AT&T Customers Remaining Loyal as Verizon and Sprint Gain iPhone

[Macboy Pro]

and to be honest, yes I miss the data/voice at the same time but reason I did switch wasn't much to do with AT&T coverage but was due to wife ending up with a terrible piece of crap Samsung Galaxy phone. And AT&T would do absolutely nothing to try to help her out. So more for bad customer service was the switch made to Sprint more than any other reason.
Sprint seems fine up here in Seattle-Tacoma (Western Washington in general) area and calls don't drop in certain places where AT&T did.
So overall happy with the switch.

This is classic. Wife ended up with a "piece of crap Samsung Galaxy phone" Uh. you chose the phone, had 30 days to return it and apparently didn't. And that is AT&T's fault? You know, they have to pay for the phones that you pick, why didn't you return it within the 30 days? If it was a "piece of crap" then you would think it would need to be returned right away.

A little (or A LOT) unfair to blame AT&T (or any carrier) for your mistake.

 

[ls1dreams]

Didn't read the rest of this thread, but the only reason AT&T didn't receive churn from me is because of the grandfathered-in unlimited data package I have.

If they ever drop that, I'll jump to Verizon immediately.

 

[vitzr]

Hmm, a dickish comment with no explanation. Do please explain how knowing how cell networks function affects the necessity of voice consistency when talking on the phone for work, or how how knowing how cell networks function would prevent my phone from dropping signal on the way to the pool.

Oops, must have hit a nerve, read the post it's self evident.

 

[davidmartindale]

Stay with at&t!

I had an iPhone 4 and 3GS with AT&T, but then because of work I switched to Verizon and got the white iPhone 4. Verizon always screws up our bill, we call them, they say its fixed, then next month its messed up again. I lose 3G signal temporarily all the time with Verizon, and never did with AT&T, unless its when Im suppose to be out of service, like in the mountains. Also with Verizon you can't be on the phone and use 3G at the same time. So stay with AT&T if you already have it. Although I wonder what Sprints like. I had Sprint before the iPhone, they never really gave me problems, but I have no idea of what their 3Gs like.

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Didn't read the rest of this thread, but the only reason AT&T didn't receive churn from me is because of the grandfathered-in unlimited data package I have.

If they ever drop that, I'll jump to Verizon immediately.

I had that too, but then I switched to Verizon, but fortunately I got a business plan so I still am able to and do have unlimited date. But overall I liked AT&T better.

 

[AlterEg0]

I have my unlimited data and that's the ONLY reason I'm still with AT&T.

Three words - Verizon 4G LTE - Windows Phone 7 - Nokia Lumia 800... I am gone.. no Antenna Gate, Battery Gate, Audio Gate anymore.

 

[nsayer]

I don't know about anyone else, but our family switched from AT&T to Verizon with the release of the 4S. I was going to wait until an LTE iPhone came out and take that opportunity to judge which network was better at that time, but I just couldn't tolerate AT&T's horrible coverage anymore. I take CalTrain (most) every day to work and back, and to have 10 mile stretches of territory right through downtown Palo Alto - the very geographic center of the Internet, if such a thing exists - where the phone simply doesn't work at all is intolerable. That, combined with poor coverage at home and the 3G Microcell, which never worked properly over the 18 months we gate AT&T to get it fixed, and AT&T's mix of incompetence and indifference and I just couldn't take it any longer.

As for the network technology itself, even though I was theoretically using HSDPA on AT&T, I rarely ever saw speeds in excess of 3 mbps, and when you consider how often I saw speeds of precisely 0, I'm quite happy to see CONSISTENT speeds of 1.5 mbps or so.

And to make up for not having an LTE iPhone, I am using an LTE MiFi. On THAT, I routinely see speeds in excess of 15 mbps down as 10 mbps up. I hardly ever see speeds dip below 5 mbps. And having a MiFi of any sort obviates the lack of simultaneous data/voice support on the phone.

Once an LTE iPhone comes out, I'll upgrade to that and use tethering instead, but until then I'm far and away happier than I was with AT&T.

 

[Lancelot9201]

Yea, Like I Believe That.!!!

If anyone believes that I've got some ocean front property in Colorado I'm looking to sell. Companies like this proved a long time ago that they can
play with the numbers to reflex the spin they're feeding us.

 

[satcomer]

My coverage is really good around here. I can drive i90 from Rochester all the way through Ohio without issue.

I get the same driving US Route 15 from Maryland to (turns to State Route 15 in Corning NY) Rochester. My old dumb Verizon phone would always drop in upper rural Pennsylvania. At least from DC to Lake Ontario AT&T is always good.

 

[marconiusrex]

Verizon ...yes! What?

