Sprint Canceling Premier Program; Is the iPhone 5 to Blame?
![Sprint Canceling Premier Program; Is the iPhone 5 to Blame? [Sprint Rumored to Make More Changes That May be Explained by the Arrival of Apple’s iPhone]](http://tftscdn4.nexus404.com/Blog/thumbnailimages/alt/TFTS-iPhone-5-Mockup-with-Sprint-LogoTFTSThumb220153.jpg)
The Sprint iPhone 5 and iPhone 4 are yet to be officially confirmed but that doesn’t mean that certain signs can’t be interpreted as suggestive for a Sprint iPhone arrival.
A few days ago we heard that Sprint will upgrade its early termination fee for advanced devices (which would include smartphones like the iPhone too) to $350 and that it would be willing to keep offering the same unlimited postpaid plan to its subscribers even in case it would launch the iPhone.
Leaked documents obtained via SprintFeed and Android Central today are suggesting that the carrier is going to cancel its Sprint Premium program, although current users enrolled in it will be able to enjoy its perks until the end of the year. That means that, yes, you’ll probably qualify for an iPhone upgrade in the following months if you’re a Premium eligible customer.
The Premium program will be replaced by a New for You Upgrade Program which will let you upgrade to a new smartphone every 20 months instead of the previous 22. That’s certainly nice, some people will say, while others will miss the yearly upgrade that would have been available via the Premier program. Sprint would also lower their 30-day satisfaction guarantee period to a 14-day period, similar with what other carriers are currently offering.
Do these changes suggest a new iPhone is coming to Sprint, just as current rumors are suggesting? The carrier certainly seems interested in keeping postpaid subscribers paying their monthly fees for at least 20 consecutive months before being able to upgrade to a next iPhone version. That way Sprint would ensure it would turn its new iPhone business into a profitable venture as customers wouldn’t simply be able to buy heavily subsidized iOS smartphones only to ditch them a year later in favor of the fresh new flavor.
Of course this line of thinking would be valid for any kind of other subsidized smartphone in Sprint’s current lineup, but this Premier program cancellation is awfully convenient, coming weeks before the launch of the new iPhone, since it’s making sure that would-be Sprint iPhone customers would stick around with the carrier for more than a year, or pay the $350 ETF, before buying a next-gen iPhone version.
Not to mention that plenty of sources claim iPhone customers are pretty loyal and tend to stay with their current carrier until the end of their current contractual commitment. Which is what Sprint certainly wants after having bled plenty of subscribers in the recent years to AT&T, and more recently to Verizon, the only U.S. carriers selling the Apple smartphone so far.
Images from SprintFeed and Android Central
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Looks like Sprint is trying to be like the BIG 2 lmfao! If your gonna be treated the same way no matter where you go seems like the best place to be is with Verizon at least you won’t have to wait so long to get the awesome new phones lol. So Sprints big Thank You to it’s LOYAL PREMIERE Customers is drum roll please to be thrown under the bus! ha ha ha ha
If they keep making changes to match the likes of ATT&T and Verizon, I might as we’ll drop Sprint and go with one of they other two. Since about the only phone Sprint has on par with the other two are the two Evos, why stick around…….
Boo Hoo…So you have to wait 20 months instead of 12 for a new phone. Change to Verizon. I hope you don’t go over your data plan usage. Sprint maybe getting rid of the Premier benefit of a new phone every year, but they still have unlimited data.
Confirmed from Sprint Representative:
“13:08:52 : Tiffany D: Beginning 9/15/11 through mid-October, Sprint Premier customers start receive notification that the Sprint Premier program is ending.
Yes, that is correct information that the Sprint Premier program is ending. These customers will be eligible for all the Sprint Premier benefits except the per 12 months upgrade.”
Bummer. I might have to reconsider re-upping my contract; even with a new iPhone.
