managed to catch 4g once at the nhl store in nyc, but the 3g is so bad i can’t justify paying so much money for nothing. I use my phone heavily for a lot of things so the speed really does matter. Tmo seems to be the way to go since they are probably going to support the 4g for nexus4. See ya Sprint and HTC!
You know the Nexus has no LTE right that is why I have not moved to a Google phone.But when my contract is up maybe by that time it will have it and goodbye Sprint!
All signs point to Nexus4 having the LTE for TMo, they have the band and TMo is actually selling the phone so I am taking the risk. I can always request a new phone from TMo for signing the contract if it doesn’t work out.
I think I may try out the lg Optimus G and then quit sprint
I had the evo OG and then the 3D and then was absolutely unwilling to move backward to a phone that can only use 3G despite being called “LTE,” I felt like Sprint abandoned me.
My WiMax speed is consistently 4Mb+, which was great in 2011, but to be on an old OS on an old phone is unacceptable. Not only that, I’m on my fourth replacement Evo 3D – the hardware has not been reliable for me (though the insurance has been great).
So yesterday I pulled the trigger and got a Nexus 4 (delivery tomorrow). My ETF is about the same as the street value of my 3D (which is only about a month old) so I should be getting out free and early. Solavei should get my dollars next, though I’ll never be locked in again.
Good luck.
There are some things i agree with and other things i disagree.. The part about htc is correct.. it sucks to know that they used to be one of the best at making phones and supporting it and now everyone is jumping ship.. personally i LOVE SENSE i dont understand why people bitch about it.. it is way better than touchwiz and motoblur watever its called.. only time i had pure android was when i owned the G1… with sprint.. i havnt had any issues with signal and that is my main concern as long as i can make calls and send txt i am fine.. the whole lte thing doesnt phase me because i mostly use wifi anyways but on RARE occasions where i want faster 3g speeds i just tought it out even though i have noticed an increase in lte coverage in the bronx not enough to sustain a strong signal but its getting there.. plus with sprint i only pay 70 bucks a month so i cant complain(i have a discount) my next phone might just be the M7 funny enough from htc.. call me a fanboy but i just find the need to have a phone that i feel is put well together from hardware and software. If you guys want a great ROM try out Viper4G 3.0 it was released yesterday 4.1.1..
For some reason the Sprint service in my area (Los Angeles) has been all but eradicated. Even in my apartment, where I’ve had consistent service for 10 years, I can’t be on a call for five minutes without dropping it. I called Sprint (it’s gotten way worse just in the past week), and they’re sending me the Airave device to see if that helps. But I feel ya – been ready to say Sayonara to Sprint after 13 years.
Re: my HTC EVO LTE, aside from the lack of ability to make or receive phone calls, it’s great. The battery is 100 times better than my EVO 4G, and with WiFi on all the time, it’s basically my second computer.
Hopefully the LTE network will make everything all better. It’ll be up and running in just a few months, right??
Man, I’m in the same boat. I had my EVO 4G, 3D, and now the 4G LTE. I’m coming up on the one year mark in June and I’m seriously considering my options. Before now, I would have just assumed I’d stick with Sprint and HTC. However, I live in a small town (about 30K in the zip code) and Verizon already has LTE deployed here. I’m getting really jealous of my family members who are seeing true LTE speeds around 25-30 Mbps up and I’m stuck at <300 kbps up and <175 kbps down). Seriously debating what I should do…
I’m with ya. After my contract is up I’m grabbing a nexus and heading to Verizon or t mobile
I love my HTC EVO 4g LTE phone. Will as for Sprint I like the all you can eat plan, but still waiting for 4g LTE in fort smith AR.
I jumped ship from an AT&T iPhone nearly two years ago for a Sprint Evo3D and have been consistently disappointed by Sprint’s service in the Louisville, KY area. Many parts of the city (my home and work ESPECIALLY) have incredibly low signal causing many dropped calls/missed texts.
And the $10 “premium data” charge for 4G service that is nowhere to be found is an absolute outrage.
My company purchased an AT&T iPhone 4S for me a year ago and I’ve come to rely on it more often despite the data cap because at least iMessages are reliably delivered and it’s “faux 4G” speeds are much faster than Sprints weasly 3G service.
