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Want iPhone...but how is at&t wireless?
- Thread starter KidOmega
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I used to have Cingular/AT&T. I will never have them again. My phone constantly dropped calls. Constantly. When I complained (within the first month of getting the plan/phone) they told me to suck a lemon. They wanted me to shell out money for a new phone even though their phone/service sucked. So, yeah, I'll never use them again. I hold a grudge.
BTW - I lived in Chicago, less than three blocks away from the nearest tower. Still got nothing but suck from my phone and lip from their customer service.
BTW - I lived in Chicago, less than three blocks away from the nearest tower. Still got nothing but suck from my phone and lip from their customer service.
It really depends on where you're from. Ask some friends/fam who have AT&T how the service is in your area, or look it up online.
You might be pissed at the slow-ish EDGE speeds. If that's a problem, I'd just advise waiting a year to get an iPhone, as 3G will most likely be the big new feature in the 2G iPhone.
You might be pissed at the slow-ish EDGE speeds. If that's a problem, I'd just advise waiting a year to get an iPhone, as 3G will most likely be the big new feature in the 2G iPhone.
Pack of Wild Rats
Member
Yea, I've had pretty much the exact opposite experience. I've never really had many dropped calls, and I always get reception. I lived in northern jersey, and now central jersey if that helps.
Ultimately, I was more upset with their customer service than the phone. Bad phones exist, I get it. But they were constantly rude to me and refused to help in any way. Just wait until the next iPhone model comes out. Isn't it supposed to support more cell phone providers than anyway?
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
I live in Austin, TX and switched from Verizon to AT&T for the iPhone. So far, I haven't missed a beat. Both service were pretty rock solid, although I've had fewer dropped calls with AT&T, but obviously haven't had them as long.
At the beginning of August I was in LA with my iPhone as well and it worked great there too. No problems, no drops.
Also, EDGE is a bit of a mixed bag on speed, but not nearly as bad as someone would lead you to believe. I've had great connections where it's been blazing and I've had slower connections where it takes a bit, but for doing e-mail, using the Google Maps, and surfing, it's just fine.
At the beginning of August I was in LA with my iPhone as well and it worked great there too. No problems, no drops.
Also, EDGE is a bit of a mixed bag on speed, but not nearly as bad as someone would lead you to believe. I've had great connections where it's been blazing and I've had slower connections where it takes a bit, but for doing e-mail, using the Google Maps, and surfing, it's just fine.
Not counting online bill pay (which has been nearly effortless), I don't even think of AT&T when I use my iPhone. The only reminder is the AT&T logo, which I've since scrubbed for an "Apple" replacement.
Service is fine. Call quality is fine. Plan pricing is simple.
And since all I'd ever want of a wireless company is to stay out of my hair, I can't really complain.
Service is fine. Call quality is fine. Plan pricing is simple.
And since all I'd ever want of a wireless company is to stay out of my hair, I can't really complain.
they're not as terrible as they used to be, meaning they are no longer the absolute worst service you could get. Not great, but a little bit better than some carriers (like Sprint). Not as good as Verizon, but of course they're not as bad when it comes to lock-in and rape pricing. If you want the absolute best service though you gotta sacrifice something.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
For reference purposes, I've had Verizon, as I said in my earlier post, T-Mobile, and now AT&T. T-Mobile was by far and away the worst of the three carriers that I've had. It's not eve close.
As far as networks go, so far I've seen little to know difference between AT&T and Verizon.
As far as networks go, so far I've seen little to know difference between AT&T and Verizon.
Lazy vs Crazy
Member
It depends entirely on where you live.
If you are in southern New England, they're fantastic.
If you are in southern New England, they're fantastic.
Corwood Rep
Member
It depends entirely on where you live. I'm in Malibu and AT&T gets good, but not great, coverage. Verizon was definitely a step up. But given I have an iPhone now and couldn't have one before, I'd honestly say I find the trade-off to be worth it for the time. So I have to walk a little bit out of my way to get optimal call quality in a couple places. Whatever.
Really location-dependent though. I know people in Bakersfield - within the city limits - who are AT&T subscribers and literally get zero coverage in their own home.
Verizon is pretty much indisputably the best carrier, but whether or not that's of any relevance to you depends on region-specific coverage, so ask around, get opinions, do research, etc.
Really location-dependent though. I know people in Bakersfield - within the city limits - who are AT&T subscribers and literally get zero coverage in their own home.
Verizon is pretty much indisputably the best carrier, but whether or not that's of any relevance to you depends on region-specific coverage, so ask around, get opinions, do research, etc.
SuperPac
Member
I'm in Houston, Texas and I switched to AT&T (from Sprint) for the iPhone. The couple spots where I'd get dropped calls on Sprint don't do that on AT&T. The EDGE speed varies depending on your signal strength, but it's perfectly passable for on-the-go 'Net browsing (quick things, movie times, etc.).
aparisi2274
Member
KidOmega said:
I had Verizon for a long time... was always very skeptical about AT&T, then I wanted the iphone, got one, and I havent had one issue with AT&T yet, and I am in NYC...
