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Sprint, Apple Working on iPhone 4S Data Speed Issues, Email Says


Sprint reported record activations the day it started selling the iPhone 4 and 4S, but has that influx of data-hungry smartphones hosed the carrier's network?
According to TheNextWeb, an internal email sent to Sprint representatives says that Apple and Sprint are working on a fix for a "confirmed nationwide issue" regarding slow data speeds, but additional details were not divulged.
Apple iPhone 4S users have taken to the Sprint forums to complain about network speeds that are "too slow to be useful." Those who have contacted Sprint's customer support were told that it was a "known issue" and that a fix was on its way.
One user, jd_pruitt, used the SpeedTest.net app to measure speeds near the Denver, Colo. area, and recorded download speeds of 0.03Mbps and upload speeds of 0.06Mbps. Another user, some1nOC, had similar results in Orange County, but has "seen a big jump in the download speeds" over a three-day period. Download speeds on October 16, for example, were at 0.09Mbps but jumped to 1.35Mbps by October 19.
For comparison, I used the same app to test my AT&T iPhone 4 in New York City, and got download speeds of 3.44Mbps and upload speeds of 0.26Mbps.
"When listening to Pandora the stream would stop for a few minutes and start again," jd_pruitt wrote. "Browsing is noticeably slower from my former carrier AT&T. Translation: Yeah, it's pretty lame."
In a statement, Sprint said iPhone performance on its network is "consistent with our expectations." The carrier said it conducted benchmarking tests that compared its iPhone to those from other carriers and found "little to no performance difference."
"We are seeing a very low return rate for this device but we are watching the reports of speed issues very closely," Sprint continued. "We do see opportunities to optimize performance, specifically in high network capacity areas. We see this as typical optimization work and do not have any specific area of concern. Sprint is committed to providing the best possible experience for our customers. We are listening to our customers and working closely with our partners at Apple to ensure optimal performance of iPhone devices on our network."
In reviewing the Sprint version of the iPhone 4S on launch day, PCMag mobile analyst Sascha Segan found that "all of my Sprint phones were crawling along at a pathetic 300-500kbps, with some data sessions taking several seconds to connect." Once connected, they remained that way, but "it was like I was waiting in line to get on the Internet," Segan reported.
Last week, Sprint said it was "looking into a small number of reports of slow data speeds." But as PCMag's Segan pointed out, "we don't know how many of the people complaining about iPhone speeds on Sprint are experiencing Sprint's 3G network for the first time. As we showed in our 21-city Fastest Mobile Networks feature, Sprint has the slowest of the major 3G networks, with average national download speeds hovering around 480kbps compared to Verizon's 700kbps and AT&T's 2.4Mbps."
Prior to the iPhone 4S launch, meanwhile, Sprint Nextel CFO Joe Euteneuer told attendees at a banking conference that the carrier was preparing its network for the influx of usage should it get the iPhone. "We're going to stay ahead of it," he said of the demand.
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Sprint Jumps Into iPhone Frenzy

Apple's latest iPhone arrives in stores Friday in the U.S. and a half-dozen countries, as the company hopes to cement its position as the world's leading smartphone maker. Mark Gongloff discusses on Markets Hub.


In the U.S., the battle for lucrative smartphone subscribers got more intense on Friday as Sprint Nextel Corp. became the nation's third carrier to offer the AppleInc.'s iPhone.

The stakes were high across the country as the latest model of Apple's handset went on sale in stores, but nowhere more so than at Sprint outlets. The nation's third largest wireless carrier made a multibillion-dollar gamble that the iPhone would boost the company in its fight against larger rivals AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless. From June 2010 to June 2011, Sprint lost 264,000 contract customers-the kind of customers Sprint hopes to win back with the iPhone.

So far, the bet looks like it is paying off as Sprint reported that it is selling out of the device at some locations across the country. However, by selling out of the device Sprint also frustrated some new customers.

"Sprint today reported its best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family in Sprint history with the launch of iPhone 4S and iPhone 4," said Sprint product chief Fared Adib, in a statement.

As has become the custom for Apple product launches, across the globe throngs of eager customers lined up in front stores to be among the first to get their hands on the new phone.

"I had to cancel some lunch plans," said Adam Metzger, a 21-year-old waiting in New York. "But the iPhone, once I get it, can reschedule my lunch plans for me."
AT&T and Verizon Wireless as well saw strong demand for the new iPhone 4S. A Verizon spokeswoman said the company was seeing brisk traffic at its stores and said she hadn't heard of stores running out of inventory. AT&T said it was on track to double its previous record for activations on a single day.

AT&Thad its own issues, though, as some users trying to activate their new iPhones reported problems with the carrier's computer systems that didn't allow them to get their devices working. High volumes "may produce slower activations for some customers, though our systems continue to run at record levels," AT&T said in a statement.

