Deal: Switching to Sprint gets you free unlimited for a year!

By Daniel Bader
last updated

Sprint plans
Sprint plans (Image credit: Android Central)

We often tease Sprint for its desperate attempts at getting customers on other networks to switch over, but this latest deal is a doozy, and well worth investigating.

Until June 30, 2017, customers on T-Mobile, AT&T, or (especially) Verizon get up to five lines of free unlimited service by switching over to Sprint. There are a few caveats, which we'll get to in a moment, but as long as you're a new Sprint customer, the deal is very enticing. The service is not some limited version of Sprint's regular unlimited plan, either: up to five lines get Sprint's full unlimited package, which includes calls, texts and up to 23GB of high-speed 4G LTE (and unlimited data at slower speeds after that) just by switching over.

Sprint claims that customers bringing five lines over can save over $2000 in the first year if switching from Verizon.

Now here are the caveats:

  • The offer is open to new customers only.
  • After the first year, which technically ends July 31, 2018, service will cost $60 for the first line, $40 for the second, and $30 for each subsequent one.
  • These include devices like the Google Pixel, Nexus 6P, Moto G5 Plus, iPhone 7, and Galaxy S8. Check out the full list.
  • You will have to buy SIM cards through Sprint for $2.99 each and activate them on the company's online portal.

Along with the unlimited calls, text and data, users get 10GB of hotspot data per line and HD video streaming at 1080p.

So while there are a few hoops to jump through, it's definitely worth pursuing for the insane level of savings. If Sprint has even decent LTE service in your area, you can't beat this kind of deal.

See at Sprint

Daniel Bader
Daniel Bader

Daniel Bader was a former Android Central Editor-in-Chief and Executive Editor for iMore and Windows Central. 

