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Argh! iPhone purchase decision time: AT&T vs. Vz

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Dec 29, 2007
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Just thinking out loud (ok, maybe I'm ranting a bit):

I want to get my wife an iPhone for Christmas. She really needs it. She has a basic phone now that she always forgets to charge, a camera that she takes with her to so many places for simple pics and video, and now she wants an iPod so she can have her music from iTunes in the car. That equals an iPhone (and might actually allow me to call her when needed, because she'll keep the phone charged for the music and pictures).

BUT I HATE AT&T. I was thinking about "waiting" for the Vz iPhone announcement, but then again, weren't the Beatles always right around the corner on iTunes? How long did that take to actually happen -- like five years or something?

I suppose another upside -- if Vz does do the iPhone, maybe that will un-congest the AT&T pipes (though it still won't help with their coverage issues).
 
I say forget about which phone. Just go with the service that works best for you. There is nothing like having a phone that always works. For me it's AT&T. Service is great. If Verizon is best for you then go for it.
 
Givmeabrek said:
I say forget about which phone. Just go with the service that works best for you. There is nothing like having a phone that always works. For me it's AT&T. Service is great. If Verizon is best for you then go for it.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Not to mention, there are only rumors of the iPhone coming to Verizon.
 
buy iphone 2g for cheap on craigslist (~$80). go month by month no contract on att and switch verizon if they get iphone and sell the 2g
 
No one knows about Verizon iphone because it has not been officially announced. Verizon iPhone has been rumored for a long time. Everyone thought it would happen in 2009, but nope. They thought okay, but let's see 2010, but nope.

If you hate AT&T, go with Verizon. No point of choosing a carrier over phone.
 
There is no verizon iPhone, there is AT&T. So right now that's the only choice, unless all of a sudden Verizon has an iPhone. We all know how (rumors) go. So your only choice for an iPhone. Is AT&T.
 
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As much as I love my iPhone 4, if the coverage AT&T provides in your area really sucks, then you have to pick something on Verizon. If your issue with AT&T is more philosophical than coverage related, just remember all companies suck. Some just a little less than others.

My opinion on the Vz iPhone is simple too. I think there will be one in 2011. But the rumored Jan/Feb timeframe doesn't really make sense. Why would Apple, who's known for their "once a year" iPhone OS/hardware revision, release a generation 4.5 device just four or five months away from the gen 5 debut? It doesn't seem likely to me at all.

What does seem likely to me is a Gen 5 iPhone that's dual mode (GSM & CDMA) for worldwide sales, released when a Gen 5 iPhone is expected, in June/July of 2011.

Go check out a Droid-X, Droid 2 or a Droid Incredible. They're all good devices. Not iPhones, but not bad either.
 
Your listed requirements:

-She forgets to charge her phone
Well thats going to be an issue with any phone. Period.

-She would like a decent snapshot camera to avoid carrying around a dedicated one
While the iPhone 4's camera is pretty to very good, the ones available on the various Android phones (Motorola's Droid line, Samsung Galaxy S variants, etc) are just as good if not better. We've got both an iPhone as well as a Samsung Fascinate (VZW's Galaxy-S variant) and really I don't see a whole lot of difference between picture quality between the two.

-She wants to play her iTunes music in her car
This one is a bit tricky. The iPhone can obviously do this the easiest, assuming your car has the right inputs for the stereo. In order of sound quality, dock connector > Line/Aux In > A2DP Bluetooth > RF modulator or Cassette adapter (tie for that last one). If she doesn't have the right inputs, you may find that all sound quality from any mobile device sucks. Once over that hurdle, however, I've really struggled with trying to get all of the iTunes content over to Android phones. There are those who tell me I'm an idiot and its dead simple but nothing is simpler than just synching up your playlists in iTunes with an iDevice. YMMV.

Unless you are really baked into the Apple ecosystem, an Android from either carrier is still a great second choice.
 
