Debating the great question, whether to switch from Verizon to AT&T for the iPhone 4? I'll be relocating to Los Angeles shortly, mainly to the Santa Monica area. Just wondering how the coverage, call quality, signal strength inside of buildings, ect are with AT&T? I've mainly been on blackberry's, but I'm a Mac user and looking for something other than a blackberry. Most everyone I know in Los Angeles is on Verizon and uses a blackberry, so they're telling me to stick with Verizon. So any input/help would be appreciated. Thank you.
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AT&T coverage in Los Angeles?
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I work right on Main St between Colorado and Pico and my coverage inside the building is excellent. I don't recall having any issues in Santa Monica, but there is dead spot when I'm driving home around the Mar Vista area heading east. Used to get some dropped calls, but no issues recently. Overall, I'm satisfied (I switched from Sprint/Nextel after moving here 3-4 years ago which was terrible).
A co-worker of mine lives in Culver City and he used to have Verizon. He thinks AT&T is terrible and isn't getting the new iPhone for that reason.
I know there are areas like Hollywood/Sunset strip area where the coverage is bad.
I live in Culver City and my service has been excellent. Sometimes I have slow data, but 95% of the time, I average around 2mpbs. Call quality is great, with no dropped calls. YMMV, but that's just me 
I have had AT&T since I moved to LA and I think the coverage is pretty good. I lived in Hollywood and never had any issues. I now live in Santa Monica and hardly ever get dropped calls or anything. And I work in Marina del Rey and have full service always at work. Pretty much everywhere I go in LA I have had fantastic service.
Most of OC and LA are awful for GSM (AT&T/T-Mobile) for whatever reason. My friends with iPhones end up texting way more than talking because of all the dropped calls. Even when they do connect, most the time they sound terrible. My friends with T-mobile cant even get service in my house haha. I got nice coverage with Verizon and even better now with Sprint. There is something about the busy areas out here, not sure what but the CDMA phones work tons better than GSM.
I just moved up to Portland from Los Angeles 2 months ago. I've had an iPhone for 3 years now. The service in the LA area isn't amazing. I averaged to about 2-3 dropped calls a week, signal strength going from 5 bars to 0 in a few seconds. Internet is sluggish in most areas. It really got frustrating using it in West Los Angeles. While in LA I lived in Marvista, South Pasadena, and Downtown. I hung out in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Century City, Hollywood, West Hollywood and Pasadena. Each area was different. Not a very consistent experience.
Before I had an iPhone I was with Verizon and had really no issues like I had with AT&T in LA. Now in Portland, that's a different story. Drop call free so far! Just a really sluggish OS as of late.
BTW I had a 1st Gen and now a 3G. Upgrading to a iPhone 4 this week. I would hope the signal strength will improve because of the metal "antenna frame"
Before I had an iPhone I was with Verizon and had really no issues like I had with AT&T in LA. Now in Portland, that's a different story. Drop call free so far! Just a really sluggish OS as of late.
BTW I had a 1st Gen and now a 3G. Upgrading to a iPhone 4 this week. I would hope the signal strength will improve because of the metal "antenna frame"
I'm in SM all the time as well as Venice and surrounding areas. No major problems. Even in the very insulated, very sound proofed sound studios I work in.
I live in Santa Monica, and work in Studio City. I hardly face any issues and only one dropped call on my entire time w/ AT&T. I get good DL speeds and never face any issues....
I find it so odd, we all live so close here in So Cal, and experience such drastic differences, I'm starting to think its the phone, and not the service(at&t)
I find it so odd, we all live so close here in So Cal, and experience such drastic differences, I'm starting to think its the phone, and not the service(at&t)
I Live in SM and mostly I don't have a lot of signal issues (there are a few dead zones in northern SM - but it doesn't seem to stop EVERYONE and their mothers from getting iPhones)
The biggest problem here IMO, is the dropped calls which don't come from weak signals, just the overloaded networks... like I said, EVERYONE has iphones. In fact, it seems to get bad in waves. Some weeks, I'm dropping 4 out of 10 calls. Other weeks it doesn't drop ANY!!
Rumor is it's going to get better this summer... but we'll see.
ALSO OF NOTE; Yes. I'm getting an iPhone 4 and yes, both my wife and I are extending our contract by 2 years... it's hard to call it a real issue when we're not willing to give up our iPhones.
The biggest problem here IMO, is the dropped calls which don't come from weak signals, just the overloaded networks... like I said, EVERYONE has iphones. In fact, it seems to get bad in waves. Some weeks, I'm dropping 4 out of 10 calls. Other weeks it doesn't drop ANY!!
Rumor is it's going to get better this summer... but we'll see.
ALSO OF NOTE; Yes. I'm getting an iPhone 4 and yes, both my wife and I are extending our contract by 2 years... it's hard to call it a real issue when we're not willing to give up our iPhones.
the only parts you'll really get problems is in the hills (which is why I had to get a microcell) but other then that its golden.
There are a few spots that will have slow transfer speeds / low bars. As one user said, on the sunset strip. Particularly near La Cienega. Parts of Crescent Heights, sometimes down near Pico.
