This is not the first time the “Now” Network has started selling 4G phones before they have the network for it. Remember the Evo? Remember being charged $10 more per month just to get 4G speeds? I do- well, I have friends who bought into that. Later, Sprint changed the terminology to say that they were paying for premium data. Well, WiMAX never quite got there, even though the HTC Evo sold like mad. So, back to one of my friends- Said friend shelled out $200 for the HTC Evo 4G in June 2010. He then shelled out the additional $10 monthly for the premium data. Except for the dog slow speeds he gets in Indianapolis- 200 kb/s, he was pretty happy with it. Well, next, June 2011, comes the HTC EVO 3D. My friend- the same one mind mind you, decided he like the specs- dual core processor, killer 3D screen, more RAM, so he shelled out another $200 for another “4G” phone from Sprint. Well, now the speeds have been enhanced, and he gets 800kb/s. Keep in mind, he is paying $10 more for enhanced data than other Sprint customers! So, to recap, he has bought two Sprint “4G” devices ($400 +$220 in enhanced data fees for a total of $620) to get .8MB/s. Poor sad, slow, and less wealthy fella.
Now, Sprint has launched its first LTE phones yesterday- The Google Nexus, and the LG Viper. No LTE coverage yet, but supposedly six markets by mid-year. To that, I say, “Fool me once- shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!” Show me the network Sprint! I guess many of our great, great grandparents bought cars before there were roads all the way across the country- didn’t they? Maybe, but I am betting they wouldn’t have bought another car if all they could do was push the first car everywhere they needed to go. Who feels like trusting Sprint again? The friends I mentioned above have already told me they aren’t doing it again! Right now- Sprint is offering 4G LTE phones on a network that are in most cases not even as fast as other carrier’s 3G.