I was one of those folks waiting for iPhone to come out on Verizon because they have such good call coverage....but then ...what! Slower data speeds! You can not be on a call and then surf the web during a call! ? I had never heard that until the day Verizon got the iPhone. So waited for the most recent iPhone release to make a decision. I decided to get the 4s...my first smart phone. I'm pretty glad at present I got it on AT&T. I never imagined how many things I'd use a phone for before I got this phone and calls are such a small percentage of what I use it for. But happy to report that call quality is really good too. I do think I'd consider the Verison option if I lived way off the grid.

 

[Oskee2001]

I was in Chicago last month; and I'm glad to hear I was not the only one.

Seems AT&T has terrible coverage in that area; its shocking. In Minneapolis/SaintPaul+metro AT&T coverage is great! Even with 3GS I was getting almost 4MB/sec speeds.

Funny I've had AT&T in Chicago since 1999 and it's better than ever now... Rarely do I drop a call and get 3G data 62 floors up, and at home in lake view I actually get 3.50 mps data. So really can't complain.

 

[deannnnn]

I'm "loyal" because I have to be.

I'm on contract and in a family plan. If I left I'd have to pay the early termination fee plus way more every month to have a plan with a single phone, than the five lines on my current family plan. Otherwise I would switch to Verizon. Simultaneous data isn't much of a perk when your calls are dropped and you can't get reliable data anyway. I know most people don't have those problems, but that's life as an AT&T customer in New York City.

 

[Terrin]

Mistaken

I think you are confused. I have iPhone 4 unlocked on T-Mobile. The rates can be cheaper then AT&T depending on what you want, and in my area the service is more reliable then AT&T. I use data and voice at the same time all the time on T-Mobile. I am using it now. That is a feature of the GSM network, which both AT&T and T-Mobile are. It is Sprint and Verizon you can't currently do that on unless you have an LTE phone.

Plus voice and data is nice - T-Mobile couldn't do that and it is often handy.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

$375 is the new ETF starting 2011/2010 about. Those who were on 3GS should be on the older fee.

Then what AT&T explained to me about their ETF:

$375 the first month; then -$10 each month for a year. After the first year its -$20 each month until the contract expires, so that means $55 ETF if you have your contract for 20 months.

I don't know if VZW and Sprint have similar policies regarding their ETF.

I'm only 15 months into my contract, so I would pay $180 less for my ETF; which mine might be $275 and not $375. (I have to doublecheck)...

$375 is the ETF starting with the iPhone 4, which is what I said, never referenced the 3GS

Not sure about $20 a mo. after the first year, the lady only told me it was $10 off per month when I was asking her about my ETF to leave att. I think the funniest part of when I made the call.... she tried to convince me staying with att was in my best interest because they were the only provider that offered the 3GS, 4, and 4S... yeah if I already upgraded from my 3GS and my iP4, why would I care to go back to them??? haha

 

[Michael CM1]

People aren't switching en masse because your iPhone 4 owners are still under contract. Not everybody is like me and desperate enough to leave AT&T that they would pay $80 extra. But I had suffered through two years of crappy service at my new house and hitting dead spots between here and work.

Is AT&T's network "faster?" Theoretically, yes. But when I have a four-bar signal at places where i used to be lucky to get one, it's amazing how Verizon seems like FiOS to my phone.

Evaluate these numbers over a couple of years when AT&T customers have the option to switch without paying an ETF. I'm betting plenty will. When the iPhone gets 4G LTE, likely next year, then we'll see what the speed comparisons are like considering Verizon has blanketed my area with 4G LTE.

 

[ilifecomputer]

I switched to Sprint to secure an employee discount line for 50 a month with everything. Switching back to my 90 a month att because service in my pasadena,ca apt is non existent with sprint. The best network is the one that works for you.

 

[japanime]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Also, AT&T allows simultaneous voice and data. This is huge when talking and looking something up, or when tethering.

Excellent point. I was surprised it wasn't mentioned in the original post.

I believe this is same reason that the much-maligned Softbank has been able to maintain its iPhone dominance in Japan, even though au/KDDI also now has the iPhone. (Softbank is GSM, au/KDDI is CDMA.)

 

[bobbleheadbob]

I just wish they'd spend more time working on beefing up their coverage areas (Boston area, including dead spots downtown!), and less time worrying about their charm rates. Fix the service issues, AT&T, and more people will stay with you.

 

[Mochi Hana]

Didn't read the rest of this thread, but the only reason AT&T didn't receive churn from me is because of the grandfathered-in unlimited data package I have.

If they ever drop that, I'll jump to Verizon immediately.

Same here, but I'd probably go to Sprint.

 

[Macboy Pro]

Three words - Verizon 4G LTE - Windows Phone 7 - Nokia Lumia 800... I am gone.. no Antenna Gate, Battery Gate, Audio Gate anymore.

Uh, Verizon 4G LTE is a commercial, not reality. Windows Phone (LOL), Antenna Gate is over, Battery Gate (huh). But I guess you can switch to windows for Virus Gate... Have Fun!

