This post is targeted for those who have the grandfathered cell phone plan called the Sprint Employee Referral Offer (SERO) plan. This plan is no longer available to the general public, but for $30 a month it gave us 500 minutes per month, unlimited 7pm nights and weekends, unlimited text messages, and unlimited data.
Many of us love the plan, but it appears that Sprint really wants to phase us out, or at least upgrade us to their new Sprint Everything Plus Referral Program (EPRP)* where a similar plan costs $60. They are doing this by not allowing many newer phones to be activated on SERO, including the Samsung Instinct HD, Palm Pre, and HTC Hero (Android OS) phones. It seems like they will continue to ban all the best new phones. Here’s what I did to keep my $30 SERO plan and still get a relatively snazzy phone for a net cost of $130.
$70 Credit For Extending Contract By 2 Years
Do this first! Follow the abbreviated directions below exactly from user t-bob of SlickDeals. Do not call in. It will extend your contract by 2 years, but you’ll still be eligible for the $150 phone upgrade credit.
At 22 months you are eligible to renew your contract. When you are eligible, login to your account at sprint.com and click on the “contact us” link at the top right of the page in the black bar. Click on the “Email us” link. Search for something like “renew contract”. Now you should finally be at the web form to submit an email to Sprint eCare. For topic select “Plans, features, and services” and for subtopic select “Plan inquires.” In the text box say that you have heard that there is a $70 service credit available for renewing your contract and you would like to take advantage of that.
HTC Touch Pro2 for $199
You should get a reply within 24 hours that you can get the $70 credit. Verify online by checking that you now have a negative balance. Now, what’s the best phone that you can get to work with SERO? The answer in my opinion is the HTC Touch Pro2. Previously, the issue was that it cost $350 even after a $100 mail-in rebate. However, simply visit this link first, and then you’ll see the Touch Pro2 for only $199 on Sprint.com with no rebates. I thought it was just Sprint.com, but it was because I first saw this thread on Fatwallet. It checked out fine for me, and I already have my UPS tracking number.
Update 10/15/09 3pm Pacific: It appears this may no longer work on SERO plans. If you already got the $70 credit, you can either use eCare and tell them you changed your mind and have them reverse it, or you can wait to see if the price will drop again as the holidays near. Samsung Intrepid which runs Windows Mobile 6.5 is also available. Again, your contract will just shift to 2 years past your new purchase date.
You can read reviews of it here, here, and here. When you buy the phone, your contract will be extended again just slightly to 2 years after your purchase date.
It may not be the best phone out there now, but it does have a nice-looking touchscreen, a big physical keyboard, and access to a decent number of useful applications including Twitter, Facebook, Opera Mini, and Skyfire. All for $130 net. I can even tether it using PDANet and make it a wireless modem for my laptop, which I’ve been doing with my Motorola Q for the last 2+ years.
If you really want an iPhone or other specific phone and are willing to pay $30-$40 more per month for it, then I would say go for it because this plan won’t last forever. I’m just not ready to pay an additional $1,000 over the next 2 years just yet. 😀
* Russ.S.McGuire@Sprint.com / 383
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Bravo, Jonathan… I had forgotten to mention the $70 retention offer in the other thread. But as I also mention, if you are willing to part with your old phone; depending on the make and model, Sprint will give you up to $50 in additional credit (www.sprint.com/recycle).
Like you, my wife and I are not quite willing to part with our Sero plans. And with all the incentives, the TP2 ends up being just $102 and secures us for another 2 years on the Sero plan. We also have corp. discounts that were applied to our Sero plans 2 years ago; the plans cost us a total of $60.65 per month with taxes. Still can’t beat that.
Good tip MattG on the recycling. Too bad my Moto Q isn’t worth anything. The Moto Q9c is worth $24.
Nice job getting those corporate discounts added, I got turned down twice. 🙂
Well they are giving me $28 for my Centro… lol…
To add more confusion to all this, it does not help matters in that Sprint has also renamed the Sero plan. When we all got it was called the Sprint Employee Referral Offer… now Sprint has redubbed it the Separating Employee Retention Offer (ain’t that a kick in the ass). Think they want us gone much. You can see a comparison here:
https://www.sprint.com/webconversionform/Separating_EPP_Plan_SERO_Everything_Plus.pdf
All in all I think we did well and are somewhat secure for two years… then… well let’s see.
Johnathan… I also wanted to not that your reviews for the TP@ are TMibile based reviews and the phone differs for Sprint. Differences include: a few more extras such as its various entertainment services, and (finally) a standard 3.5 millimeter audio jack as well as world-roaming capabilities. Oh an a far better color and a fraction shorter and lighter.
Check out the cnet reviews at http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/htc-touch-pro2-sprint/4505-6452_7-33770281.html
Answer for me: iPhone on T-Mobile (grandfathered $5.99 unlimited data plan) 😀
@MattG – 3.5mm jack… sweet. The old HTC converter cable looked awful.
Looks like Pro2 can also be upgraded to WinMo 6.5 later this year as well.
@Eric – If you have an easy HowTo on unlocking an iPhone and getting it on T-Mobile for cheap, I’d be happy to have you guest post. 😉
Does this work if your contract has expired? I have two of $30 plans to cover me and my wife, but our contracts were up in May. I was hoping to get the new Android (hero or moment) phones, but that’s not possible. I also have my corporate discount applied and I’m worried that making any changes will flag it and they’ll boot me completely off. That makes the 1500 min everything data family plan look pretty good as it’s $40 with discount applied. We just have old flip phones now, so I’ll have to still learn about the tethering, but I’m really interested in that.
@Scott – Yes, this post is only for those at least 22 months into your 2-year contract, if not completely past. My *feeling* is that if you upgrade online with no human intervention to a Pro2, nobody will not look at your plan and you should be fine. If anything, they would just remove the corporate discount but not boot you off SERO.
It says that the touch pro2 is still $349 with my zip code of 85710?
@Johnny – Very interesting. I fiddled with some things… try the new and improved directions.
Can’t beat my $100/year prepaid phone combined with Google Voice, and office phone (and I may add Ooma later). People calls me at my Google Voice number and I can answer with my office phone or home phone (Ooma later). So, I rarely use my mobile phone.
But I miss my data plan. I hope Eric will post on how to get cheap tmobile data plan for iPhone.
I just recently signed up with sprint using a corporate discount. I got the above $70 Everything 450 plan for $50. Not quite $30, but not bad. I was also able to get a Palm Pre which I’m pretty happy with so far. I was an AT&T Tilt user, but I had grown weary of WinMo.
It seems if you want a company discount, just go to http://www.sprint.com/companyname and you’ll see their discount rate. Doing everything online, there’s no verification whatsoever. I got free shipping, waived activation fee, and the mail in rebate was made an instant rebate.
I currently have a BB Tour and a BB Curve on SERO, paying only $100 per month total for 500 minutes per phone, unlimited data, and 1,000 text msg per month. I also have BIS/BES on each phone. There is a rather involved process to get all of this done but in my opinion the Tour is a much better phone than the Touch Pro2 and one can be had on SERO for $50/month.
Ugh, $60 tax. They tax the pre-discounted price.
Scott: how large is your discount to get the everything data 1500 minute family plan for $40? I get a 25% discount and the 1500 ED family plan is $97 on sprint’s site.
Thanks for the info.
I was just wondering if I should renew my contract.
On a separate note, What is the best family plan out there.
I’ve been holding off on renewing because I wish to get an additional phone
Thanks
Josh: I apologize for not being more clear. I get the same 25% discount, so it’s $40 *additional* per month for an additional 50% minutes (2×500 currently vs 1500). Since local, state, and federal taxes along with fees add 23%, I pretty much break even on the discount and have a total cost of $60 like MattG mentioned. I’m underestimating the real cost obviously, since the $97 would be the same as you, but I have no idea how to estimate the taxes for that since there seem to be a dozen line items and some are flat fees and others are percentages.
Put together a spreadsheet yesterday looking at the options and it seems that I can get 1400 or 1500 minutes for right at $100 on any of the different carriers with the different discounts available. I’d probably stay with Sprint as their plan really offers all the services for both lines. For T-mobile, Verizon, and AT&T, I think I had to get my wife a standard phone, get a smartphone for me, add a data plan to mine, and I could get what we would like.
what is a corprate discount ? and how can i get it ?
i currently have everything data 450 bb plan is there a better option for me with sprint ?
thanks
I wonder if Sprint will continue to allow future WinMo phones for sero plans. That HTC HD2 looks pretty incredible, although I don’t think there’s anything confirming that it’s coming to Sprint yet, but one can hope.
This brings whole new set of questions. Right now I believe the TP2 ships with WinMo 6.1 that released on May 11 2009. I wonder if Sprint will give us upgrades to 6.5 or 6.5.1 when they finally release.
But Brent, your post raises the question as to whether Sprint will offer WinMo phones when the get around to shipping with WinMo 7. 7 is supposed to offer a “premium experience on par with competing devices…” does that mean more data intensive like the Hero, Pre, etc.? Will Sero users be barred still once more? Who can tell at this point, we will just have to wait.
I have been trying to get the Touch Pro2 for a while for 199 with no success. I even tried the link but it just jacks the price up to 599 – $75 credit. I am out of contract ( I have SERO) but since my last renewal was a year ago and only for 1 year I am only able to get a $75 credit and not able to get the phone for 199. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to try to get this phone?
You can get the iPhone on the cheap if you ‘carpool’ i.e. have a family plan with 2+ people, the more the better. I use ‘family’ very loosely, technically you can add whoever you want to a family plan.
Our 4 person AT&T family plan has 2 regular phones+2 iphones with unlimited data, 1400 minutes, A-List (similar to T-mobile myFaves) + rollover minutes. After taxes, our combined bill is around $190.
I installed Skype + gVoice in my iPhone and that saves me even more minutes
I learned about the SERO from this site years ago, I love it! $37 with taxes – I brag to EVERYONE about it. Wife wanted to move to a black berry but after doing the math we came up with what Jonathon came up, it wasn’t work the extra yearly amount to jump off SERO
I ditched Sprint a while back. Their customer service was awful.
I have the $7/month insurance and an old HTC Touch. Anyone know what would happen if I lost my phone? Would they actually replace it with a Touch, or do you think they’d be out of stock and give me something similar but newer (like a Touch Pro or Diamond)? Might be a good way to get a cheap upgrade.
Thanks Jonathan for the nice post on Touch Pro 2.
The $70 credit is there anyway one who is not on contract could also get it, by emailing Sprint?
Does the HTC Hero work? I’d much rather have that.
I’m trying to do this and even though I’m logging into the http://www.sprint.com/everythingplus site, when I try to “Upgrade/Replace” for the HTC Touch Pro2 I get the following (any ideas?):
We’re sorry, but the number you entered has been identified as part of the Everything Plus Referral Program (formerly Sprint Exclusive Referral Offer/SERO). Please visit http://www.sprint.com/everythingplus to complete your Everything Plus phone upgrade, or you may call an Everything Plus sales representative by phone at 1-888-882-4030 to place your order.