My own Sprint family plan compatriats are advising me to bite the bullet and drop Sprint now….I’m’ not convinced the company will be ok with that much personal usage on company resources, but I know for sure that when my contract is up for renewal in August Sprint will really have a tough sell.
I would love to be one of you who talk about getting does of around 300kb. Typically at best I get 70kb down and 25kb up. I’ve bitched until I couldn’t talk anymore and Sprint just says sorry but it’ll cost you $400 if you leave now. I’m so glad that the technology in the phones are 1-2 years ahead of Sprints ability to utilize that tech. ie wimaxx and let.
I left Sprint in August 2012 because of horrible coverage and data speed problems in metro Atlanta. I had an Evo 3d and liked everything about it. I had the Evo 4G, 3D, and 4G LTE (I returned the LTE due to major signal problems and the fact that there was and still is not any LTE in my area). I had an airwave 2 and 2.5 at my house because signal did not exist at my house. Go a mile up the road and I got full strength. Every time the Internet went out my cell service would also. After about 8 months of crappy service at my new house, I left Sprint. I had Sprint for 11 years up to that point and kept waiting for better data speeds and coverage (I barely had signal at my office) and went to AT&T. T-mobile and Verizon did not have a phone I liked. I got an HTC Vivid and now have a One X+ and have had no problems with coverage or data speeds anywhere I go.
I’ve been with Sprint for almost three years and their service has been “consistent” for me at the VERY least. I regular got 700Kbps to 1Mbps before Network Vision. Now, I actually easily get 1.5Mbps to 2.5Mbps on 3G in my area, which is outstanding for Sprint 3G. Wi-Max has always been great at around 15Mbps to 20Mbps for me.
Sadly, I know that my case is not the norm for many Sprint customers. I will mention that I’ve been extremely happy with my EVO 3D and my wife loves her EVO 4G. I was disappointed in the slowness of the ICS update for my phone and recent HTC shenanigans has riled my blood. It’s not likely that my next phone will be an HTC, and that’s after having owned 3 HTC handsets in our household. Bottom line is that I’m happy with Sprint’s service, but I don’t like the direction that HTC is heading. I’ll probably be looking at the Samsung Galaxy S4 for my next phone even though I’ll miss the allure of being among other HTC EVO owners. My wife MIGHT stick with HTC for our steadily approaching upgrade. All in all, I may be happy with Sprint’s service, but I may move to an MVNO like Straight Talk so that I may purchase the next Nexus. I do know that no LTE is rolled out where I love, and I LOVE using Wi-Max, so that is a growing concern for me. Who knows anymore. I’ll probably just have to bide my time and see what comes out.
Dang. Meant live, not love.
Oh well. Carry on.
What area do you live in? That is definitely above the norm for Sprint.
I’m somewhere in between full loyalty, and a divorce.
First, Sprint. In my area, the Sprint service has been pretty reliable. I get my calls, and I get decent data service (though just in last week, I’ve had “data connection failed” messages. Working on the tower upgrades in my area? I don’t know. Maybe.
Hands down, for my family, and our usage patterns, Sprint is easily the least expensive (and that’s before a generous “employee discount” that I get as a result of who I work for, and their contract with Sprint).
So, for better than acceptable service (if not ideal), I’m happy to stay with Sprint.
I am, I will admit, disappointed with the slow LTE roll out. I would really like that sooner than later. We’ll see.
Second, HTC. I love the HTC phones on paper. However, my 3 kids and I have been through 2 generations of HTC now (the kids started with 4G’s, and I started with a 3D. We all now have 4G LTE’s). A buddy at work started with a 4G and now has a 4G LTE. We have all had very disappointing experiences with hardware reliability, and/or bugs in HTC’s implementation of Android.
Between the 5 of us, we’ve replaced our phones 12 times in the last 18 months. That is a sad track record.
I think HTC makes a phone with enviable specs. I really like Sense. I really really really want to like my HTC phone.
My son’s fiance has had a Samsung Galaxy S III since July. She has had nary a problem. Not one.