In my area of Texas AT&T's 3G coverage sucks. For example I always drop a call when I pull into my parent's driveway, and I have no 3G at their house at all even though they're in the middle of a city that's supposed to be blanketed in 3G coverage. I guess the call drops because the iPhone doesn't do well going from 3G to 2G.

Also it's rumored to be coming to Verizon, but nothing is set in stone. I did meet a guy who is a regional manager for Verizon and he got drunk and admitted the iPhone will be sold on Verizon after the holidays. Of course I don't see how he would be privy to such information but I didn't push the matter as it was a party and there were more interesting things going on besides phones.

I did ask him why they just don't announce it, and he said Verizon is scared to death sales will stop from the point the phone is announced to the point it goes on sale. He said the time between announcing the iPhone and it going on sale will be less than 24 hours so sales are not affected.
 
thetexan said:
He said the time between announcing the iPhone and it going on sale will be less than 24 hours so sales are not affected.
Click to expand...

Look, I have no inside information and don't pretend to. But stop and think about this for a moment... A major product is about to be launched 'right after the holidays' and it will go on sale within 24 hours of it being released. Can anyone seriously think that the logistics of this alone would be such that keeping this information secret would be likely? There would have to be warehouses filled with these items even as we speak. Even Apple hasn't been able to clamp down on leaks about the iPhone when it gets closer to a launch date.
So I am not saying that it is impossible, but I am saying that I wouldn't bet the farm on the timing...
 
Mliii said:
Look, I have no inside information and don't pretend to. But stop and think about this for a moment... A major product is about to be launched 'right after the holidays' and it will go on sale within 24 hours of it being released. Can anyone seriously think that the logistics of this alone would be such that keeping this information secret would be likely? There would have to be warehouses filled with these items even as we speak. Even Apple hasn't been able to clamp down on leaks about the iPhone when it gets closer to a launch date.
So I am not saying that it is impossible, but I am saying that I wouldn't bet the farm on the timing...
Click to expand...

Preaching to the choir here. I take all these rumors with a grain of salt, and I'll believe it when/if it becomes official.
 
Thanks for the replies. Some good comments.

>"buy iphone 2g for cheap on craigslist (~$80). go month by month no contract on att and switch verizon if they get iphone and sell the 2g "

Hadn't thought of this, but as it's a gift, seems a bit tacky. Maybe not a bad idea for me, though.

>"nothing is simpler than just synching up your playlists in iTunes with an iDevice"

This is one of my issues. She buys protected content on iTunes, so a droid or other phone won't help, and I don't feel like burning to CD then re-ripping (are there other approaches?). Maybe I'll see which ones can be converted to "plus"

>"Why do you hate att?"

Many of our execs have got the iPhone (I still have a Vz blackberry). They spend more time redialing than I ever do. Once I witnessed one of them talking to another (both on iphones), and they kept reconnecting saying "I have 4 bars, so it wasn't me -- was it you?" I've never had that issue in our area with Vz.

My wife doesn't like technology, and an iPhone hanging off her Mac laptop is by far the easiest. I got her a laptop for her birthday in September. First one she's ever owned. I am figuring a Droid will be trickier for her to sync music and pictures.

I called the AT&T store, and they said I have 30 days to cancel the contract/return the phone, so maybe I'll get it for her for Christmas, and that at least gives me into Jan to see if Vz announces anything.

Or maybe I'm overplaying the importance of the carrier, since the web browser, music and camera are likely the more important parts to her.
 
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Pick carrier first the one that has best service and coverage in your area then worry about device. It's beyond me that people choose the iPhone and then they find out att coverage etc isn't good in their area and they complain. My question is 'why didn't you find this out before you made the decision?'
 
What good is a phone without a signal? Might as well as buy a damn iPod touch then.
 
bking1000 said:
Just thinking out loud (ok, maybe I'm ranting a bit):

I want to get my wife an iPhone for Christmas. She really needs it. She has a basic phone now that she always forgets to charge, a camera that she takes with her to so many places for simple pics and video, and now she wants an iPod so she can have her music from iTunes in the car. That equals an iPhone (and might actually allow me to call her when needed, because she'll keep the phone charged for the music and pictures).