Just received and activated the TP 2… very nice…
Jonathan: any ideas?
CSR gave me the $70 credit and renewed my contract, but I’m not able to checkout and get the $199 price for the phone.
It keeps doing the popup thing saying I am on a SERO plan. zip 48901
it gives me the popup after inputing username and pass. I tried it for my spouse’s account and got the same thing.
Sorry for any confusion. When I posted this I thought that Sprint had lowered the price to $199 across the board since it was rumored for a while, when in fact I still had a cookie from a previous link I tried (citigroup one above) before. It was weird because the cookie persisted even after logging out. Using that cookie by accident did work for a couple of days for everyone to get $199 price, but it appears that Sprint may have stopped allowing SERO plans for this phone.
If you already got the $70 credit, you can either use eCare and tell them you changed your mind and have them reverse it (removing 2-year extension), or you can wait to see if the price will drop again as the holidays near. The Samsung Intrepid which runs Windows Mobile 6.5 and has a smaller touchscreen is available to SERO users. Clear your cookies first. Again, your contract will just shift to 2 years past your new purchase date.
Thanks Jonathan….I got my TP 2 for $199 and I now work for citigroup
Got my TP2 today as well… It’s pretty slick, a nice HTC OS overlay on top of ugly Windows Mobile 6.1. Looks like there will be limited productivity this weekend. 😉
I received the $70 credit yesterday. Looks like I missed the TP2(Touch Pro 2) $199 online price. I read the reviews on TP2, its nice. T-mobile is selling the TP2 for $49.99 on wmdeals.com
Now, any other alternate way to get TP2 with Sprint for $199 or less? Don’t want to change carrier and loose my nice SERO plan. Jonathan, if you get to know any alternate way of getting TP2 on sprint for this price, can you please post in the comments.
—
Achiever
I send an email to ask for $70 service credit. Sprint gave it to me but also automatically renew my contract for another two years. I call the customer service centere asking why they extended without my authorization. They said they have to do it when issuing $70 credit. Is that the case for everybody. At the end, they deicde to take off extension and reserve the credit offer for another 30days for me.
Here is Sprint’s reply:
Thank you for contacting Sprint customer service about $70.00 service
credit for renewing the contract.
We offer a one time credit of $70.00 on renewing the agreement for the
next two years based on the account status. Your account is eligible
for the $70.00 agreement renewal offer which comes with a new two year
contract.
As per your request(???) I have applied a credit of $70.00 on your account
and also renewed the contract for two years. You will be able to view
this credit on your next invoice.
We value your business and appreciate the opportunity to address your
concerns.
Sincerely,
Ian A.
Sprint
Well, considering it was $199.00, less the $70 retention credit, less $28 for my old phone; all told I am quite happy with the Touch Pro 2 for $101 plus tax. I received the phone yesterday afternoon and played for hours. WinMo took a bit of getting used to but overall, after my Centro for the past two years, I have no complaints. It a bit bigger and heavier but I actually life that… it actually feels substantial compared to some other phones I have tested. The slide out keyboard is sturdy and the response time of the system is good as well. I will say that I love the WiFi, easy to use and very fast.
I had a bit of trouble getting my email set up, but finally got that down as well. I also got my google contacts, calenders, and tasks sync’ed easily (and more importantly, correctly). The speaker is great. I also added a bunch of great freeware programs that I found on a WinMo users forum.
All in all, I think it’s a great phone for the price that I got it for as well as the two more years of Sero that accompany it; I am a happy boy.
PS: Just played around with the Voice Command… pretty neat.
Got my phone today. So far, the UI is a bit wonky. Not as responsive as I’d like. But it’s way better than my old phone, and the price is right.
Haven’t managed to receive a call on it yet, so I’m not sure how that will be.
Jonathan,
Love your blog. You’ve saved me tons of money over the years, particularly through the SERO plan. Yesterday I followed the steps listed and succeeded in getting the $70 credit. As others noted earlier, I now have a new two year SERO contract, which is great. However, now while it says I’m eligible for a $150 upgrade, it won’t actually let me upgrade. Says my account is not eligible for an online upgrade. Any ideas on next steps?
@SK – Try to log into the SERO website first, and then upgrade that way. Here is instructions from the slickdeals post noted above:
“Update 10/15/09 3pm Pacific: It appears this may no longer work on SERO plans.”
What no longer works? The TP2? The TP2 pricing? The $70 credit?
Thanks for the reminder to renew our SERO plans for another 2 years. Off to get my credit and check out the new phones!
Hmmm, when I click on “Upgrade your phone” on my SERO account page, I get this: “”Your account is currently not eligible for purchases online”” This is new. Anyone know what’s up and what the best number to call for SERO telesales?
@Jules – The TP2 for $199. The TP2 still works on SERO, I am using it right now, and so does the $70 credit as far as I know.
@David – I get the same message when I tried to upgrade from my account page. My guess is they want you to call so they can get you to switch to the Everything Plus Referral Program.
I’m looking to score a Touch Pro off Ebay and activate it on my SERO plan so that I’m not locked in for 22 months.
”Your account is currently not eligible for purchases online”
I am a SERO user and I am getting the same message when I attempt to upgrade online. This just started 2 days ago (10/16/09). Any ideas?
The following be worth a try to those who still want to get the Touch Pro2 for $199. Visit site and try to upgrade your phone, I’m already upgraded so I can’t tell if it works.
http://www.sprint.com/usps
Jonathon: Yeah, that won’t work. When you select a phone to upgrade, you are asked to sign in and then you get this message:
We’re sorry, but the number you entered has been identified as part of the Everything Plus Referral Program (formerly Sprint Exclusive Referral Offer/SERO). Please visit http://www.sprint.com/everythingplus to complete your Everything Plus phone upgrade, or you may call an Everything Plus sales representative by phone at 1-888-882-4030 to place your orde
Can this be done w/ a blackberry? If so, how? Is there any risk involved? Thanks for any feedack.
“I can even tether it using PDANet and make it a wireless modem for my laptop, which I’ve been doing with my Motorola Q for the last 2+ years.”
Jonathan:
How do you activate your TP2? Via phone or online? I didn’t find the answer from fatwallet or sprintusers. Anyway, I am still looking site that sells it for $199. Hopefully, Sprint will lower the price.
H.
Hey J…. how are you liking the TP2. After getting the hand of the WinMo OS I gotta say, that I like this phone… a lot. I found a great online forum with applications and tweaks that really help a lot. Let me know if you want the url.
It appears that once you get the $70 credit for account renewal you no longer qualify for an upgrade through one of the corporate discounts. It would probably go through on the everything plus site, but it’s 349 there… Now to wait for them to reverse the credit, I guess 199 is still a pretty good deal, heh.
Interesting thing with the TP2. Although GPS is not supposed to be available on the SERO plan, the Sprint Navigation programs is included on the TP2. I was unsure if it would connect and low and behold it does. Worked fine for a 2 hour trip I made yesterday… flawless plotting and great spoken directions and visuals. Also, said good-bye to my iPod. Loaded up the TP2 with my music. and played it through to my car’s radio using my Motorola ROKR T505 blue-tooth transmitter. What is especially nice about this set up, is that while the GPS and phone run in the background, the music transmits to my car stereo and when it comes time for a GPS instruction, it mutes the music and the GPS voice is pushed through, the same with a phone call; music is muted and the incoming phone call is announced with all the contact information… take the call and when finished, the music resumes. Great set-up.
Call today- the pick3 is gone. The operator said the management took if off a couple days ago..damn
@MattG – I think the GPS is only a limited time trial. Recently I tried using it again and had to pay. If it isn’t for you, then score! GPS feature still works with Google Maps app though.
I’m liking the phone, although it has plenty of quirks. Every time I get a text the phone unlocks, and I end up calling a bunch of people by accident. There is a third-party fix for that.
Otherwise, I find I can moderate blog comments and check e-mail on the go without using office internet, which is good. I don’t play games very much, but the free Real Dice poker is fun. My favorite non-standard apps so far are Facebook and Google Maps.
Got a HTC Hero two weeks ago, with Android. It’s extremely cool and I’m very happy with it. Don’t believe the fanboys spreading the rumor that there’s lag on this unit, there’s none; I haven’t experienced any. The phone cost $179 (with rebate) and my $59.99 / month plan includes the following:
* 500 anytime minutes
* Nationwide long distance included
* Roaming included
* Unlimited calls to any mobile, anytime
* Unlimited SMS text messaging
* Unlimited picture mail
* Unlimited data usage
* Sprint Navigation (with voice) included
* Sprint data pack
* Unlimited night and weekends from 7 pm to 7 am
* Sprint TV included (yes, the cell even plays TV, with several channels avail.)
Meanwhile, iPhone users pay $90 for a basic plan and can’t use the phone. A similar plan from AT&T would cost at least $180 / month, with poor coverage and weak signal inside buildings, dropped calls, no streaming allowed, no Google Voice allowed, etc. AT&T charges $10 for navigation and another $20 for unlimited messaging/texting alone. What good does it do to have an iPhone if you can’t use it because is either too expensive or has poor coverage? Please, jailbroken units are nothing but trouble and can’t get 3G, so what’s the point? I can text, stream, IM, upload pictures, use navigation, watch TV, talk, etc, until I drop for just $59.99.
“My favorite non-standard apps so far are Facebook and Google Maps.”
Try these great apps: Trapster, Google Sky Map, ShopSavvy, Compare Everywhere, Shazam, Places Directory, Craigs Notification, Calorie Counter, Flashlight, Cab4me, Listen, Pandora, Ustream Brodcaster…
Anyone tried to upgrade their phone OS to Windows Mobile 6.5 ? HTC released a ROM update for Touch Pro 2 for 6.5 OS, few weeks ago. But, I am not sure if it is for CDMA phones like that of Sprint or only GSM phones.
You can find some interesting cooked ROM’s here.
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=79579
Thanks for the deal updates, Jonathan. My wife and I are coming up for renewal soon and will definitely lock in two more years of the SERO. 🙂
Can I get a $70 credit if I still have one more year left of my contract? Or do you have to be out of a contract to qualify for the $70 credit?
@jose
it has to be after 22 months. so you would not qualify…
Question:
if i am renewing family plan (thereby activating the $70 loyalty credit per line for all three lines), am I still eligible for the $150 upgrade credit for all three lines?
secondly, would the loyalty credit and upgrade credit apply if i use the EPRP promotion (employee referral)?
Trying to upgrade and extend my sero plan. I have 4 lines 1 with 1200 $50 and 3 with 500 minutes $30 unlimited data etc. Total $140/ mo + taxes etc. I do NOT want to give up the SERO. I am techno impaired. Want to get new phones Contract expires in 2 weeks. HELP Please!
folks, you can still get the $70 credit, but SPRINT will extend your contract for 2 years if you decide to do so. Also, the HTC Touch Pro2 phone is no longer available at $199, so if you are doing this hoping to get the phone, don’t bother. I have tried and failed. That’s all.
