Advice Welcome for dilema ( Sprint HCT MOGUL just died )

[JeffNY35]

Hopefully you wonderful folks could help with some advice or fill in any blanks I might be missing. Here is the situation:

I am one of the lucky(?) remaining Sprint Sero customers and had been using an HTC Spring Mogul. The phone as of today is dead, touch screen failure. I did not buy a warranty plan.

Facts I am lead to believe are true: - ( forgive me I am sure much of this is old news I have only been researching the last day or 2. Just went to the local Sprint store today.).

-Sprint Sero plans WILL NOT be supported on any operating system other than windows mobile 6.x and older. No Droid for me! But the real kicker is I wont even be able to use Windows 7 on Sero. Remains to be seen how they will enforce this. Dont get me wrong, I am more than happy to be on this plan for as long as I have. But once you have something, hard to let go

-I have only one "comparable" alternative to the Mogul to stay on Sprint Sero and that would be the HTC touch Pro 2. Actually I would call it an upgrade. But, it is still $299 for the phone before rebate. I need to do some more research on this phone before I would buy.

-From there I am looking at another phone but moving to the regular Sprint plan at 69.99 per mo. Most attractive is the EVO 4G. Just tried one in the store and oh boy is it sweet. I save some money on the phone coming to $199. BUT, and this really threw me is they tack on another 10$ bucks to the plan just because they can for the new phone. Throw in the insurance and it would be 87 per mo for this bad boy. damn! If not for that ghetto +10 I might be holding an EVO right now. Bad move on Sprints part.

I did not go to a corporate store. Not sure if I should call Sprint and see what other options I might be missing ( for something comparable in functionality at least. ).

The rub is, while the HTC touch Pro 2 would be a decent alternative, the fact that it will not support windows mobile 7 bothers me. I didnt like windows mobile to begin with - I was hoping Windows M 7 would be much better. Hate to drop $299 for this reason.

I forsee my wife complaining no matter what I do. I am half tempted to stick with Sero and just get the cheapest rudamentary phone they have just for talk and text msging and sort of wait this thing out a bit longer. My wife is on a verison 50 per month plan. I have tried convincing her to switch to sprint family plan ( or take over my sero plan ) to help offset the cost of a new phone but for whatever reason she cant let go of her verison phone. People feel secure with a thing they don't want to change...

But theres the other voice in my head that wants that EVO. I just cant quite justify it.

What to do, what to do! Need to make up my mind soon.

 

[AstroManLuca]

You could look for a used SERO-capable phone that isn't as expensive as the Touch Pro 2. Maybe another Mogul or something else like it (I'm not familiar with WM Sprint phones). Then you can keep your SERO plan without spending $200-$300 for a brand new TP2.

 

[JeffNY35]

You could look for a used SERO-capable phone that isn't as expensive as the Touch Pro 2. Maybe another Mogul or something else like it (I'm not familiar with WM Sprint phones). Then you can keep your SERO plan without spending $200-$300 for a brand new TP2.

I was just browsing ebay actually. It is a little low on my list of desired options, just relucant to buy something like this used.

I think what is killing me is how much I want the EVO, but how much my significant other will yell. Its funny, She is usually really cool about me spending money but when it comes to tech gadgets or computers... they cant fathom it. Kind of like I dont understand their need for so many shoes and pocket books.

 

[gsaldivar]

SERO accounts are now called ERP (Everything Referral Plan). If you want to stay with Sprint and keep your referral discount, you must migrate your SERO account to ERP when you purchase your new phone. The new ERP plans won't give you as nice of a discount as you had with the old SERO plans, unfortunately this is just the cost of using a new phone with Sprint. But, at least you won't have to pay full retail price if you migrate to ERP successfully. You really need to research the options here, I believe the corporate discount (if you are eligible for one) now exceeds cost savings with an ERP account for most users. I can confirm for you that the HTC EVO *is* available with ERP, however, we aren't supposed to give detailed info on Anandtech about how to get that. The best I can do is tell you to visit Howardforums.com for more info. They can give you step-by-step on how to do this, just check out their Sprint forums and search for SERO, ERP, etc.

Alternatively, you can pick up a used Mogul to replace your existing and keep the cheaper SERO account. I did this for a while when my old Treo broke on me. I got a used replacement, and Sprint allowed me to swap the phone on my account with working one with no problem. Of course, you will still be stuck in the dinosaur age with the Mogul, but you won't be forced to upgrade to the more expensive plans either.

When buying a used Sprint phone: be absolutely sure that the phone is free & clear of any unpaid balances. You can check this by calling them and reading them the ESN of the phone, they will tell you if its OK for activation or has a balance on it. Unlike GSM phones where your account is tied to a SIM card, CDMA phones (Sprint, Verizon) ties your account to the phone itself, and Sprint will require you to pay any unpaid balance left by the phone's previous owner before they will activate it.

Good luck!

