My 2 year Sprint SERO contract is up and I'm eligible for an upgrade. My current HTC Mogul is dead in the water so I need to get a new phone like ASAP.

Problem is I've been out of the cell phone scene for over 2 years and have no idea what to get. Also, this could be the time to give the iPhone a shot.

All I know is currently I pay $50 for 1250 mins with unlimited data/text through Sprint SERO.
I have no idea how much switching to AT&T voice and iPhone data plan would cost.
If I stick with Sprint SERO, what would be a good phone to get?

So basically I have 2 choices:
1) Stick with Sprint SERO and get a new phone (which one)
2) Switch to AT&T/iPhone

7/9/2009 5:41:25 PM

Stick with Sprint, get the Palm Pre

7/9/2009 5:43:29 PM

can you elaborate? also seems the palm pre is not available for SERO upgrade

7/9/2009 5:50:00 PM

I bought a Palm Pre on opening day, best decision I ever made.

I, too, had a really awesome plan that they wouldn't carry over, but they offered me a good deal. So I now have the $70/month unlimited data (450 mins tho) + Call Any 3 numbers unlimited Free + 20% discount.

It's slightly more expensive than my previous plan, but I now have the added benefit of unlimited calling to 3 non-Sprint phones. I've heard that they have a Call any 5 plan available too, you might inquire about that one too?

7/9/2009 7:09:10 PM

No I can't elaborate, I'm on Verizon, much better than Sprint and AT&T, but that wasn't your question. And from what I've seen the Palm Pre >>> iPhone so... just giving my input.

7/9/2009 7:27:51 PM

meh, can't really go wrong with either. palm pre is a damn good phone.. but so is the iPhone

7/9/2009 7:30:31 PM

elaborate as in elaborate why Palm Pre >>> iPhone

7/9/2009 9:49:54 PM

i've heard bad things from sexpencil on the iphones call quality

[Edited on July 9, 2009 at 9:52 PM. Reason : he was trying to convince his boss to let him get it and the calls kept dropping]

7/9/2009 9:52:22 PM

they fixed that problem dip shit. i was using a beta firmware at that point.. i've said that like 8 times already

7/9/2009 10:08:12 PM

All depends on personal preference and how you plan on using it. Do you currently have good service with sprint? Would you rather have a physical keyboard over a virtual one? If yes to those, get the Pre. It's a first iteration phone so bugs are gonna pop up, but it's gotten pretty good reviews. If you want an ipod that can make calls or something with an app that will wipe your ass for a little more money, get the iphone. Either way, it's gonna cost you out your ass for 1250min on a newer smartphone with sprint being cheaper.


[Edited on July 9, 2009 at 10:27 PM. Reason : ]

7/9/2009 10:18:38 PM

^^you've posted in the thread twice. if u want to be rude and call names then i'm going to ask where those other 8 times are.

7/9/2009 10:23:50 PM

If I paid $texas for a pre instead of a 3gs I'd probably tell myself it was >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> *


anyhow


my 3gs is pretty cool.

7/9/2009 10:34:25 PM

^Who paid $texas for Pre?

I walked out of the Sprint store with one for $200 AR and a much cheaper contract than AT&T could ever offer.

How much did people pay for a 1st-gen iPhone, or the new 3Gs?

Exactly.

7/9/2009 11:11:20 PM

Yeah I usually wake up, take a crap, and then wipe my ass with a couple of benjamins in the morning.

No, seriously though. I'd be all like "blah blah much cheaper blah blah contract".

7/9/2009 11:14:42 PM

Sprint and the Pre all the way. I was in the same boat last month (SERO contract ending). Even with the switch off of SERO for the Pre, still saving $$ over another carrier and have what I believe is a much better phone.

7/10/2009 9:19:05 AM

So are yall saying I can't get the Pre on a SERO plan or are yall saying there is no longer a SERO plan. How much would the new Pre plan cost me if I got a Pre?

Can I get other smartphones while still sticking with SERO? Like maybe some of the newer HTC Touch Pro, Diamond, etc

7/10/2009 10:38:57 AM

Can't activate the PRE on SERO. To answer your 2nd q, yeah - you could get the diamond or touch pro and remain on SERO.