SlickD is correct. I was able to get my TP2 for $101 all told, but my wife’s contact was not up yet and we missed out. Now to try to research what other SERO phone would be best under the current restrictions. As for me, I am loving the TP2 especially with the free Google Voice fowarding through Sprint.
Still told me I could Not get the $70 and a discounted phone? Jim
It seems that the online price is $199.99 [599.99 – 150(instant savings) – 250 (web special)]. So is this deal on again???
Currently I have a Centro in Sero plan that expire on 04/2010.
I want to upgrade the phone without loosing the sero. Should I wait or upgrade now. How cheap can I get a TP2 and how?
I am in the same boat as Luciano (expiry 5/2010). What did you find Luciano?
I have a question, I followed all the instructions and I was able to purchase HTC Hero for 279.99 with 100 rebate. So my question is, when I receive my phone, how do I get to activate my phone? By calling Sprint, right? And wouldn’t they ask me to upgrade my plan to the everything plan? And also, what if I buy a phone off ebay with clean ESN, would I be able to use it? Please give me some details regarding activating the phone.
Check your receipt when you bought the Hero. It should have a URL address on it to activate your phone.
Being that you make no mention of the plan you are currently on, I can make no guess as to any of answers to your questions.
Since you have gone ahead and bought a Hero, I assume that you are not on the Sero plan. If you are, you will not be able to get it activated omn your account. Not now, not ever. It simply is not going to happen. There have been countless threads on it in other forums and I’ll not debate it here, if you’d like to see for yourself, google Sero Hero.
Ther are a number of newer phones that will not work with the Sero plan and the Hero is just one of them.
in response to drdomore
Probably this old news for most of the folks here.
after a year of the plan but before the 22 month, the dicount to buy the phone is only $75. @ month 22 the discount is 150.
I still have a couple of months more. so I’ll worry then, . I heard that when trying to activate a new phone , the representative @ sprint insist in upgrade the plan too. and that people that succeded in keeping the plan had to spend a few hours and talk to a few people and managers.
I ordered my TP2 through the Sprint EPRP website. The receipt had an link to go to when the phone was received. This link was the address to activate the phone. It took me about two minutes to enter the information and for the phone to be activated. Not fuss at all. Never asked me to upgrade my plan from the Sero. And my account remains as is. Easy as pi.
Hey MattG
Did you also renew the sero plan for two more years when you activated the TP2?
OK, As I am from N.Y. and a SERO Customer Scams are all over This is how u beat the Sprint removal of SERO http://www.sprint.com/hp They Never Check your Email So Anyname.Anyname@hp.com gets u a Plan Discount and New Android Phones. You NEVER talk to a rep U just order with NO check-up and the phones arrive and on your 1st bill minus 20% I took Everything Data 3000 $169 2X $19.99 ea Additional line Minus 20% About the same. Locked up for another 2 years and New Android Phones! Merry Xmas!!!
Sorry 25% OFF
@luciano: thanks
@jim: how is $169 / month a good deal? am i missing something here?
@Luciano – yes… the SERO was renewed for a 2 year contract.
@Jim – I am not sure ho9w that is a “deal.”
Guys, I had 4 phones on my plan SERO 1200 min/ $50 3 500 minutes @ $30 each Total $140 I now have 4 Phones Everything Data 3000 $209 – 25% discount $150 It worked for me and got 4 new Android Phones at $29.99 Each.
I have the $7/month insurance and an old HTC Touch. Anyone know what would happen if I lost my phone? It doesn’t seem like they’d have any Touch phones left, so I think they’d probably give me something else. Has anyone been in a similar situation and lost their phone? I’m considering telling them that I lost it and seeing if they’ll give me something similar but newer (like a Touch Pro or Diamond). There’s a $50 deductable, but it could be worth it, depending on which phone they give me as a replacement. I could always tell them that I found it later if the phone they give me is actually a downgrade.
Hey Brent, I think you are mistaken about the $50 dollar deductable. Asurion, the insurance company that the plan is through courtesy of Sprint, raised the deductables for smart phones from $50 dollars to $100 dollars.
This may or not be worth it to you.
Hey so does this 70 dollar credit still work for SERO users? I’m thinking about renewing and picking up a Tour at Best Buy…
Hey, I’m trying to get the $199 deal for the TP2. I have tried the Citibank and Postal employee websites. I’m getting the following message when I try to log in my account: Your account is currently not eligible for purchases from this website. Please add an account to your profile to continue. Any suggestions. I have just sent an email to Sprint to extend my contract and get the $70 credit.
How do I get the TP2 with a $30 SERO plan? I tried the websites as stated above but I keep getting an error message stating that he number entered is part of the everything plan. PLease help……
Rob: go to http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/nxt/epc/epclanding.asp
Enter: Russ.S.Mcguire@sprint.com and 383
Once in… log into your account – should work.
Matt,
Thanks for the info. Is there anyway to get the TP2 for $199 with SERO?
Rob, I have been looking as well and don’t see a way to get the TP2 for $199. Cheapest I see is $349 with new contract.
Thanks Rich! I was able to get a $70 credit for renewing my SERO contract for another 2 years. Guess I will have to pay $349 for the TP2. Thanks
Ive been on the SERO plan for years. I just got another line with TP2 . They gave me a hell of deal. After bitching for 30 min. They priced matched with me and gave me the TP2 for $169.00. The phone will be here on the Dec 26th. But can I get the Everything Plus Plan with it? I have the everything data plan for $69 .
I have a centro and I am a month away from renewing my Sero Plan.
While I see most af you choosing TP2 , I went to sprint stores and I felt that, even though tp2 web access is more complete, centro is far faster, the same happens with google maps. Also sending pictures to phones or emails is also very fast in my centro. I know that you can not compare the two phones, but since fast web access and quality of calls are my main concern, I would like to hear your opinions.
Thanks
Luciano:
No comparison, the TP wins over the Centro on all fronts. I had the Centro for 2 years… I am not sure of the circumstances of your testing (signal, etc.) but I have had far greater speeds and performance from my TP 2 than I ever had with my Centro. Keep in mind that my use has always been in metropolitan cities where the fastest speeds are usually available.
MattG
I have a $30 Sero acct. and I just tried going into the site with the russ s mcguire and the went into my online account and tried to buy the Tp2, but got the same message from sprint that stated that I was not on the everything plans and couldn’t buy phone. Did I do something wrong? thanks for all your postings.
I am seeing a lot fo misinformation on this site. YOU CANNOT upgrade your phone if you have a SERO plan. I have repeatedly tried to upgrade and Sprint will not allow the upgrade unless you change your plan to a EVERYTHING PLAN for $59.99/month. They will tell you its a compatibility problem, etc. The real reason you cannot keep your plan is that somebody at Sprint realized that $30/month for 450 min, unlimited texting and data is a steal therefore they are trying to phase it out. They have been proactively trying to push everyone off this plan to a more expensive plan. They are accomplishing this by not allowing SERO account holders the opportunity to upgrade the phone unless you upgrade the plan. So I hope you like the phone you have!
That happened to me recently when I was upgrading my wife’s Sero account. Then I cleared the cart and logged out and back in and it worked fine. Give that a try.
SAM:
Sorry to burst your bubble, pal, but both Jonathan (the owner of this site) and I, along with several others HAVE indeed upgraded our SERO phones and also successfully extended our SERO contracts.
I am posting a screen shot of my Sprint account page. I have blocked out all identifying info… but notice the expiration date, phone model and Plan.
http://i48.tinypic.com/2hfmmu8.jpg
Would it be possible to use the link in the post to set up a new account?
What is the cheapest I can get a TP2 for on a SERO plan? And how?
Tony: I do not believe there is any way to set up a new SERO account. All the accounts I have are old and grandfathered. I have heard that there have been some folks that have existing SEROs and were able to add another, but I am unfamiliar as to how to go about this. However, surf on over to ebay.com and search Sprint Sero and you see about 8 auctions going on for the plans. Also, you may have some luck buying someone’s existing contract on a site that specializes in that sort of trade.
Rob: Looks like the cheapest you are gonna get a TP2 right now is $349, that is IF you have the$150 credit from Sprint toward an upgrade. You may be able to get the $70 credit (as mentioned in Jonathan’s article) if you are out of contract and get the credit through ecare. And you’r old phone may be eligible for Sprint’s recycle program. Looks like the $199 special has gone for now.
If I apply for the $70 credit for extending my contract, will I still get the $150 credit from Sprint towards a phone upgrade?
Thanks!
If you have the credit you will not lose it…
Hi Matt, (or anyone who can answer my question)
I caught this thread way too late. I am on Sero and I am trying to upgrade my phone. I really like the TP2 (and I need a phone that can tether). I tried to go through the link and purchase a tp2 on the sprint website but the sprint website didn’t allow me.
My question is, is there anyway that I still can obtain a tp2 at a reasonable price through sprint? Also, if I do get a tp2, can I still activate it with no issue?
Thank you!
Lis
Lis, did you try the regular sprint website or the one we mentioned here (http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/sprint/epc/epclanding.asp) using Russ.S.McGuire@Sprint.com / 383 to gain access? You should have no problem using the latter. You should be able to upgrade to the TP2 with no problems… as for the price… beware of the sticker shock… the $199 deal is not to be had anymore… I managed to get that along with a $30 credit for my old phone plus the $70 ecare incentive, so the $100 was not a big pinch… but I think now the price is back to its $350 tag… hopw this helps.
I receive the following response when I ask for the $70 credit: Your line is eligible for $70.00 Service Credit against the contract renewal on your account. It is also eligible for handset upgrade at the online price with two year contract. However, it is not possible to avail both the offers together on your account. You can opt either of the both the offers.
It means that if I choose the $70 credit, I will lose the $150 upgrade credit, which is contradict to what Jonathan previously said. So is there is a way out or something changes here.
I am also on SERO, and I am up for my 24 month upgrade, I want an android phone so bad, and I can afford to upgrade to the 59.99 450min Everything Plan, (Right Now), but I dont know about a year from now.
Its hard to beat a $37 phone bill with insurance included.
I currently have a Palm Treo 800w. It is a decent phone, and I decided to just stick with my plan, but I am seriously thinking about buying the HTC Touch Pro 2, since it is the best phone SERO users can use, and I kinda wanna get it before Sprint decides that we cant get that phone either.
Does anyone here think that sprint will ban the HTC TP2 for SERO users anytime soon?
i too have sero and will be looking to upgrade my phone come this summer.. been out of contract for over a year now. subscribing to this thread to keep informed. thanks everyone for the info.
my 2 year sero account ended a year ago.. looking to upgrade my phone to a nice smartphone this summer and keep my sero account. thank everyone for the deals, comments, tips, etc.
Sero Ebayer336: Sprint has never disallowed a phone that worked on Sero. They have either disallowed it from the launch of a phone model or allowed it; they have not yet arbitrarily pulled one from the plan. I think you’ll be ok.
I have to say, I love my TP2. It is a very well made phone and quite versatile.
Yes, I think I will buy the TP2 off of Ebay in the next month or 2. Because they are going for 350 NEW on Ebay, with NO contract extension.