EDIT: Also everthing superpac says about the EDGE network and stuff is true
They are either great, or they suck, or somewhere in between.
Check the regional forums at www.howardforums.com.
Check the regional forums at www.howardforums.com.
Jugendstil
Member
I have gone through AT&T (before they were Cingular, and then when they became Cingular) and T-Mobile and then switched back to AT&T when I bought my iPhone. I hated them when I had them several years ago, but have had zero problems with them with the iPhone at least so far. The two times I've spoken with customer service they have been fast and helpful. I had an excellent overall experience with T-Mobile, so it was a bit hard to switch, but so far it has been seamless. I'm in Chicago if that makes any difference.
I would also like to say that in the short time I dealt with them, Sprint had the worst phone support I have ever encountered anywhere. From that brief experience I've resolved to never to use Sprint.
I would also like to say that in the short time I dealt with them, Sprint had the worst phone support I have ever encountered anywhere. From that brief experience I've resolved to never to use Sprint.
bumpkin
Member
It's like any other carrier; YMMV. I used to have US Cellular, and had awesome reception up north where my family lives (40 miles or so away) but so-so coverage where I live and work. I switched to AT&T to get the iPhone about a month ago, and I have awesome service at home and work. Not sure 'bout up north, but I go up there once in a while, so it's no big deal to me.
I'd say just ask around for people who have AT&T and live or work where you live or work. That's what I did.
I'd say just ask around for people who have AT&T and live or work where you live or work. That's what I did.
KidOmega said:
You can't ask this question on a national level. Some will say it sucks; some will say it's great, some will say it's okay. And all three answers will be right.
Ask people who live in your general area, and in areas that you tend to visit. It's totally a regional thing. AT&T also has a pretty generous return policy, so if it winds up blowing you can always return it without an ETF.
Ive had cingular/att for around 7 years and i have no proplems with them. There was a point 3 or so years ago when i considered switching due to the lack of cool phones compared to Tmobile and Verizon especially, but they've steadily caught up since then and may be the top dogs now.
Hey well for all the Gaffers on this thread, I work for AT&T. We are honestly the best out of all the carriers. In some ways its the lesser of five evils, but honestly go with AT&T. And NEVER GO TO CORPORATE STORES!! EVER!!! THEY ARE THE WORST FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! SUGGEST YOU ALWAYS GO TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER!! BETTER SERVICE CAUSE WE ACTUALLY CARE!! BUT THERES A BAD EMPLOYEE, SO KEEP AN OPEN MIND!! UM BUT ANYWAY THE IPHONE SUCKS DON'T GET IT! THERE ARE BETTER PHONES THAT DO MORE!! ANY QUESTIONS WRITE ME AND ILL GIVE YOU MY BEST SUGGESTION!!!!!
dammitmattt
Banned
goku1693 said:
:lol :lol :lol
You can't get an iPhone at a dealer.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
xsarien said:
:lol
Exactly what I was thinking. When has Verizon ever had cooler phones than anyone else? And this is coming from someone who had Verizon service for quite a long time.
Outside of coverage and maybe cheaper data plans, why do people sign up for Verizon? i know a lot of people are ignorant to it, but they gut a lot of the features out of phones, which is enough to turn me away. i don't care if my carrier offers ringtones and music downloads, as long as they let me use the phone as the manufacturer intended.
Phobophile
A scientist and gentleman in the manner of Batman.
It really has to be only coverage. Verizon has coverage even outside regions they officially don't support, according to one of my friends from New Hampshire. Also, when I went to southern IL, in a town about one hour SE of St. Louis, there was no GSM coverage at all; I couldn't get any T-Mobile and AT&T was SOL too, however, everyone in that area had Verizon and my friend who had U.S. Cellular had a fairly weak signal.
Kung Fu Jedi said:
Verizon is for Grandparents and corporate contracts. They have the lamest phones on the market, consistently. Sprint is second lamest.
I switched from Sprint to Cingular literally to just have the option of getting a cool phone. Little did I know, the coolest phone ever made would be an exclusive.
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
Yep, it's all about their coverage. The only time I ever lost Verizon coverage was when I wold be hiking or backpacking in some fairly remote regions. Otherwise, it was pretty damn rock solid nearly everywhere.
But yeah, their phones are mostly a year or two behind everyone else, although they have gotten better, and their insistence on ripping out the phone OS and replacing it with one of their own design is awful. A lot has been made about Apple going to Verizon first with the iPhone, and Verizon turning them down, but I wouldn't be surprised if Verizon made some demands on Apple for how the iPhone would need to be changed that Apple wasn't really wanting to compromise on.
But yeah, their phones are mostly a year or two behind everyone else, although they have gotten better, and their insistence on ripping out the phone OS and replacing it with one of their own design is awful. A lot has been made about Apple going to Verizon first with the iPhone, and Verizon turning them down, but I wouldn't be surprised if Verizon made some demands on Apple for how the iPhone would need to be changed that Apple wasn't really wanting to compromise on.
Depends what you want out of your phone.
