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Orlandoech

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 2, 2011
3,341
887
Which do you recommend and why?

I currently have ATT but am very unhappy with their service, especially LTE.
 

scorpio1973

macrumors 6502a
Aug 5, 2009
560
23
Both AT&T and Verizon have good LTE coverage in my area, so I do have options. With that said, I have been with AT&T since 2009 and the iPhone 3GS. Overall, I have been happy with the service and have had no major problems. And, it doesn't hurt that I am grandfathered into unlimited data.

I also have a Verizon iPad 3, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds.

Good luck in your decision!
 

Casey55

macrumors newbie
Aug 28, 2009
28
2
Which service is best in your area? I had AT&T for 4 years and just switched to Verizon because too many dropped calls and couldn't use phone at home. Glad I switched so far no dropped calls and can go anywhere in house and still use the phone.
 

drkryn

macrumors member
Nov 12, 2011
62
0
I went with Verizon. They seem to pride themselves on having the best network. Their investments made on that front show that.

They are rolling out LTE much faster than ATT and will be done by mid 2013. Once they get their initial build out done, they will more than likely light up more towers and create a much more dense LTE network.

AT&T still has a lot to prove. They are already talking about starting LTE advanced when they aren't even close to done with just regular LTE.

Not to mention Verizon has locked up much better spectrum in terms of LTE and LTE advanced.

As of right now, AT&T may be better for people that don't live in a Verizon LTE area. I live in a rural area that has AT&T HSPA+ but only Extended LTE coverage with Verizon. I was considering going with AT&T but thought of what each network would look like 6 months from now. Chances are I'd be in a dense Verizon LTE area and AT&T would probably be a while away from getting LTE near me.

Not to mention I'm grandfathered into the 10GB double the data plan for $50 which is perfect since that's still a lot of data for LTE and I don't have to buy phones at full retail to keep that plan.
 

jacklance

macrumors newbie
Jan 3, 2013
2
0
Clifton, New Jersey
I pre-ordered two iPhones (one for me, one for my sister) on September 18th at a Verizon store. The expected ship date was 10/5. I got an email on the morning of 10/5 saying the shipment is delayed due to unprecedented popularity. Since then i have not heard a thing about my new delivery date. Some people that have ordered their phones days after me are already receiving FedEx tracking numbers. So verizon sucks at all....
 

nburwell

macrumors 603
May 6, 2008
5,436
2,352
DE
I currently have ATT but am very unhappy with their service, especially LTE.

How is Verizon LTE in your area? Clearly if they give you better service, then go with them. Check with friends/co-workers to see what kind of service they get in your area with VZW. AT&T works fine for me in the area I live, but it's obviously not the same across the country.
 

Browns2212

macrumors regular
Dec 6, 2012
161
0
Orchard Park, NY
I think it mostly depends on 2 things:

1. Location
2. Price

Location is most important because you want your phone to work, especially where you are most of the time (home, work, school). Does Verizon have LTE in your area?

Pricing is important if all else is equal. I can't say much about ATT as I've never had their service and have no idea what their pricing is like.

I have Verizon and they have been just fine for a long time. Rarely a dropped call and the network is reliable. I would probably never switch to anything else.

Sounds like this is a "no brainer" in my opinion. I would check on Verizon service in your area and if it sounds good, I would go with them.
 

Orlandoech

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 2, 2011
3,341
887
I think it mostly depends on 2 things:

1. Location
2. Price

Location is most important because you want your phone to work, especially where you are most of the time (home, work, school). Does Verizon have LTE in your area?

Pricing is important if all else is equal. I can't say much about ATT as I've never had their service and have no idea what their pricing is like.

I have Verizon and they have been just fine for a long time. Rarely a dropped call and the network is reliable. I would probably never switch to anything else.

Sounds like this is a "no brainer" in my opinion. I would check on Verizon service in your area and if it sounds good, I would go with them.

I live in Salt Lake City, UTAH and its the biggest city in Utah. ATT just barely lit up LTE and it sucks so bad on the iPhone 5 that I rarely get more than 1-2 bars so it defaults to 4G, then when its on 1-2 bars I never receive calls so I just turn LTE off via the iPhone settings so I dont miss 99% of my calls.

Price wise, its near identical when my work discount is applied.
 

aneftp

macrumors 601
Jul 28, 2007
4,362
546
Verizon and AT&T are basically the same in term pricing (disregarding discounts one gets from employers)

It comes down to coverage. I have both Verizon and AT&T. Be to honest. Verizon has more lte areas than AT&T but AT&T lte speeds are faster for me.

As for sound quality. Yes some of us talk on the phone. I prefer att wcdma phone talk quality over verizon CDMA voice quality. CDMA seems muffled more than wcdma.
 

Kashsystems

macrumors 6502
Jul 23, 2012
358
1
In certain areas, ATT is great, Verizon stinks.

In certain areas Verizon is great, ATT stinks.

I use ATT for three reasons.

1# Att 4g network works great where I live and where I travel/work too.
2# I still have a grandfathered unlimited data plan that I will not give up and it is only 30 dollars a month.
3# My personal experience after using Verizon for 6 years and then switching to Att is I had better customer service from Att.


Pick based on your area. You will see several threads where people will complain about one or the other provider.

Your mileage may vary based on the factors I mention above.
 

Orlandoech

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jun 2, 2011
3,341
887
As always for any mobile device, the one that provides the coverage you need where you need it. General discussions about one carrier versus the other are fairly pointless and just turn into fanboy wars.