It would be 350 from the sprint store, with a 2 year contract extension, so Ebay will allow me to stay month to month
Where do all the used cell phones go? People would pay decent money for a good used cell phone, and we all know people that upgrade to the latest and greatest phone regularly. Where do all those phones go? And why can’t they be found easily?
They can be found on Ebay, and on your local craigslist.org.
I am selling my Palm Treo 800w on craigslist now for $150
I am on $30 sero plan using a Palm Centro. A few months ago, Sprint started to charge this:
Premium Browsable – SprintR Mobile Email -11/29 $9.99
I didn’t notice it until today! I have contacted Sprint.
Anyone has same experience? thoughts?
Xingye,
I received the $70 credit. Now on my online sprint account, it shows that I am eligible for $150 credit in phone upgrade…
Hi MattG, I have a SERO plan that’s been out of contract since June 09, but I have a slight twist, I have Nextel service. The Nextel phones are useless for navigating the Web and my wife is very fustrated with her phone. I want to keep SERO but am worried about making changes and loosing the plan. I tried my SIM card in my Nextel Blackberry from my job and it fired up fine, except for the data. It was looking for a wi-fi signal, so I guess I can’t use that phone. I was looking at the Samsung Instinct HD, but it’s only available as a Sprint phone. I know Sprint & Nextel are one company, but I’m still uncertain if they’ll try to boot me from SERO if I try to switch. Before I go and try, I’d like to hear your take on it. Thanks!
LarryC: Honestly, I have no clue. I’d imagine that you could switch your existing plan from Nextel to Sprint PCS but I really have no idea how to go about it. Perhaps drop by a Sprint store and see if they could do it, or drop an email to ecare and see what they say. Get that done first and worry about the rest later.
Larry, have you ever heard of sprintusers.com ? It’s a great forum where people just talk about Sprint, their phones, there plans, and different strategies for getting the most from Sprint. It’d be a great place to ask your question.
Where to find the list for phones not allowed with SERO plan? How about those blackberry or palm phones? Heard some people refreshing blackberry for GPS.. Any comments?
Hello, I want to comment that I was able to keep my grandfather plan and get an HTC Pro 2. Thank you for the help. I have a question regarding the sprint navigation application. Is that included with the data plan or do I have to pay extra for that? I was able to use it once and now when I try to launch the app it states that I can either purchase a monthly plan or 24 hours rate. I didn’t want to call sprint about this because I was afraid they would see I have a HTCPro2 and state I need to upgrade my plan. Any input???
They give you a few days of Navigation free to try to get you hooked… after that you’d need a subscription to have it work.
you can put your own GPS navigation program on there and use it with the free sero data right?
Thanks to all for the suggestions! Dude I will check out the Sprint Users site. Thanks again!
@Frankzie, what GPS navigation programs are you thinking of?
google map, tomtom, others? i don’t know i’ve never done.. i just assumed there were free options that worked.
Hi Matt,
Thanks a lot for your reply. I caved and bought the phone at $490. Sneaky Sprint people only gave me $50 credit (instead of $70). I had to call several times to get that $50 credit, but it was worth it. You mentioned you can use the TP2 tethering ability. I was wondering how that can be done. Would you shed light on it. I browsed a lot of web pages but it’s all Greek to me (I am a newbie to Smart phone). I need a step-by-step. Thank you.
Lis
@LiS as of January 2010 you can no longer tether on the SERO plan. I tethered for the past 3 years no problem until as of recent. If you can find a way around it, please post. I have looked all over for a solution to still tether my Moto Q.
Thinking about upgrading to the Samsung Intrepid = anyone have any feedback to this device?
Also to my understanding the Blackberry Tour is a SERO choice.. do you have to pay the extra $10 blackberry fee for internet or can you keep the plan at $30/month ?
Here is a .cab file to enable Tethering Stealth Mode – Hook your phone to your pc and use it as a modem undetected.
(SIM card must be inserted into phone)
ftp://ppcgeeks.com/Touch%20Pro%202/Users/Tobeychris/Cabs/ICS%20and%20WModem%20Fix.cab
@MattG, I downloaded the *.cab file to my PC. Then do I need to install this file? On PC? On Phone? Would appreciate any feedback!
Matt, I’m not sure how well you know Sprint service….Sprint doesn’t use sim cards. It’s GSM that uses them. Sprint runs on CDMA.
Dude: I’ll let you in on a little secret… the TP2 has a sim card….shhhhh… The TP2 is CMDA is the US but GSM in other countries…
DrDoMore: cab files for the phone. It has been a long time since I tethered, any questions should be asked on the ppcgeeks forum, they are truly the wizards.
I knew that you’d use that loophole. 🙂
The sim card wouldn’t be used on Sprint’s network, so how would that help with tethering? I’m curious, not being a smart aleck this time.
I’m on the $30/month SERO plan (2 year anniversary coming up) and I’ve been tethering a lot over the last three days with my HTC Touch with no problems whatsoever. As far as I know, Sprint can’t tell that I’m tethering, although I changed some registry value (can’t remember what it was — did it a long time ago) after reading about it on ppcgeeks.
You need the sim card in to unlock the phone for tethering.
MattG, that is a total lie needing a sim card on sprint for tethering. There is no such thing. The GSM touch diamond 2 and CDMA version are different phones. It can be done with a USB cable & activesync without any changes; bluetooth is broken in the stock rom, but aftermarket ones it’s fixed; Or you can buy WMWIFIRouter for $30 and it will fix the bluetooth for non-techies, and allow tethering over all 3; bluetooth, usb cable, or wifi hotspot.
D, I never said that to tether with “Sprint” you need a sim card, I said that with the TP2, not the Diamond, you need to have the sim card inserted in order for the phone to be unlocked. If you know of another way for the TP2 to be tethered please go ahead and share.
I bought WMWifiRouter, and it still works on my SERO + TP2 as of 1/23/10. Pretty cool to have a WiFi access point whenever I travel, can even share the connection with friends. I do try and keep my data usage using this method to a minimum unless there is no other option.
I’d like to chime in on the tethering thing (which is what I am doing at this moment). After reading so much info here (thanks a lot Matt), and PPC Geeks forum, I have much better understanding what to do with my phone so I can use its full potential.
@drdomore — I highly recommend that you read through this page http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=91619
There are two ways (that I know) to tether. The way I chose to tether is follow the instructions on http://rhodiumw.htc-unlocks.com/hard-spl.php and then install Mighty Mike’s ROM. In Mighty Mike’s ROM, there’s built-in stealth tethering option. The other way (someone correct me if I am wrong) is to keep your own stock ROM and install the cab file provided by Matt above on the phone.
One thing you should know is, the .cab files are like zip files, so your computer will attempt to unzip it. Just select the save to option, don’t unzip it. And then hook up your phone to your computer so you can transfer the .cab file to your phone and then just run the file on your computer.
correction on the prev post.the last word should be phone, not computer. sorry about the confusion.
Sorry for being repetitive, but tomorrow starts my month 22nd of my sero plan.
In order to get the $70, SHOULD I CALL OR SHOULD I EMAIL THROUGH THE CONTACT US LINK?
Then for the $150 , Do I have to sign in in the sero page using the email and number given before in this mailing list?
email to see if you can get the $70… some have recently said that that is no longer being offered, but see if you get a cool CR… then sign on and upgrade… you $150 credit should be on the upgrade page.
My TP2 is on its way.
I requested the $70 in the contact us page then signed in the sero page and got $150 off+ $100 mail in rebate.
That formula works mathematically
Do you guys have a recomendation for accesories. I know I will get a case or pouch but I don’t know which one.
Thanks everybody.
As for cases I can highly recommend wiwaycn on ebay. He does custom cases very reasonably and the quality is incredible. You can specify what type of leather for the exterior and interior and the finishing is beautiful. Here is an example: http://cgi.ebay.com/D2-Custom-Made-Leather-case-for-HTC-Touch-Pro2-Pro-2-II_W0QQitemZ370316567676QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPDA_Accessories?hash=item563896647c
i GOT mY TP2 running , it’s pretty slick.
I am having problems with google maps and live search.
when Itry to get my location, it shows me way off( sometimes in other states) .
Any of you have the same problem?.
any tip for URL to get apps?
so, just to clarify, the HTC Touch Pro2 is compatible with a $30 SERO plan?
Hi. I have had one of these plans and I’m up for my $150 discount, but like everyone else, I don’t want to switch to paying more for less. I got an HTC Mogul now, but if I upgrade, I’d probably go with the Samsung Intrepid. I think that getting the device for $150, which would mean free with the discount if I wait, is no longer available as the undiscounted price says $449, and I’m only good for $75 now until the first.. My question is, if I buy one with a clean ESN on Ebay, would I be able to just swap it on to my account by activating it online? I hate to start bidding and get one only to find it won’t work without a plan change. I’m just wondering if anyone’s gone this route as it might rock the boat less. Boost looks to be about the same price, but with unlimited minutes, but no good as whatever I get needs to run Windows mobile.
I bought a used WM5 phone (clean esn, locked to Sprint) and I was able to activate it. That was about a year ago, but the policy should be same….if the phone works on that plan then you should be good i think.
Brent, worked for me a year ago as well. Here is the website:
http://www.sprint.com/activate/
I have the SERO 1250 for 49.99 and want to get locked in for another 2 years. Can someone verify the 70.00 credit by emailing Sprint discussed above still works? I will be at 22 months 3/1/10 and want to get a WinMo phone to replace my Treo 800W. Has anyone had any luck getting the rebates when upgrading online and keeping their SERO plan? Thanks
I found out the best phone to upgrade to is actually a used Motorola Q9c. It’s the best WinMo phone out there. Runs WM 6.1, real keyboard, real GPS, fits in your pocket better than Touch Pro 2, has a back button (Samsung Intrepid doesn’t), and the camera has a so called flash. Plus you can keep your Sero plan and you can save your rebate for when a better phone comes out. And it will cost you less than $100 (less than $50 in my case) instead of $350.
Thanks Dude. Should I worry about Sprint kicking me off SERO after my contract expires?
They practically begged me to lock it in for another two years, but I might be stuck with an HTC Mogul for what will be 4 years. What they sent wasn’t $70, but a free month of service offer if I renewed. I think I threw my upgrade rebate out the window, but I still have Sero as far as I know.
Wow Dude.. can’t say that I agree on the Motorola Q9c. You are talking a phone that was released over 2.5 years ago. I’d still say the TP2 is the best out there for the Sero plan. Still a new phone.. Both have GPS, but unless you are paying for Navigator it makes no difference. The TP2 runs WM 6.5 with a cooked ROM. The TP2 has a 3.5mm jack, and is an international phone. The TP2 also has WiFi capabilities 3.2 megapixel cam vs, 1.3. As for pocket fit: The Motorola Q9c is 4.6 inches high by 2.6 inches wide by 0.7 inch deep and 5.2 ounces vs the TP2’s 4.56 inches tall by 2.33 inches wide by 0.68 inch thick and 6.3 ounces. So you’re quibbling over .04″ in height, .27″ in width, TP is .02″ thinner and less than an ounce heavier. A pretty good dimension considering you are going from a paltry 320×240 screen on the Motorola to a 480×800 touch screen on the TP2. And with the TP2 I kept my Sero plan and got the TP2 for about $101.