If you're talking coverage, Verizon is the best. Cingular/AT&T is pretty meh once you hit the open expanses of the west (good on the west coast though), and its kinda hit and miss if you're in the extreme northern climes of the U.S. (like northern Maine, upstate Wisconsin, etc.).
My experience with this comes from a cross country trip from Pennsylvania to Idaho and back by van where I had both a Verizon and a Cingular phone on hand. The Verizon was much more likely to get you reception at 7000 feet of elevation on the back end of a glacial moraine 30 miles from the nearest town. But then thats not exactly a need for everyone.
As for dropped calls, I actually had more problems with Verizon and T-Mobile (when I had them a few years back). With Cingular if I get a call through it locks on pretty well, even if I got the call through with just one bar (I have a Razr G3 btw, my girlfriend has a Sony Ericsson, the model of which I can't recall immediately).
Services-wise I prefer Cingular/AT&T as well. The web features are slower than t-mobile or verizon was at the time, but not significantly (used it a lot out west keeping up on the Red Sox scores :lol ). Roll over is an awesome feature though, my girlfriend and I share a 700minutes/month plan with unlimited calling between the two of us and we haven't gone over once with it (have over 1K minutes in roll over still too).
I'd take it over T-Mobile, which just doesn't have reliable enough signal for me, and Verizon because their phone selection is crap and because they should change "GUI" to "GAUI" for them, God Awful User Interface. Its horrible.
If you're talking coverage, Verizon is the best. Cingular/AT&T is pretty meh once you hit the open expanses of the west (good on the west coast though), and its kinda hit and miss if you're in the extreme northern climes of the U.S. (like northern Maine, upstate Wisconsin, etc.).
My experience with this comes from a cross country trip from Pennsylvania to Idaho and back by van where I had both a Verizon and a Cingular phone on hand. The Verizon was much more likely to get you reception at 7000 feet of elevation on the back end of a glacial moraine 30 miles from the nearest town. But then thats not exactly a need for everyone.
As for dropped calls, I actually had more problems with Verizon and T-Mobile (when I had them a few years back). With Cingular if I get a call through it locks on pretty well, even if I got the call through with just one bar (I have a Razr G3 btw, my girlfriend has a Sony Ericsson, the model of which I can't recall immediately).
Services-wise I prefer Cingular/AT&T as well. The web features are slower than t-mobile or verizon was at the time, but not significantly (used it a lot out west keeping up on the Red Sox scores :lol ). Roll over is an awesome feature though, my girlfriend and I share a 700minutes/month plan with unlimited calling between the two of us and we haven't gone over once with it (have over 1K minutes in roll over still too).
I'd take it over T-Mobile, which just doesn't have reliable enough signal for me, and Verizon because their phone selection is crap and because they should change "GUI" to "GAUI" for them, God Awful User Interface. Its horrible.
Mario_Hugo
Lisa Edelstein's dad touched my private parts. True fact.
No iphone reception in my Manhattan apartment with big back terrace. I want one too, but verizon reception is unbeatable.
aparisi2274
Member
Mario_Hugo said:
How do you know you dont have reception on your terrace? Did a friend come by with one?
Mario_Hugo
Lisa Edelstein's dad touched my private parts. True fact.
yeah, a few friends have iphones - I'm desperate for one but I live in fucking UNION SQUARE and they don't get reception in or around my apartment - not even on outdoor terrace.
Jugendstil
Member
Mario_Hugo said:
That's funny, I have a friend who lives at 27th and Sixth and he has almost no reception on his Cingular/AT&T Blackberry in his apartment. You'd think the middle of Manhattan would have the best coverage in the country.
I would never go with Verizon simply because of how they neuter their phones in terms of features*. Oh wow, I can watch a Fallout Boy music video instead of using the majority of my phone's built in features. THANKS VERIZON!
*no comments from the peanut gallery regarding Apple keeping features off the iPhone, I am aware of the irony of my statement. :lol
Kung Fu Jedi
Member
MaX_PL said:
They have definitely made strides forward in getting better phones, however they continue to cripple them with their shitty OS. They may never have phones as cool as the ones you can find on other carriers. Especially if they keep passing on models like the iPhone.
Ask around, if people around you are happy with T-mobile (or any other GSM carrier), SIM unlocking the iphone is a pretty simple process. You'll give up visual voicemail, but pretty much everything else can be configured to work on any other GSM network.
You do not have to sign up with ATT to activate an iphone. Just pick one up from Apple, and do what you like with it.
You do not have to sign up with ATT to activate an iphone. Just pick one up from Apple, and do what you like with it.
aparisi2274
Member
Jugendstil said:
I was in nyc last weekend... I was up on 33rd and 1st visiting my dad in the hospital.. I had 5 bars on my iphone... and he is on the 16th floor of NYU medical
I went to little italy for the feast. I had 5 bars on my phone...
I went to Hearld Sq. I had 4 bars on my phone..
I went up to the Apple Store/Central Park area, had full bars...
Maybe in these apts. there are other things blocking the phone signal, because so far, I havent had less than 2 bars.
And yes I am annoyed that apple has also left off features... although they are not nearly as bad as verizon was... Could you imagine a verizon iPhone... How shitty would that be...
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