Sprint

You can now bring your own Sprint smartphone to Ting

posted by Nick T. / Dec 11, 2012, 7:14 AM

You can now bring your own Sprint smartphone to Ting

Remember Ting? It is a virtual network carrier that launched in early 2012 running on Sprint's cellular network. What makes its service special is that signing a 2-year contract isn't required, and the flexible rates that are being offered can potentially save a user a fair amount of money. Until recently though, there was one major drawback – one had to buy a new phone at its retail price before switching to Ting.

Thankfully, that's a thing of the past now as Ting allows transferring Sprint devices onto its network. There are 7 smartphones that the MVNO can accept: the EVO 4G, EVO 3D, and EVO Shift by HTC, the Epic 4G and Epic 4G Touch by Samsung, the LG Optimus S and the Motorola Photon 4G, with new devices expected to be added on the list in the near future. BlackBerry smartphones, the iPhone, LTE devices and PTT phones, however, are a no go at this time. Boost and Virgin Mobile phones aren't supported either, even though they also operate on Sprint's mobile network.

In order to switch to Ting, your Sprint smartphone has to be deactivated first. The MVNO has provided a helpful online-based tool that will guide you through the process. Keeping your number too is also possible, although the process is not what one would call elegant as you’ll have to find an intermediary home for it during the transition. The switching process for 3G-only devices should take about a couple of hours to complete. Owners of a 4G WiMAX smartphones, however, may have to wait over 24 hours until they are ready to enjoy some pre-paid service from Ting.

For lots more details, go check out Ting's web site and let us know down in the comments if you're already planning on switching!

source: Ting via Engadget

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12 Comments

1. DonkeySauce

Posts: 194; Member since: Dec 03, 2011

Nice, so sketchy people can buy a discounted Sprint phone on contract, then cancel immediately and use on Ting. Sweet (sarcasm included)

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 7:35 AM 1

2. ajac09

Posts: 1482; Member since: Sep 30, 2009

assuming sprint doesnt black list them... but at least now people can buy them on ebay or craigslist pray they are not black listed and use them

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 7:38 AM 1

4. fullmonty

Posts: 12; Member since: Nov 28, 2012

ESN! Every phone has an Electronic Serial Number which is blacklisted if the account is not in good standing. Check out eBay for 'Bad ESN' phones; there are numerous out there. And there is nothing you can do with a Bad ESN phone except use it as a Wi-Fi device. Bad ESN is not fixable except by paying off the dues.

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 8:10 AM 4

6. squallz506

Posts: 1075; Member since: Oct 19, 2011

Some prepaid carriers and mvnos will accept bad esn phones. Notably cricket and pageplus. I was getting full 3g service on my bad esn evo 3d via cricket.

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 9:46 AM 1

3. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

Why would anyone want to use Sprint on prepaid given how horrific Sprint on postpaid is?!

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 7:41 AM 0

5. ibap

Posts: 867; Member since: Sep 09, 2009

My experience as a Sprint postpaid customer after being a Verizon postpaid customer (switched due to specific coverage issues where Sprint worked and Verizon did not) is that my only real gripe about Sprint service was data speed. Given the cost differential, and that none of my family are walking around streaming media all the time, Sprint is fine. Ting, however, is a super option for anyone not intent on pushing their "unlimited" data plan to 20Gb per month just because they can, as I've heard numerous teens brag. And in contrast to most of the other Sprint MVNOs, you get the full postpaid network coverage for voice and SMS. Substitute one of the CoPilot apps for Google maps navigation (so you only use GPS and not data for navigation), and you've pretty much got what you need.

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 9:05 AM 0

8. PAPINYC

Well, I did 45GB last month on Verizon last month, so, THERE!!

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 10:00 AM 0

7. squallz506

Sprint is second only to T-Mobile in my area. In building penetration and dl speed.

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 9:48 AM 0

9. PAPINYC

What exactly are you penetrating??

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 10:01 AM 0

10. lsutigers

Posts: 832; Member since: Mar 08, 2009

All this guy PAPINYC does is bash Sprint and push Verizon like everything else sucks. You remind me of the Verizon employees and manager I used to work with that had that same exact mentality, anything but Verizon is garbage. We all know Verizon is a great carrier but there are other great options such as AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. How good a carrier is depends on where you live, as the several people have mentioned in the comments, there are areas where Verizon is not the best option. Back to Sprint, I have both Sprint and Verizon and there are very few places where my Verizon phone works and Sprint doesnt. Sprint's network has great coverage and data speeds are fast in many areas that havent even been upgraded to Network Vision yet. The other areas are being upgraded faster than AT&T and Verizon and Sprint will outpace AT&T early next year in LTE deployment if they keep the current pace. Take the blinders off and just be real man, Verizon is good, but so are other carriers.

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 4:28 PM 1

11. mike2959

Posts: 695; Member since: Oct 08, 2011

I would like to say that it's a matter of just who has the best coverage in any given area, but after Vegas, Cleveland, NYC, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale.. And a few others Sprints data speeds are horrible. I mean really bad... Never saw anything above 1.5...even Wimax.. Top end about 6 and that's at night standing outside.

posted on Dec 11, 2012, 6:13 PM 0

12. downphoenix

Posts: 3165; Member since: Jun 19, 2010

well I got about 1.6mbps with my Sprint 3G. Not bad for CDMA. I acknowledge its not as fast as ATT or VZW, but its not limited either. Hoenstly though I dont use enough data to worry about data limits since I use wifi when possible, its just faster and although sprint's 3g usually is suffice for me, the faster the better. I like the lower monthly rates too though. Ting I will consider in the future.