I have some clarification on the CSpire plans that we all thought we were...

[dawgstudent]

grandfathered in. This is the way I understand it.

If you have the unlimited everything plan ($120 for 2 lines) - to get 2 year pricing on a 4G phone - you will have to go to a new plan. To keep your current plan - you will have to pay full price for a phone. The cost to have unlimited everything is $200 + tax with the new plans. The cost for the current plan is $120 + tax.

So in the long run - it's cheaper to buy your phone without the 2 year contract price if you want to keep your old plan.

The price of the iphone5 without a price break is $600. So if you want two - that's $1200. But you save approximately $90/month on the phone plan. Do that over the price of a 24 month contract - you come out ahead by a $1000 by buying the phone outright IF you want to keep your current plan.

 

[DerHntr]

Or just upgrade your phone and not the wife's phone and buy her a new apron. Save 1600.

/mutt

 

[GTAdawg]

I talked myself out of getting the iPhone5....for now.

I still like my 4s, and am happy with the GPS upgrade.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

My uncle got a 5 and I'm really not what the big deal is. I'll keep my 4.

 

[dawgstudent]

My interest would be 4G LTE over 3G. I don't think the Iphone 4 is 4G capable.

 

[FlabLoser]

Good scoop here. $120 to $200 is a hell of a price increase. I knew they would go up due to the 4g upgrade but this is damn excessive.

Does this include unlimited streaming like the grandfathered plan?

 

[dawgstudent]

I think so. It's unlimited everything including streaming.

One thing I did learn - radio streaming (pandora, Bulldog Sports Radio, etc) is now not considered "streaming" so it's part of unlimited web. It's not part of video (i.e. Youtube) streaming.

 

[GTAdawg]

Correct. However, it is my undestanding that CSpire network isn't 4G capable yet

My interest would be 4G LTE over 3G. I don't think the Iphone 4 is 4G capable.

Correct. However, it is my undestanding that CSpire network isn't 4G capable yet. Should be by the end of the year though I believe.

 

[dawgstudent]

I think they have released 4G in some cities in MS. Jackson is coming in the few weeks.

 

[FlabLoser]

Just checked Verizon pricing. Shared Unlimited talk and text plus 10GB data (10!!) for 2 phones is $180.

With a 2GB limit, it's $140. There is stuff in between as well.

I usually use about 500MB per phone.

Verizon service should be as good as Cspire's. They roam on each other, so they are essentially sharing the same network. Verizon should be better out of our state, as Cspire hasn't figured out how to make their phones roam correctly.

 

[FlabLoser]

Are you sure Cspire isn't offering a 2nd phone plan at a 50% discount like we have now? I have a hard time believing they are so much more expensive than Verizon.

 

[TheBigEDawg]

Can you buy a Galaxy S III outright and get the same deal? Anyone know what is its unsubsidized price?

 

[PhredPhantom]

grandfathered in. This is the way I understand it.

If you have the unlimited everything plan ($120 for 2 lines) - to get 2 year pricing on a 4G phone - you will have to go to a new plan. To keep your current plan - you will have to pay full price for a phone. The cost to have unlimited everything is $200 + tax with the new plans. The cost for the current plan is $120 + tax.

So in the long run - it's cheaper to buy your phone without the 2 year contract price if you want to keep your old plan.

The price of the iphone5 without a price break is $600. So if you want two - that's $1200. But you save approximately $90/month on the phone plan. Do that over the price of a 24 month contract - you come out ahead by a $1000 by buying the phone outright IF you want to keep your current plan.

I called them today and pretty much everything you said is correct.

I am currently grandfathered into the full unlimited plan and I'm extremely upset (to put it mildly) that, even though I've been a CSouth/CSpire customer for more than 18 years, that I would have to pay full retail price for a new iPhone or Galaxy S3 to stay grandfathered when my contract runs out in December this year.

I forgot to ask whether it makes any difference whether you buy the iPhone or Galaxy from them or if you can just get one on eBay and have it enrolled into your current plan. I'd like to know the answer to that question.

