AT&T coverage map & Verizon coverage map..

[movieator]

I used to be with both Verizon and At&t back in Chicago. When I switched to the iPhone, I noticed no difference between the services.
However, out here in LA, I get better service than my wife, who is still with VZ.

I think it comes down to every users experience being different, and to generalize based on a map that is designed to put their own company in the best light is foolish.

All providers have their faults. At&t may not have the coverage in less populated areas, while Verizon cripples their phones and has that ugly and pointless standard UI (which I hated).

 

[kdarling]

Verizon Visual Voice Mail, $3/month

True. But doesn't AT&T also charge extra for VVM on non-iPhones?

How about transferring photos? Verizon disabled both USB and Bluetooth file transfers on my wife's cell phone.

Okay, but we're talking about smartphones. Verizon doesn't put limits on accessing their data.

With dumbphones, most people download BitPim to transfer their photos for free.

As for Bluetooth, Apple has that pretty well crippled compared to Verizon (or other ATT) smartphones.

Yeah, AT&T seems to really be struggling with backhaul. I just can't imagine AT&T running around in the last 2 years just putting in WCDMA stuff to immediately turn around and add another radio to every freaking tower. Ugh.

You're apparently right. It looks like AT&T will roll out higher speed WCDMA because it's more cost effective for them than installing LTE.

I am impressed with VZW's inclusion of WiFi in their other smartphones. It's up to 7 now (if I did my tally right, ... I had to manually look at each model, as you can't have it show you just wifi phones). That's a lot more than the last time I looked! AT&T is up to 12 now.

I meant to say WiFi-equipped *3G* smartphones, btw. Verizon has more of those. Yes, I'm surprised too. ATT does have more WiFi ones overall, because they also have non-3G smartphones... ugh!

 

[kdarling]

I think it comes down to every users experience being different, and to generalize based on a map that is designed to put their own company in the best light is foolish.

Totally true. Each person should decide depending on their needs and location.

All providers have their faults. At&t may not have the coverage in less populated areas, while Verizon cripples their phones and has that ugly and pointless standard UI (which I hated).

As a UI person, I salute Verizon's effort to make it easy to switch between their dumbphones. It's actually one of the major advantages that their customers cite in surveys. It's not easy to come up with something so extensive, that works over so many models.

And I betcha that no matter how many models of the iPhone that Apple makes, they'll all have the same UI. For the same reason as above.

Anyway, VZW only does that to their dumbphones. They don't mess with their smartphone UIs, any more than other carriers do. Which is usually to add an optional theme, some company links, maybe a freebie program or two, like voice control that used to cost more.

 

[movieator]

Totally true. Each person should decide depending on their needs and location.



As a UI person, I salute Verizon's effort to make it easy to switch between their dumbphones. It's actually one of the major advantages that their customers cite in surveys. It's not easy to come up with something so extensive, that works over so many models.

And I betcha that no matter how many models of the iPhone that Apple makes, they'll all have the same UI. For the same reason as above.

Anyway, VZW only does that to their dumbphones. They don't mess with their smartphone UIs, any more than other carriers do. Which is usually to add an optional theme, some company links, maybe a freebie program or two, like voice control that used to cost more.

I got why they did it. Standardize the Ui for the end user and the support staff. So there was only one UI across the board.
But it was one of the ugliest UIs I have ever seen on any phone.
Just dull and listless.

 

[nateo200]

Anyone want to do a 3G vs CDMA global map?

Oh boy let's not turn this into a CDMA2000 vs UMTS/GSM pissing match...we know who's going to loose :/

Given the map you posted, one does wonder what Verizon's business model is like if they're providing 3G to towns like Hedgesville, Montana (pop: 2306) in the middle of nowhere.

Is 'five times the 3G coverage' in terms of acreage of customers it can reach? Or in terms of number of customers? Prospective customers vs. existing Verizon customers?

It's very very easy for verizon to upgrade standard 1xRTT to EVDO Rev. A compared to AT&T upgrading GPRS/EDGE to UMTS....it's like popping in a CD vs. Changing out a processor for verizon (so to speak). I've only had coverage trouble with VZW when I was in the Midwest going to a packer game, my phone dropped to 1x with 1 bar for about 15 mine then I saw this obnoxiously huge cell tower in sight with what looked like a trillion antennas and it immediatly handed off to it and I got 4 bars of EVDO....this was pretty much in the middle of no where so pretty damn good....personally VZWs 3G isn't as fast as UMTS like AT&T and Rogers 3G but it's everywhere.

 

[kdarling]

I got why they did it. Standardize the Ui for the end user and the support staff. So there was only one UI across the board. But it was one of the ugliest UIs I have ever seen on any phone.

Sure can't disagree with you. And, being a UNC-CH computer science alumni, I dislike red with a passion (sorry Wolfpack fans, even though I also took computer engineering at NCSU).

But you know, one day I started thinking, how would I have done it differently, considering all the menus you needed to have, and the limitations of some cell phones. And I realized they'd done a fair job in a hard area.

And it's true, you can help anyone with a VZ phone instantly, because once you learn the menus, they're easy to navigate. And that's the point, not glitz or fancy effects or other BS. You don't even have to look at the display to use the keys.

 

[movieator]

Sure can't disagree with you. And, being a UNC Chapel Hill computer science alumni, I dislike red with a passion (sorry Wolfpack fans, even though I also took computer engineering at NCSU).

But you know, one day I started thinking, how would I have done it differently, considering all the menus you needed to have, and the limitations of some cell phones. And I realized they'd done a fair job in a hard area.

