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Sprint & Google Voice

  • Thread starter Thread starter MarkHirt
  • Start date Start date
ebolamonkey3 said:
1. I've heard that since Google Voice counts as landline, calls with anyone with free mobile-to-mobile (on any carrier) will result in them (not you) being charged Anytime Minutes. Is this true?

2. How does MMS work? Google Voice doesn't support MMS, and if I port my number it will be the only number I have. So how will MMS work?

3. Are there any other downsides to porting to GV?

4. With the Everything Data plan offering unlimited data, calls to any mobile, and texting, what's the incentive to even get Google Voice?
Click to expand...

The following articles indicate bad news for questions #1 & #2, and gives an answer to #4.

As for question #3, one downside of porting to GV (that nobody mentions) is that at some point Google will almost certainly start charging a recurring fee for having a Google Voice number because Google is charged a non-trivial recurring fee from the telecoms for each phone number that they lease to Google. Maybe Google will charge a small recurring that is a good value, or maybe it will be painfully expensive. Or maybe the Google Voice experiment will come to an end and Google will drop the service. Nobody knows. Personally, I'm not willing to jeopardize my precious phone number until Google announces their pricing and commitment.

Google Voice Number Porting is Coming! (Hold Your Horses) | Epicenter| Wired.com

You can now port your cell number to a Google Voice account -- Bad news for carriers? | Sprint Connection | News and views on Sprint Nextel

Should I Port My Number to Google Voice?
 
You could just port the number to Sprint to get 125 dollar credit. Then do the sprint/Google voice integration and you number will also become your Google voice number.
 
I prefer to keep my GV separate from my SPCS #. For a number of reasons, some of which you listed. Another reason is the lack of clarity around what happens if someone calls your GV #, or you call someone, it seems for some people they don't get the correct "mobile" recognition and minutes are docked from their any time minutes allocation.

I keep it simple, keep GV separate. It's like having 2 Phones on a single device, the most flexible.
 
I'm really sitting on the fence on this one. I am about to buy an Evo 3D and start a new contract with Sprint as I don't see myself porting my AT&T/iPhone number just yet.

If I don't make my Evo's main number my Google Number I just can't see myself giving people two sets of phone numbers. I really, REALLY like the idea of blocking incoming calls and the visual voicemail but those will not be used if it's not my "main number".
 
Skullbussa said:
I'm really sitting on the fence on this one. I am about to buy an Evo 3D and start a new contract with Sprint as I don't see myself porting my AT&T/iPhone number just yet.

If I don't make my Evo's main number my Google Number I just can't see myself giving people two sets of phone numbers. I really, REALLY like the idea of blocking incoming calls and the visual voicemail but those will not be used if it's not my "main number".
Click to expand...

I had a google voice number prior to becoming a sprint customer. I simply ported my long time AT&T mobile number, then I just added my google voice number (app) to my phone after.

The google voice app works great for my needs, (however I use google talk for the majority of text messages, since most of my friends have google accounts) and I can still send MMS when I need a pic. I wish google would incorporate MMS into google talk and google voice!
 
gabbott said:
Google now allows keeping your old GV number after Sprint integration for a one-time fee:

Google Voice Blog: Make your secondary Google Voice number permanent
Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure I understand. My decision was to retain my Voice number instead of making my Sprint number the Google Voice number. Are they saying that if I want to make my Voice number "permanent", I can pay $20 and they'll essentially replace my Sprint number for my GV number?

UPDATE: After re-reading it a few times, it looks as if you can simply keep your old GV number for $20 if you want to use it AND your Sprint number that is now your primary GV number. I guess this might be helpful in some limited situations where you wanted to retain your original GV number for some reason.
 
Saw this article on Engadget and prompted me to do some investigation:

Google Voice lets you change your digits, keep the old ones for $20 -- Engadget

Been using GV forever and use my GV# as primary, but had my Sprint# for 10+ yrs. so still married to it. I was so tempted to merge my GV# and make it my Sprint#, but hesitated and now the wait was worth it.

Well if you haven't fully dived in yet you can have your cake and eat it to. You can 'Google Enable' your phone and enjoy GV fully without losing your old #. outgoing calls now show my GV#, texts from the stock messaging app also show my GV#. And if a long lost cousin still has my old Sprint#, they can still reach me. I'm happy now! Forgot to mention it didn't cost me $20, at least for now :)
 
vgsantiago said:
Saw this article on Engadget and prompted me to do some investigation:

Google Voice lets you change your digits, keep the old ones for $20 -- Engadget

Been using GV forever and use my GV# as primary, but had my Sprint# for 10+ yrs. so still married to it. I was so tempted to merge my GV# and make it my Sprint#, but hesitated and now the wait was worth it.

Well if you haven't fully dived in yet you can have your cake and eat it to. You can 'Google Enable' your phone and enjoy GV fully without losing your old #. outgoing calls now show my GV#, texts from the stock messaging app also show my GV#. And if a long lost cousin still has my old Sprint#, they can still reach me. I'm happy now! Forgot to mention it didn't cost me $20, at least for now :)
Click to expand...

