With its primary focus on heavy users, many Sprint cell plans are branded as "everything" plans that are very inclusive, offering lots of airtime minutes, as well as other features that mobile phone users want and love. Now that Nextel has been integrated with Sprint, the company is best known by the latter brand name. CNN Money reports that there are plans to shut down Nextel in 2013.
Individual Sprint Cell Plans
The cell phone plans for individuals from Sprint offer many unlimited features, freeing customers from having to check up on their usage each day or dealing with hefty overage fees on their monthly bills. The information provided on this page is for reference purposes only and is based on published rates at the time this article was written in September of 2012. For the most up-to-date information, check with your local Sprint retailer.
- Simply Everything ($109.99) - This is as close to a truly unlimited plan as you're going to find with Sprint, giving you unlimited minutes, unlimited domestic long distance, unlimited push-to-talk, unlimited messaging and unlimited data.
- Everything Data ($79.99-$99.99) - This plan is very similar to the Simply Everything plan, except the minutes are not unlimited. The $79.99 plan has 450 anytime minutes, whereas the $99.99 plan has 900 minutes. Both have unlimited night and weekend calling starting at 7 p.m., plus long distance, mobile-to-mobile, messaging and unlimited data.
- Everything Messaging ($49.99-$69.99) - Moving further down the scale, this plan takes away the unlimited data, but keeps everything else intact from the Everything Data plans. The $49.99 option has 450 minutes, whereas the $69.99 option has 900 minutes. Both include unlimited evenings and weekends plus unlimited messaging.
- Talk ($39.99-$59.99) - For people who only need voice, these more basic Sprint-Nextel cell plans are more appropriate. Both include nights and weekends starting at 7 p.m., but the $39.99 plan has 450 minutes, whereas the $59.99 plan has 900 minutes.
- Basic ($29.99) - This most affordable plan is truly the most basic with just 200 minutes, plus evenings and weekends starting at p.m.. Domestic long distance is included.
Sprint Family Plans
If you have multiple people in the same household, sometimes you can save money by signing up for a family cell plan instead of separate plans for each person. This allows you to share the same bucket of minutes and features with everyone on the same account.
All family plans include the first two lines and then there is a varying additional charge for each additional line after that. Family plans can have no more than five lines and their features closely mirror the corresponding individual plans.
- Simply Everything Family ($209.98) - As with the Simply Everything individual plan, this family plan version offers virtually unlimited everything. This includes unlimited minutes, unlimited mobile-to-mobile, unlimited push-to-talk, unlimited messaging and unlimited data. Additional lines are $99.99 each.
- Everything Data Family ($149.99-$189.99) - The $149.99 plan includes 1500 minutes, whereas the $189.99 plan includes 3000 minutes. Both offer unlimited long distance, roaming, mobile-to-mobile, messaging and data, plus nights and weekends starting at 7 p.m. Additional lines are $29.99 each.
- Everything Messaging Family ($99.99-149.99) - These plans take away the unlimited data, but retain the evenings and weekends starting at 7 p.m., plus the unlimited messaging. The $99.99 plan and $149.99 plan have 1500 anytime minutes and 3000 anytime minutes, respectively. Additional lines are $9.99 each.
- Talk for Family ($69.99) - The least expensive family plan does not include messaging or data, but it does include 700 anytime minutes, plus evening and weekend calling after 7 p.m.. Extra lines are $9.99 each.
Shop Around for the Best Deal
While the easiest path would be to take these plans at face value, that is not how you are going to get the best deal. Be sure to shop around with the other carriers in your area to compare cell phone plans. Also, while having "unlimited" features can sound appealing, you may not need to have unlimited data or unlimited minutes. Keep a keen eye on your actual usage patterns and you could really save some money in the long run.
