Carrier 5G: Verizon vs AT&T

[roland.g]

5G isn’t going to be everywhere yet. My city (Denver) I think has it but I don’t know how extensively.

I’ve been on AT&T since 2007 and the original iPhone. And I’m on a family plan with my wife who is not upgrading and I have my watch on it. It’s fine as far as I’m concerned. No contract. No remaining payments on any phones. I’m upgrading from an X.

My question is whether Verizon who got airtime, or AT&T or even T-Mobile matters for 5G?

I do plan to have this phone for 2-3 years. Couldn’t find much comparing carrier (true, not 5Ge) 5G networks.

 

[twinpeaks_sf]

I'm in the same boat, but I wouldn't sweat it just yet. Carriers are going to be different by city/n'hood this early in the 5G game. Verizon does have better coverage maps that actually show where their millimeter wave is, while AT&T does not — but so much of this is going to advance in the years to come, I don't think it's worth switching. Plus it's the mid-range bands — balancing speed with range — and T-Mobile/Sprint is the best there, I've heard.

 

[twinpeaks_sf]

Also, as Marco Arment said on ATP this week, I don't many of us are having trouble doing things on our iPhones over cellular today versus what we can do on WiFi — today's issues are more about data caps on our supposedly "unlimited" plans and coverage generally. 5G may/will matter in the years to come, and since many folks don't upgrade for years, it's good this year's iPhones have 5G radios, but I'm personally not too concerned with 5G service just yet.

 

[Wags]

5G isn’t going to be everywhere yet. My city (Denver) I think has it but I don’t know how extensively.

I’ve been on AT&T since 2007 and the original iPhone. And I’m on a family plan with my wife who is not upgrading and I have my watch on it. It’s fine as far as I’m concerned. No contract. No remaining payments on any phones. I’m upgrading from an X.

My question is whether Verizon who got airtime, or AT&T or even T-Mobile matters for 5G?

I do plan to have this phone for 2-3 years. Couldn’t find much comparing carrier (true, not 5Ge) 5G networks.

Can’t really count on mmwave right now. If you happen to be in a good spot then it’s great but for the large majority of time it’s the sub 6 service that matters. Verizon seems to have good sub 6 coverage on their maps because they are combining with LTE. ’nationwide 5G with LTE’. So we have no idea where the 5G is really available.

 

[Packers1958]

5G LTE on Verizon is available in most major cities. 5G UW is available in a few cities.

https://www.verizon.com/coverage-map/

 

[cardfan]

Att 5g is actually worse than their 4g. Poor choice. Can’t rely on what att says. Deceptive.

 

[roland.g]

Can’t really count on mmwave right now. If you happen to be in a good spot then it’s great but for the large majority of time it’s the sub 6 service that matters. Verizon seems to have good sub 6 coverage on their maps because they are combining with LTE. ’nationwide 5G with LTE’. So we have no idea where the 5G is really available.

I read on phonearena.com

T-Mobile may have won the US 5G war before Apple's iPhone 12 is even released

More and more analysts believe T-Mobile's early lead over Verizon and AT&T in the US 5G wireless industry will be virtually impossible to overturn anytime soon... if ever.

www.phonearena.com

That T-Mobile wins right now because of the midband. Funny I've had AT&T since the original iPhone and left T-Mobile for it back in 2007. Wow 13 years on the same carrier.

I also saw that 5G doesn't matter as much as maybe how well LTE works now. Some of the LTE speeds may improve somehow? But for me it's cell service at my house (where I use WiFi for data) and general cell signal in my daily life. Verizon has always supposedly been better than AT&T but I never switched. Back in the day I didn't given that for several years Verizon couldn't do talk and data at the same time but that long since has been resolved.

And I guess you don't have to buy carrier specific phones anymore. Maybe I should just shop to see if I can get my service cheaper.

 

[Wags]

It’s 5G and LTE combined in a single color. How tell where 5G is really located. How much is 5G and how much LTE. Seems to be a fine line to almost cheating/misinformation.

 

[JPack]

Today: T-Mobile, because they have 2.5GHz
Tomorrow: Maybe Verizon, because they just bought a boatload of 3.5GHz

It's all about mid-band. mmWave is not much more than marketing because unless you're next to the radio, that frequency won't penetrate walls. AT&T's 850MHz strategy simply doesn't carry enough bandwidth.

 

[Baldilocks]

Att 5g is actually worse than their 4g. Poor choice. Can’t rely on what att says. Deceptive.

Never a problem with AT&T here or anywhere else I travel.