I’ve decided that unless HTC’s reputation changes, or barring Apple finally succeeding in shutting Samsung down with patent lawsuits (not likely, in my view), my next phone will be a Samsung Galaxy S III or it’s successor when I’m eligible.
I’ve been recommending the EVO line to anyone that asks me. Now, I’m embarrassed to have done so if someone buys one and has a bad experience. And, I’ve started recommending the Samsung Galaxy S III.
I left Verizon back in May 2010 and jumped to Sprint specifically for the HTC EVO 4G. Along with me, I brought over my entire family plan (5 lines). After discounts through my employer, we ended up spending the same amount monthly for smartphones on Sprint as we were spending on feature phones through Verizon (~$150/month).
Here I am, nearly three years later, and Sprint has raised our monthly price to $250 through “legal” contract changes (mainly cutting discounts & raising taxes & fees). I upgraded to the EVO 4G LTE the day it was finally released from customs, so my two-year contract won’t end until June 2014. In the meantime, I have moved to an area that only gets 1X signal. Sprint sent me an Airrave, but the signal cuts in and out so frequently that it’s practically useless.
Thankfully Sprint is adding 4G to my area and I happened to get strong signal in my house for a couple of days before it disappeared. If they turn it back on soon, I am hoping to stick with them through the end of my contract. However, if they don’t turn on the 4G again soon, I may have to find a new carrier. I’m getting tired of receiving new voicemail notifications from upset friends and family members who think I am either dodging their calls or am too cheap to get a home phone or switch carriers. If I didn’t have 5 lines connected to my account, I would have left Sprint already.
Once I do leave Sprint, I plan to switch to a pre-paid service plan using an unlocked phone. I’m assuming the successor to the Nexus 4 will be out by the time I am looking to switch carriers, so I plan to get an unlocked version of whatever the newest Nexus phone is and use it on whatever the current best pre-paid GSM plan is (likely T-Mo, Straight Talk, Solavei, or Simple Mobile).
I was with radioshack for 7 years. I’m now with fire and ems. I loved sprint and my EVO, and then the EVO 3d. I to now have the EVO LTE and I’m in Knoxville tn with NO 4g. This year is my last, fix it sprint & HTC or I’m gone like a DOA going to the after life… Sudo
I dumped sprint last month, paid $380 etf, got a nexus 4 on $30 plan and moved on with higher speeds.
Good bye to contracts forever,
Ian B
I left Sprint in November after admitting to myself that it was ridiculous that I was paying for data that I was not receiving (NY resident), in addition, carrying a phone that can’t show it’s full potential (EVO 4G LTE), as there is no LTE.
As a result, I moved to Verizon, and could not be happier. Yes, I have a higher bill, but it is such an amazing feeling to finally have the data speeds that you pay for.
I moved to the Galaxy S3, but quite honestly, the 4G LTE was a better phone, with a much better camera.
Best of all, after speaking with a few supervisors, I got them to waive the early termination fee because of my grievances, and them not delivering on their promises for LTE.
Carrier choice is an easy one. I was a long time Verizon customer, switched to Sprint with the release of EVO 4G. Loved the device, and appreciated the GV integration and the cheap rates. The service was terrible in my area, both in voice reliability and data speeds. After Sandy, I know a few people on Sprint that basically saw their data speeds go to nothing and roamed on Verizon. I moved to AT&T and got the One X. AT&T service has been absolutely superior to Sprint.
Now, on to HTC. I first think that the RUU fiasco is overblown. There are two sides to every story, and I think HTC has a good response. It’s not unusual for a company to start to force sites to remove branded imagery and sayings. I’ve seen it in the BMW sites I frequent.
My main question, is where do you go? We can complain about the speed of updates, and here is a case where AT&T has been blocking it, and has made it difficult to root the phone, all the blame goes on AT&T. If you want to stay on Android, you only have a few other choices. The Blur interface is poor on Moto devices, although they tend to be pretty rock solid quality, often hampered by PenTile displays. Samsung makes some great phones, but the build quality I have found to be seriously lacking compared to HTC. Many have also praised the display quality on recent HTC devices as being excellent, a sentiment I agree with.
I went to Straight Talk. I’ve been with them for 3 months and am very happy. I’m using an unlocked international version of the One X on at&t towers paying $45 a month. Unlimited voice, text, and data… Although from what I understand they throttle after 2 gigs.
