Recently, I took a new job in the Baltimore/Washington area with relocation from Michigan. To do this I had to leave my family and come alone to a new city. Due to a strike with the local telephone company it took quite a while to get my landline installed in my new townhouse. Needless to say, without a phone I was extremely isolated from my family and friends back in Michigan.

I knew I was going to need a very long phone cord to set up my computer so I went to Radio Shack to get one. While I was there, I started to look at the Sprint PCS phones that they had displayed. The phones ranged in price and service options from a reasonable amount of money to a considerable amount depending on what you needed.

Although my reason for going to the store was not to get a phone, my need was certainly a great motivator. Since I was making frequent trips back and forth to Michigan, I wanted a reliable phone with digital service along most of the route I would be driving. I was given a map that showed the service areas for digital service. I was also told that if I went out of the digital area and started to roam my phone would signal me (it chirps) as well as showing an “R” icon on the phone’s screen.

The service plan I chose has 250 day minutes and 250 anytime minutes for about $30 a month. These minutes are not exclusive to a service area but do not include any roaming minutes. For those of you who don’t like to do the math, 500 minutes comes to about 8 hours per month. Since the purpose of my service plan is to provide my with long distance and emergency access, this plan not only works well for me but has actually cut my long distance landline expenses. I was also provided a $10 discount when I got my phone if I signed up with Sprint as my long distance landline carrier. On top of this, Sprint waived the monthly service fee for my landline and I have 7 cent per minute anytime calling on my landline.

In my travels back and forth to Michigan and using my phone around town, I have inadvertently “roamed” while on a call. On two months bills I had less than 6 minutes of roaming time at about 35 cents per minute.

I have had some difficulty in getting a connection in my townhouse. Other friends who also have Sprint phones have had the same problem where I live. This must have something to do with the construction of the building however, because if I go outside to the porch, I get clear service.

The only dropped calls I have experienced was coming through the mountains, in my home and when my battery died because my son forget the charger and left it in Michigan while we were in Maryland. Needless to say, I went back to Radio Shack to get a phone charger for the car. This adapter was almost as much as I paid for the original phone after the sale and $10 discount. However, it is a hands free speakerphone jack that allows me to drive more safely, while still having the convenience of using my phone while driving. It also charged my phones battery while it was turned on in a very short amount of time.

Since Radio Shack seems to be in most areas, getting adapters and other accessories is easy. The only problem I now have with the phone is that I have started to exceed my service plan hours, which may be because I now use my phone more than the one in my home. I love this thing!




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 30 Month for Plan