What Questions Should I Ask Sprint When Shopping for a Cellphone Provider?
Carefully evaluate your needs in both a phone and a phone plan. Determine your average data usage, and what you'll need your phone to be capable of. Once you know the answers to these questions, you can ask your Sprint customer service representative how to pick a phone and a phone plan which meets these needs, at a price point you can afford.
If you're in the market for a new cell phone service provider, you'll want to get the best deal that meets your individual needs. Sprint, which has recently merged with T-Mobile, offers an array of phones and plans to complement them. When shopping for a new phone plan, keep these questions in mind.
Data Usage
How do you plan to use your phone? Do you plan to make a lot of phone calls? Will you usually be near a solid WiFi connection? Or will you rely on your phone as a tether for other devices? How often do you send and receive text messages? The type of data you use will determine the plan you should sign up for.
Family Plans
If you plan to pay for several separate phone, also ask the people sharing this plan with you how they use their phones.
Once you have a rough idea of how often you plan to use 4G/5G connections, WiFi hotspot tethering and SMS/MMS messaging, ask your Sprint customer service representative which plans offer the best prices.
Upgrades
If you already have your own phone, go ahead and skip this section. However, many customers looking for a new cell phone plan also want the phone to go with it. Sprint currently offers customers two main options. You can either buy the phone outright, or sign a lease agreement. This agreement requires you to pay an extra fee on top of your monthly bill, but after 18-24 months, the phone becomes yours. Note that some phones also require a down payment when signing this agreement.
As with data usage, figure out what type of phone suits your needs. If you plan to play a lot of mobile games, for instance, you'll want a phone with lots of storage space and a large screen. If your phone will be used for things like Instagram or TikTok, focus on the cameras instead. Once you know the type of phone you'll need, you can ask the Sprint customer service representative to show you phones in your price range.
Accessories
Along with the phone itself, ask about any accessories which come with the phone. One good example is headphones. Many newer phone models are moving away from the standard 3.5mm headphone jack and towards Bluetooth earbuds. Use of one or the other usually boils down to personal preference, so make sure the phone you're looking at supports what you want.
Extra Add-Ons
The last thing you should ask the Sprint representative is about any extra hidden fees or taxes. These add-ons can inflate your anticipated cell phone bill by up to 33%. Some common examples of such add-ons might be state sales taxes, theft or damage insurance, extra charges for using data while roaming, or the vaguely worded "service fee." Additionally, Sprint charges an early cancellation fee if you terminate your plan early, usually before the 18 or 24 month term has completed. These fees can be as high as $250, and apply individually to each line on a family or group plan. Make sure you know any extras which will appear on your phone bill, and which ones are optional.
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