SERO customers wanting the PRE are supposed to be moved to EPRP (Employee Plus Referral Program) aka. "New SERO". Less of a discount from SERO, but will allow the PRE as well as including Blackberry support (BIS).

59.99 - 500 mins
79.99 - 1000 mins

Much better deal for me was to get a EPRP shared plan along 3 lines - 1600 minutes for 109.99 + 14.99 for the third line. Look into that if it's an option for you. It only comes out ~ 4 dollars/line a month

7/10/2009 11:35:48 AM

Touch Pro 2 might be available on SERO.
Touch Pro for less than 100 bucks when the TP2 comes out and flash it with a rom from ppcgeeks.
Follow gs7's advice if you're good at social manipulation. Any 3 + Google Voice = unlimited minutes.
Sell your SERO plan on ebay and use that as incentive to switch to SEP (even though it sucks)

I was in the same boat, Mogul died, Pre and iPhone were launching, but there was no way I'd give up my FF1250. Especially since at some point they threw an extra line on my account with everything but anytime minutes for 0.00/month.

I picked up the Touch Pro for a little more than I probably should have paid. If you flash a new rom (Silence and MightyMike's Lite 6.1 on PPCGeeks is fantastic) it's a great phone imo. As OmarBadu has said in multiple threads though, it is at the end of it's lifecycle. TP2 is apparently the same internal specs though.

What happened to your Mogul? I have a bunch of spare parts leftover from when I tried to fix mine.

[Edited on July 10, 2009 at 11:55 AM. Reason : mogul]

7/10/2009 11:53:09 AM

you can't play Real Racing on a Pre.

7/10/2009 12:17:30 PM

yall are awesome with the info.
what if I just buy the Pre without going through the new 2 yr upgrade, I still can't hook it up to SERO? what's the reason why Pre is so "special" that it can't be on SERO

i would only add at most one additional line so not sure if EPRP would come out ok for me. Is there a website for EPRP like SERO has?


Grandmaster - how did you get the extra line on your SERO without paying anything. If I can get that, I'll just stick with SERO and prob get another HTC. I dropped my Mogul a couple of times and now it always does one of two things:
1) just shuts off after 3 mins of talk (if running on battery, plugged into the wall is fine) in which case I would need to turn back on
2) battery lasts a measley 10 mins max

I'm not sure if it's just the battery or actual phone but I haven't had time to invest in looking into fixing it plus my contract is up already so maybe time to get a new phone but if I can get the Mogul fixed in the time being, it'll give me more time to research new phones/plans

it's just a PITA to only be able to talk for 5 mins now....

[Edited on July 10, 2009 at 2:48 PM. Reason : Grandmaster - if you don't need your spare Mogul parts you mind me trying them?]

7/10/2009 2:45:19 PM

Quote :

"what's the reason why Pre is so "special" that it can't be on SERO"

It's not, this is mostly just their attempt to keep plans from grandfathering too long.

7/10/2009 2:53:23 PM

I think they just want to try and move SERO customers to this "Unlimited Everything" nonsense even though technically the SERO plan is "Unlimited Everything that Matters". The Instinct wasn't allowed on at it's launch but now I think it is. ^yeah what he said.

When I renewed my contract, I had retentions convert my old old 2000 minute across 2 lines plan to a FF500. The rep told me to keep the extra line as a "Free and Clear Add-a-Phone". Technically it has no plan, so I pay .40c a minute and roaming is like .69c. I kept it for emergencies until I realized the plan actually includes everything else my SERO plan does, so I started using it sometimes after 7pm and for mobile2mobile. I also considered putting my mogul back on that line and keeping it as a perma-wireless access point in my car.

I'd let you test the parts but I'm in Greenville. My mogul is fully functional [if you don't mind talking only on the headset].:busted: I do have a couple of spare batteries though that I was going to dump on ebay with the two LCDs and 3 fascias. One is shot, but lasts a lot longer than 5 minutes and the other one is perfect. I didn't have insurance when mine suffered water damage and it didn't bother me that much after I found out the deductible is now like 100 bucks. I can send you my old battery if you think knowing that's the issue would keep you out of a 2yr contract.