Although cheap, and “unlimited” (surely this is not so), the Android coverage is quite small, the service does not roam, and there is no practical means to have a Sprint 4G phone work on their system (Verizon network).
Looked good, until I opened the hood.
I love my OG Evo. I am on Ting which uses Sprint. Sprint coverage where I live is meh. Not the horror stories of the above but nowhere near great.
Since I originally rooted my evo, my number 1 desire in a phone is to be unlocked and rooted! I want freedom.
So yesterday I bought the nexus 4.
I will soon say Goodbye Ting and Sprint. Goodbye HTC.
I have been with sprint for 13 years and always had decent coverage and a bill about $20 lower then friends with less minutes and features. The last phones I had were a Samsung Instinct and then HTC EVO 4G. The EVO was awesome. One of the first large screen phones on the market and I knew after a week I could never go back. Wi-max 4G in my North of Boston area was perfect. 4G was very fast and reliable. The new EVO LTE purchase was a no brainer. I pre-ordered with Wirefly and waited for what seemed like forever to finally get my new shiny EVO (customs delays blah blah… you know the story). I have to say I have never wanted to through a phone out of a window more than my EVO LTE. I understand this is mainly due to my horrible 3G service( yes 3G since there is ZERO LTE service anywhere I have ever been in Boston). To have great Wi-max and to downgrade to awful 3G service is PAINFUL. I had to get an Airwave (after 13 years) just to get calls and I won’t get into the missed texts etc. I get awful voice, awful data coverage(use strickly wi-fi) and sporadic sms/mms coverage. I have numerous issues with my HTC LTE I won’t get into even with all of its great attributes. I will never buy another sprint/HTC device again. Feels like I purchased a buggy EVO OG and time traveled back 5 years to crappy 3G days. I guess I’ll have to go back to Samsung with its much cheaper build quality to get the phone I want. Verizon, T-Mobile whoever here I come. Needed to get that off my chest. Thanks.
Sprint, if you have unlimited time; we have unlimited data.
…unless you use more that most people
…unless you roam onto another network
…unless you want to use port 80 to do it on
Wow. I felt like I was the only one who felt the same exact way about both Sprint and HTC, and about the same exact reasons!
I’ve been with Sprint for 11 years now. I’ve been with HTC since the HTC Touch almost 6 years ago. I currently live in Boston, and the 3G speeds have gotten worse. Sprint claims 4G LTE is in Boston, but it’s only in pocket areas. And of course, I dont live in those pockets. I LOVE HTC, but they are extremely slow on Android updates.
I’ve been so loyal for so long, and I must admit that I did peek over to see what Verizon is doing last month. This is the first time in a decade I considered looking at another carrier, but I want LTE now. It was so easy before to stick with Sprint because of all the loyal programs. Now that’s no longer the case.
I will say that if a new HTC Nexus came out now, I will with no hesitation go over to any carrier who has it and great LTE. But since I havent heard of any, I’m still here with Sprint…growing increasingly frustrated.
I had AT&T many, many years ago (well before the iPhone). When I found extra (and false) charges to other countries on my bill, I had to fight tooth and nail to get them removed. I vowed to never go back to AT&T.
I’ve had some issues with Sprint (long time subscribers will remember how truly bad their customer service used to be), but luckily, I’ve lived in good service areas for the most part.
My 3g speeds have been acceptable to me, allowing me to stream the occassional television show/movie when needed… and when I’ve had Wimax, I”ve loved it (granted, I had to hack my wimax settings to pick up fainter signals, but it worked).
I think Sprint took some serious gambles and lost. They also didn’t have lobbying set up that Verizon and other telecoms did which I think is still hurting them.
I’m still running my 0G Evo… and plan to until wimax is turned off (supposedly 2015) or a phone with full bluetooth stack, removable battery & microSDCard, HDMI out, 4g, and unlimited data is cheaply available.
I feel for HTC. The patent wars were not kind to the company and I see them cracking down on developers because I think they’re reacting to just getting ripped a new one in the courts and are now listening to their attorneys a little too closely. I have no loyalty to their brand though… if they offer a phone with the features I want, then great, otherwise, I’ll switch to one who does.