BUT I HATE AT&T. I was thinking about "waiting" for the Vz iPhone announcement, but then again, weren't the Beatles always right around the corner on iTunes? How long did that take to actually happen -- like five years or something?

I suppose another upside -- if Vz does do the iPhone, maybe that will un-congest the AT&T pipes (though it still won't help with their coverage issues).
Click to expand...

I'm in the same situation as you. Trust me check my signature. It is not, I repeat not worth it if you are bad AT&T service area. The iPhone is great and I am hoping for a Verizon announcement on January 6.
 
ATT service sucks big time

I moved from Verizon to ATT about 3 1/2 years back, due to better ATT service at 2 locations that I spent most of my time, and subsequently bought an iPhone. And, at that time, I traveled overseas to countries with GSM service and didn't want to carry multiple phones.
Since then, ATT service has actually gotten worse with their 3g implementation in Northern CA, while local friends and neighbors with Verizon have seen improved service. In fact, at one location I have to disable the 3g network to have any reasonable reliability (which to me is 2 out of 5 dropped calls). And most recently was at a Cal football game, where ATT was advertising specials on the scoreboard via send a text - and I was not able to make a phone call, check web for other game updates at any time during or 60 minutes after the game. I sent a test text to my daughter, who was with me, and she received it 25 minutes after I sent it. I had the same problem/situation at the Stanford stadium a year ago, and the gentleman next to me with a Verizon smart phone was getting regular web updates via Verizon data.
For what it is worth - I am switching to a Verizon iPhone when it arrives.

You may be interested in the following article, but then again it is a rumor;

http://www.appleinsider.com/article..._4g_capable_apple_iphone_after_christmas.html

Good luck with your decision
 
bking1000 said:
BUT I HATE AT&T. I was thinking about "waiting" for the Vz iPhone announcement, but then again, weren't the Beatles always right around the corner on iTunes? How long did that take to actually happen -- like five years or something?
Click to expand...

Wait until the Keynote @ CES on Jan 6th. If the announcement is made, hold out for Verizon. If not, go AT&T.

Truthfully...you should be picking the carrier first, then the phone.
 
thetexan said:
In my area of Texas AT&T's 3G coverage sucks. For example I always drop a call when I pull into my parent's driveway, and I have no 3G at their house at all even though they're in the middle of a city that's supposed to be blanketed in 3G coverage. I guess the call drops because the iPhone doesn't do well going from 3G to 2G.

Also it's rumored to be coming to Verizon, but nothing is set in stone. I did meet a guy who is a regional manager for Verizon and he got drunk and admitted the iPhone will be sold on Verizon after the holidays. Of course I don't see how he would be privy to such information but I didn't push the matter as it was a party and there were more interesting things going on besides phones.

I did ask him why they just don't announce it, and he said Verizon is scared to death sales will stop from the point the phone is announced to the point it goes on sale. He said the time between announcing the iPhone and it going on sale will be less than 24 hours so sales are not affected.
Click to expand...


where is the FCC application then? certainly we'd see that by now...drunks at parties always embelish when telling a tale
 
SAD*FACED*CLOWN said:
where is the FCC application then? certainly we'd see that by now...drunks at parties always embelish when telling a tale
Click to expand...

Not saying I think it's happening after Christmas, but just wanted to point out the fact that FCC filings can be requested to be confidential now.
 
I would say it is highly unlikely that Apple will present anything at CES. They like to hold their own shindigs.

I still find it suspect that we haven't seen one leak. If the Verizon iPhone is approximately 1 month away, how is it being kept so secret? You're telling me there is no promotional materials, computer systems, packaging, etc floating around somewhere?

With all the supply chains involved, you would think SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, would have a concrete piece to upload on the big ole internet.

Just my 2 pennies. ;):apple:
 
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