Not too much new here, but Sprint's giving its employees a few more instructions regarding the upcoming $10 increase to all smartphone plans. The main thing to take out of this is that if you're currently under contract, the tax "premium data add-on" won't go into effect just yet. But you will be subject to it if you:
- Swap to another smartphone
- Upgrade from a feature phone to a smartphone
- Add a new line with a smartphone
- Reactivate a smartphone
Sprint considers Android, Palm, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile to be smartphones, of course, along with its Samsung Instinct line.
Nobody likes seeing rate increases, of course. But if that's what Sprint has to do to keep the lights on, then so be it. But we'd rather Sprint swallow the pill and price its "Simply Everything" plan at $110, and not continue to artificially advertise it at $99 instead, with the "Premium data add-on" hiding the real cost. Thanks, Lovo!