True! According to ATT's map, I have "coverage" both 4G and LTE but I never get more than 1-2 bars of LTE and it ALWAYS defaults back to 4G because it cant get a strong enough connection which in turns results in a lot of voice mails with 0 missed calls. Yay.

My brother that lives with me has the same issue and my friend does too and he lives roughly 6-10 miles South-West of me but still in the Salt Lake City Valley/Region and he is fed up too. I was concerned it was just a "phone" issue but now Im convinced its an ATTs LTE coverage sucks issue.
 

danielxute

macrumors member
Aug 1, 2011
62
0
I also live in Salt Lake City, Utah and switched to Verizon. I get fast LTE almost everywhere I go and have had no dropped calls. I also travel a lot and my phone works great everywhere I go. I also like Verizon's customer service more, I recommend a switch.
 

Applejuiced

macrumors Westmere
Apr 16, 2008
40,672
6,533
At the iPhone hacks section.
Your question and answers will vary depending on your local area coverage.
If you're not happy with your service then switch to a different company and hopefully you will get better results.
Ask around a few local people that use verizon to find out details about their coverage and LTE speeds etc...
 

Browns2212

macrumors regular
Dec 6, 2012
161
0
Orchard Park, NY
Everyone has made good suggestions.

Sounds like you should try Verizon and someone else who lives in SLC has Verizon and said they are very happy with it.

I'm not 100% sure on this, but I "think" you can go to Verizon and test a phone for a limited time to see if you have service at home, etc. I'm almost sure you can do some sort of "trial" through carriers.

If not, then go on what the other guy said about having Verizon in SLC. He sounds happy. Not only that, but ask around. Heck, post a message on your facebook page and ask your friends if any of them have Verizon in SLC and what their experience is like.

Sounds like Verizon is the way to go. Heck, worst case is that you have 3 days to return the phone and get out of the contract. Use those 3 days to see how the new Verizon phone works and make your decision.
 

Starrbuck

macrumors regular
Jun 8, 2010
171
6
Just switched from AT&T to Verizon on the iPhone 5 here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and couldn't be happier!
 

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avanpelt

macrumors 68030
Jun 2, 2010
2,956
3,877
I pre-ordered two iPhones (one for me, one for my sister) on September 18th at a Verizon store. The expected ship date was 10/5. I got an email on the morning of 10/5 saying the shipment is delayed due to unprecedented popularity. Since then i have not heard a thing about my new delivery date. Some people that have ordered their phones days after me are already receiving FedEx tracking numbers. So verizon sucks at all....

You ordered the phone in September and still don't have it?!? That makes absolutely no sense. Have you called Verizon? At this point, you can order the iPhone 5 on Verizon's website and it would ship out the following day.

I think you should be a little more assertive assuming you're telling the truth. I don't know anyone who would patiently wait for a phone for three and a half months without calling the carrier to see what's up.
 

CEmajr

macrumors 601
Dec 18, 2012
4,448
1,228
Charlotte, NC
I know AT&T has faster LTE and also the simultaneous surf and talk ability but ultimately I went with Verizon because they have LTE in way more places. I just did a lot if traveling over the holidays and had LTE on Verizon almost everywhere I went even in some rural areas.

There's no noticeable difference is actual usage on the phone between 25mbps down with Verizon and 40mbps with AT&T.

Only thing about Verizon I dislike is the poor service in my apartment. Signal is only 1-2 bars and LTE only comes on occasionally. Verizon is the way to go if you travel.
 

xMClass

macrumors 6502
Mar 26, 2011
309
5
California
AT&T: Generally aster LTE speeds.
Verizon: Better overall coverage.

This is in my area. I always had weak signal with AT&T, I switched to Verizon when they got the iPhone 4 and never looked back. But again, your experience will vary based on your location. For some, AT&T Is better. Anything but Sprint. :p
 

dictoresno

macrumors 601
Apr 30, 2012
4,482
619
NJ
your post is subjective. both at&t and Verizon have great coverage in my area. however, Verizon's LTE is all over and at&t claims to be slowly moving into my area. i had at&t since 2009 and renewed my contract with an iPhone 5. my LTE was horrible, got 2 bars, then went back to H+. long story short, i switched to Verizon and haven't been happier since. FAST LTE speeds, as fast as my home FiOS wifi.

check your coverage in your area and speak with both Verizon and at&t customers. see what they think. i miss the in building coverage of at&t's GSM, but Verizons LTE speeds here make up for that. im glad i switched. but unless you talk to other people local to you, you cant make an informed decision.
 

webwbr

macrumors regular
Dec 1, 2011
100
11
Am I wrong... I though you could not browse (data) and talk at the same time on Verizon? Or did that go away on LTE devices? :confused:

That would be a big issue for me.
 

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
6,351
1,356
Which do you recommend and why?

I currently have ATT but am very unhappy with their service, especially LTE.
Then maybe you should go Verizon.

I prefer ATT.
Metro Atlanta is pretty thickly covered with LTE. Home to work, 99% of the time I have LTE.

When I don't have LTE... traveling to TN or AL. I have 3G/4G with 3-12mbps data, which is plenty fast for anything on a mobile device.

Verizon's off-LTE 3G is a pitiful high latency 1mbps.

Even though ATT's LTE may not be at the level of Verizons, their fallback is super fast and sufficient.
 
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