Analysts expect AT&T and Verizon, which both have more than twice as many contract subscribers than Sprint, to win the lion's share of iPhone customers. In the fourth quarter, Sprint will activate 1.2 million iPhone customers, compared to 4.5 million at Verizon and 4.3 million at AT&T, estimates UBS AG analyst John Hodulik. In 2012, Mr. Hodulik expects Sprint to activate 5.2 million iPhone users, compared with 14 million for Verizon and 12 million for AT&T.
Each carrier is stressing their respective strengths. Sprint is pushing its unlimited data plan, Verizon the breadth and quality of its network, and AT&T says the latest iPhone model runs faster on its network than on Sprint or Verizon, which use a different wireless technology.
For the phone companies, one key number to watch will be how many people are switching from one carrier to another. With the number of wireless-subscriber connections in the U.S. now greater than the total population, the competition between wireless carriers now increasingly amounts to stealing customers away from one another. At a recent industry conference, Sprint chief executive Dan Hesse said the lack of the iPhone is "the No. 1 reason customers leave or switch."
The carriers' targets were people like Marques Sanders, a T-Mobile USA customer in New York City who was lined up outside a Sprint store in New York's Brooklyn Heights neighborhood. But just before the 8 a.m. opening, Sprint store associates informed Mr. Sanders and about 10 other iPhone hopefuls waiting outside that the store wouldn't have any of the handset's latest models for sale to people who didn't preorder.
The people waiting were redirected to a bigger Sprint store a few blocks away, where, less than an hour later, an employee broke the news to the roughly 30 people lined up that this store, too, had run out of the latest model, the iPhone 4S. Mr. Sanders and his sister Shentel ended up settling for the previous model, the iPhone 4.
"A pretty frustrating morning," said Ms. Sanders.

In Houston, Scott Aronstein, whose company Connectivity Source owns 24 Sprint stores in Texas and Louisiana, said it took an hour for the iPhone 4S to sell out at all of his locations.
In the U.S., the odd carrier out is now T-Mobile, owned by Deutsche Telekom AG of Bonn, Germany. Its future is in limbo with the government trying to block AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile, and it faces an even tougher battle for customers now that it's the country's biggest carrier without the iPhone.
To compete, T-Mobile is pushing advanced phones running Google Inc.'s Android operating system. "We've made it clear to them we do want it but we don't think we're missing anything in terms of technology or experience," said Andrew Sherrard, T-Mobile's senior vice president of marketing. Apple declined to comment.
—Geoffrey A. Fowler contributed to this article.

Source - [ online.wsj.com ]
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Sprint iPhone, unlimited data? Not for long


(Credit: Apple)

If Sprint Nextel sells the next iPhone with an unlimited plan, snap it up while you can, because it may end up as a limited time offer

According to a Bloomberg report, Sprint plans to offer the next iPhone with an unlimited data plan, which would be consistent with its offering for other smartphones.
Such a plan, however, can't persist. The iPhone brings with it heavy data consumption, which can strain a network. AT&T and Verizon Wireless, meanwhile, were forced to switch to a tiered-pricing plan only after getting Apple's device. One analyst believes Sprint could offer the iPhone with an unlimited plan for another year, with others saying the window could be shorter.
"There's a good chance they will use this to pull subscribers from AT&T and Verizon," said Maribel Lopez, an analyst at Lopez Research. "After a certain time, they won't offer the unlimited option any more."
A Sprint representative declined to comment to CNET on potentially selling the iPhone, but noted that there haven't been any changes to the unlimited data component to its current smartphone plans. An Apple representative also declined to comment.
It's easy to see why Sprint would want to make this move. The carrier is a distant third in the wireless race, and needs to stand out with at least three players offering essentially the same device. While the company has slowed down its customer defection, with most of the losses coming from its soon-to-be-defunct Nextel network, it is still working to solidify its customer base.
Sprint also isn't a stranger to data-heavy phones. But its top-tier devices, including the Evo 3D, the Photon 4G, and the original Evo, are all capable of riding on a 4G network, easing the traffic on Sprint's core 3G network. In cities where 4G WiMax is available, Sprint customers are actually riding on a network run by Clearwire. Much of Sprint's excess spectrum is tied up with its own 4G plans.
The upcoming iPhone, which isn't expected to be compatible with the 4G WiMax network, could bring an unprecedented crush of data traffic to Sprint. Like the Verizon version, it will only run on the 3G network, so there is no way to offload that traffic beyond a Wi-Fi connection.
A recent study from Validas noted that Sprint offers the most bang for the buck when it comes to data consumption, and its truly unlimited plan already attracts the heaviest users. Adding the iPhone will only accelerate that trend, applying additional pressure on the company.
Verizon only waited a few months after it launched the iPhone before moving to a tiered pricing structure in July. The company, however, had talked about the need to make the switch.

Sprint Chief Executive Dan Hesse has talked about data traffic eventually being an issue. But he has never given a time frame for when the unlimited plan could end.
In the meantime, the company continues to lean on its fully unlimited plan as a competitive edge beyond price. The carrier has increasingly stood for unlimited service, with commercials mocking caps and throttling, which is the practice of slowing down the connection speed of excessive users.
Eventually, Sprint will have to take a serious look at these practices for itself if the iPhone comes with an unlimited plan.
"If and when that happens, Sprint will feel the impact," said Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics.
For now, Sprint will likely be happy to take on the burden if it means spurring additional customer growth. The company needs to show it is turning things around now, and worry about the consequences later. Having too many data-intensive customers is better than watching subscribers leave quarter after quarter.
"It's one of these problems that every carrier loves to have," Entner said.


