Curious about Boost.

[mbellot]

Sure you can. Start a Boost account, try it out for a few weeks with a new phone number for your area, and then just port your number in when you are ready. Boost will accomodate that. No need to make another account..

Are you sure about that? I thought Boost would only port a number into a new CDMA account, not an existing one.

[gotanmp3]

Restricted data makes ST a crap service. "An app store purchase, Youtube clip or MP3 download here and there" is not why one gets into phones like the EVO, ZTE Warp, Galaxy SII, Iphone after all.

Actually, AT&T's own research proved the vast majority of people really don't use more than 2GB of data a month.
Sprint's 3G network is presently so overburdened in many places, that it may as well be throttled. The fact is, if you load all your passive entertainment over WiFi (the same way it's done on an iPod Touch or WiFi only iPad/Tablet, which seem to sell just fine despite having no cellular connection), you can still have your TV shows, music and movies without putting the burden on the cell towers.

As for everything else you'd want to use mobile internet for, well, it certainly makes the browsing/Facebook/photo sharing/Twitter/email experience a whole lot more pleasant when you've got some good speed on your network. All things being equal, sure, Boost would be the better deal - but Sprint's native coverage is sparse, Sprint's 3G network is very slow, Boost's (official) phone selection is very limited and there's no way in heck anyone is using an iPhone on Boost.

I'm not saying anyone should switch if they're happy with Boost. If you have Boost and can stream Netflix without it stopping every five seconds to buffer, I envy you. But if you're considering making the jump from postpaid, would you really rather use a phone from Sprint's last year's reject pile on a tiny, slow network, or for about the same price get a used Atrix or iPhone 4 on AT&T with the only catch being "don't go over 2gb/mo"? How's the decision look, now?

[jjtt]

Both ST, and Boost have their advantages, and disadvantages, but I look at it like this. I dont want to have to worry about my data usage all the time, and I certainly dont want to be somewhere, like on vacation, or traveling, and all of a sudden my phone gets shut off, and then be put in a bad situation.

I have had Boost for a couple years now, and I never had a problem with my reception, any more than any of my friends with other carriers. Of course the best part is I'm only paying $35 a month.

Just something to think about.

[gotanmp3]

Both ST, and Boost have their advantages, and disadvantages, but I look at it like this. I dont want to have to worry about my data usage all the time, and I certainly dont want to be somewhere, like on vacation, or traveling, and all of a sudden my phone gets shut off, and then be put in a bad situation.

In reality, the situation you describe would only happen after ignoring Straight Talk's warning call about excessive data usage.

[jjtt]

Sorry about that, just another thing I dont want to have to worry about, the "warning call".

[worksmart]

I have had boost for a few months now, one month I wasn't staying at home with my wifi and was streaming all my internet connections though my boost 3g connection. I used close to 10 gigs in almost a month (netflix a lot) and was worried I would get shut down or at least throttled. But nothing happened. Super happy with the service and how cheap it can end up being with an android phone. Just wish they had a better selection of phones. Good luck.

[LargePrime]

In reality, the situation you describe would only happen after ignoring Straight Talk's warning call about excessive data usage.

some people do not even get a call.
And even if they do, I love how they wait till you Pay for your Next month and THEN immediately cancel your service and keep your money.

I call ST Satan's Tricks...

[LargePrime]

Actually, AT&T's own research proved the vast majority of people really don't use more than 2GB of data a month.

1) Research cannot prove most anything. it can only show things.

Also that is a few years old. As of last summer data use was up 100% year over year. that was up from ~60% YoY from last year. ~40% before that. So the 'rate of increase' in increasing...

It wont be long before the majority on the Liars 'unlimited' plans hit the 'unlimited' ceiling...

[gotanmp3]

some people do not even get a call.
And even if they do, I love how they wait till you Pay for your Next month and THEN immediately cancel your service and keep your money.

I'd venture a guess that people who believe they never got a call, likely ignored it (and the resulting voicemail they leave). I'll admit, they should handle "divorcing" a customer with a little more professionalism, but for a $45/mo service, what can you expect? Snail mail costs money to send and people still ignore that, too.

As far as spending money on a refill and then having your account cancelled, that's why you only refill a month at a time and use a credit card so you can file a chargeback if something goes wrong.

It wont be long before the majority on the Liars 'unlimited' plans hit the 'unlimited' ceiling...

Actually, their TOS states:

Straight Talk may discontinue providing Service to you, discontinue your account, discontinue providing connections to particular telephone numbers or types of Services used or called by you, terminate data connections and/or reduce data throughput speeds for customers whose usage, in the sole judgment of Straight Talk: (1) appear likely to generate abnormally high call volumes or Mobile Web Access and data usage and/or abnormally long average call lengths or Mobile Web Access and data usage as compared to the usage of other Straight Talk customers;

(emphasis mine)

If the majority of users do start using more data, the average will shift upwards. Just as AT&T has upped their most popular data plan from 2GB/mo to 3GB/mo.

In all honesty though, this debate over "unlimited" data has already been settled. Boost will get a cap soon (probably at the same time they launch the rumored WiMax 4G phones) and then we'll all get to play the "Am I being throttled or do my speeds just suck?" game. Truly unlimited mobile data was never a sustainable business model and it has to die.

[LargePrime]

Boost will get a cap soon

people have been saying that for years, and still say that about sprint. And they all have been just making that up.

Truly unlimited mobile data was never a sustainable business model and it has to die.

Don't you love how people on the internet, who know nothing, know everything?

Sprints Unlimited data model works just fine.

[gotanmp3]

people have been saying that for years, and still say that about sprint. And they all have been just making that up.

It happened to Virgin, it will happen to Boost too. Not if, but when.

Sprints Unlimited data model works just fine.

By working fine, you mean it's allowing their customers to experience the best 3G speeds out of any national carrier?

Whoops, guess not

Perhaps you mean unlimited data is so appealing with customers, that Sprint is taking the market(share) by storm?

Nope, not so much that, either

[LargePrime]

It happened to Virgin, it will happen to Boost too. Not if, but when.

The funniest thing about people on the internet is how SURE they are about what they know, Don't you think?

Seems like Sprint really started to add subscribers in the last half. Is that the data crunched coming to their senses?

[gotanmp3]

The funniest thing about people on the internet is how SURE they are about what they know, Don't you think?

Seems like Sprint really started to add subscribers in the last half. Is that the data crunched coming to their senses?

More likely, it was just T-Mobile scaring off a sizable amount of subscribers with their failed AT&T merger.

Again, as for the throttling/cap on Boost - you don't need a crystal ball to see this one coming. Who do you think is going to get crapped on when Sprint finally gets tired of the big ARPU iPhone users complaining that their Internet is too slow? It's a miracle they haven't already throttled ALL of their prepaid users back to the stone age.

[punisherbv]

Well my last question is how much money can you put into your Boost Account so your plan is paid off for several months?

[georgepa]

Are you sure about that? I thought Boost would only port a number into a new CDMA account, not an existing one.

They do it for existing accounts, no problem. They actually do close your account, then open a new one, so the port can be done into a "brand new" account, but it is all done internally and in mere minutes. No need to worry about whether the account is new or established.