 

[JeffNY35]

SERO accounts are now called ERP (Everything Referral Plan). If you want to stay with Sprint and keep your referral discount, you must migrate your SERO account to ERP when you purchase your new phone. The new ERP plans won't give you as nice of a discount as you had with the old SERO plans, unfortunately this is just the cost of using a new phone with Sprint. But, at least you won't have to pay full retail price if you migrate to ERP successfully. You really need to research the options here, I believe the corporate discount (if you are eligible for one) now exceeds cost savings with an ERP account for most users. I can confirm for you that the HTC EVO *is* available with ERP, however, we aren't supposed to give detailed info on Anandtech about how to get that. The best I can do is tell you to visit Howardforums.com for more info. They can give you step-by-step on how to do this, just check out their Sprint forums and search for SERO, ERP, etc.

Dude! Thanks! Sounds like I got some research to do!

 

[AstroManLuca]

Just to be clear - SERO is $30 a month, EPRP is $60 a month. It's still cheaper than Everything Data, but it's not the awesome deal SERO was. But that's the price you pay if you want a new phone. Some people want a new phone, others would rather keep their low monthly rate and put up with an older Windows Mobile phone.

 

[JeffNY35]

Just to be clear - SERO is $30 a month, EPRP is $60 a month. It's still cheaper than Everything Data, but it's not the awesome deal SERO was. But that's the price you pay if you want a new phone. Some people want a new phone, others would rather keep their low monthly rate and put up with an older Windows Mobile phone.

Yeah, its a tough call but at least I know there is another option. This brings the new phone down to a reasonable level.

I would totally of put up with the windows phone if it well....didn't die.

I can swing 60 a month, but to leave that Sero plan in the dust is like a tragedy. What I am thinking I would like to do is have my wife take over my Sero plan and I will buy an evo on the EPRP ( if I can do this ). She would have to part with Verizon, and if she doesnt like sprint I will never hear the end of it. Not sure if she will lose her #.

 

[Narmer]

When my phone PPC 6500 died (the one before the Mogul), they just gave me another one, brand new. I was surprised they still had them. OP should ask.

 

[gsaldivar]

When my phone PPC 6500 died (the one before the Mogul), they just gave me another one, brand new. I was surprised they still had them. OP should ask.

Wow, you scored! Goes to show you... it never hurts to ask!

 

[JeffNY35]

Wow, you scored! Goes to show you... it never hurts to ask!

The store I went to yesterday was not a corporate store but one of those "Authorized Dealers".

Going to hit a corporate store today or tomorrow and see if the story changes.

 

[boomhower]

Talk to your wife some more. You can get an EPRP family plan for $110, which brings the cost down to $55 a line. More minutes, more features, and gets you Premier. Main thing Premier gets you is that the main line gets a full upgrade every 12 months.

 

[JeffNY35]

Update - so I decided to try the corporate store due to a few peoples advice , just to see if they would offer me anything better. I was mainly looking for a cheap alternative just to get me by for a little while or get a real cheap rudamentary phone for my wife to try the service.

No dice. In fact this gay was a dIkk. I walked in explained the situation best I could, but I did hint at moving to the eprp plan so that might of put him off right there. He comes out and says "We cant change plans here". I say.. "This is the corporate store, right "?.

I then ask what the CHEAPEST replacement phone would be, all I want is something to talk and send text thats it. A tracphone can do this. He says " cheapest one is 129.99 ". I am like "so , you cant change plans here and your cheapest phone is 129.99"?.

I proceeded to walk out of the store ( in the mall ) and started talking to the T-Mobile guy right outside. I had no intentions of going to T-mobile, just felt like pissing this guy off. Maybe what he said is true but the tone was that of basically getting rid of me.

SIGH.

the good news is thanks to some help here, I have settled on 1 of 2 options.

Option 1. Stay with Sero and get a HTC Touch Pro II.
This option is easy and by far the less stressful. No change in our monthly bill, I stay on Sero, the wife stays content ( even though she is throwing money out the door on the 50$ pay as you go plan ). HTC touch Pro II looks nice. The thing that drives me nuts is Windows Mobile. Frankly I have not liked it. Maybe this new phone/OS that comes with it has fixed all the headaches I had with Windows mobile. Headaches included cant watch You Tube, Cant Sync with Outook, Cant send picture messages. These are MAJOR problems in my mind. Granted, YES I could fix these problems with 3rd party hacks and apps but what a bloody pain in the A**. If I drop the money on the HTC Touch Pro II and run into all of these problems again I will not be happy.

Option 2. Move both of us to family eprp. If I am going to get the EVO this is the option that makes sense. When all is said and done we are only paying like $10 more collectively on our monthly phone bill. My wife gets much more features than she currently has. The Downside is we have to sign 2yr contract for both of us ( actually thats not entirely bad ), and drop money on TWO new phones. Also do not know if she can carry over # from verizon. Looks like this option I would have to do online as mentioning these plans in store is TABOO.

