Sprint will "cut your cell bill in half" for ATT or Verizon customers. thoughts?

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Sometimes the PR lines companies have to walk when trying to keep investors from thinking you're giving away the store -- while trying to convince consumers you are -- can be somewhat amusing. Case in point is Sprint CFO Joe Euteneuer, who told attendees this week of a Merril Lynch conference that the half off promo will probably only net consumers around a 20% savings:

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"They are still probably getting a 20 percent sort of net discount,” CFO Joe Euteneuer said at a Merrill Lynch conference on Tuesday. But, he added, many customers may find that Sprint’s existing rate plans are actually cheaper than the current promotion. Euteneuer’s comments are part of the dance that cellphone executives do — touting huge savings to lure new customers, while reassuring investors that these promotions will not eat too deeply into profitability.

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Euteneuer's math originates with the fact that you're likely paying Sprint more, since to get the deal users have to lease a new phone or pay installments on the full cost of a new phone. While 20% is nothing to sneeze at, you're also getting significantly worse overall coverage -- and slower top LTE speeds (for the moment) -- than you'll see with either AT&T or Verizon.

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