77 Comments
  • I love my Pixel XL on FI, but free is hard to beat.
    Do you have to have an account with ATT/Verizon or just the phone being eligible would work?
    And I am still skeptical there is a catch...somehow locking you into another year of service? For Free...I could see moving back to Sprint, then signing up for FI again for a couple of months when I travel internationally. That part of FI is absolutely fantastic.
  • just put the FI in to pause mode and unpause it when you go out of country.. then pause again when you get back. IIRC They will prorate the monthly fee
  • This offer is not compelling enough for me to leave AT&T. Super customer service and an inconsistent network won't work for me. With AT&T, at least I have a signal 90% of the places I often visit.
  • It depends on where you live. Sprint is less expensive and the network has been improving all the time.
  • Zero evidence to back this claim up. Their CapEx is lower than ever.
  • But then you are stuck with Sprint :)
  • It's not free Splint throttles after X amount of gig per month. Plus limits on 1080p viewing and hotspot, so why switch to a ****** network with limitations on so called "unlimited data". **** Mobile at least lets you have unlimited streaming for many popular services (also throttled).
  • Only if you're on a congested tower..
  • Bad network? I live in the middle of nowhere and have never seen "searching for signal." something I have seen many a times in my own house with the other three carriers...
  • Sprint is terrible in Southern California, gave up on them after 4 years.
  • I have never been throttle what so ever unless you guys been sleeping and getting up on the YouTube. VZW and T-Mobile complained about it and throttling their customer.
  • The problem with this is that it's with Sprint. No thanks.
  • Oh...and one other thing. "Free" does not include
    "A standard $1.99 admin fee, $0.40 regulatory fee and other taxes and fees apply"
    When I was last on Sprint with two lines The Surcharges were:
    $14.02 sprint Surcharges
    $10.37 Government taxes and fees. That's $25 towards my current $35 total monthly base fee for two lines on FI (+$10 per gb data). Anybody know what current charges are, or even better "would be" under this free plan?
  • Poor coverage map and talking to anyone with a Sprint phone is a horrible experience compared to Verizon or Tmobile, sounds like a tin can and hard to understand. Than when the promotion ends it is only $10/month cheaper than Verizon for 5 lines. Maybe instead of running these insane promotions to get temporary customers Sprint should actually price their network for everyone in a manner that is competitive for the quality of the service.
  • But then you can leave.
  • How is this in any way better than T-Mobile's $35/line for 4 line deal going on right now? Sprint has a long history of putting time limits on their good deals... which is why they're at the bottom.
  • I have great service everywhere I go with Sprint, haven't seen 3G in years. Like any carrier your mileage may vary, just because you heard it sucks doesn't mean it does.
  • For the most part it really does.
  • This is a Prepaid customer stealer. Requires your own compatible phone. An existing number from one of the othe big three carriers. And the ability to pay about $25 a month for taxes and fees. The niche group of people this will help save $10 to $20 a month are already loyal to their respective carriers. Truthfully I don't see many people switching to save $20...
  • Doesn't work with cricket
  • Duh...! Advertisement says att, Verizon, and tmo....
  • I was basing it off a Reddit commenter that said Sprint let him do it coming from h20 which is an att mvno. No need to get rude. You must be fun at parties.
  • Ok...answering my own question here I know. Just got off with Sprint CHAT.
    Estimated $15 a month for Sprint Surcharges and fees
    Estimated $16.50 taxes and additional fees. So it goes from Free to $31.50 before any other bogus charges per month. Versus my current $20+$15 for two lines on FI +$10/GB. No additional charge international roaming, and free data-only sims. Currently FI still fits me better. but YMMV of course.
  • Ah, thanks for that. I was going to give it a shot, but that's more than I currently pay.
  • How do you get $20 and $15 for two lines? which plan?
  • Check the Google Project Fi plans.
  • Switching to sprint also gets you zero bars almost anywhere.
  • Pounding needlessly and often with great exaggeration is commonplace around here and I expect it. But to outright lie is a while new level of low.... There are legitimate criticisms of Sprint, and there is plenty of room for improvement, but the service is nowhere near as bad as people claim. Most people (Note: Not all) who are ragging on Sprint haven't used the service in over 3 years, and does not know the improvements they've made.
  • I just got done having Sprint for a year and where I live there Network is so far behind Verizon, T-Mobile, and At&t that they should be embarrassed. Talk was ok but data was so hit and miss, felt like it was 2007 instead of 2017. In the middle of a major metropolitan area and I was roaming while the T-Mobile phone next to me is pulling down 50MBps. If you're streaming a video their Network has no problems dropping you from LTE to 3G as soon as the signal gets weak but good luck getting the network to jump back to LTE when you get somewhere that you know happens to have decent coverage. It won't happen unless you close the app that is currently being used for streaming or you turn off the screen forcing the app to the background. Basically once Sprint drops you down to 3G you're stuck there until you force all apps currently using the Network to the background, they're awful.
  • Have never seen "searching for signal" and I have sprint. Your claims are bogus like most sprint haters
  • How bout giving a year free for customers who've been when SPRiNT for 10 yrs or more?
  • NOBODY WANTS SPRINT! All of their loyal users left for greener pastures!
  • I would have left Sprint too, but I use 20 Gb on my phone and 15 GB on my tablet every month. Add another 30 GB for WiFi usage on each, and Project Fi would kill me. So I guess I stick around for the $20 a month for unlimited data on my tablet.
  • Not me... Going on 16 years and counting,..
  • I would try it but an unlocked s8 from t-mobile that's on cricket doesn't qualify.
  • No thanks don't want to be stuck with phones only sold by Sprint.
  • I would say only if someone wants the Essential Phone or HTC U11 THAT bad, but I agree, nah.
  • Sprint? Out West... Sprint is an absolute joke. Unless you live, work and play right next to a Sprint tower. And then, you're still rolling the dice! No thanks! 😊
  • I live in southern California and completely agree with you. If you happen to be near a tower or in a position where there are no buildings taker than one story near you you may be ok. The problem is that Sprint's signal is so weak that it doesn't take much to go from good reception to roaming.
  • Desperate times for Sprint I see. Not worth the crappy network, but I guess in this case you get what you pay for.
  • Not just crappy network, you also get the crappiest customer service around
  • I don't care how cheap it is, it's still sprint. You get what you pay for... nothing.
  • Sprint has the worst customer service. Even if it's free service i wouldn't recommend it.
  • I had no plans to take advantage of this but decided to check anyway. Sprint's site says my IMEI (Google Pixel) is not compatible with their network so not eligible. Welp. Another issue is if this draws in a lot of new customers it will put an additional strain on their already struggling network.