Matt, your input is appreciated, but your aurguements aren’t as strong as presented. First of all I not saying that TP2 isn’t cool, but your underestimating how good the Moto Q9c is.
-the sceen is bigger on the TP2, which is nice, but screen on all the Moto Qs look excellent also.
-the 3.5″mm jack is nice, but do you want a phone or music player. if you really want to listen to music on your phone (which is rare) you can will it’s 2.5mm jack.
-who needs wifi when Sprint’s Sero plan includes nation wide roaming.
-the camera on the TP2 does not have a flash. The Moto Q’s all have a LED flash.
-read the reviews on the TP2 – people agree its too big for anything but very loose fitting pants. That’s fine for some, but noyt everyone wears baggy clothes.
-the last point is the cost. Maybe it cost you $100 but Sprint is now charging $350 after rebate and 2 year contract for the TP2. My idea is less than $100, and you don’t need to renew your contract, so you can save your rebate for a better phone.
In closing, a used Motorola Q9c is a much better value at this point in time.
LOL… I guess we’d have to agree to disagree on this… The argument that you present regarding the jack/music use could be used for your flash/camera use… do you want a phone or a camera… as for the WiFi vs Data – speed would be my answer… the WiFi is MUCH faster… but I guess you’d ask are you buying a camera or a phone… lol… as for reading the reviews on the TP2, I have and I have one… and it’s by far a truly great phone… If you think that there is going to be something on the Sprint horizon that will be compatible with the Sero, I’d like to know what it is. With the advent of the new Palm OS, no newer Palms are gonna be Sero operational, no Android will be operational on Sero, and I seriously doubt that WinMo 7 will be Sero approved (too bad, cause it looks great), so I am curious as to what you believe you may be holding out for? I believe that the TP2 is probably top of the line for Sero users. In my opinion, I have a great phone and a great plan locked in for two years – in two years I can reevaluate and see how the playing field is.
Matt, I agree, do you want a phone or a camera? You brought up the megapixal, so I reminded you of the flash.
If someone cares about 3.5mm jack, no problem. Is it work $300? Not to me.
Is wifi faster than much faster than 3G, not that most would notice. What are downloading?
If you want to spend $350 for a phone, go for it. Most people reading this article are trying to save money, not spend it.
One last point, month to month is just as safe as renewing. Sprint can always change the plan as long as they give you the chance to terminate your service. It’s a myth to think that your contract is protecting you from everything. It actually protects the mobile company, which is the reason they push it so hard.
Should people get a TP2? Yes, but not until the price comes down, and by waiting you might find a newer, smaller, better phone.
Dude… all excellent and valid points… for me… it was worth the 100 bucks that I paid for it… if it were today and I had to make the decision for $300, I would probably think twice. I will say that I do like the phone a lot and like it more and more as time goes on and I tweak it to be even better… I still am curious if there will ever be another smart-phone that Sprint allows with the Sero plan… the outlook looks sorta grim…
I recently got a $70 credit for renewing my 2 year contract – I have two phones on our line, so we got $140 in total. Also, I bought an HTC Touch Pro 2 with a clean ESN from EBay and it works fine, all you have to do is activate it (there are instructions on the Sprint website).
Mattg said”….The TP2 runs WM 6.5 with a cooked ROM.”
can you tell me how to do this or where to get info on this
Luciano:
http://www.mightyrom.com/
Go to ppcgeeks.com to find roms in the forums.
Hello, I can upgrade to a new phone as of 3/1/10 and currently have the lg rumor (I know it’s old). Was wondering the best phone I can get with the zero plan that I can apply my $150.00 upgrade to? I really like the full keyboard on my rumor and I really want to find something with good browsing (cause I always get lost). Anything else I should know before the 1st? I’m super exciting about getting a new phone!!!
So much info! My contract is up and I’ll be coming back to comb through all of the steps here. Looks like the HTC Pro 2 is the best SERO out there now? The challenge is to get it inexpensive.
Well, I almost was able to praise you for this awesome tip. But, instead, I have to say: SPRINT SUCKS. I reupped my SERO plan, got the $70 credit on two lines (total: $140 credit) and successfully ordered my HTC Hero ($150 after rebate). I went to activate it via the web site and THEN was told “Sorry, your plan isn’t compatible, choose one of the following plans” – the cheapest of which is twice what I’m paying now. What a bunch of a-holes.
For just a shade more, I think I’ll go with the MUCH more advanced Nexus One on T-Mobile. Heck, if I’m going to pay thru the nose for my mobile service from now on, I might as well get an awesome phone and ditch the carrier that ruined my week, right?
Adam… I am not quite sure what you were thinking… if you read this thread here (or countless threads elsewhere) you would have read (specifically) that there are a number of phones that are not Sero compatible. You know you could have just returned the phone…
Matt, hang on a second. I thought the whole POINT of this post was to show how you could *UPgrade* (not “sideways-grade”) a phone under SERO. I’m using an ancient WinMo phone and I was hoping to get a *better* phone, not downgrade to a crappy flip. It sounded as though the “reup for two years then upgrade and activate” plan would allow me to circumvent the – ah-hem, riDICulous – prohibition of certain phones being used on the SERO plan. I mean, after all, I’ll be using the same amount of data, only easier!
Ah well, if I can’t go with Android on a discounted plan with Sprint, it might make the most sense to jump to T-Mobile (with a cheaper plan) and get the Nexus One (a superior phone to anything Sprint has). We’ll see…
Adam: I think if you had read the original post AND the entire thread you would have come to a far different conclusion. It is stated pretty clearly that the only phones to be considered Sero phones were those NOT on the Android Platform nor the Newer Palm Platform… and I have reservations as to whether the new WinMo 7 will even be allowable… The post and thread also are pretty-much TP2-centric so the assumption was very much yours.
Adam, the posting and the comments show how to get the best phones available under SERO, at the best price. You picked a phone that’s not available under SERO.
I feel for you, and a lot of people can learn from your mistake, so I thank you for posting.
What happened was not this thread or Sprint’s fault. Both are very clear. To learn from your mistake people should:
1) read the entire thread (or at least understand that you can’t currently get a Android under SERO, but you can get a WinMo phone).
2) log in from Sprint.com and order directly from their site as Sprint will inform you before you check out if you will need to upgrade plans, so no nasty suprises that way.
By the way, I bought a Motorola Q9c off of eBay for cheap. It works with SERO and it’s an upgrade for me (not a side grade as you call it) . And the battery life is incredible: over 36 hours with heavy use.
Good luck with things.
Dude, thanks for the clarification. I was disappointed because “upgrading” to me meant moving *away* from Windows Mobile, which I feel is rapidly becoming irrelevant from a technology perspective. Hence, why I was solely interested in the Android phones. While I still feel it’s a cheap shot from Sprint to not allow the Android phones on the SERO plan (which I think we can all agree is a greedy decision), since I wanted a phone that I would be happy with for awhile, I reluctantly changed my plan yesterday. Thankfully, with an 18% discount from my employer, the new family plan isn’t exorbitantly more expensive than SERO, but I will miss bragging about the great deal I had with SERO.
Adam, as a WinMo user I unforunately have to agree. Microcrap has announced that WinMo 6.x devices won’t be upgradeable to 7, and then announced that 6.5 devices won’t be able to run 7 apps. Based on that I can’t recommend that anyone purchase a WinMo phone anynore. If you can get a WinMo phone out of contract for close to free, then do it. But do not, I repeat, do not get locked into a Windows Mobile phone under a contract, no matter how cheap. The exception being that your if only other choice is buying a non-smart phone. Then just keep in mind what your locking yourself into. 🙁
Does anybody know hot to force TP2 to roam VZ’s network? I have weak signal in my office but I only have one option of “automatic”. When I had my Palm Treo 755p, I can force to roam Verizon by clicking “roaming network only”. Please help!!
Thanks everyone for the Q’s and A’s…I will attempt to get the $70 credit and the Htc pro. Will let you know if I have any questions!!
HTC Pro 2 users… The ROM Release is here..
http://www.htc.com/us/support/touch-pro2-sprint/downloads/
What does the ROM do, how does it help improve the phone?
I have SERO 1250 and received an email yesterday offering one month credit(contract expires 6/1/10) to “renew” my contract. It does not say if I will be able to do the upgrade during the process and seems to be allowing me to keep my SERO plan. Has anyone accepted this offer and if so, were you able to upgrade the phone during the process and keep SERO? Thanks
Dude, The new ROM update highlights are the following: Upgraded OS to Windows Mobile 6.5
Added HTC Sense UI enhancements
Improved Social Networking integration
Includes a variety of minor bug fixes
If you go to the link I provided earlier you can get more detail information. Hope this helps.
IN WINMO 6.1 THERE WAS A TASK MANAGER QUICK MENU ON THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER THAT IS MISSING IN 6.5.
iF ANYBODY MISSES THAT FEATURE, HERE IS THE LINK TO GET IT BACK ON YOUR PHONE
http://www.mediafire.com/?jzditzywojt
Does anyone know if it still works?
“go to http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p…..anding.asp
Enter: Russ.S.Mcguire@sprint.com and 383
Once in… log into your account – should work.”
I got into that website, after signed in with with my own account, it said: Your account is currently not eligible for purchases online.
My plan is SERO500 for $30
I got the same error message when I logged into Sprint.com and then tried to buy a phone.
I also have SERO 500.
My guess, Sprint is tightening the screws. How long before SERO users will be prevented from upgrading phones in anyway, even ones they purchase from a 3rd party? We are close to the point of “change phones, lose SERO”.
So long as the TP2 is being offered I am in for the long haul. Love the phone and with the newly released WinMo 6.5 for the Sprint TP2 it versatility is great for my needs.
I emailed sprint customer service for the $70 credit. When I login to my sprint account, I see I am eligible for “save $150 when I upgrade this phone” which i see upon clicking on “i”. Is $70 discussed in this thread in addition to $150 I am already entitled to?
Second question, what is the best phone to upgrade to which is available now while retaining SERO?
My 22 months got up this month…
Hey guys,
Some great reads from all of you and it was because of your original heads-up that I got locked in to the Sero plan (as well as my wife!) 2 years ago:D
MattG–awesome that you got the pro 2, I want this phone really bad and I will have to save up to buy it off ebay.
Dude–If I can’t afford the pro 2 I think I might just buy the phone you recommended. Is there a specific vendor I should look for? Any tricks I should use to get me started with the phone once I get it?
I currently use the katana LX or whatever it is and my wife uses the Centro I believe (great phone).
~Madhatteer
I got the $70 credit.
On the sprint.com upgrade website i get an error message “Your account is currently not eligible for purchases online. “
So I have used the SERO website for 4 years (2 upgrades) with no issue. In fact the last time I did it all online (sept 2009). I am nowhere near my 2-year contract ending, but I notice that if I go to the specific website, it tells me my account is not eligible to buy online. I then made sure I had an “account with my profile” or whatever their new website says, and now it says I have NO account? Is all this crap most likely because I still have 1.4 years left before I get the upgrade discount?
