In 2005, Sprint merged with Nextel and consequently became the third largest wireless service provider in the United States. Widely recognized for developing, manufacturing and arranging innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States, Sprint Nextel served a clientele of more than 53 million at the end of the 2011 year.

Key Features and Strengths
This cell phone provider is primarily known for their Simply Everything plan which they offer for $99.99 per month. Even now, their competitors do not offer plans that compare to it. The price includes unlimited anytime voice calls, unlimited messaging, unlimited web access as well as unlimited Sprint Direct Connect for their phones that offer that feature. The web access feature even incorporates services such as GPS and Sprint TV.

Extra lines of service are accessible on the Simply Everything Family plan for an added $89.99 per line and can include up to a total of five lines. This plan is perfect for those who need all of these capabilities. While it includes unlimited messaging and web access, the plan only includes 450 anytime minutes for voice calling. However, the anytime minutes for the Everything Data with Any Mobile, Anytime plan can be augmented to 900 minutes per month for an additional fee of $20.00 per month. A helpful bonus to Sprint’s plans is that their free nighttime calling begins at 7:00 PM compared to 9:00 PM with other wireless providers. Consumers are urged to compare service plans with their distinctive needs and desires before deciding which is best.

With all the prominence based on unlimited messaging and data plans, it is not unanticipated that the quantity of voice-only plans is limited; even so, they are available. A single-line service plan that includes 450 anytime minutes costs the user $39.99 monthly. Airtime minutes used beyond the 450-minute limit will result in a charge of $.45 per minute. The other single-line plan consists of 900 minutes for a price of $59.99 a month and additional airtime minutes are charged at $.40 a minute.

There is also a single voice-only family plan that consists of 700 shared anytime minutes for the first two lines and costs $69.99 per month. Additional lines cost $9.99 per month, up to five lines. Additional airtime minutes used beyond the 700-minute limit cost $.45.

Ease-of-Use
Sprint has a complete assortment of phones from the most basic to the most highly developed and sophisticated Smartphone’s on the market. Sprint is also the chief leader in Push-to-Talk technology. Using this feature, an individual or group can be reached immediately. This walkie-talkie type feature is accordingly favored by public safety and manufacturing users. Sprint’s phones offer a range of extra services that are highly desired by many customers such as GPS, Safety Checks and entertainment options.

Entertainment options include Sprint Music, Sprint Radio and Sprint TV. Sprint Music offers the user over two million songs available for download directly to their cellular phone. Sprint Radio allows for streaming of commercial free or local radio stations and Sprint TV offers a wide variety of shows, news, sports and movies. A wider variety of programming can be accessed by subscribing to Sprint TV Xtra for an additional $9.99 a month.

In addition their website is easy to navigate, clear and to the point. Users can check their bill, upgrade phones order accessories and more all from the comfort of their own home.

Customer Service
Sprint offers customer service via live Internet chat, toll-free telephone line as well as email. Customer service can also be found directly from the cell phone. Although Sprint’s customer service ratings have began to improve over time, they have time after time ranked lower than their competition.

Shipping
When ordering a phone or phone accessory online from Sprint, you may be wondering about their shipping guidelines and policies. Sprint uses UPS and Federal Express as their shipping company of choice. All phone orders are shipped free of charge, and you should expect to receive it between two to six days. For orders with do not contain a phone Sprint provides three shipping options. Ground delivery at a cost of $6.50, which will be delivered in five to nine business days. 2-day as a cost of $8.50, which will be delivered in three to six business days. Their final shipping option is their standard overnight shipping at a cost of $12.95, which will be delivered in three to eight business days.

24 hours after you place your order, it can be easily tracked online by the order number that is provided in the confirmation email. Sprints policy states that they cannot ship to P.O. boxes, military or international addresses. If this is an issue they suggest you locate a retail store or contact them directly to make your order.

Summary
Sprint’s networks are very widespread and extremely dependable. Their pricing configuration is quite different from the other carriers in that they place greater prominence on data usage than voice calls. It is important to research all available plans before making a decision to ensure that you find the one best suited to you. Sprint has received consistently low marks on their customer service over time compared with other cell phone providers. However, taken as a whole, sprint is a great voice and data service provider, especially for those who are heavy data users and those who are always wanting to get their hands on the latest phones.