After 10 years with sprint and HTC mogul, touch pro, touch pro 2, EVO, EVO lte, I finally divorced from both in December 2012. Sprint 3g turned into a joke here in Phoenix, sometimes I was only getting 15kpbs during the day. Switched my 2 lines to VZ, Note 2 and iphone 5. Can’t be happier, never drop a call, LTE coverage is very reliable in all areas that I roam in the valley, 3mbps at the lowest and up to 48mbps in the best areas. My bill is going up a little but I’m really not worried about it because im extremely happy with the service. Droid dna without expandable storage was DOA for me.
For all the reasons you listed is what made me jump off the EVO\Sprint bandwagon. Went to TMobile after lots of researching and when they announced they were getting the Note 2. Have to say, I’m amazed at how happy I am. The speed is a great and the Note 2 is freaking blow my hair back amazeballs. I’m definitely not looking back.
It’s crazy how many old Sprint/EVO users still check this site, myself included. But I just switched to Verizon Tuesday and I have the HTC DNA (I dislike Touchwiz too much) and it’s been great so far. I’ve had every HTC phone since the PocketPC (Before they changed the name to HTC) all the way up to the EVO 4G LTE, all with Sprint, and Sprint’s service just was not cutting it anymore. I’m in Richmond, VA. It sucks for Sprint but I don’t owe them anything. I should get what I pay for and they weren’t delivering. I urge any Sprint customer to stop waiting on them to upgrade their service and make the switch to another company that you know can deliver. It’s just not worth it.
Still love my OG EVO (wifi only now) and I’m rooting for Sprint to make a comeback, as good competition is good for us all. But I had enough of dropped calls and slow data speeds. As soon as the Nexus 4 hit I jumped to Tmobile $30/100 monthly plan. I love it, I blow through the 100 minutes, but at 10 cents for each additional minute over 100 I still paying about half what I did on Sprint for a single line. Raleigh, NC
After 12 years with Sprint, I cancelled my account and jumped ship to Verizon. With Sprint, I had a LTE and wife had the GS3. I got the HTC DNA but returned it and got the Note 2 instead. If you had told me 6 months ago that I would not have Sprint or a HTC device, I would of laughed at you.
Our 2 year agreement started in May/June 2012, but I called them and explained that I have no service at my house and I can’t wait any longer for their “network improvements”. Surprisingly, the let us out with no ETF (but we have to mail back the devices).
We’ve been on Verizon for 1 week and I feel like a man released from prison after being wrongfully accused. Well maybe that’s extreme
… But I appreciate the little things like calls not dropping as I get drive up my driveway, texts and mms sending/recieving instantly, LTE data pretty much everywhere.
The difference in price is worth going from “not working” to “working awesome”.
Update now available
Should of been more exact:
HTC software update for HTC EVO 4GLTE
wtf that was unexpected.
We switched to Sprint (from TMO) when the Evo4G came out. Never had great call reception in the house (had to get an Airrave that we they made us pay for) and couldn’t get WiMax at home or at work.
I upgrdaed to the Evo 3D and loved the phone but had the same issues with Sprint, except it seemed that 3G got slower and slower. That, coupled with the lack of annual upgrade, was enough.
We finally divorced Sprint and went to Verizon this fall. With Verizon, we’ve had nothing but great, dependable coverage and blazing fast 4G. At some point, price (and in your case, credits) doesn’t matter when you get terrible coverage.
I’ve never questioned the decision to leave Sprint. They have way too many issues.
I live in the Bay Area of CA and have had really good service (incl. 4G WiMax) from Sprint for years now, but I really feel like I got burned on the HTC Evo3D. Where my OG Evo got all the newest updates and had a strong dev community around it, the 3D was really left behind by HTC, Sprint, and the ROM community. It took almost a year to get ICS even though its specs matched all the flagship phones of its generation.
From that experience, I learned that only Nexus devices will get the kind of reliable updates and developer attention that I expect from a flagship phone. I don’t think Google is going to make a Nexus 4 for CDMA carriers, so it’s looking like I’ll probably buy a Nexus 4 and put it on Straight Talk or T-Mobile.