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Uh, Verizon 4G LTE is a commercial, not reality. Windows Phone (LOL), Antenna Gate is over, Battery Gate (huh). But I guess you can switch to windows for Virus Gate... Have Fun!

umm verizon has the largest 4G LTE network in america and covers over 130 different markets, compared to att's paltry 5.

Windows Phone 7 is just as closed as iOS.... no such thing as virus gate.

I guess you can keep your hater hat on while you're making false claims!

 

[Macboy Pro]

People aren't switching en masse because your iPhone 4 owners are still under contract. Not everybody is like me and desperate enough to leave AT&T that they would pay $80 extra. But I had suffered through two years of crappy service at my new house and hitting dead spots between here and work.

Is AT&T's network "faster?" Theoretically, yes. But when I have a four-bar signal at places where i used to be lucky to get one, it's amazing how Verizon seems like FiOS to my phone.

Evaluate these numbers over a couple of years when AT&T customers have the option to switch without paying an ETF. I'm betting plenty will. When the iPhone gets 4G LTE, likely next year, then we'll see what the speed comparisons are like considering Verizon has blanketed my area with 4G LTE.

Sorry, the data shows AT&T network pushing 2x as fast as Verizons. There have been many reports showing that when new phones comes out (Like the 4s), people are re-uping with AT&T, so your facts are incorrect. The reason people are NOT leaving AT&T is because most people prefer the FASTER and FULL FEATURED AT&T Network.

 

[MacNewbie03]

I have AT&T and really wish I had Verizon. Verizon has 3G in my area (rural) and AT&T doesn't. Love the phone, hate the network. I'd rather not pay the $300 or so early termination fee to get out of the contract. The contract is up in July so AT&T has until then to get 3G. I'm not optimistic that will happen.

 

[Wicked1]

After 8 years with Verizon and being treated poorly by customer service, I moved to AT&T 2008 and never looked back. I never had the connection issues or problems some talk about, in fact I stand next to people with Verizon and my Data is faster, and since the iPhone 4 no dropped calls.

It also goes to show you when VZ got the iphone everyone said there would be a mass exodus from AT&T, well people know AT&T is not that bad, besides how many have left the other carriers to come to AT&T????

AT&T's customer service to me has been Top Notch, but I know to each their own. I think Apple should offer T-Mobile the phone just for competition sake, however T-Mobile does not have the money or desire to pay Apple their Riches, so T-Mobile will go down like the Titanic sooner or later.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

Sorry, the data shows AT&T network pushing 2x as fast as Verizons. There have been many reports showing that when new phones comes out (Like the 4s), people are re-uping with AT&T, so your facts are incorrect. The reason people are NOT leaving AT&T is because most people prefer the FASTER and FULL FEATURED AT&T Network.

or maybe because those people are still under contract but att will let them upgrade early if they sign new contracts.

You can't really put a reason on why people are sticking with att because there are plenty....

-some are content with their service
-some don't want to give up unlimited data
-some are on company plans
-some are under contract
-some want the 4S without paying ETF
-some don't care who their provider is

there are a multitude of reasons someone might stick with att... stop telling people they are wrong as to why people are sticking around.

and your argument about the data is flawed. Just like michael said, THEORETICALLY, yes att is faster, but if I'm at my office and have 1 bar with att, but 4 bars with verizon... which do you think is going to be faster??? How about if I get no signal at home with att, but have 2 bars with verizon. Theoretical network speeds mean nothing to me if I don't have service in the places I need them. Network speeds depend on your location, signal strength, number of subscribers in the area, etc.

 

[Macboy Pro]

and your argument about the data is flawed. Just like michael said, THEORETICALLY, yes att is faster, but if I'm at my office and have 1 bar with att, but 4 bars with verizon... which do you think is going to be faster??? How about if I get no signal at home with att, but have 2 bars with verizon. Theoretical network speeds mean nothing to me if I don't have service in the places I need them. Network speeds depend on your location, signal strength, number of subscribers in the area, etc.

Then I guess all tests are flawed if they result in the actual fact that the AT&T network is significantly faster. Here are three tests/writeup of which one was test in San Fran, which happens to be one of the "problem" markets for AT&T:

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/10/19/iphone-4s-3g-speed-test-att-vs-sprint-vs-verizon-part-1/

http://www.cio.com/article/674663/AT_T_iPhone_vs._Verizon_iPhone_Which_Performs_Better_

http://osxdaily.com/2011/02/03/verizon-iphone-vs-att-iphone-speed-test/

Tests vary from iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and 3GS. All conclude in AT&T being significantly faster.

I could dig up 10 more links but I think the point is made. Sure, if you live in an area where Verizon threw up one of their couple LTE towers, you might compare to AT&T but generally AT&T is faster across the board.