7/10/2009 3:09:39 PM

ok after doing some more extensive research over the weekend I find it hard to convince myself to switch off my current SERO for the SEP plan unless I add another line and go with the SEP family but still.......

current SERO: 1250 mins for $50 (before 25% corp discount)
SEP: 1000 mins for $80 (no corp discount allowed I'm heard)
SEP Family: 1600 mins for $100 (ditto)

cost for plan is more important to me than the phone, I could be happy with just my mogul (if working).....i may wait to see if the HTC Touch Pro 2 is allowed on SERO

now the other decision is whether there's any benefit to signing a new SERO 2 yr contract or just buy a new HTC and do an ESN swap thus not tying myself to any contract and wait and see if something better comes down the road

7/13/2009 12:34:54 AM

I think the only benefit you would get is the new customer incentives for the Touch Pro 2. The only other phone you would want on your plan is the Touch Pro and they can be had for less than the 2 year contract price.

Plus being out of your contract is a very powerful card to have in your hand. It allows you to get whatever you want and it might actually be worth quite a bit on CL or ebay (Transfer of Liability) for this very reason. The plan while already under contract is worth 100-150 bucks. Most people will clone their FF1250 to another line and then do a TOL on that for a quick $100.

But yeah, if you really want the Pre, you're actually in a good position to do what gs7 did if you call up retentions and be straight up honest with the rep instead of threatening to cancel and demanding 1000's in credits. Using your research, the information in this thread, and a general idea of what you want your bill to look like with the new phone just ask what they're able to do for you.

/2c

\/- It takes persistence, luck, and then ultimately a generous rep.

[Edited on July 13, 2009 at 2:18 AM. Reason : discounts]

7/13/2009 2:10:12 AM

Quote :

"current SERO: 1250 mins for $50 (before 25% corp discount)"

you get corp discount on top of your SERO price? I emailed sprint asking for corp discount and they said they don't do it on SERO plan.

7/13/2009 2:16:48 AM

I'll see if I can hold out another month and see if the Touch Pro 2 is available on SERO. If not then I may just settle for the Touch Pro. In the meantime, I'll see if I can get a family member then maybe the SEP Family plan works out ok too.

I got the corp discount on the SERO plan a while back. I think it's harder now thus why I also don't want to be calling Sprint up if I can avoid it since they may screw up and drop me from SERO and/or the corp discount.

7/13/2009 2:45:58 PM

when your SERO contract runs out, can you still upgrade your phone and stay on the same SERO plan? The new Blackberry Tour looks tempting to me.

8/7/2009 1:38:51 PM

Yes.

8/7/2009 8:35:05 PM

Has anyone heard hard info as to when the Pro 2 is going to be available here on Sprint's network? I currently have the SERO FF500; my 2 year contract will expire on 8/14 but I've been thinking I'll just hang out month to month for the next while. I pay $42/month, including equipment protection on the phone, and can't think of any good reasons really to give up such a ridiculous price for what is included. If they let me resign this contract when the TP2 hits I might be willing to go in for another 2 years.

I'm kind of sick of HTC right now though--I'm on my 4th HTC phone in 2 years, 3 of which have been Touch Pros. The fucking things keep breaking. I've inquired about getting this one replaced with a different model but the only WM6 phone available via sprint that even comes close is the Palm Treo Pro, and it's got a crappier camera, smaller and lower-res screen, and there are the complaints that Palm quality isn't much better if any than HTC. Sigh.

8/8/2009 8:39:58 PM

sprint rep told me late august - mid september. stick w/ your sero plan until it comes out. i'm on the sero 1250 month to month too (since june). just waiting on the tp2. I've got the touch pro, never had any issues with it. running WM 6.5 Juicy ROM with Showaco BBExtreme 5.5 theme for TF3D2. Love it, just would like a bigger screen and all of the other new features. Probably going to sell it for the contract price of the TP2 at launch.

8/8/2009 8:47:11 PM

with our luck, Sprint will probably require using the Touch Pro2 with a new data plan like the Palm Pre.