I am stuck with the junky LG Lotus and wanted to perhaps get rid of it, but pay full price. Right now the website won’t let me do squat. I currently have the SERO F&F 500
Thanks to Jonathan, MattG, and Dude for the helpful tips and clear cut, intelligible instructions.
I stumbled upon this thread while searching for a replacement phone (been looking up on the TP2 for a few weeks now) for my Motorola Q9C, which I use under my $30 SERO 500 plan. A phone upgrade/replacement is not necessary for me, but my 2 year contract runs out soon and I haven’t upgraded once yet. Shocking, I know. But the Q9C has treated me pretty well so far.
It’s no flashy bells and whistles iPhone, but the Q9C is my trustworthy alarm clock every morning, phone, personal organizer, note pad, internet browser, camera/video cam, MS Word/Excel/Powerpoint document generator, Youtube video player, and text messager. Oh, and LED flashlight–the thing is VERY POWERFUL, as the camera’s flash feature streams a constant beam of LED light rather than a split-second flash of light only during a snapshot.
I also upped the memory on my device by getting a 8GB microSD card (cheap on Amazon) and using a miniSD adapter to plug that in to save pics/music/videos/MS office documents to, thereby freeing up space on my Q9C. Most importantly though, after 2 years my Q9C’s battery life is still great. And I use it daily for all of the above.
One con is that there is a LCD screen dust problem. Basically, tiny dust particles (from your pocket/bag) can creep in beneath the arrow keypad and, with time, collect on the lower right side of the screen. This was easily resolved once i found this great tutorial on how to take apart your Q9C from the back and clean off the LCD screen: http://www.everythingwm.com/forum/moto-q-9c/got-dust-taking-apart-the-q9c-19486.html
Another con is that my Q9C feels quite antiquated when I compare it to flashier, faster, more well-equipped smart phones. I try not to look at too many of them for fear I will grow to quickly loathe my Q9C, which serves me just fine, as you can tell from my assessment above. For the most part, I have been able to find little quirks about most smart phones that bug me just enough to convince myself that they’re not worth upgrading to/investing in, but this TP2 seemed pretty well-equipped and promising.
After reading through this thread, however, I think I’m going to take Dude’s advice–stick with my Q9C and save $ by paying on a month-by-month basis.
Until I figure out the deal with the HTC EVO 4G.
Got my TP2 on ebay, brand new in an un-opened box. Activated it on-line no problems. Now enjoying my SERO F&F 500 plan with new phone. Even splurged and got the full coverage for $7 a month, which gives me a little more peace of mind that my $599. phone is covered.
@MikeG – I have a Motorola Q9C, and I have the $30 SERO F&F 500 plan as well. How were you able to get the TP2 on the same plan?
@MikeG – I have the Q9C & F&F 500 plan currently thru SERO, how did you get a TP2 onto the plan? My contract is up, but when I try to get a new phone on the Sprint.com/SERO website it says I have to upgrade plans. How were you able to activate the TP2 without switching plans? Please tell because I would love to do this too!!!
rachel – Which phone were you trying to get/activate when it told you, you would have to upgrade?
My activation was done exactly how they want you to do it on-line. On the Sprint activation page http://www.sprint.com/activate/,.. nothing special.
Depending on what phone you were trying to activate, it seems some phone will and some will not, without upgrading.
Otherwise, the TP2 should activate on-line, no problem. If not, it seems if you call and insist they will do it.
MikeG – Thank you for your reply. I tried to upgrade thru the SERO website and it says I have to choose a new plan. I have not tried to activate a new phone that I purchased elsewhere due to being scared that it would not work. I didn’t want to lay down $300+ only for it to be denied. I’ll start looking for TP2s online since those seem to be popular with the SERO plan crowd. Thanks for your help!
I upgrade my blackberry for free. But once I got the phone, sprint could not activate it on the sero plan. But i was having so many problems with my old blackberry I went ahead and took the phone and they put me on the referral program. Now I have 2 lines $109. And tomorrow im going to pick up the Sprint Evo. So I will have 3 line for a total $135 a month. Unlimited Everything. Very nice
rachel-I first renewed my plan with their $50. or $70. email incentive they sent me. They asked me to renew. I knew I wanted to stay on SERO, regardless of the phone I could get to work on it.
Then I researched phones I saw people had successfully activated and went for the TP2, as it seemed like the best phone that would activate on SERO. All worked out, as planned..
I was able to get the $70 credit posted to my account and I am planning on purchasing the TP2. Has anyone had the problem redeeming the $100 rebate with the SERO plan (since ours have a base price of $30)? I was reading the bottom of the rebate form under “additional requirements for customers upgrading their devices”:
“You may be required to activate on a service plan of $39.99 or higher ($39.99 is base monthly plan price and does not include fees for add-on features and services).”
The recycle program is offering me $39 for my htc touch diamond so all said and done $199-$70-$39= $90+tax
Thanks again Jonathan for your blog, financially speaking you’re blog and comments by fellow readers have helped me out immensely!!!
-Ducks
So weird question. Are you all getting the TP2 on the $30 SERO without any add-ons? Because I have a BB Curve that I’m paying $40/mo for, since I apparently need a $10 add-on to get my email. A nicer phone on a cheaper plan would be awesome…
Yeah, no add-ons needed. Especially not email. Ive been receiving email on all my phones for years w/ the $30. SERO plan.
I think the difference is you’re paying more because of the BB.
Thanks! Maybe I can finally switch out my Curve!
Just had a chat with a rep on sprint.com He said I could upgrade to the HTC Touch Pro2 and keep my $30 Sero plan but for the HTC Evo I’d have to choose another plan.
I had the Mogul and bought the TP2 off craigslist. Simply activated it on line and 10 minutes later I was good to go. Never talked to a Sprint Rep. So for now I continue with my SERO 500 minutes, all data and text you can eat. I like the tp2 and plan to keep it for a few years. Its was easy. Just don’t talk with any Rep. They only confused matters 🙂
I have SERO 500. Was going through the programs and clicked on Sprint Navigation. It started working, so I thought that I am subscribed to it and will get charged $9.99 a month, so I called the service and asked them. But they couldn’t see my subscription on my account. So, I am not sure if the Sprint Navigation is free for SERO plans and if not how come it is working and no charge yet?
So I did it, I finally pulled the trigger and bought a Touch Pro 2. I was able to get the $70 credit by emailing eCare (but what people aren’t telling you is that anyone eligible can get the $70 credit even if you don’t buy a new phone).
Using the fuzzy math that everyone else is using I can claim that I was able to get the TP2 for $130 ($200-$70) plus tax.
My first impressions of the phone – it sucks. The Motorola QC9 is much faster for emailing, texting, web browsing, and calling, plus the QC9 has 3 times the battery life.
Now the flip side….the TP2 is awesome if you unlock the phone and flash an alternate ROM. I tried out several and finally found one worth using. It’s called the Energy ROM. It’s faster, tapping links with the touch screen in the browser actually works the way it supposed to, it’s fully customizable, it’ comes with the software you’ll need (google maps, etc) and there’s a whole lot of eye candy.
Flashing a new ROM is risky and not easy, but it’s worth the effort. It’s the only way to go if you own the phone.
After flashing the ROM in my TP2 I’m having a lot of fun. Even though I’m not quite as productive as I was my QC9, I’m closer to that point.
And once the hackers fix the sound in the Android ROM for the TP2 (yes, some really smart people found a way to install Android on the TP2) then the TP2 will be truely kick *ss.
Have fun and good luck.
ALL handsets to be all allowed on SERO.
Sprint will allow all handsets, including Pre, EVO, and the upcoming Samsung Epic, and the WinMo7 phones coming in late fall on SERO beginning in a ew weeks on October 1.
Bad news is you if you want a 3G you will pay +$10 and if you want 4G you will pay +50 on your SERO.
Not bad, still way less than any other new or old Sprint plan!
The people who got rid of SERO and got the rip off “EVerything plans” let Sprint scrw them!
Actually this rumour is much talked about on sprintusers.com and has been debunked. The deal your taking about isn’t going to apply to SERO according to most reports. It’s supposed to apply to a different more expensive plan. If you have a source for you statement,please reveal it. I hope you right, but its not responsible to say that you are given the evidence.
EC: Not sure where you got your information from but the charges you quote are very different than the ones I read about. I read: “The changes will include an additional $10 premium for Sprint TV/Navigation access, Any Mobile Anytime and another $10 monthly premium for 4G access on supported devices.” This all to begin October 1, 2010. See: http://www.phonenews.com/sprint-rolling-back-smartphone-restrictions-on-sero-beginning-october-1st-11868/
Russ McGuire, VP for Sprint, inferred it in his blog. Specifically, read the comments below the following post and his answers to them.
http://mcguireslaw.com/2009/07/24/psst-the-palm-pre-is-now-available-through-everything-plus/
Here is the actual text:
# Greg L Says:
August 2nd, 2010 at 7:07 am
mdb & Russ,
Can I confirm my math with you for the new plans? I’m a current SERO F&F customer with a Centro.
Will the new plan be:
$40 to include phones like Palm Pre, HTC Hero
$50 to include phones like HTC EVO, Samsung Epic
OR will the new plan be
$50 + $10 to include phones like HTC EVO (so $60 total)
I really, really appreciate your willingness to help confirm these plans Russ. I’ve contacted Sprint 2 times to ask about them and have been told both times that the rep doesn’t know anything about a new plan.
# Russ Says:
August 2nd, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Greg L.,
As I understand it, if you’re currently on a $30 SERO plan, it would be ~$40 for a non-4G “iconic” device and ~$50 for the EVO.
So I bit the bullet and got the TP2, even though I was pretty sure the thickness of it would bother me a little, and I am pretty sick of windows mobile. The reasoning I used was that at $30/month, even just using it for wifi tethering with pdanet or wifirouter it’s a good deal. If I get something like an ipad or any of the competing products that I’m sure will be coming out in the near future, along with my current laptops, I can use this to give them internet access anywhere there isn’t wifi access.
My main (HUGE) thing that I hate is the lack of a dpad. I’ve used the Touch for over 2 years now, and I can’t believe how damn useful that thing is. It’s much more efficient and requires so much less movement with my hand to simply control most of my actions with the dpad. Just navigating around the file explorer is so weird now. I actually have to reach up and tap a folder to access it. And the big issue is that all over the OS and applications are situations where I want to highlight an item but not select it (e.g., highlight a folder but not navigate into it). And I miss scrolling down to the bottom of a page just by holding the “down” direction on the dpad… not even needing to look at the screen. And jumping back a letter or two in a word that I’m typing if I make a typo… I know the on screen keyboard has arrow keys, but they take way longer to get my hand to than the dpad did. I loved being able to control so much of the phone by simply holding it in one hand and using my thumb at the bottom. I’ll probably get used to it, but damn it sucks.