Source - [  news.cnet.com ]
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Sprint to Get iPhone 5



Sprint will get both the new iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4 but
it's unclear just how many new subscribers Sprint will be able
to reel in come this fall, MarketWatch's Dan Gallagher reports
on Markets Hub. (Photo: AP Photo.)



Sprint Nextel Corp. will begin selling the new version of the Apple iPhone in mid-October, people familiar with the matter said, filling a huge hole in the No. 3 U.S. carrier's lineup and giving Apple Inc. another sales channel for its popular gadget.
The timing, however, indicates Apple's new iPhone, which is expected to be called iPhone 5, will hit the market later than expected and too late to contribute to sales in Apple's fiscal fourth quarter, which ends in September. Most observers had expected the device to arrive next month.

The deal could help prop up the nation's third-largest carrier and give AT&T Inc. more ammunition in its attempt to win regulatory approval for its proposed acquisition of No. 4 U.S. carrier T-Mobile USA Inc.
Verizon Wireless and AT&T, the two largest wireless carriers, measured by subscribers, will begin selling the phone in mid-October as well, according to two people familiar with the matter.
Sprint had more than 52 million subscribers at the end of the second quarter, compared with 106 million for Verizon and nearly 99 million for AT&T.
Sprint will begin selling the iPhone 5 in mid-October, closing a huge hole in the No. 3 U.S. carrier's lineup and giving Apple another channel for selling its popular phone. Spencer Ante has details on The News Hub.
Landing the iPhone is a big win for Sprint, whose results have suffered without being able to sell the trend-setting device. AT&T has relied on versions of the Apple device to drive sales since 2007. This February, Verizon Wireless began selling the iPhone 4. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC.
In the second quarter, Sprint blamed a decline in its contract subscribers on more pronounced "competitive headwinds," most prominently, "the first full quarter both major competitors offered the iPhone."
Sprint will also carry the iPhone 4, starting at the same time, one person familiar with the situation said.
Richard Doherty, director of the research firm Envisioneering Group, said that the addition of the iPhone would help Sprint retain many of its customers itching to upgrade. The iPhone will also increase foot traffic in Sprint stores, which should help the company to sell high-margin iPhone accessories. "Sprint needs it," said Mr. Doherty. "There are a lot of families that will embrace the iPhone."
That said, the deal could also hurt Sprint by helping AT&T improve its chances of winning approval from regulators for its $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA, said Marc Ostrau, a partner and co-chair of the antitrust and unfair competition group at law firm Fenwick & West.
"It not only is likely to give Sprint a boost but also puts more focus on the increasing importance of device suppliers relative to carriers," said Mr. Ostrau.
Herbert Hovenkamp, a professor of law at the University of Iowa, said a Sprint iPhone would probably help AT&T's efforts, but he said the impact depends on how much regulators determine the deal curbs AT&T's ability to raise prices without losing too many sales.
"The question is how much more competition do you get when you have two rivals rather than one," said Mr. Hovenkamp.
The cellphone business is increasingly driven by hot smartphones, which are growing more sophisticated and expensive. Apple commanded an average of more than $650 apiece for its iPhones last quarter. Carriers subsidize the difference between that cost and the phone's $199 or $299 retail price, hoping to make up the difference with the data plans they sell over the course of two-year contracts customers must sign to get the subsidy.
Apple created additional leverage for itself by signing exclusive deals when it first launched the iPhone in 2007. In recent years, the company has changed strategy, inking deals with multiple carriers in countries around the world.
The new iPhone is expected to be similar to the current iPhone 4, but thinner and lighter with an improved digital camera and a new more sophisticated operating system.
Apple said in June that a new version of its mobile operating system would be available this fall, leading many analysts to conclude that an upgraded iPhone would be introduced at the same time.
On a July earnings conference call, Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer said the company's September quarter would be affected by "a future product transition that we are not going to talk about today," increasing anticipation.
While Apple unveiled the iPhone 4 at its June developers' conference last year, its successor wasn't ready in time for this year, according to a person briefed on Apple's product plans. The company then aimed to launch a new iPhone by the end of September, though two people familiar with the situation previously told The Wall Street Journal that the phone could be delayed again if its contract manufacturer couldn't improve its production yield rate.
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sprint0823
Bloomberg News
Sprint, fighting to turn itself around after its disastrous merger with Nextel last decade, has managed to stem subscriber defections and improve customer service. Above, a Sprint store in San Francisco.
Sprint, fighting to turn itself around after its disastrous merger with Nextel last decade, has managed to stem subscriber defections and improve customer service. But it has disappointed investors by failing to add new subscribers more quickly, in part because it competes with rivals that carry Apple's fast-selling phone.
Verizon Wireless, which cracked AT&T's exclusive U.S. hold on the iPhone this year, has sold 4.5 million of the Apple devices in the first half of 2011.
AT&T, which is also able to sell a cheaper prior version of the iPhone, has sold 7.2 million this year.


Source - [ online.wsj.com] 
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