Near santa monica, all you really have to worry about is the palisades. Santa Monica is flat for the most part, so you really don't have to worry about interruption. AT&T pretty much as it set in SM, as 1,000,000,000,000,000 people drive on the 405 everyday which would take up a lot of bandwidth. Also, I don't know exactly where on the 10 freeway theres a dead zone.....I think it might be near overland, but not 100% certain. My gf always loses me being on the 10 in that one spot
I'm sure you venture outside of SM, you really don't have anything to worry about except in those parts.
There are a few spots that will have slow transfer speeds / low bars. As one user said, on the sunset strip. Particularly near La Cienega. Parts of Crescent Heights, sometimes down near Pico.
Near santa monica, all you really have to worry about is the palisades. Santa Monica is flat for the most part, so you really don't have to worry about interruption. AT&T pretty much as it set in SM, as 1,000,000,000,000,000 people drive on the 405 everyday which would take up a lot of bandwidth. Also, I don't know exactly where on the 10 freeway theres a dead zone.....I think it might be near overland, but not 100% certain. My gf always loses me being on the 10 in that one spot
I'm sure you venture outside of SM, you really don't have anything to worry about except in those parts.
I think you all are making my decision even more difficult, ha. Especially with the ETF's these companies are charging these days it makes it a tougher decision. It is very interesting to read all the different experiences from all you Southern Californians. I guess you've got a point Randomerratum, even if you have experienced some issues you all still have iPhones/AT&T. Thanks for all the great input so far.
You do have 30 days to change your mind without paying an ETF, however may be charged a restocking fee for the phone.
Wow, I read about how good AT&T coverage is for most of the people in this thread for LA and I have the complete opposite opinion.
AT&T coverage is *awful* for me in West Hollywood. I live off of Santa Monica and Fairfax and I cannot use my phone in my house. When I run around the neighborhood, I will persistently drop calls. While driving from work, there are 2 dead spots that I am *sure* to drop a call consistently every time.
I'm thinking of getting a MicroCell, but I'm still frustrated with the fact that I have to pay to make their coverage better.
AT&T coverage is *awful* for me in West Hollywood. I live off of Santa Monica and Fairfax and I cannot use my phone in my house. When I run around the neighborhood, I will persistently drop calls. While driving from work, there are 2 dead spots that I am *sure* to drop a call consistently every time.
I'm thinking of getting a MicroCell, but I'm still frustrated with the fact that I have to pay to make their coverage better.
Indeed West Hollywood is awful. The ladies pad is a complete dead zone.
In LA it all depends where you're spending most of your time. I've had the same issues on Verizon pre iPhone. Different areas different results.
San Gabriel Valley, OC (Trabuco Canyon), Palm Springs, LA County, and Santa Monica (Apple Store), overall has been awesome regarding 3G coverage and "0" dropped calls for my wife and I on our almost monthly trips to these areas. But, like some posters have stated, there are dead spots or a fluctuation in bars out there as well. My brother in Long Beach had issues at his office but not his home and they are about three blocks apart...
I live in Playa del Rey and seem to get great coverage all over the West Side.
The only dead zone seems to be, ironically for me, right around my gym, Golds in Venice...I can't seem to get a signal around there for a one block radius.
Otherwise, I have very few dropped calls and get max bars most of the time with ATT.
I left Sprint in 2007 and there were dead zones ALL OVER the West Side...I lived in Marina del Rey at the time (Tahiti Way) and my calls would always drop when I passed the building next door to mine.
The only dead zone seems to be, ironically for me, right around my gym, Golds in Venice...I can't seem to get a signal around there for a one block radius.
Otherwise, I have very few dropped calls and get max bars most of the time with ATT.
I left Sprint in 2007 and there were dead zones ALL OVER the West Side...I lived in Marina del Rey at the time (Tahiti Way) and my calls would always drop when I passed the building next door to mine.
Reception is great for me. No dropped calls.
I spend most of my time in Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank. Beverly Hills is usually good. Downtown L.A. has also been decent for me, but mainly in the Disney Hall, MOCA area. Reception is worst in West Hollywood on Sunset/Fountain/Santa Monica between Crescent Heights and Vine, but mainly indoors.
Data is usually around 2 mbps. Sometimes averages 3 mbps for periods of time.
I spend most of my time in Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank. Beverly Hills is usually good. Downtown L.A. has also been decent for me, but mainly in the Disney Hall, MOCA area. Reception is worst in West Hollywood on Sunset/Fountain/Santa Monica between Crescent Heights and Vine, but mainly indoors.
Data is usually around 2 mbps. Sometimes averages 3 mbps for periods of time.
I live in Long Beach and my service is very nice. I travel to LA quite a bit as well and I rarely have dropped calls. It varies for some but it's been quite outstanding for me.
Some of Venice is funky, but it's actually gotten a lot better recently. I used to not be able to pick up any 3G at my mom's place, which is about a block away from the beach. These days, I'm getting 3-5 bars.
The area around 4th & Broadway in Santa Monica also used to be a funky area, but from what I remember, it also improved not that long ago. Most of Santa Monica has great 3G.
The area around 4th & Broadway in Santa Monica also used to be a funky area, but from what I remember, it also improved not that long ago. Most of Santa Monica has great 3G.