I miss the regular old school keyboard. The one that was so small that it required a stylus to use. It’s incredibly useful in situations where the current application doesn’t offer copy/paste/select all, etc. options. Need to select all? ctrl+a. Google Maps doesn’t allow me to paste that address I copied from that email (how the F*** they don’t have copy/paste in Google Maps is beyond me… someone needs to be fired and beaten)? Break out that old school keyboard and hit ctrl+v. I did just notice that the Google Maps on the TP2 actually does support copy/paste, so that’s good. The one on my Touch didn’t, which is unbelieveable. Another app that didn’t that always pissed me off was the older version of Opera Mini (4.2 maybe) that I was using on the Touch, but I know the newer version (5?) does, so that’s cool. One instance I’ve needed the old keyboard on the TP2 was in Total Commander when I was attempting to copy the path to a file. You can highlight the path at the top but can’t copy it. So annoying.
I’m pretty bummed that in 6.5 (was using 6.1 on the Touch) they didn’t add the simple feature to the default email app that every email app on the planet should have, where you can select which email account you want to use to send the current message you’re composing. I have several email addresses that all forward everything to my gmail account, which I use to archive everything for easy searching, and because gmail supports push notifications with activesync. So I’d like to be able to open an email on my gmail account on my phone, and reply using the account that the recipient sent the original email to. Anyone know of an email program for winmo that does this?
Another big one is that if you sync your contacts with your gmail account, which I do, it forces the phone contact list to have each contact displayed with “last name, first name”. Some of my contacts are simply companies, so I don’t even have those fields, and I originally had the display for those contacts set to “company name”. Now I have a bunch of blank names in my contact list, and the only way to see each of them is to look at the details, where the company name is displayed.
Which reminds me of another quirk. When I select a contact in my contacts list, it brings me to a screen that has most of the info for that contact, but not everything (company name, notes). When I select from the bottom menu, “See more info”, it brings up the screen that I think should just replace the previous one, with all the info that’s been entered for that contact, in a better looking format as well.
I haven’t been able to figure out a way to have the screen lock when I push the power button. I used “Slide 2 Unlock” on my Touch, and I know I can use it here most likely, but the built in sliding unlocker thing (start menu->”lock”) works pretty well, and I’d like to just use that, mostly because I don’t want to mess with all the phone interface screens, which I’m pretty sure Slide 2 Unlock replaces.
I like HTC Sense, for the most part. Although I hate that the weather thing doesn’t have any locations available. Santa Cruz, Truckee, Tahoe… all missing. WTF? But somehow it uses the GPS signal to get the info for whatever po-dunk town I’m in, so I know the data for all those locations is there, it just won’t let me add them as pre-defined locations so I can look at them when I’m not actually there (which is really much more useful than just seeing what the weather’s like where you’re at… I can look out the freaking window).
I flashed the Energy ROM last night, and I’m loving it. WAY better than the stock ROM in that it’s so much more easily customized. The ROM added the lock on suspend, so that’s good, although now another thing I wish I could make it do is have the screen shut off after X number of seconds once it’s locked. I like to set it to never turn off on it’s on when unlocked, so I can spend however long I want looking at a page of text or a picture or whatever, but then when I hit the power button, I’d like it to lock and turn off the screen, which it does. However, now if the power button gets hit when it’s in my pocket, it’ll stay on indefinitely.
I love that on the Energy ROM, the start menu button not only opens the start menu, but closes it as well. It was ridiculous on the stock ROM when that wasn’t the case, and the only way to get out of the start menu was to hit the “X” or the end button. Just seems more natural to hit the start button again.
This probably isn’t the greatest place for a review of the phone, but I felt like venting.
I have Sprint Employee Referral Fair & Flexible 500 minute plan. I have not received a call from Sprint nor have noticed any information on my bill about the supposed changes in October. I’ve scoured the Internet trying to find out more information. Has anyone here received anything or know more about the changes? I would love to get an Android phone for $10 more a month!
I think that is just a rumor, but i hope you’re right. I plan to install Android onto my Touch Pro 2 once the hackers get the external speaker working.
@Rachel – Only Blackberry owners have been officially notified. There have been other reports of customers being told by Sprint customer service representatives. The best thing to do in my opinion, unfortunately, is wait until October 1st and find out.
@bojangling – Thank you. My contract was up in May, and I’m itching to get a new phone. I have the Moto Q9C, but I really want a new phone (and don’t really like the TP2). I’m holding out until after October to see. I go back and forth with paying $35 for all my unlimited texts, data, etc or biting the bullet and getting an iPhone or something similar.
hi everyone – do you know if the renewing sero grandfathered plans have the unlimited calls to any mobile like the new plans have?
thanks 🙂
bojangling, did you read the blog post you referred to? Russ McGuire’s blog says clearly that the SERO will not get these phones:
“Customers that are on the SERO plan can stay on the SERO plan, but Sprint won’t allow them to upgrade to a really small set of data centric devices and stay on that plan.”
I guess if you switch plans you can get the new phones, but you can’t get the new phones and stay on SERO”.
bojangling, now I know what you mean. The comments you talked about weren’t in the blog post, but were in the comments after the blog post. Not a huge difference but significant.
So it looks like you may be right about the $10 upgrade to SERO.
I have a reservation for the Epic launch (8/31) and because the SERO plan will not apply to the 4G phones until 10/1, it appears that I’ll have to purchase the phone but not activate it until 10/1 as they will not allow you to initially activate under Everything Plus and switch back to SERO. It’ll suck having a new toy that I can’t play with for a month but saving $20/month indefinitely will be worth it.
Is anyone else planning to do this?
Dang… I thought it was 9/1 not 10/1. Oh well, I can wait another month I suppose.
Today I got a call from Sprint saying the following:
“Through a recent audit we discovered your mobile number [my number] is configured with an employee rate which you are not eligible for . The plan therefore has to be changed to a non-employee plan to prevent any interruption of service”
He then told me to call back within 3 days to change the plan.
I’ve been on the SERO plan for like 3 years or so. I don’t know what just happened that I’d get this call. Anyone know?
Wow, that’s scary. Haven’t gotten that call, but I guess if I do I can finally rationalize a jump to another carrier.
And the weird thing was the guy left a number that was not a 800/888 number. And said if no one answers, I should leave a number and a time when they can call me back.
I accidentally deleted the message so now I don’t have his number to call back.
The incoming number was 888-211-4727. I called that number and I get the usual Sprint voicemail.
This sounds like scam. You should ask them to send you a letter if they call again. Otherwise I will kust ignore it.
Sean, I think you are right. I googled the 888-211-4727 number and saw a bunch of people complaining calls coming from this Sprint number that sound weird.
@ Troy Brown – How are you saving “$20/month indefinitely”? Epic will be + $10 for SERO Premium + $10 for 4G.
@Adog – Everything Plus is $70/month, SERO will be $50/month including the navigation/data and 4G. Difference of $20.
I have had the SERO 500 for years. Bought the TP2 brand new off eBay, activated it no problem end of August. Have gotten 2 bills and no activation charge or anything different. Sadly I dropped it an hour ago and hoping it is ok. Anyone know where you can buy a new OEM battery cover? Sprint store? I have insurance but they won’t do anything for cosmetic things. I am SO careful with my things and now it’s all nicked up and not even a month old.
I am very interested in this new deal Oct 1st. In a year I will be eligible for the $150 so perhaps I will get a new phone in a year.
@sabrescutie – I am sure you can find a new backplate using Google. However, why not just get a case for the phone? It will cover the new cosmetic damage and protect the phone from any future damage.
based on the “rumors” posted here of being able to upgrade to a non-sero phone for an additional $10/month as of 10/1, i bought the new samsung transform. went to activate it online and got the notice i have to switch plans. nothing indicates a mere $10 add-on per month. the cheapest plan is $59.99.
has anyone tried this yet and what is your experience? i am resigned at this point to return the phone and get the tp2 and be stuck without android os.
thanks.
Audrey,
Based on what I read at Russ McGuire’s blog, alot of people are having problems doing the upgrade online. Russ suggested calling customer care at 888-882-4030.
Here is the link to the blog:
http://mcguireslaw.com/2010/09/17/important-update-to-the-sero-premium-faq/#comment-4185
Best of luck!!
thanks, rachel! did you have success with calling?
just wanted to follow up – made the call as rachel suggested and the rep took care of things and within 5 minutes had the new plan and new phone activated!
Glad I could help Audrey! I still have my HTC TP, and don’t know that I’m going to upgrade anytime soon. 4G is not available at my home, and it is sketchy around town, so I’m going to wait until it’s all around before I pay $120/year for it. Besides, *crossing fingers* Sprint may get the iPhone next year, and I don’t want to use my upgrade yet. (I figure if Verizon gets the iPhone, that Sprint may follow since they use the same CDMA network)
I presently have the Power Pack 1000 with ALL the extras free but with the SERO upgrade on 10/1/2011 I now wish to purchase 2 SERO plans and upgrade to Sprints finest phone line up please help John at jallenshan@gmail.com
I’m a sad soul who was stubbornly clinging to my Moto Q9C because I’m being cheap (really enjoying my $30 SERO grandfathered plan) and waiting to fully analyze all new phones rolling out before I upgrade to either the $40 smartphone sero plan or the $50 premium smart phone with 4G plan.
Surrounded by friends with Evos and iPhones, my “awesome” SERO plan doesn’t seem so great when my Q9C embarasses the hell out of me with its slow browsing and WinMo 6.5 (winmo upgrades have been discontinued for the Q9C, and the phone itself has also been discontinued…im guessing thats bc everyone with a q9c has since upgraded to something better??)
Any advice? I am definitely going to upgrade to a better phone ASAP and am willing to pay the extra 10 or 20 bucks. I’m currently considering the Evo, Shift, or Epic, and am willing to pay $50 a month to enjoy an awesome phone. How would I go about activating that? If i started a new 2 year contract with Sprint, would i get a discount on the phone? Would they automatically retain my SERO plan price and tack on the extra $20 for the premium phone/4g?
Also, I heard rumors that Sprint is soon making 3G obsolete and that all Sprint users (SERO grandfatherers included) will be forced to opt into the 4G plan (i’m assuming this is equivalent to the current $50 option, where SERO grandfatherers would have to pay an extra $20 per month on top of their current $30 bill). If this is true, wouldn’t it be obvious for everyone on SERO to just get one of the premium 4g phones?
Thanks in advance for anyone who is able to answer my Qs.
I receive the allert when you first posted but was unable to quik reply..Yep you have the best plan going……Your plan offers free movement from the$30(TP2 andWinmo 6.5.0) to the $4o(Blackbery&Android) ( to the$50(Evo) and back again the only downfall is if this plan somehow has accidental credits on it, they will end permantly when movement forward starts,,,,no problem….a few dollars out of your pocket to Sprint .. allows?,,,,lets say makes possible(wifi tethering)….TP2(Winmo wifi router app) the $40(Moment)=android wifi router app the $50(Evo) android wifi router app… hey Utube Sprint Touch Pro 2 wifi router free…..ppcGeeks.com is an excellent source of possibilities.What Ive typed is true..The Sero plans are individual plans and if you are elligable for additional lines,,,you can cause this old old sero plan to have babies………Keep the plan! p.s. nice devices to tether(wifi) to are the Samsung galaxy Tab, a nice laptop,of course the Ipad,,,,and my soon favorite the Motorola Xoom.
also check on Craigslist,and Ebay for reasonably priced Sprint TP2,Blackberrys,Moments,and Evo@Epics phones….I make it a rule to save the phone upgrade for emergency phone purchase only,,, this saves u $7 per mo. for TEP
Well, I’ve been on my TP2 with WinMo for the past year and have compared it to my friends IPhones and Android phones and I have to admit the sluggishness of my WinMo phone, in comparison, leaves something to be desired. So, if I can switch to an Android for $10 more, that sounds like a deal.