I live in an area that hasn’t even managed to see 3G yet. The yearly upgrade was at least one added bonus to get me to stay with them. looks like after 15 years with Sprint it may be time to go shopping.
Unfortunately the unlimited data may come to an end as well. Dan Hesse confirmed tha the carrier may switch to a tiered system if the drain on the network becomes to great. So, no renewal every 12 months and no unlimited data…why would people want to stay?
I have been a customer for over 12 years. I also actually worked for Sprint and built part of the network. However, with as much as it has gone down hill in the last year and now this, I may have to shop a bit too!
im so upset about having to wait for 20 months to upgrade my phone.
I only stayed with sprint because of this so I to will be looking at verizon
What customers have to realize is that Sprint as a business, just like the one’s they work for, have to make a profit and also cover operational expenses. These fee increases and policy changes reflect demand on company resources in a increasingly competitive environment. Should Sprint actually get the iPhone, I can see how these changes make sense. To offer one of the most high demand products to it’s customer base it’s going to have to pay a hefty price to Apple and then heavily subsidize the cost, meaning take a loss to sell the phone to it’s customers at a price that won’t break their wallet. They will hopefully recoup said subsidy over the course of the contract term. Any increase in cancellation fee’s is a stop gap measure to prevent huge financial losses and is a motivating factor to prevent people from breaking contract “willie nillie”. Furthermore in all honesty I must admit a post paid contract plan for a mobile phone is still a luxury and not a basic need. You are buying and paying for a luxury service, the convenience of having mobile communications. Get a pre-paid, or land line phone which is far cheaper if you can’t afford a contract plan. Terms and conditions spell out in your contract all the changes the company can make without prior notification. This is pretty basic ADULT stuff. The idea of price/service entitlement is another matter as well. The idea of being a loyal customer and expecting said service provider to never change their policy/practices and price based of your loyalty is nonsense. Any rewards programs based off loyalty is a perk for the customer and just that, nothing more. Those perks can be taken away at the drop of a hat based on changes to the operating environment a company faces. Be happy they were offered in the first place to begin with. To illustrate change in price, go back ten years and think of what you paid for gasoline. Fast forward to now, does it make sense to you that because I bought gas for under 2 dollars a gallon and I happen to have bought gas strictly at Holiday Station Stores for said 10 years that they owe me that same price and shouldn’t charge me more because of my “loyalty” to them. Things don’t work that way with capitalism and never will. If Sprint does get the iPhone I would surmise that eventually sometime in the next 12 months if demand on the network exceeds projections smartphone users will either see another increase in data charges anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars to keep it unlimited. I can’t see them singling out iPhone users specifically this would really put a bad taste in peoples mouths. The only advantage is that Sprint does have less expensive plans, doesn’t throttle data on the phone, and has unlimited. Another palatable solution would be to keep any existing smartphone users and any iPhone purchasers who make the switch before any new plan changes to be considered currently “grand fathered” under their current terms. Should they make the change after a switch then they would be subject to the new price plans. One thing current Sprint customers have to realize is this. They are used to Sprint being able to repair phones, however I highly doubt Apple is going to allow Sprint service and repair centers to work on the iPhone. I would recommend have a backup phone just in case. Also since Sprint attracts more of the frugal types who don’t like to buy protective cases for their expensive phones, they may be in for sticker shock if they drop an iPhone and break it. They are more reliable as far as operating system is concerned but don’t respond well to abuse.
This is unbealieveable, I will def. Leave sprint!!
“…although current users enrolled in it will be able to enjoy its perks until the end of the year.” [I wish that were true. However, Sprint didn't grandfather our current upgrade eligibility dates. Last month, Sept 2011, they changed my upgrade date from March 2011 (already passed, mind you) to March 2012.]
can we terminate our sprint based on this change?
I hope sprint goes down for this, let alone for the terrible service, i used to talk good about how sprint is different, but capatalism takes over, goodbye sprint loyalty my butt… Thumbs down x 2