Last week, I offered advice for existing wireless customers on getting the best price for a new smart phone. One option I didn't mention is switching service providers, and that's what I ended up doing. I switched from Cingular to Sprint when I wanted to upgrade to a Palm Treo 650 but not pay the full price. I'll explore that option this week.
Why Switch Carriers?
Why did I make the switch? I had a couple reasons.
First, I had never been happy with Cingular service in San Francisco. I've experienced too many dropped calls in and around Noe Valley, the San Francisco neighborhood in which I live. In fact, I hadn't even chosen Cingular. I signed my first cell phone contract with Cingular One in 1996. But Cingular One merged with AT&T Wireless, which later merged with Cingular, and I remained ensnared in contracts throughout.
Second, Cingular's $40 monthly charge for unlimited e-mail and Web browsing on a Treo seemed too high. At $45 a month, Verizon was even less appealing, and T-Mobile doesn't offer the Treo. That left Sprint, which charges Treo users only $10 per month for its personal PCS Vision Access Pack (which includes unlimited e-mail, instant messaging, and Web browsing, but not text messaging or Picture Mail).
So I paid $300 for a Treo 650 from Sprint. Given that I was still under contract with Cingular, however, that carrier hit me with a $150 early termination fee. Thus, I paid a total of $450 for the Treo 650, which is $75 more than what I'd pay if I'd stayed with Cingular.
But over the long run, the switch saved me money. Over 12 months, I would have paid Cingular $480 for unlimited e-mail and Web browsing on my Treo. Add $375 for the Treo, and that's a total of $855.
By comparison, switching to Sprint cost $300 for the Treo, plus a $150 early termination fee from Cingular, a $36 activation fee from Sprint, and $120 for one year of unlimited e-mail and Web browsing. Total cost over 12 months: $606, a $249 savings that nearly pays for the Treo.
Was the switch worth it? Absolutely--even without the savings. In my area, Sprint's service seems more reliable than Cingular's, so I'm getting more use from my phone. And I can check e-mail just about anytime, at a price I'm comfortable with.
Also, my phone number was ported from Cingular to Sprint without a hiccup. The transfer happened overnight, and I didn't miss a call. I didn't have to contact Cingular to cancel my service, either.
Do Your Homework
If you're thinking about switching carriers, I recommend that you do the following:
Check the new carrier's coverage. Wireless service providers include coverage maps on their sites, which you can search by zip code. Independent Web sites, such as DeadCellZones.com and Mobiledia, can provide even more information.
Check the new carrier's e-mail and Web browsing rates. The amount you'll pay varies by service provider, and sometimes by device. For instance, unlimited data plans for Research In Motion BlackBerry users often cost about $5 a month more than similar plans for other mobile devices.
Compare cell phone plans. LetsTalk.com is a useful resource.
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