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Sprint pushes crazy-cheap deal, but there's a catch

The carrier is offering new customers five lines of unlimited data, talk and text for $90 a month. The only problem is that prices go up after a year.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials
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David Carnoy
Watch this: Jumping on AT&T's cheaper unlimited plan? Not so fast...
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Sprint's new value plan has an expiration date.

Sprint

Sprint's doing its best to lure in customers with a new plan that seems pretty enticing, especially if you're paying for several lines as part of a family plan. But there's a big catch: You're only locked into those prices for about a year.

The mobile carrier said Friday that when you sign up, you can get unlimited data, talk time and texts for $50 per month for the first line when you select automatic payments. You can pick up a second line for $90 per month in total, and then you can add third, fourth and fifth lines for free. Translation: A family of five will pay $90 a month for five lines -- until March 31, 2018. After that, it's $30 a month each for lines three, four and five.

Here's the breakdown of the deal, according to Sprint:

  • New customers get the first line for $50 per month.
  • A second line for, say, a spouse, partner or friend, costs $90 a month total for both lines.
  • Add more people to the plan, such as family members or friends, and receive lines three, four and five for free.
  • After March 31, 2018, you pay $60 a month for line one, $40 for line two and $30 a month each for lines three to five, still with AutoPay.
  • Data deprioritization kicks in during times of network congestion.
  • The deal requires electronic billing and a new account.
  • The offer is available for a limited time, though Sprint didn't specify when it ends.