I am really torn between the options. The EVO 4G is damn sexy. Option 1 makes more sense from a current budget standpoint...but being locked into Windows Mobile 6.x for another long stretch....not attractive. Nobody REALLY knows what will happen when Windows Mobile 7 comes out but risky at best to think I will be able to use it with Sero.

I have a headache.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

Why isn't moving to family plan on Verizon an option? If your wife insists on keeping her line there, this may be the best way to go. Its certainly going to be cheaper than getting a full priced individual plan on spring plus her $50/month Verizon bill.

 

[JeffNY35]

Why isn't moving to family plan on Verizon an option? If your wife insists on keeping her line there, this may be the best way to go. Its certainly going to be cheaper than getting a full priced individual plan on spring plus her $50/month Verizon bill.

Its an option, but admitingly I have not researched it much. At least up to this point I prefer Sprint. Especially in terms of data speeds in my area.

For my wife its just one of those "My phone works why change" type mentality. <Insert negative Wife comments here>.

 

[boomhower]

The guy told you correctly, Sprint stores cannot change to EPRP plans, it has to be done over the phone. Before you go that route check and see if you qualify for any corporate discounts. If you do you may be better of to go with ED and the discount than EPRP. EPRP cannot have corporate discounts applied to it since it is already discounted.

 

[gsaldivar]

They won't help you with SERO/ERP plans in the store. Your purchases have to be online through the site, and if you ever call for support they will transfer you to a special team that handles those plans.

 

[gsaldivar]

EPRP cannot have corporate discounts applied to it since it is already discounted.

It used to be possible to stack SERO with other non-corporate discounts, I'm not sure if that's still the case with ERP though. ()

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Check out the xda development forum for the tp2. Just like your old moviles, the tp2 has a rather usable android port. Runs off an SD card, the faster the better. Might help ease your decision.

 

[CTrain]

Here are the options for you:

- Look at craigslist and get a phone for your SERO plan if you want to keep it.
I've seen plenty of touch pro 2 go for $200 brand new. Theres probably bunches of them on craigslist now that the EVO is out. Another decent phone for the SERO is the diamond touch(they are cheap). Its the touch pro 1 version without a keyboard. I have had a touch pro 1 and its ok but the keyboards doesn't work half of the time(its a known issue).
- If you want to move your wife to get on your SERO, she can even port her number over but you will lose your. Because lets say you first get a new phone and port your number over from Sprint, your SERO will be cancel there and then. No way around this.
You will have to port your wife number over to Sprint, her Verizon would be canceled and your number will be gone. You get whatever you want with a new number.

 

[tonie]

If you can wait until August I can hook you up 25&#37; discount.

 

[JeffNY35]

Thanks for all the replies, it was a big help actually. Many options all with pros and cons which makes buying a new phone quite overwhelming even for savy users.

Wife agrees that us both moving to eprp makes sense. She still has a month on her verizon in the meantime. The Sero plan goes bye bye which on one hand is a tragedy but on the other hand, the Sero plans seem to be coming to an end one way or another and when all is said and done as far as our combined budget - we will be just about the same.

Getting a used Mogul or Touch pro from ebay or whatever surely makes sense financially. But I just cant get past the fact that I do not want one of these phones or windows mobile. The Mogul was OK at best, really it was just the SERO plan and Sprints data service that I loved.

So, new EVO for me which I am excited. Might be a big wait though. Going to call and get this all squared away tomorrow or tonight if I have time. In the meantime, going to research what reviews are out there so far for the EVO just in case.

From using it in the store for about 5 minutes I absolutely loved it except... its friggin huge. Even the Mogul I didnt like to carry around. Other than that....looks sweet.

I will let you all know how it goes from here.

 

[JeffNY35]

Called sprint to switch to eprp and order the EVO 4G! Woot!

They are Sold out ! Doh. Of course you all probably know this.

He said the best thing I could do is just called back Wednesday or Thursday and try again.

 

[gsaldivar]

Called sprint to switch to eprp and order the EVO 4G! Woot!

They are Sold out ! Doh. Of course you all probably know this.

He said the best thing I could do is just called back Wednesday or Thursday and try again.

Yup, gotta keep trying... you can also check the ERP website periodically to see if they have them back in-stock. Good luck!

 

[gsaldivar]

From using it in the store for about 5 minutes I absolutely loved it except... its friggin huge. Even the Mogul I didnt like to carry around.

There are many, many android devices in the pipeline. EVO is the hot phone today, but in a few months other phones will come along in all different shapes and sizes, with similar speed and features. If you are having any doubts about the size, portability etc, maybe better to wait until a different model is released on Sprint. 4G & Android demand is red hot right now, and you can bet Sprint is burning the candle at both ends to line up as many phones as possible.

 

[CTrain]

Instead of going through eprp which is basically $10 cheaper(and no discount), use this link to order your phone and get up to 25&#37; off on your monthly fees.
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1757688