And here's the kicker. I asked if there was any guarantee that they wouldn't change their minds again and screw the grandfathered folks in a year or two if I paid full price now and they said that they couldn't guarantee that.

If I am understanding their confusing website correctly, it appears that you can select unlimited data for each phone individually on your plan. It looks to me like the regular "unlimited" plan is $70 per phone with an extra $30 charge if you want unlimited streaming. At least that's how it looks to me. Who knows what it'll be tomorrow?

 

[RocketDawg]

What is the GPS upgrade you mentioned? Are you referring to the new Maps on iOS6?

 

[dawgstudent]

From what I can tell - its $100/line

All CHOICE DATA+ plans include: Video Streaming, Data & Messaging

Infinite Minutes [SUP]$[/SUP]100/mo <form action="/shop_and_learn/plans/plans_fragments/plans_ajax_controller.jsp?navCount=0&id=cat35370026&_DARGS=/shop_and_learn/plans/plans_fragments/plans_table_contents.jsp" method="post"> </form> 1000 Minutes [SUP]$[/SUP]90/mo <form action="/shop_and_learn/plans/plans_fragments/plans_ajax_controller.jsp?navCount=0&id=cat35370026&_DARGS=/shop_and_learn/plans/plans_fragments/plans_table_contents.jsp.1" method="post"> </form> 500 Minutes [SUP]$[/SUP]80/mo <form action="/shop_and_learn/plans/plans_fragments/plans_ajax_controller.jsp?navCount=0&id=cat35370026&_DARGS=/shop_and_learn/plans/plans_fragments/plans_table_contents.jsp.2" method="post"> </form> <tbody> </tbody>

<tbody>
</tbody>

 

[dawgstudent]

I was wrong on the prices. Iphone = 669 and Galaxy3 = 589

 

[Ace.sixpack]

I went to cspire to upgrade to the G III and when they told me what my plan was going to cost I flipped out and went straight to Verizon and switched. Best decision I have made in a while. 4G LTE is the ****, probably faster than my wireless.

My plan with Verizon is unlimited shared plan with 4g of data between my wife and I. We have rarely gone over 1g of data with cspire in a month. My monthly bill is $139, that's with a 15% discount because of where I am employed. I was paying $144 with cspire and if I would have upgraded with them my monthly bill was going to be over $200.

 

[DowntownDawg]

Alternative for small business owners or talk to your boss....

....and ask him to borrow the tax id number.

Lost my $120 plan when I upgraded, but because I was a "business" customer, I got totally unlimited everything for $70 per phone. Total price increase of around $20. All you need is a business name and tax id. Doesn't matter if your wife doesn't work for the company.

 

[soberdawg]

Did you do this in the store or over the phone? Everytime I go in the store and inquire about a business line they want to send me to some phone number deal .

 

[BehrDawg]

"Personalized wireless, built around you"

 

[Miss.Stake]

Wow that is a terrible move.

Question. If you buy the phone outright without getting the new plan (thus keeping grandfathered plan) are they even going to give you 4g LTE service? Why cspire is not just tacking on 15$ a month to use 4G LTE (and letting you upgrade with the 2 year contract price for 4G phones) for grandfathered plans is beyond me.... If it's true you can get a shared Verizon plan for cheaper.. then Wow

Anyone confirm Verizons service being as good as cspires in MS?

 

[dawgstudent]

Sweet - 6 pack has a tax ID number.

 

[Ace.sixpack]

Verizon Coverage map


Cspire Coverage Map

 

[411dawg]

I am not sure about Cspire's coverage map anymore. Before Cspire got the iphone, they had the best coverage nationwide. I was told that Verizon stopped letting Cspire roam on their towers around the time of the name change and the iphone announcement. Cspire coverage outside of MS is now terrible. You can forget trying to use data when out of state and voicemails show up a day later from calls that never show up as coming thru. I guess I am going to have to move to Verizon. Most of my time is spent in state, but I can not afford to lose business when I am out of town.