The new $20 option is great for those (like myself) that chose to make my Sprint number my GV number but want to also keep my original GV number yet primarily use my Sprint number of 13 years.
 
unplugged1 said:
UPDATE: After re-reading it a few times, it looks as if you can simply keep your old GV number for $20 if you want to use it AND your Sprint number that is now your primary GV number. I guess this might be helpful in some limited situations where you wanted to retain your original GV number for some reason.
Click to expand...

That is exactly why I'm glad they are giving the option. I wanted to retain my original GV number just for incoming (I have it posted at the operations center at work for oncall but don't want to post my actual cell number)
 
vgsantiago said:
Saw this article on Engadget and prompted me to do some investigation:

Google Voice lets you change your digits, keep the old ones for $20 -- Engadget

Been using GV forever and use my GV# as primary, but had my Sprint# for 10+ yrs. so still married to it. I was so tempted to merge my GV# and make it my Sprint#, but hesitated and now the wait was worth it.

Well if you haven't fully dived in yet you can have your cake and eat it to. You can 'Google Enable' your phone and enjoy GV fully without losing your old #. outgoing calls now show my GV#, texts from the stock messaging app also show my GV#. And if a long lost cousin still has my old Sprint#, they can still reach me. I'm happy now! Forgot to mention it didn't cost me $20, at least for now :)
Click to expand...

Make sure to click "Make Permanent" within the 90 days to keep your old digits.
 
sikclown said:
Make sure to click "Make Permanent" within the 90 days to keep your old digits.
Click to expand...

I looked around for the 'make permanent' button and can't find it, since I essentially choose option #2, vice it permanently making it my Sprint#, I've simply enabled GV on my Sprint#, (see attached) as you can see I can also disable 'GV' from my Sprint# and go back to my old Sprint#. so I'm wondering if I'm good without having to pay $20?

google voice settings.gif

This might also clear some things up:
http://www.google.com/googlevoice/whatsnew.html#utm_source=inbox_link&utm_medium=WhatsNew&utm_campaign=cleanup
 
If you're using option two you won't need to spend monies. Your sprint number will continue to work in the background for people you want to give it to, it just won't display when you call or text. (Unless you send an mms then it will show your sprint number.)
 
I just got an Evo 4G. I didn't even know about the integration until I signed on with the Evo, saw the question, got confused and started reading.

I've been a google voice user for a while now -- it's my primary number I give out to everyone both personal and professional. I'm coming from a corporate-owned BB so my Sprint number is new to me -- I'd like to keep that for my "close circle" contacts if I give it out at all. Obviously I would not be choosing option1. My choice is to either just not integrate or and use the voice app, or option2. I'd prefer the latter, but I have 2 questions:

1) If I choose option 2, can I "toggle" back and forth however frequently. i.e. If I choose the integration and then change my mind and de-integrate, could I re-integrate it again at a later date? Rinse/repeat? No, I haven't come up with a good scenario why I might do this back-and-forth, just a question if I'm locking myself into our out of something by choosing option2.

2) The MMS issue. Is it true that I would not get any notification that something was sent, nor would the sender get any kind of delivery failure message? I could theoretically see this being an issue -- someone thinks I ignored something.

Thanks in advance.
 
GotoDengo said:
2) The MMS issue. Is it true that I would not get any notification that something was sent, nor would the sender get any kind of delivery failure message? I could theoretically see this being an issue -- someone thinks I ignored something.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I also chose option #2 and it's like MMS doesn't exist, whether it's sent or someone sends... nada. I don't do MMS maybe like once-twice every couple of months. But this is the ONLY drawback with using a GV# as the primary for me personally.
 
Thanks for the replies. A few more questions if you don't mind:

1) If I choose option2, integrate my existing GV number, do calls to the "old" Sprint number still go through? Seems like the $20 fee is to keep the existing GV number when you choose option1. How does that work for option2? Does my handset have 2 numbers after integration for option2?

2) Either way, if I choose Option 2 to integrate my old GV, can I de-integrate and then re-integrate however frequently i want? Since my existing GV is a work account, too, I can see disabling GV integration as an easy way to avoid work calls when on vacation, etc.

3) I know you can't forward multiple GV accounts to the same mobile, but if I choose option 1 and make the Sprint number my new GV, and pay the $20 to keep my old GV account... does the integration prevent me from forwarding calls from the old GV to the Android phone. Does GV integration consider that 2 accounts forwarded to the same phone?

Thanks again.
 
GotoDengo said:
Thanks for the replies. A few more questions if you don't mind:

1) If I choose option2, integrate my existing GV number, do calls to the "old" Sprint number still go through? Seems like the $20 fee is to keep the existing GV number when you choose option1. How does that work for option2? Does my handset have 2 numbers after integration for option2?

2) Either way, if I choose Option 2 to integrate my old GV, can I de-integrate and then re-integrate however frequently i want? Since my existing GV is a work account, too, I can see disabling GV integration as an easy way to avoid work calls when on vacation, etc.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

1) Yes calls to the old number still ring to your phone, it also works as if it's a GV #. If you have multiple phone #'s to ring forward it will ring them also.

2) It seems so, but did not try personally, it appears it can be enabled/disabled easily
 
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