  • Try dropping the last two numbers of the IMEI. This is what I had to do with Nexus devices to have the store activate. Maybe the same for Pixel.
  • I just tried that and removing the last number, still says invalid. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  • From my experience with Sprint, it's not the amount of people on the network, it's the network itself. What I mean is their Network strength and building penetration is really, really bad. I work outside and sometimes I'd be on a street getting 30MBps down and then move one street over (about 50 yards straight line) on the other side of the building and couldn't get a YouTube video to play at any resolution.
  • It's still Sprint, so that's a NO.
  • I was tempted until I talked to some co-workers who have or had Sprint and they said reception was horrible here in our town, Lots of dropped calls etc. Add to that, the phones they allow you to bring is VERY limited. My unlocked Axon 7 was "not eligible". SO thanks but no thanks Sprint.
  • yeah, an axon 7 is a GSM only phone IIRC. I needs to have a CDMA radio to work on Sprint.
  • There's always going to be people who post the most outlandish things. The comment section is the one place to come to get the most entertainment. Every carrier is dependent on where you live. I've been with sprint since 1999. I get a good signal anywhere I go and have yet to have issues with call quality or no signal. I had been on the cheapest unlimited plan for years, and they just let me upgrade to the new unlimited plan that includes free hotspot (10 GB per month) and knocked off $30 from what I had been playing so I am definitely not complaining about sprint at all. To each his own.
  • I had Sprint for years and this deal is still not enough to ever go back. Not worth the service issues and even worse, the absolutely dumpster fire they call customer service. If they were to give me a free phone of my choice AND paid me to use their service, I still would be hesitant.
  • Doesn't work. False advertisement. I have an unlocked phone and prepaid service on T-Mobile. Entered in my IMEI number and it said my "device is not eligible". They're only trying to get Verizon users to switch.
  • I also tried a Verizon phone, and an unlocked Metro PCS phone. Still doesn't work. Probably you'll have to pay taxes and fees anyways probably will cost you. I only pay $30 a month for 5GB 4G LTE and it's more reliable than Sprint.
  • It says on the sprint link you have to pay taxes and fees...
  • not true. I tried my unlocked galaxy s8 with my t-mobile pre-paid number and it said I was elgible.
  • The only thing that surprised me about this desperate and kinda sad offer from Sprint was that they didn't require you to buy their phones, which would create a vested interest in remaining with sprint.
  • Most phones are mulit-band and unlocked at this point in the game. They dont care who's hardware you use any longer and they dont lock you into contracts.
  • Everyone bashing Sprint probably hasnt even TRIED using the network in the past few years! They have made SIGNIFICANT upgrades, and in most markets have the BEST voice coverage out of ALL the major providers! Also, their new network is CONSIDERABLY faster...I ran a speed test outside my office in Woodinville WA and got over 80Mbps! (Faster than my coworkers on Verizon!) Also bear in mind this promo does NOT require you to lock yourself into a contract. If you don't like it after signing up, you can leave!
  • This is a mobile world "Every carrier is dependent on where you live." is irrelevant. IT depends on where you GO. Sprint only works well in less than 10 American states, in other words. hardly anywhere at all. Just check their own coverage maps. On the positive side, "next to free" is actually a fair price for such a poor service that can only ever work for a small minority of Americans. Sprint might fund success with this.
  • They just happen to be the ten most populous states. But we get it. You hate Sprint. Thanks.
  • "Everyone bashing Sprint probably hasnt even TRIED using the network in the past few years" Not really, those who try Sprint will stay away: it hardly works anywhere. I've seen Sprint coverage and quality get worse over the years. Far from being someone who has not tried it, I tried it as recently as February. What did I find? Islands of coverage here and there in a sea no-bars, and in the places it got coverage, it was usually (but not always) a very slow 3G. It is flat out untrue to say that in most places Sprint has the BEST coverage out of all major providers. Since in most places, the only way you can get ANY sprint voice is with the Sprint voice/text-only roaming onto Verizon. In contrast, I have used AT&T and T-Mobile in the same areas. It's the opposite of the Sprint experience: LTE almost everywhere. Sure, there are isolated spots of 80 mbps. but when you average things out to get a fair average speed (which includes the vast majority of the US that has no Sprint coverage along with these tiny islands), you probably get 0.18 MBPS average speed instead.
  • My Sprint coverage seems flawless to me. Just drove from San Francisco to Savannah, GA. NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle. No problem that I could tell. I'm always wondering what's right about my stuff. All on an HTC 10.
  • Yes, but it's still Sprint.
  • Right! No one wants Sprint!
  • Just read that they have 60 million customers. 60 million of anything is a lot.
  • Why not? I have been with them since 2003, Where I`m working I get a 100 Mbps download on the SpeedTest and, I get around 60Mbps on Opensignal. by my house I average in the 20`s download, VZW and the other 3 wireless never reached the high download. If I know how to download the test in this comment, I`ll.
  • It is a lot better than T-mobile where I live at least.
  • Daniel seems he is a T-mobile guy.
  • I wish I lived in USA. These crazy deals by every carriers are so interesting.
  • you don't want sprint. no one wants sprint. that's why they are in search for someone to buy them, they keep bleeding customers. yes, some love the network and have not issues, but everyone I know that has them tells me to run away as fast as possible.
  • From the fine print: "Data deprioritization during congestion. Other monthly charges apply." Taxes and fees? I get it. Understandable. But data deprioritization is not stated to occur after 23gb of usage. It simply states "during congestion." This means all "free" accounts that are paying taxes and fees per line will receive Sprint's already low-quality network during off-peak times and be downgraded to unacceptable speeds when they actually need to use their phones. Hard pass.
  • Doesn't appear that those currently with Project Fi are able to take advantage of Sprint's free unlimited offer. Has anyone from Project Fi manage to get get Sprint's offer? I'm on Project Fi with a Nexus 6P and when input my info into Sprint online form it said I'm not eligible... no reason given.
  • That would be a great deal except for, um, Sprint.
  • DON'T DO IT!! Sprint has HORRIBLE customer service!!!!!
  • Stay away from sprint stuff if you travel, i travel all the time day in and day out once you get away from cities you have hardly no internet 99% of the coverage is roaming still you might get 3g or extended network but no internet i have 1 year left on s7 edge and gonna break it and send it back to them when done. I just recently bought s8 unlocked and have straighttalk which has better service nation wide then sprint.
  • I've had Sprint since 2000 and I seldom have an issue with coverage. I travel all over and service is great.