 

[GTAdawg]

Yes, the new turn by turn.*

What is the GPS upgrade you mentioned? Are you referring to the new Maps on iOS6?

*

 

[aTotal360]

Agreed 100%

Outside of MS their coverage map is BS. I was told they have the ability to rent space on the Verizon towers but don't necessarily do it. They basically use the Verizon coverage map to show potential coverage. I just got back from a trip and people with Verizon phones were standing next to me using The Score app while I couldn't use it on my CSpire phone.

The calling part works, the data does not, and the texting is hit and miss.

 

[JacksonDevilDog]

Agree about the data outside of Mississippi. When I went to the gator bowl, my data barely worked and my phone barely made calls. I called customer service and it was horrible. Verizon is the way to go.

 

[engie]

New Turn By Turn

But is the use of this application considered streaming? By definition, it is...but given the vagueness of cspire's policy now, I'm not really sure?

 

[FlabLoser]

*

Mapquest for iOS5 and I assume iOS6 has turn-by-turn.

 

[FlabLoser]

Verizon Coverage map


Cspire Coverage Map

Good post. Cspire has ZERO 4G outside of MS. And inside MS, it is very spotty. Cspire's $200 for 2 phones plan might be the worst deal available.

 

[soberdawg]

Just confirmed this. $70 per line for unlimited Call, text, email, music. Everything but Video.

....and ask him to borrow the tax id number.

Lost my $120 plan when I upgraded, but because I was a "business" customer, I got totally unlimited everything for $70 per phone. Total price increase of around $20. All you need is a business name and tax id. Doesn't matter if your wife doesn't work for the company.

 

[FlabLoser]

Just confirmed this. $70 per line for unlimited Call, text, email, music. Everything but Video.

I think they give you 30 minutes of video streaming.

To compare apples to apples, 30 minutes of youtube streaming could be roughly 132 MB. There are lots of variables there such as video quality and mono, stereo, or multi-channel audio. But 132MB is what you get with 30 minutes of 720p and stereo sound.

Cspire is trying to limit video streaming. They don't want people watching movies and getting heavy on youtube. Video is a pretty severe bandwidth hit.


EDIT...that data rate is incorrect. 30 minutes of youtube video could be 250MB to 1GB depending on the video quality.

 

[civildawg88]

I will probably be switching to verizon after my contract runs up. Cspire has steadily increased their prices and they just arent worth it anymore. How can you be just as expensive as national brands and not offer near what national brands offer? They have gotten ridiculous

 

[Reunion Dog]

Go to Sam's club and get the samsung III for $150 and do a two yr contract with verizon... can't beat the price there!

 

[GTAdawg]

But is the use of this application considered streaming? By definition, it is...but given the vagueness of cspire's policy now, I'm not really sure?

Surely not, I guess I'll find out on my next bill.

 

[Reunion Dog]

go to sam's and buy the samsung III for $150 on Verizon. can't beat it!

 

[dawgstudent]

So that's the same as the individual plan. Nothing special.

 

[BIG EASY]

does anyone know if verizon will pay off contract breaches if you switch?

from the sound of it verizon looks to be the way to go. I currently have cspire and the first galaxy s. the only reason i went with them was for the unlimited data plan but i really don't use that much data, but I agree with everyone else. my data is just about unusable outside of mississippi, and even where i live in mississippi the service is spotty. Ever since the change from cell south to cspire things haven't been as good. if the cspire network really cant handle the 4G yet, i'm thinking about making the switch to verizon. i've been down the at&t road before and i'm not going back. how good is the verizon coverage in dws during games?

 

[DowntownDawg]

He's incorrect. It's unlimited. He's thinking about the individual plan....

...I dealt with a business rep when I was set up years ago. But after that, it's just the same, except you give them your tax id# instead of some type of id.

 

[soberdawg]

Unlimited everything but the streaming video. that is an addition $30 a month.