The EVO 4G premium is a bad idea

By now you know that you’ll have to pay an extra $10 a month to use Sprint’s Evo 4G, even if you don’t live in a 4G market. Sprint says this is because of the capabilities of the device and I find that to be a dangerous precedent that hurts the appeal of the device and Sprint in general.

The Evo 4G is downright drool-worthy: it has a massive 4.3-inch screen, a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, Android 2.1 with the latest build of Sense UI, a front-facing camera for video calls, an 8-megapixel shooter, a wireless hotspot option (for an additional fee, of course) and all the connectivity goodies you’d expect from a device of this class. This is an extremely compelling handset and I’ve been mulling eating the early-termination fee from Verizon to get it, but that extra $120 a year gives me pause.

Sprint’s John Taylor said the premium is in place, “because the phone has a faster processor, a huge 4.3-inch screen and an 8-megapixel camcorder/camera, we expect you will be using a lot more data than you would with our other devices. These features will give you capabilities that have previously never been available on a wireless device and we think they provide a premium experience. (Remember, this is the world’s first 3G/4G Android phone.)”

So that’s a solid point and the awesome video-chatting feature would run you an extra $10 on AT&T but it sets up an awkward future. So, the EVO is capable of more so you should have to pay more, but what happens when the next great Sprint smartphone comes out? Should we pay even more? Aren’t we already paying for “unlimited” data? Isn’t that the beauty of Sprint’s Simply Everything plans?

Look, I understand the technological pressures the carriers are facing with these devices and the proliferation of high-speed mobile data. There’s going to be a bandwidth crunch and maybe we should pay more. But, I think a tiered model is far more equitable and fair – If you exceed a certain threshold (assuming there are adequate measuring tools), you should pay more. I’m a cheap bastard, so I hate paying more for anything but I can accept that. What I don’t want to accept is having to pay more for the possibility that I may use more data, especially when I’m already paying for an “unlimited” plan.

This could rub customers the wrong way and we all know Sprint can’t afford to anger any more of its subscribers. It’s always one step forward and two steps back for Sprint. Sigh.

Am I just being needlessly angry, friends? To be fair, Sprint’s smartphone plans, even with the $10 premium, are still better than AT&T and Verizon. Will this stop you from getting an Evo 4G?

About The Author

Marin Perez

Marin Perez has torture tested cell phones and smartphones for industry leaders like CNET and InformationWeek. He remembers when 4G was just a screen on PowerPoint presentations and is fascinated with the amount of innovation out there. Marin has spent a lot of time with BlackBerry and Android but he finally broke down a bought an iPhone to see what all the hype's about. He also has too many tablets.

brad

I don't like the $10 add on but its still cheaper than my at&t bill. Bye bye iPhone.
Szos

In the first sentence, you state that it would be "an extra $10 A YEAR," when it is clearly the much more unreasonable $10 A MONTH.

I would suggest you clear that up because one sounds like a reasonable extra cost – even though you are supposedly getting "unlimited" data already, the other is an absurd extra charge that hopefully turns away enough people to make Sprint think twice about this added charge.

Alas I expect the average uninformed consumer to jump on this phone anyways without looking at the long-term costs, and the gadget-junkie to not be phased by all the nickel-and-diming that US phone carriers charge them.
dontbeacheapskate

Because the phone is "subsidized", they have to make the money back somehow. And the iPhone started this anyway. Unlimited data plans with AT&T were $20, and then when the iPhone came along, you were required to purchase the $30 iPhone data plan. So this is nothing new. Forget about the 4G aspect of it. It's just that they need more money from you each month to cover the cost of the phone. And like you said, it's still cheaper than Verizon & AT&T, so why is this a big issue? Cool technology isn't free, and if it's more money than you want to spend per month, don't buy the phone.
Brian

Does anyone say anything like this when AT&T charges a premium of $30.00 for their Iphone data plan. When Sprint does it what a bad idea. We will see what is said and how many articles are written about how great Apple is when June comes around. Sprint has the cheapest plans on the most reliable network. Why dont you write about that or go get duped by AT&T and Apple.
Susan

I have been waiting for the Evo 4G for quite a while. I am an AT&T customer and I have been waiting to switch to Sprint for this phone. The $10 premium makes me think twice about doing that. Starting to reevaluate my decision.
aron

NOTHING WILL STOP ME FROM GETTING THIS PHONE. NOT EVEN PAYING FULL PRICE. DARM UPGRADE RULES!
batonrouge

I'm not too happy with the extra $10/month. But with the already low-priced data plans, I don't mind paying it if it helps Sprint finance their 4G expansion. My state (Louisiana) isn't even on the 4G radar yet, according to Sprint's 4G maps, and future planned cities.
batonrouge

..and there is an error in the first sentence…$10 per month, not per year.
Anonymous

