I don’t trust “unlimited” wireless plans because they’re all but unlimited and often come with a bunch of caveats one needs to consider carefully. The latest example: Sprint’s newly announced data plan for tablets which promises unlimited 4G LTE data in exchange for $20 per month. So far so good, but the devil—as always—is in the detail.
If you take a closer look at the fine print, you soon realize that the plan limits video streaming to DVD-like 480p resolution, music streaming quality to 500kbps and your online gaming streams to up to 2Mbps.
These limitations area laughable in this day and age of high-definition video/audio, high-resolution mobile screens and the prevalence of online gaming.
Be that as it may, Sprint’s new plan, part of its Unlimited Freedom offering, is being offered exclusively for tablets.
Some of the things to consider:
- Data deprioritization applies during times of congestion.
- Prices reflect $5 per month per line Autopay discount. If you don’t have Autoplay enabled, you’ll be paying an extra $5 per month per line.
- The service requires at least one phone live. If you don’t have an active handset in your account, you’ll be paying a $50 per month charge.
- Sprint-subsidized tablets incur an additional $10 per month charge.
- You must purchase a tablet from Sprint.
- Want to enjoy high definition video streaming (1080p), music streaming at up to 1.5Mbps and online gaming streaming at up to 8Mbps? That’ll be an additional $20 per line per month, please.
For tablets capable of SMS, this plan also offers unlimited texting.
Sprint’s tablet offering includes the iPad Air, iPad Air 2 and 9.7-inch iPad Pro, which are available for $0 down and with 24 monthly installments ranging from $15 per month to $30.42 per month, depending on your iPad model and credit score
You see this plan for yourself and tell me if you honestly believe that these are fair terms.
Source: Sprint