Does anyone know the specific model Android phones that will work for this upgrade?
I’m just concern if i’ll be able to use TP2 with my talk family plan since my parents do not let me get on data plan. thankz for your help
Hi! Can someone help me out please?
Question1: If I get the $70 service credit and it extends my contract for 2years, will my plan change to $40/mo even though I do not upgrade to a new phone?
Question2: If I do not upgrade through sprint and do not extend my contract and purchased a smartphone through ebay and activate it online, will my plan change to $40/mo?
Question3: If I am still in a contract with the Sero plan and decides to upgrade to a Family Plan Everything Plus Referral Program, do I have to pay an Early Termination Fee?
Your help would be much appreciated.
Thanks!
answer1: no
answer2: yes if you buy an android phone. no if you buy a TP2
answer3: no, not if the new plan costs more, but check with Sprint just to be sure.
As for the TP2 yes you may use it for voice and text only,,,,have your parents call Sprint and turn off the data on the phone….Also if you are in a wifi hotspot the TP2 will receive data and process it ,,,at no charge.
I still have the Sero plans and is up for a new phone. I currently have the Tp2. What are the new phone I could purchase without changing my plan.
@vince, I am in the same boat. Have a TP2 with about 8 months left on SERO contract. Would love to be able to get an iPhone. Is that possible?
@ Vincent and others in the same boat… If you want a really decent phone pay the extra $20 per month. There is the Galaxy S2, the Evo Design, or the iphone 4s, or the motorola photon, ask to be connected to account services and let them know that you want to extend your contract. It equals to 75cents more a day for an awsome experience.. Make no mistake, keep the Sero plan…just upgrade it to power the top phones
Two questions
My 2 year tp2 sero expires in December.
What is the maximum discount I can get if I get an Iphone or Evo 3D?
Can you make the iphone to become a hot spot for free?
I believe the iphone will only require the addtional 10.00, being it is only 3G. Has anyone here got the ippone 4 or 4S on SERO that can confirm how it is handled etc.?
Can anyone confirm that the monthly iphone 4s cost for Sero employees plan? Is it 40 or 50.00 a month?
Thanks
I just got the iphone4, (which I had been drooling over for some time now) and it was $50. to activate on my SERO 500 plan. $30 + $10 to upgrade to SERO Premium + $10 for “data pack” = $50.
I bit the bullet and figured its still a better price than anyone else offers for the iphone.
Below is the exact transcript with the Sprint Agent…
Agent: May I know the new phone model ?
Customer: Iphone4
Agent: I have checked the account details and noticed that you are currently on SERO 500 plan of $30.00. You will need to opt SERO 500 Premium plan of $40.00 and also the $10.00 Premium data pack to get the iphone activated.
Agent: May I proceed ?
Customer: I was told it would be $40 total as the Iphone is only 3G
Agent: I would like to inform you that $10.00 is not the charge or 3 G or g
Agent: 4G
Agent: And without this pack the iphone will not get activated
Customer: I was told I could activate my phone by upgrading to SERO 500 Premium
Agent: Yes, you can . It will need the $40.00 Sero Premium plan as well with $10.00
Customer: But youre saying the monthly rate is going from $30/month to $50/month
Agent: Yes.
Agent: let me explain this once again.
Agent: \
Agent: You will need to opt SERO 500 Premium plan of $40.00 and also the $10.00 Premium data pack to get the iphone activated.
Agent: This is miniumim requirement
Agent: minimum*
Customer: I was specifically told I could activate this phone with SERO Premium. Is there a SERO Rep I can chat with?
Agent: I am Emplyoee Rep .
Agent: Be assure
Agent: I assure you that I am providing you the correct information.
Agent: If you still wish I can transfer the chat to the Supervisor .
Anyway, as I said I bit the bullet and did it and I would say the iphone4, so far, is 100X more response and with better features than the TP2 I have had. So if you want a hugely more responsive phone with a bunch of useful Aps, so far, I recommend the increase.
Is there a good phone I could upgrade without changing the $30 plan.
The time has come to upgrade your Sero to Sero premium for $50 bucks…reason,, faster more reliable assistant plus phone in one..Sprint Galaxy Nexus, Sprint Iphone 5, Sprint Galaxy Epic S3 .,Blackberry etc. Do you want to waste time on your old phone or do you want to get with the program. $20 bucks more is a bargain!
I agree that tthe TP2s are outdated, but a I disagree that now is the right time to upgrade. Sprint is now switching over to LTE, currently has no LTE phones and only 4 or 5 LTE cities. If your area doesn’t have WiMAX then the only way to get 4G is to hold on and wait for a LTE phone and hope Sprint adds LTE to your area. If you have WiMAX in your area then you’ll need to hope the Sprint doesn’t pull the plug on WiMAX, because doing so will downgrade your phone.
The whole thing is a mess and until Sprint explains their future LTE and WiMAX plans in more detail then it’s best not to upgrade right now. The smert move is to hold off until the dust settles so that you don’t sign a 2 year commitment but by a phone that is outdated well before that.
And remember, the release of the new Google LTE phone and the new Iphone is just around the corner, so personally,I’d love to buy now and replace my TP2 but instead I’m waiting for a few months longer.
I am glad I jumped from the TP2 over a year ago… got over $100 bucks for selling the TP2 when I did and got the EVO 4G. Love it, and have a great phone and am off contact and still retain SERO and $150 credit in my account, ready to jump on whatever phone comes down the pike. But all in all, love the EVO.
MattyG, are you paying $50/mo to be able to user EVO 4G with your SERO account?
Yes. But my wife’s plan is only $40 as she is using the LG Marquee, which is not a 4G phone. Nice phone too. I am thinking of jumping ship to a non 4G and saving the $120 a year to bump down to that service.
I tried to pay $40/month (plus fees and taxes) for the LG Marquee, but Sprint wouldn’t let me. They said I’d have to pay $50 now days; so good luck trying to get the $40 plan anymore, you’ll need it.
@Dude well being that the Marquee was released 6 months ago, I guess we managed under the wire. Did you speak to a SERO representative? We had no problems at all.
@MattyG, why wouldn’t you get an iPhone at $50 per mo?
@ Dude… better question would be, why would I. I hate the product and the software. And everyone who I know who knows how I use my phone,all agree that I’d be miserable with it. The Evo seems just what I need.
I don’t want an iPhone either, but I do recommend them to people that don’t want to mess around or have fun.
I didn’t talk to a SERO rep I don’t think, so maybe that’s trick. I just talked to a Sprint rep and checked the Web site; both gave me a $50/month price.
I ended up buying an Evo 3D off Ebay and I’m glad I did. Dual core processor, 4.3″ screen. And it cost me less overall since the upgrade pricing is so darn high on SERO now days.
I got the iphone and exchanged it after about 2 weeks for the samsung galaxy s2. I didn’t dislike the iphone, but I wasn’t super impressed by it either. I love the s2.
Hey Sprint community there is an alternative, google…..Straight Talk sim.com or Straight Talk “bring your own phone program” If you purchase any at@t phone or any T-mobile phone you can activate it on the unlimited $45 per 30 day prepay plan. also at@t has agreed to unlock qualifiing phones to use on T-mobile etc. I wish Sprint would allow any of there Sprint branded phones on Boost and Virgin Mobile.. I’m still with Sprint, but I just purchased a used at@t iphone4 32g off Craigslist……how weird is that! So far its just my little ipod wanabe but I just might order the at@t compatible micro sim from Straight Talk and take this phone for a little 30 day test drive… I have heard Sprint will make drastic changes to there plans. If they don’t throw us a bone I’m seriously thinking of leaving my discounted plan for greener pastures.. I would rather Sprint of Kansas U.S.A. be making my money than Carlos Slim the owner of tracphone,Net 10,and Straight Talk…….Sprint land line and Sprint PCS is all that I’ve ever used!
Do your research before signing up for Straight Talk. I’ve heard of people losing their phone numbers permanently because of a mix up and not getting much customer service help. But maybe that won’t happen to you.
I read the terms and conditions, and their unlimited data plan does not allow for streaming. Sound like they but violators. Another way to lose your phone number.
I decided to stick with Sprint. What should you do…..research.
Ill try it first on the iphone 4 with a zip code generated number. My main concern is call quality and whether the at@t network alone without roaming (Straight Talk) is good in the areas that Sprint has roaming agreements with. An iphone 4 and a Galaxy S2 can hold there own if Straight talk supplies them enough juice. My deal with Sprint is very good. but for new customers $47.75 including tax on Straight Tallk might be an affordable option compared to the Everything Data 450. also reception with Straight Talk in Va. is very good.. I wouldn’t be supprised if they have some roaming aggreement with another carrier.
I found that an Iphone 4 on Straight talk performed very well, The reception and data response was very good in all areas, I do plan on staying with Sprint because of there unlimited Data plans.. I was just testing the reception and performance and it was good. My friend that has the iphone 3gs that I bought for her,,, got a nasty letter from Straight Talk saying she was using too much data (she does!) I heard Straight Talk gives this warning at 2gig of use,,,,but for an Iphone 4 , unlimited talk and text plus 2 gig of data for $45 a month is not a bad deal
anybody have recent experience upgrading phones? what’s recommended and what sprint will let us do these days? thanks!
Tried to upgrade today, but same story. 50 bucks to simply get a smartphone even if you dont need data (wifi). One day they may throw us a bone, but it doesnt seem like its here yet. Changing from my palm 755p (loved it) for an htc touch pro 2. Although i may resort to another 755p if the htc isnt for me.
It hard leaving a plan that averages $30 a month, that I know all my favorite buttons, that I don’t have to insure, to one of the more up to date *$Smartphones$* that will at least *double* my bill. I know the Galaxy 3 is the best phone out,, and I know that the new Iphone will be better. But I’m cheap,, and plus thats allought of responsibility carrying around a phone that worth around $600
Prepaid phones are starting to become the best deal for a lot of people.
I plan on staying with Sprint! But if the extended battery and case for my Touchpro 2 / (Ebay) don’t get it through an entire day! I plan on getting the Sprint iphone 5, I can hook up an Iphone to a TV and watch Utube with no loss of resolution.. My cheapness is causing me to miss out on stuff!!!. I like prepaid but roaming is important on long trips, so is AAA. Its crazy how I will buy a $9o Mugen 3800ma battery and case combo,, but the thought of an extra $30 a month for 2 years terrifies me..