Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

I just got a sprint TP2 for 199. No one pays the prices listed on the site. Also with sprintbuyback.com I'll net out around 120 for the TP2.

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

Great, so how and where did you get it for $199??
Why do they put prices on their site if no one pays that.

I do see the $65 for a Diamond on buyback, that would be fine with me.

Edit: I just spoke with Reps at two different stores here in Tulsa and they basically laughed and said I'm not going to get it for less than $350 ($100 mail-in.) I said that is rediculous! So I assume you went through Retentions.

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

I've been a corporate customer for almost 10 years. I went to the Sprint store closest to my house, though they had to order it as they don't stock them.

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

besides being a corporate customer for 10 years, how did they come to offer it to you for that price? What did you say? I'm CERTAIN you didnt just walk in and they said "Here have it for $199"...

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

I'm sure if you ask the retentions department nicely then I wouldn't be surprised if they give it to you for that price. Remember that every Sprint rep will tell you something else so if it doesn't work the first time, then try again.

I've heard of several people who have gotten this deal.

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

the obvious reason is that Sprint's subsidy for the TP2 is at least $100-150 less than for a Hero and therefore Sprint can afford to let it on a legacy F&C or even SERO. A Hero, Pre etc OTOH is sold at such a low price (high subsidy) to compete with the $200 iPhone, that Sprint MUST recoup that subsidy by forcing the Everything plans with these phones. Verizon can sell the TP2 at $200 because its forced plan rates *are* also higher than SERO/F&C to allow recouping that subsidy (but take note of its outrageous ETF).

These kinds of devices like the TP2 actually cost $600-800. Supposing you do sell them contract for $200. You need to recoup at least $500-600 before you break even. That's $20-25/mo for 2 years. Exactly how can Sprint actually earn any money on $30-20=$10/mo for voice/text/data? That's why a $500-600 subsidy (Pre, Hero, etc) NEEDS to go on a $50-70/mo plan.

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

I follow the logic of what you say except for where you say " These kinds of devices like the TP2 actually cost $600-800." Thats the entire problem right there, there's no reason these devices should ever retail for such an amount! I can now buy 2 PS3's for that same amount lol. And therein lies the problem with the whole celluar system, the costs are grossly over-inflated for the services rendered.

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

the $199.99 deal is strictly for corporate or business owners only. you might catch a rep on a good day that will give this price to regular folks.

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

I can't really agree with you, although I also can't lay out exact the costs involved. But first, you should realize that the retail price of a PS3 is also HEAVILY subsized by Sony. PS3 are sold at a loss, I believe at least at a $200-300 loss, with the intention of gaining that back with game sales (4 game sales easily brings back $200). So the unsubsidized retail price of a PS3 would be closer to $600-700. Here is a sample news item:Also consider that these smartphones like a TP2, are every bit as capable and sophisticated as a modern laptop, but in miniature form, which itself adds to the cost. Hesse has been quoted as confirming these prices and subsidy levels publicly, so the numbers I presented are not fiction.

Lastly, you seem to be conflating the cost of devices with the cost of wireless services. In any case, the bottomline is that Sprint has been losing money bigtime, so it is difficult to argue that they are overcharging in the broad scheme of things...

Re: "Sprint now has the most compelling lineup of smartphones..."
 

completely untrue

touch pro 2s sell for 380 on ebay and thats without a contract, these people need to make a profit so obviously they retail way less

http://catalog.ebay.com/HTC-Touch-Pr...=p3286.c0.m271