The funny thing about the EVO 3D development community is that it’s really started to come into its own more recently, almost two years after its release. I mean, it’s always had support, but there always seemed to be a struggle between competing developers with the EVO 3D.
Now, I am seeing nearly 100% working AOSP Jelly Bean ROMs, and so forth. It’s like the EVO 3D got its second wind. Sadly, HTC’s recent antics will likely have a cooling effect on that. It’s a shame because the EVO 3D is a great phone with specifications that are still good even today.
Here’s how I look at it. I had Tmo for over 5 years switched to sprint because I loved the EVO plus sprint had better coverage in my area. I had the unlimited plan with sprint since I’m always using my phone for listening to music or whatever. Ive had sprint now for almost 4 years. since the 4 years I upgraded my phone the min my 2 years was up not a big deal to wait for me. I got the EVO 4GLTE thinking i was going to have LTE in my area its been about 6 months still no lte in any part of my state. COLORADO! ive been having alot of connection problems seems like for months now. I like sprint because the customer service is great i got the unlimited data so i dont got to worry about data usage. Does anyone know is verison has unlimited plans? or at&t? im not really looking to switch just like to keep options open especially if sprints not going to have good coverage. I’m trying to avoid a apple phone!
Its sad to say but I think I might have to agree with you. I love my EVO 4GLTE but enough is enough. I’m tired of not having service when I really need it. I’m tired of waiting and paying for LTE. I really thought by now it would happen but it seems there’s still a ways to go. By the time I get 4g my contract is going to be up. I love HTC build quality but these recent boot loader issues have left a bad taste in my mouth. Who in there right mind is going to renew a contract with sprint after paying for a service they never got for 2 years. What happens when the new phone comes out and there’s still no LTE. I’m done, there not going to trick me again. I’ve been a big supporter of sprint but there’s only so much I can take.
I see an SG3 with unlimited data at T-Mobile in my future. 11 years with Sprint and the result is shitty 3G and spotty WiMax 4G. So glad I did not pop for the EVO LTE.
I was one of the ones duped into getting this “flagship” Sprint device. This experience has pushed me away from cellular contracts for life. I’d rather pay full price for a phone than deal with crappy service for two years. HTC hit their pinnacle along time ago and innovation is no longer important them. I mean, all their products look so similar. I might be even more willing now to pay more per month at a better provider than ever before. I’ll be selling this e4glte to get out of my contract for sure. Oh, and if HTC never makes another nexus device I won’t ever own another one they produce.
I was with sprint for almost 2 years. Coming from Verizon got the epic 4g, in LA area wimax is very sporadic, however when i got it the 3g speed was acceptable, and then the iphone got on sprint and everything got bad – call, sms and data. Got the EVO 4G LTE – good hardware, network still crap. I got some flickers of LTE, but due to hardware set up and slow updates from HTC/Sprint could never get good signal compared with a S3 a friend of mine had. So i jumped to T-Mobile with Nexus 4. I have to say i don’t care what network I am connected but it is very fast, on average I get more than 10 and its plenty fast, even when using Wifi hotspot and hook up my tablet – HD Youtube – no problem, high quality Netflix no problem. Coverage is just as good on T-mobile if not better. In biulding you loose a little bit of signal, but my calls are good, and my data drops down to 3MB. Added the phone to a family Value Plan $25/mo – includes 500 min and unlimited data, truly unlimited. I have to say it is very liberating not to worry about speeds or networks, because it just works fast enough (not good enough)
I have standard plan with six smartphones for $290 a month flat, never coming close to using up included anytime minutes. I use an Evo LTE as a USB modem all day at the office for up to 10GB a month, try that on another carrier or with an iPhone. I have to laugh when I hear iPhones and BB phones need their own messaging apps to avoid texting costs on AT&T and Verizon. I haven’t paid extra for unlimited text messages for 10 years I think. All-in-all, Sprint for me is a better value than I can get anywhere else.
I also really like the Evo LTE phone, and never needed to root it like I did with my OG Evo. I use it 24/7 and don’t need any other portable tech device. The only bug I really noticed after JB was the proximity sensor, which didn’t bother me much and apparently is fixed today.
