Old Sprint/Nextel phones

tonyb

Anyone have one in their closet ? Looking for any kind of flip phone that also has the push to talk feature or as they call it, direct connect. Ideally, they made a military grade phone which was good for my buisness, but anything would work I guess. I just run off an old plan with Sprint and I don't want to upgrade threw them because they will increase my rates. Need one I can just throw my sim card in and go, my other phone is bitting the dust quick. What's in your cell phone junk drawer ?

My other option was just going with a new carrier but cell plans and data plans these days are around 100 bucks, twice what I pay now. I saw places like Cricket who have plans for as cheap as 50 bucks with internet but there has to be a downside to this being as cheap as they are. Anyone use Cricket ?

Syndil

Sprint has Direct Connect on both the Nextel iDEN network and on their CDMA network, so really we need to know which network you're on. If you can provide the model number of the phone you are trying to replace that will be enough. But you can't jump from Sprint's Nextel iDEN network to their CDMA network or vice versa without changing plans, so it's important.

I have a few old Sprint phones but none with PTT. You can always find them off-contract for dirt cheap on eBay. Maybe this is the one you were thinking of (it's a Nextel):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motorola-Brute-I686-Gray-NEXTEL-Sprint-Cell-Phone-PTT-Bluetooth-RUGGED-/180945050230?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item2a212a5a76

Syndil

BTW if you're still on iDEN, Sprint is shutting that down permanently in 2013, so might want to keep that in mind.

tonyb

Syndil wrote: »

BTW if you're still on iDEN, Sprint is shutting that down permanently in 2013, so might want to keep that in mind.

Really ?? Crap, thanks for the heads up. Yeah, it is the iden network. Guess that will force my decision to look at other options. Anyone have any experience with Cricket ? Trying to keep my monthly cell phone bill under 60 bucks, really don't use it that much anyway. My old contract, taxes included out the door was only 53 bucks.

dorokusai

I work for Sprint/ Nextel....again, and the iDEN network is indeed in the process of being shutdown. I work in the DC area and have thinned out at least 50 sites personally and there were 6 of us clearing this market out. It's not every site, just low traffic and low revenue sites that have decent overlapping coverage. All Nextel users are being migrated into PTT Sprint 1900 phones with a big push for all government users to get new contracts and phones.

tonyb

Thanks Mark. Only confirms that I indeed need to make a switch in order to keep the monthly costs down. From what I gather, the other budget companies like Cricket or Boost, while they tag onto other carriers their coverage area's seem limited. Is that the tradeoff ? Or do I have to bite the bullet and just pay more ?

I guess if you only call local, those budget carriers maybe up your alley, but it's nice to know you have coverage when out in the middle of nowhere if your car breaks down or some other emergency.

dkg999

I say man-up and pay the stink'n $100 plus per month for a smart phone like the rest of us :razz:

The Casio G'Zone military contract phones are a great choice for construction/farm/outdoor use. FYI - they will not hold up if you leave it on the back bumper of the truck and then run over it with an F350.

Syndil

There are tradeoffs with he MVNOs like Boost and the like, but if the tradeoffs are acceptable to you, no sense in paying more just to avoid them. If I ever lose the sweetheart plan I'm on right now I'll be going to Boost myself.

nguyendot

Sign up for the sprint referral program. You'll pay about $50-60 a month with data/text/talk. You can search online, the vice president put his info out publicly for all to see so you can sign up for the referral program.

dudeinaroom

Just use boost it's 50 bucks a month for an android plan. + Another 10 if you want to use it as a hot spot. Every 6 months they drop it $5 if you pay on time, down to $35(add 10 if you use the hot spot). After 2.5G of data they slow your speed, which seems to be common practice. You also have to have a certain phone for the hot spot. I'm in the process of getting the hot spot add on,but they say I can not do it with my phone, yet that's how I'm on the net now.

tonyb

Thanks guys, I've been looking into Boost and really like how they drop costs the longer you make on time payments and for the 50 bucks almost seems like a no brainer. I think come next month they will be getting the Iphone 4s as part of their lineup so I may stick it out a few more weeks.