And it's true, you can help anyone with a VZ phone instantly, because once you learn the menus, they're easy to navigate. And that's the point, not glitz or fancy effects or other BS. You don't even have to look at the display to use the keys.

You absolutley make sense. But I'm not necessarily saying they had to have anything with amazing bells and whistles, but it's just so blandly utilitarian.
And the other reason it bothers me, even if it's only on the dumb phones, is that it takes the some of the identity away from a particular phone manufacturer.
Motorola's UI was their own and LG's was their own, and so on. Each company had their own distinctive aesthetic and functionality in regards to their UI.

That's part of the reason I think the iPhone has been so successful. It's very aesthetic and interface immediately call to mind the company that manufactured it.

But again, this is nothing but my opinion.

 

[kdarling]

That's part of the reason I think the iPhone has been so successful. It's very aesthetic and interface immediately call to mind the company that manufactured it.

Yes, and that was the huge advantage Apple had by waiting so long to enter the market... they didn't have a decade of legacy phone apps to support.

Imagine if the iPhone had started a decade ago with iPod controls, numeric keypad, with a small B&W screen, and Apple had had to support those in the field for years at a time.

So Apple was smart to back off and wait until all the pieces were available to make a leap. Even then, they still had to hurry a bit, as other companies in 2006 were already showing off capacitive input, pinch zoom, etc. They struck just right.

 

[DnvrPete]

totally agree

i live in denver colorado. in the middle of the city and have very crappy service pretty much anywhere with ATT. the second Verizon will get the iphone I will be leaving att with a smile

1. You're nuts.

2. You're nuts.

When I can't get 3G in the Atlanta "Metro" area (which happens more often than you would think), the iPhone is waaaay slower at generating anything data wise than my old Verizon phones ever were. And I've had the HTC touch, the Storm and more, so I've had a lot of experience with both.

The plain and simple truth is that AT&T service sucks sucks sucks! No ifs, ands, or butts about it. If you try to talk your way around that, you're blowing smoke to anyone that's used both for an extended period of time.

Most of the At&T fanboys come from areas where they never drop a call, have full 3G and get continuous service. Unfortunately, that's the exception, not the norm for AT&T whereas it's the norm, not the exception for Verizon.

As I've said before....I'll drop AT&T the very second that Verizon gets the phone if / when they ever do. Even if Verizon has the issues of saturating the network and having to upgrade (as the excuse has been given for every AT&T excuse), I'll take those delays / issues to have the MUCH more extensive network already in place.

 

[ChaSSe]

Thank you for the map. The only people who care are the ***** ass bitches. (all of MacRumors)

 

[Rodimus Prime]

True. But doesn't AT&T also charge extra for VVM on non-iPhones?

Nope AT&T does not charge extra for VVM to non-iPhones. It is free to the phones that can do it. Blackberry Bold just got the update that allows it and the 8900 is predicted to get it with the release of OS 5.0 which is nearing release.

 

[jimbnvirginia]

totally agree

I have to agree with Cobra!! I currently live approximately 10 miles south of Fredericksburg, VA. I live in what they call the beltway region, I am 6 miles from Interstate 95, I am 7 miles from Bowling Green, VA and I am lucky if I receive a call on my iPhone 3G. I currently use Verzion EVDO rev 2, network for my internet service. My signal on Verzion is good (-60 Mhz), my signal on AT&T . We just move to Virginia from Texas, were we lived south of Forth Worth AT&T 3G was spotty, I worked in Cleburne, TX and there was NO 3G service. I can understand AT&T not having 3G coverage in real rural area but when you close to major metro areas, you should have coverage by now. I did not consider upgrading to 3GS because I am waiting for Verzion to have the iPhone. As soon as I can switch to Verzion without getting screwed, hopefully July 2010 or sooner, I WILL!!

1. You're nuts.

2. You're nuts.

When I can't get 3G in the Atlanta "Metro" area (which happens more often than you would think), the iPhone is waaaay slower at generating anything data wise than my old Verizon phones ever were. And I've had the HTC touch, the Storm and more, so I've had a lot of experience with both.

The plain and simple truth is that AT&T service sucks sucks sucks! No ifs, ands, or butts about it. If you try to talk your way around that, you're blowing smoke to anyone that's used both for an extended period of time.

Most of the At&T fanboys come from areas where they never drop a call, have full 3G and get continuous service. Unfortunately, that's the exception, not the norm for AT&T whereas it's the norm, not the exception for Verizon.

As I've said before....I'll drop AT&T the very second that Verizon gets the phone if / when they ever do. Even if Verizon has the issues of saturating the network and having to upgrade (as the excuse has been given for every AT&T excuse), I'll take those delays / issues to have the MUCH more extensive network already in place.

 

[thetexan]

You sound like a verizon fanboy. In any case Verizon's commercial was very clever and seems to indicate they won't be getting the iPhone anytime soon. IMO verizon sucks because they limit the capabilities of all their phones. I don't care if there network is better in the middle of nowhere.

That wouldn't make sense considering I left Verizon last year to get the iPhone 3G, and I don't miss Verizon at all. I'm just laying out the facts to counter blatant lies like "Verizon's EVDO is just as fast as AT&T's EDGE".

 

[Mischka07]

Verizons new commerial takes a dig at AT&T with the catch phrase, there's a Map for that. Verizon seems to have a bit more coverage.

I thought that was joke, until I heard the commercial for the first time on my way to work this morning. Sad thing is, it's true for the Bay Area, CA. VZW's coverage is the best around here, bar none.