As for Sprint service, a few years ago I thought it was the best, but it’s no longer even close to Verizon. In San Jose, some parts are fine and others terrible. In my office I’m getting LTE all day although only around 2-3 Mbps. Decent though. I’m gonna wait it out, I think before 2013 is done Sprint will be as good as VZ, at least here in San Jose, and a much better deal.
All that said, I often think about dumping carrier service altogether and going WiFi-only in the next year or two. I will stop taking 2-year upgrades from now on. My line has been integrated with Google Voice for a couple years already and I don’t need the carrier to make calls, text or whatever else when I am online with Andoird device or a PC. If I find I can live without service while out-of-range, then I can pull it off and not pay anything for any phone service.
I also like the Nexus 4/T-Mobile type of deal, like @nasko is doing. Definitely more practical than going WiFi only.
Thanks for the mention. It is very important to note one other why i switched. My wife travels two times a year to europe for work for about a week. As it stands right now Sprint is the only carrier with unusable phones and completely locked out. LTE phones don’t even have sims. Verizon’s are now unlocked to sims outside USA. Why Sprint is doing this is beyond me. I know not everyone travels, but having the option for emergency situations at least is very important.
Yup, one of my main motivations for switching to nexus4/tmo is the ability to use my phone when i head back to Europe for my annual vacations. it’s going to be a weird experience to have a phone to use now that i’m off the sprint lockdown. having a phone i can use at home, imagine that!
A few months back I decided to abandon Sprint and my Evo 4G LTE and get the Galaxy S3 on Verizon.
BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!
I am a lot like you (author of the article) having had the original Evo and bragged about having Sprint and unlimited data to all my friends.
However, the service started getting worse… and worse… and speeds got worse… and somehow I stopped getting phonecalls while I was at home (even though they claimed nothing changed, and even gave me a new phone to see if it fixed the problem).
At the end of the day I concluded having unlimited access to crap is still crap…
After having Verizon for only 2 days I couldn’t believe I had made myself suffer as long as I had when something better had been there the whole time. I am not saying Verizon is the best, for all I know TMobile or AT&T could be better… I’m simply saying they are many MANY times better than Sprint.
Your issues with Sprint and HTC are the exact same reasons why I left Sprint and HTC all together. I also used to defended Sprint when they started increasing increasing prices and eliminating the early upgrade programs. That coupled with crappy service everywhere in my area left me with no choice but to jump ship to T-Mobile.
Then there’s the problem with HTC issue’s with rooting and S-Off. Why do I need to inform them of my modifying my phone? Samsung phones are easy to root and have a large developer community.
I used to be an EVO 4G and 3D user. I loved the phones but upgrades were slow and rooting required more work that other brands. Since I switched carriers, I’ve owned a Sammy S2 and now an S3. They are leaps and bounds ahead of HTC.
Is there a particular carrier that you’re thinking of switching to? And would device availability influence that decision?
I’ve owned the original Evo 4G, Evo 3D and the Evo 4G LTE… and like you, I’m done. My data here in Central California (Fresno) has become so unusable that I carry around a Verizon Mifi hotspot and use data off Verizon’s 4G network. So I’m kicking Sprint to the curb. I may even just pay the cancellation fees to do it sooner. And HTC is done in my opinion too – all their updates are glitchy and the phone never consistently works like when you get it (after the first update, it’s all downhill). I’ll probably go to Verizon and the Samsung Galaxy S4 when it comes out.
I thought about everything you talked about even picked up a phone from T mobile, got out quick there data is slow. Staying with Sprint no divorce, I have my EVO 4 g and will stay with it till another smartphone will impress me, two months will make two yrs with my EVO 4g. A lot of new phones coming out the first half of 2013, so don’t make any quick judgements yet and good luck.
On sprint network 17 years, frustrated by weak signals, but like the unlimited plans. really cheering for HTC, as the 4g and now the LTE evo is a great phone. Battery lasts long, ergonomics work as phone is sleek and easy to carry, and am amazed at all I can do on it. Gets continuos use. Would love to see lte rollout here, and can’t wait for next gen htc evo in a year. Imagine every phone has some flaw, and not willing to chance a move