mdillenbeck
Distinguished
[citation][nom]mrecio[/nom]Its a 3G hotspot so for 20$ a month you can share your phones 3G connection with other devices . . . What do you guys recommend Verizon or sprint? people tell me sprint coverage sucks but I live in 1 of two cities in CA with 4G so i think coverage would be good right?[/citation]
First, $20 for 5 phones with a 2 GB/month data cap on the wifi hotspot (on-phone data usage is still unlimited I believe). I pay $30 to tether for 5 GB/month, so it is a hidden cost increase from $6/GB to $10/GB.
Second, for you I would seriously recommend Sprint. Look at the plans and costs/limits:
Verizon you can get $59.99 for 450 minutes talk, nights and weekends start at 9pm, and unlimited text. If you go with a smartphone, you must get at least a $29.99 unlimited data plan. If you want to use it as a hotspot, then you pay the $20.00 per month to get 5 devices with a 2 GB/mo limit. Total cost before any other extras and fees is $109.98
Sprint you can get a $69.99 plan with 450 minutes of talk (pay $5 to get unlimited to your home number), nights and weekends start at 7pm (or +$5.00 to start at 6pm), unlimited text, and unlimited data (which I hear you can hook in with google voice to bypass using your minutes by using data instead). For the EVO you have a $10 premium tacked on, but you are in a 4G area so you will be able to use its front face camera while making a call. Finally, for $29.99 you can add a hotspot for 8 devices that use whatever data plan you have - in other words, unlimited data for the hotspot. Total cost for Sprint is $109.98.
Analysis: EVO vs all Verizon Smartphones - Sprint starts unlimited call times 2 hours earlier, gives you 4G access (which you said you have in your area), doesn't cap your data when using it as a hotspot, and allows up to 3 more devices when using it as a hotspot. Any other smart phone from Sprint will save you $10 per month but I don't know if there are any other 4G phones out yet. My verdict, try Sprint for a few weeks and make sure you are getting acceptable signals in the areas you go to.
If you travel a lot, then take a little vacation with the phone (a driving tour) to test it out. I find Verizon is much better at holding at least voice calls in more rural areas than Sprint (and AT&T lacks 3G coverage between most urban areas except in the northeast). If you can't keep a voice signal, either get Verizon or get a pay-as-you-go Verizon phone as backup and buy minutes only when you travel.
First, $20 for 5 phones with a 2 GB/month data cap on the wifi hotspot (on-phone data usage is still unlimited I believe). I pay $30 to tether for 5 GB/month, so it is a hidden cost increase from $6/GB to $10/GB.
Second, for you I would seriously recommend Sprint. Look at the plans and costs/limits:
Verizon you can get $59.99 for 450 minutes talk, nights and weekends start at 9pm, and unlimited text. If you go with a smartphone, you must get at least a $29.99 unlimited data plan. If you want to use it as a hotspot, then you pay the $20.00 per month to get 5 devices with a 2 GB/mo limit. Total cost before any other extras and fees is $109.98
Sprint you can get a $69.99 plan with 450 minutes of talk (pay $5 to get unlimited to your home number), nights and weekends start at 7pm (or +$5.00 to start at 6pm), unlimited text, and unlimited data (which I hear you can hook in with google voice to bypass using your minutes by using data instead). For the EVO you have a $10 premium tacked on, but you are in a 4G area so you will be able to use its front face camera while making a call. Finally, for $29.99 you can add a hotspot for 8 devices that use whatever data plan you have - in other words, unlimited data for the hotspot. Total cost for Sprint is $109.98.
Analysis: EVO vs all Verizon Smartphones - Sprint starts unlimited call times 2 hours earlier, gives you 4G access (which you said you have in your area), doesn't cap your data when using it as a hotspot, and allows up to 3 more devices when using it as a hotspot. Any other smart phone from Sprint will save you $10 per month but I don't know if there are any other 4G phones out yet. My verdict, try Sprint for a few weeks and make sure you are getting acceptable signals in the areas you go to.
If you travel a lot, then take a little vacation with the phone (a driving tour) to test it out. I find Verizon is much better at holding at least voice calls in more rural areas than Sprint (and AT&T lacks 3G coverage between most urban areas except in the northeast). If you can't keep a voice signal, either get Verizon or get a pay-as-you-go Verizon phone as backup and buy minutes only when you travel.