8/8/2009 9:25:58 PM

AT&T+iPhone has the worst reception I've ever experienced.

I regularly lose reception within Winston-Salem city limits. I get on/off reception on I40, one bar in Kernersville, zero to one bar in Mocksville.

When I lose service, I've started asking people on other networks whether or not they have also lost service. The answer has always been "no" thus far. Very frequently they have full bars while i have none.

Hell, I had on/off reception during my trip to New York City!


The iPhone rocks, but the better option is an iTouch + any other network's base phone.

8/8/2009 10:36:17 PM

buy a cheapo sprint phone for the month - your mogul sounds pretty shot

sprint's phone selection has gotten better lately and while i'm not a fan of the pre myself, the blackberry tour 9360, the treo pro, the touch pro 2, etc. all are good phones imo. hell, you may even like the htc snap as an interim phone.

8/9/2009 1:38:15 AM

I wish the SERO plan was a bit sweeter that it is when you convert for a Blackberry. I've been considering dumping my TP, but I'm not sure what I would replace it with. I hope that HTC ports their SenseUI soon.

8/9/2009 9:38:22 AM

Quote :

"I regularly lose reception within Winston-Salem city limits. I get on/off reception on I40, one bar in Kernersville, zero to one bar in Mocksville."

Have you taken the phone to get it looked at? Could need another sim card or something, but then again the last time I was in WS I didn't have very good signal.

8/9/2009 11:38:32 AM

Quote :

"I wish the SERO plan was a bit sweeter that it is when you convert for a Blackberry."

some people have gotten blackberry to work on SERO before. It's not impossible like it seems.

8/9/2009 4:51:03 PM

Yeah it's an extra 30 bucks for the blackberry pack.

8/11/2009 2:30:20 AM

nah, I'm talking about getting blackberry without paying extra.

8/11/2009 4:22:46 AM

As far as I'm aware, you would need a severely discounted plan to make that happen. Or you would use third party applications to bypass the proprietary RIM browser and push email client, but let's face it -- why even bother that that point? The entire reason you would want to switch to blackberry (at least from my perspective) is for those explicit features.

The most successful way is switching to an all voice SERO plan and then adding on the pack at hopeful a consistent rate.

8/11/2009 7:32:13 AM

wait till the new android phones start rolling out... they are going to be slick.

8/11/2009 9:20:37 AM

apparently, the Touch Pro2 will be on sale at Sprint on 9/8 for $350 after rebate.

9/1/2009 1:55:08 PM

i'll die before i give up my Sero $30 plan.

9/4/2009 4:50:30 AM

I tried making it work with google voice and getting pick 3 added, but it was too much of a hassle. I had to go back to 49.99 FF1250.

9/4/2009 5:26:28 AM

here's an update:
thanks to the greatness that is Grandmaster, I've been able to salvage my mogul with his used battery a little longer.....longer enough for me to hold out for the Touch Pro 2 or Hero or anything better than Mogul that is still on Sero

another question, my sister's sprint plan is about to run out to but she just needs a basic phone for texting, large screen, full keypad, and want to get it close as free as possible
through my research i found these phones:

Exclaim, Lotus, Rant, Reclaim, Rumor

any recommendations?

9/4/2009 7:18:58 PM

get the palm pro and you can keep your sero plan and get everything you/she wants

9/9/2009 1:45:48 AM

TOUCH PRO2 OR PIXI!

9/9/2009 3:37:11 AM

The HTC Hero is going to require an everything plan = No SERO

9/9/2009 8:23:37 AM

You will pay more if you switch to an iPhone, but you will be happy.

9/9/2009 9:33:46 AM

^not just "more" , but " 3-4 times more"

9/9/2009 12:21:10 PM

^? The iphone isn't any more expensive than any other BlackBerry or Smartphone on AT&T. Should say, if you switch to "AT&T".

-In fact at $99 and $199 it's one of the cheapest smartphones out there. The $30 data plan is any phone on AT&T. Defiantly worth it though.

Course i'm paying for mine as part of a family plan so it's a bunch cheaper than if it were an individual plan.

[Edited on September 9, 2009 at 12:49 PM. Reason : .]

9/9/2009 12:47:08 PM