I do believe you’re being needlessly angry. I did the math last night comparing Verizons Pre Plus with free wifi sharing, and Sprints Evo with the wifi sharing package and (optional in available markets) $10 4g package. The Evo is $10 more per month for each of the plans(450, 900, unlimited) compared to Verizon. I really love my Pre, but the Evo for just $10 more a month is pretty sweet. I guess my question for you would have been,”did you seriously think the cheapest postpaid carrier would have rolled out a new faster network and not charged anything for it?” I expected they would come out with some new data plan that was a requirement that was like $20-$30 more than the average “everything data.” $10 is a steal, and $30 wifi sharing is reasonable. I guess when I get in conversations like this one my brain hears Denzel Washington in Training Day “Nothings free in this world you lucky first day mother f*****.”
Paul

I concur. I was ALL over this phone when it was to debut next month and have been waiting for 5 months, but Sprint (in their infinite wisdom) just killed my order with one fell swoop…next stop…Verizon.
marinperez

Fair points and thanks for the feedback. My only beef is that the $10 extra isn't for the faster new network. I wouldn't have a problem with that really. The premium is for the possibility that you'll use more data, which sticks in my craw.

I did mention that even with the $10 premium, it's still cheaper than AT&T or Verizon. As for the hotspot, I know why they're doing it but Verizon made its webOS hotspot stuff free.
marinperez

Fixed. thanks.
marinperez

There was much virtual ink spilled when the iPhone 3G data plan went up $10 from the iPhone one.

I agree Sprint has the cheapest plans (still lean toward Verizon for most reliable though) even with the premium but I guess I don't like the semantics or the precedent. Stop calling it an "unlimited" plan or "Simply Everything" if it's not. Plus, they're charging on the possibilities of data usage, not the actual usage – that bugs me.
marinperez

yep, corrected. Thanks.
marinperez

Great feedback friends, I'm still cheesed off at this mandatory premium but man oh man and I am tempted to break my contract with Verizon for this. I know I'll be getting 4G by the end of the year though.
@anis_charania

Sprint gives u plenty of coverage access to wimax and the best technology on a mobile device for at least the next foreseeable future (around at least 6 months) plus with sprint letting u upgrade every year I think the extra $10 premium is worth it..I have T-Mobile which is pretty much unbeatable in value but does not give u the coverage everyone else does
DAVID

WHO CARES SPRINT SUCKS ANYWAY!!!!!!!
Becky

I'm not a gadget geek or really educated in the all things techincal world but…
I think the extra $10 is annoying too, but if you only look at some of the featres and not the 4G aspect, its no different than other things we pay extra for.
We pay extra for an HD tv and EXTRA for HD channels on cable or sat. So what is the difference for paying extra for HD on a phone. So the way I see it even if it is not technically HD on the phone it offers a VERY obivious higher quality viewing experience.
So…what's the difference than paying more for HD on your cable bill?
darkeycaine

SPRINT IS NOT WHAT THEY USE TO BE GUYS CUSTOMER SVS CALLS BACK WHEN YOU LOSE CONNECTION AND NOT RUDE OR CUTTING SVS FOR 2 DOLLARS LOL YAL REMEMBER THAT? i was with sprint since 97 day one i love them like i love the steelers this 4g plan is the shyt for 10 dollars its a steal and think…..4g dummies who else can you get it from and so yal know sprint share 100 percent network with verizon if they got the largest network so does sprint but much much cheaper…………GO SPRINT.
fordman13

Great going Sprint, you just lost a paying customer!
4G fee ripoff

In order to remedy the $10 charge, I will not purchase the EVO until 4g is available in my area. During the waiting period, Sprint should understand that it may lose a longstanding customer if another carrier comes up with a phone that I may like (e.g. the iphone – psyche). In all seriousness cannot stomach paying the extra $10 for 3G service while others are receiving 4g at the same price. Whenever 4g becomes available in my area, I'll consider the Evo. For now, my good old 700p will just have to do.
Davo

I was all amped to get this phone, until I learned of the surcharge. I'm now shopping for a suitable alternative. 4G isn't that big a deal to me to pay extra for it…
Kevin

You guys are extremely unreasonable. The guy at the sprint store explained it to me as: All carriers have a cap on their 3g data usage. The term "unlimited" just means a lot of data. AT&T and Sprint both have a cap at 2gb while Verizon has a 5gb cap (dont quote me on those exact numbers, thats just what im told). This 10 dollar surcharge raises that cap to a higher rate for sprint customers (i dont know exactly how much but im guessing 10gb). And added to that, you get 4g capability (which is not what the charge is for) which is nice. Without a doubt, when other companies start rolling out 4g, there will be an extra charge for its usage, so being first and still paying less than rival company's 3g plans, sprint is the way to go. I've had my EVO 4G for nearly a month now and after switching from verizon, I'd say that sprint's 3g and voice coverage matches the verizon's if not exceeding it (in San Diego county).