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Free Sprint Unlimited: What You Need to Know Before You Switch

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For the next two weeks, you can switch from Verizon to Sprint and get a year of Free Sprint Unlimited service. This is what you need to know before you leave Verizon and switch to Sprint for a year of free service. There are, as you would expect some catches that you will need to know about and some sacrifices that you will need to make.

Sprint says, “Stop feeling ripped-off by Verizon. Switch to Sprint and get Free Unlimited for 1 year.” This new promotion is live on Sprint’s website and runs through July 31st. Before you click Get Started and switch over to Sprint this is what you should examine and what you need to know.

Sprint claims that you will save over $900 in the first year by switching from Verizon and that a family of four will save $2,160 in the first year by switching to Sprint. This makes sense, considering you get a free year of service, but you’ll need to be aware of what you’re signing up for.

Read: What Carrier is Best?

Sprint is trying to get Verizon customers with this promotion that builds on Sprint using the former Verizon spokesperson to be a part of the ad campaign that claims there is only a 1% difference between Sprint and Verizon networks.

Is Sprint as Good as Verizon?

Sprint makes a lot of bold claims about network speeds and reliability. The fine print in those ads limits the 1% claim to specific major areas. If you live outside those areas, you can expect a bigger difference in reliability than 1%.

Here’s a full rundown on what you need to know before you switch to Sprint. According to Root Metrics, Sprint is in third place overall behind Verizon and AT&T. Sprint is also in third place for Reliability and Text, but in fourth place for Speed and Data. Sprint is in second, right behind Verizon for calls.

For many consumers, Sprint is good enough, but if your phone is your lifeline and you don’t use WiFi often it may prove problematic. Check to see who near you uses Sprint before you switch.

What Phones Work with Sprint’s Free Unlimited?

The following phones work with Sprint Unlimited as part of this promotion. You will need these specific phones, and you may need to unlock the phone before you switch and insert the Sprint SIM.

  • Apple iPhone 5C (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 5S (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 6
  • Apple iPhone 6 Plus
  • Apple iPhone 6S
  • Apple iPhone 6S Plus
  • Apple iPhone 7 (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone 7 Plus (Verizon only)
  • Apple iPhone SE
  • Google Nexus 5 (Verizon only)
  • Google Nexus 5X
  • Google Nexus 6
  • Google Nexus 6P
  • Google Pixel
  • Google Pixel XL
  • HTC One A9 (Sprint version)
  • Motorola E4
  • Motorola Z2 Play
  • Motorola G4
  • Motorola G4 Play
  • Motorola G4 Plus
  • Motorola G5 Plus
  • Motorola X Pure Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S7 Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S8 Special Edition
  • Samsung Galaxy S8+ Special Edition

The good news is that Verizon does not lock these phones, so if your phone came directly from Verizon, you should be good to go. If you brought your phone to Verizon it is likely unlocked, but you will want to confirm with Sprint.

What Are the Catches to Free Sprint Unlimited?

There are some catches that you need to know about. Thankfully there are not a lot of major sticking points for the average consumer. Here’s what you need to qualify and the limitations after you switch.

  • You must be switching from Verizon and you must own your own phone. You will need to sign up before the end of July 31st.
  • You will need to sign up before the end of July 31st.
  • You must buy a Sprint SIM Card
  • You need to use AutoPay and eBill or pay up to $7.99 a month per line.
  • You’ll have to pay a $1.99 admin fee, $0.40 regulatory fee and other taxes and fees may apply.

You can bring your own phone number over to Sprint. Although not totally clear, you may need to pay some additional fees for the first two months of service.

There are some caveats about upgrading to a new phone and keeping your Free year of Sprint Unlimited. First off, you cannot upgrade until after October 1st or you will lose your free year of service. That means no buying the iPhone 7s or iPhone 8 on day one.

The other catch is that if your phone is lost, stolen or broken and you don’t have insurance you will need to buy a Sprint phone at full price or switch to another eligible phone.

Sprint Unlimited vs Verizon Unlimited

Sprint Unlimited is comparable to Verizon from a feature standpoint. You get the following on Sprint.

  • Unlimited data, talk and text
  • HD streaming:
    • Video at speeds up to 1080p
    • Music at up to 1.5mbps
    • Gaming streams at up to 8mbps
    • Unlimited 4G LTE data for most everything else. Data deprioritization applies during congestion.
  • 10GB of high-speed data per line to use toward mobile hotspot, VPN and Peer-2-Peer usage. Once your 10GB is used up:
    • Continue at up to 2G speeds (32 Kbps) on our network for no additional cost, or
    • Purchase more on-network high-speed data for $15/1GB to tide you over for the rest of your bill cycle

After you use 23GB of data in a billing cycle, you may see your speeds reduced. Verizon offers similar options and restrictions to use, so you won’t likely miss a feature by switching to Sprint. The challenge will be Sprint data speeds and network reliability.

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  1. Pingback: Free Sprint Unlimited: What You Need to Know Before You Switch – Infinitify

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