Sprint to 'Bet the Company' on iPhone

BGR is reporting that the iPhone5 may be a Sprint exclusive. That's pretty big for Sprint. Explains why Sprint has been completely mum about Windows Phone Mango. If this is true, it might be time for me to leave Sprint.<p><a href="http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/03/sprint-guarantees-to-buy-over-20-billion-in-iphones-from-apple-launching-the-iphone-5-exclusively/" rel="nofollow">http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/03/sprint-guarantees-to-buy-over-...</a>

I know I'm surely in the minority here but back in August I was so fed up with AT&#38;T that I spent most of the month planning a move to Sprint. I was in and out of stores, researching phones online, talking to friends and more. Even with their poor coverage (my parents live in western mass and basically that entire side of the state is a black hole for sprint) I was so close to making the switch, at least for a one month trial.<p>The main reason I wanted to switch to Sprint was they seemed to be really for the consumer and pushed that they offered Unlimited Data. Most months I stay under 5gb (though its close) on my android phone but occasionally I travel and do use quite a bit more.<p>Before I did sign up though the rumors started coming out about the iphone coming to sprint which I immediately predicted would kill their unlimited data deal, which though its not on the phones themselves <i>yet</i> has been enforced on hotspot users.<p>I know people <i>love</i> their iphones but I just really hate how it is ruining networks for everyone. Every network they move to kills their unlimited data plan with their arrival. :(

<p><pre><code> &#62; "Five years ago, the Motorola Razr was the top-selling phone," says &#62; Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin. "Imagine trying to sell 6 &#62; million of them today." </code></pre> The thing about the RAZR is that it was a sleek, small form factor. I don't remember anyone who had one tout its functionality as the reason they got it. So the next sleek phone or better featured phone could easily displace it. The iPhone on the other hand combines excellent engineering of its hardware with tremendous strength in the software; not to mention the brand cachet. That's a significant competitive advantage and is harder to displace.

I like my Sprint service. The reception is far from legendary, but it's there, and the data is unlimited. If I wanted an iPhone, I'd do what everyone else does and switch to AT&#38;T (and now Verizon). I suspect that folks who really care that it's an iPhone and not an Android (or potentially WP7, if that ever gets off the ground) have already made their move.

It sounds like Sprint is going to start a price war with Verizon and AT&#38;T. Music to my ears.

It would be great if someone could come up with a summary of the offerings by the big 3 carriers; and the quality of service on the network. I'd love to switch to Sprint, but I'm not sure how their cellular network stacks up to ATT/Verizon when in remote areas. I'm on ATT currently, and was surprised to get reception at the top of HalfDome (though I have trouble getting it in my neighborhood in SF :-/ ).

If Sprint keeps unlimited data for at least the 2 years that I'll be on contract, I'll sign up for Sprint the day the iPhone 5 is available. Sprint needs to compete on price and unlimited data to compete with Big Red and Big Blue and stay alive.

If Sprint gets an exclusive on iPhone 5, there is going to be severe backlash. I know many people waiting to upgrade their phone until iPhone 5 comes out, and they aren't going to switch to Sprint to do it.<p>This would be a betrayal of all of their customers holding iPhone 3G/3GS/4 waiting to upgrade on Verizon or AT&#38;T, and it will be a big chink in the armor for Android to exploit.<p>It would annoy me as a developer too.<p>For these reasons, I sort of find it hard to believe that an exclusive is possible, but I guess $20B is a lot of money.

If sprint throws in tethering for those two years they will certainly poach a lot of customers. But with their overall network quality, it's likely that they suffer an AT&#38;T style meltdown. Their 3G speeds are already the slowest of all national carriers, and an LTE rollout looks far off.

I am unsure that lack of iPhone is Sprint's sole big problem. For some time now they have messed up with 4G and their 3G speeds aren't anything to write about either. And last time I drove through the US across 4 states my wife's Epic 4G had the least coverage.<p>And iPhone is more available today - you can buy it unlocked, you can buy it on AT&#38;T or Verizon. So the only people that are really going to buy iPhone on Sprint are the smaller number that have only Sprint coverage (theoretical - not sure if that is valid) and only want an iPhone. The second smaller group will be the people within Sprint's 4G coverage areas that like Sprint's data plan better - as the speeds aren't all that great on WiMax compared to competition.

As a Sprint customer, I worry that it's barely acceptable call and data quality will suffer with a massive injection of iPhones.

I'm not sure I understand. Is Sprint planning on undercutting the "regular" subsidized cost of the iPhone? Because otherwise, unless they're going to do something that really stands out, it seems like a case of "the only way to beat them is to be exactly like them".

Although exclusivity is hard to believe, the only thing that makes this plausible is that it makes sense for Apple to want multiple carriers for their products, each with lesser influence, than one or two major carriers with major influence.

I really hope this happens. I want Sprint to succeed so when my verizon plan runs out I can still get unlimited data somewhere for a reasonable price.

Flashback to 24 months ago, when Sprint "bet the company" on the Palm Pre. Something tells me this is going to go just as well.

In other news, I'll continue to revel in unlimited data and Android updates on the Nexus S.

i am a sprint customer and i hate this move. the android market may be chaotic but there is more freedom for the user. this is a dangerous move for sprint. android will only gain in market shares baring any great upset in the current trends.

OMGWTFBBQ