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AT&T PHONE service...

E

enaught

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 28, 2008
12
0
Left Coast
I would like to get an iPhone, but I have heard mixed reviews of AT&T's phone service. While I'm sure to be happy with the iPhone as a web browser and for use with e-mail, texting and other applications, I want to know people's opinion on the PHONE aspect.

Are you happy with AT&T's phone service? (i.e. coverage, quality, , customer service)

I live in LA and have Sprint. Did any of you switch from Sprint, and how do you think AT&T's phone service compares?

Thanks!

E
 
The area I live in doesn't have 3G, but my edge connection has always been very good. I have been impressed with the call quality in my area.

I think you will get a lot of different opinions depending on the users location.
 
i live in the suburbs of Chicago, and where i live AT&T reigns supreme. They have the best voice quality and coverage. I usually have 3-Full 3g service wherever i am.
 
I have used at&t across the US, and with the exception of a 3 week period while in Flint, MI, my service has rivaled land lines. Most people think I'm at home when I answer the phone (as in my parent's house, which has a landline). This is true with by V180 and my iPhone.

Right now the current problem with the iPhone is the power (read attention) it needs from the towers. Firmware 2.0.2 is supposed to fix is, but it won't be totally remedied until everyone upgrades, as even a single iPhone 3G connecting with 2.0 or 2.0.1 can cause problems.

TEG
 
enaught said:
I would like to get an iPhone, but I have heard mixed reviews of AT&T's phone service. While I'm sure to be happy with the iPhone as a web browser and for use with e-mail, texting and other applications, I want to know people's opinion on the PHONE aspect.

Are you happy with AT&T's phone service? (i.e. coverage, quality, , customer service)

I live in LA and have Sprint. Did any of you switch from Sprint, and how do you think AT&T's phone service compares?

Thanks!

E
Click to expand...

Ive heard sprint sucks in LA, but I hate att... I am close to switching to tmobile
 
Sprint sucks... not for me

thechidz said:
Ive heard sprint sucks in LA, but I hate att... I am close to switching to tmobile
Click to expand...
I've had Sprint for 12 years, starting in Washington, DC and now LA (for the past 8 years. I've never had major problems. This is why I am cautious of switching. Because you HAVE to use AT&T with the iPhone (I don't want to do the whole jailbreak thing), I don't want to switch to a cell phone carrier that I will be unhappy with.
 
Well you can't (yet) unlock the iPhone 3G, but even if you could, the only other carrier you'd be able to use it with is T-Mobile. Sprint does not use GSM/UMTS.

I switched from Sprint in early 2007 (pre-iPhone) and have not regretted it. Granted, I left Sprint because of serious billing issues they could not resolve, and I was simply fed up after seven years of the declining customer service, but AT&T was a breath of fresh air.

In any case, like I tell everyone thinking of switching, you do have 30 days to try out the iPhone and AT&T service. Your best bet might be to sign up on a new AT&T line with a new phone number and try it out during the trial period. If you don't like it, return it and you'll still be with Sprint like nothing happened. But if you are happy, then you can just call up AT&T (611 on your phone) before the 30 days are up, and tell them you want to port your Sprint number over your existing line.
 
scaredpoet said:
Well you can't (yet) unlock the iPhone 3G, but even if you could, the only other carrier you'd be able to use it with is T-Mobile. Sprint does not use GSM/UMTS.
Click to expand...

It wouldn't really matter then, since T-Mobile USA is using the old AWS frequency for their 3G (1700 MHz) whereas at&t is using 850 MHz, and others are using PCS (1900 MHz) or 2100 MHz and the iPhone only supports 850, 1900, and 2100.

TEG
 
My personal experience: I had sprint for 3 years and never had a problem with coverage. I switched from Sprint basically for the iphone. The instinct just didn't do it for me. AT&T in my area (Roseville, CA--just outside of Sacramento) has "ok" coverage. Outdoors its fine pretty much anywhere, but I struggle to get a solid signal when I am indoors sometimes. At my house I get 1-2 bars downstairs and usually 3 bars upstairs but every now and then I will get the dreaded "No Service". As far as call quality, from my personal experience CDMA carriers (Sprint/Verizon) have better call clarity. However, each area has different coverage so go try it out!
 
I live in Long Beach, and am everywhere from Burbank to North OC all the time. 3G coverage is really good for me.

I've had two dropped calls since July, and have 3G coverage almost everywhere I go.

I was really leery of switching from Verizon, which, as you know, is great out here, to AT&T, because their non-3G service is horrible. But they've done a great job in installing the 3G network all around this area.

HTH
 
enaught said:
I would like to get an iPhone, but I have heard mixed reviews of AT&T's phone service. While I'm sure to be happy with the iPhone as a web browser and for use with e-mail, texting and other applications, I want to know people's opinion on the PHONE aspect.

Are you happy with AT&T's phone service? (i.e. coverage, quality, , customer service)

I live in LA and have Sprint. Did any of you switch from Sprint, and how do you think AT&T's phone service compares?

Thanks!

E
Click to expand...

I think that the the "phone" in iPhone is its weakest feature which may or may not be the total fault of AT&T. I have used a Razr and Nokia on AT&T, and have gotten better reception from both phones on the network.

In my opinion, the phone's strength more than compensate for this weakness. I was recently in Los Angeles, and I did not get better service there than I do in FL, for whatever that is worth.

Jude
 
I live in Northern California and my Iphone drops calls left and right; and I have AT&T. I also have no bars in my office, so my Iphone is useless in my office. I never had this problem with other cell phones! :(
 
I live in Chester County, PA. My house is right on the fringe of 3G service, so unless the weather is just right, I get EDGE only at home. However, the service is fine. I work in and around Newark, DE and Wilmington, DE and travel to Philadelphia a lot. 3G service in those locations is usually good enough, though like everyone else had some early issues with slow/non-existent 3G data throughput despite apparently good signal strength. Getting better as of late. EDGE has been solid from the get-go when I got the original iPhone over a year ago on launch day.
 
This is my 2nd iPhone (I sold the first one a month before the 3G came out. They both have had great phone quality. Virtually no dropped calls and they both sounded great! I had to go back to my old Treo 650 between iPhones and found it just brutal to use because it dropped, warbled, and cut in and out. Both iPhones have been a pleasure for talking and in pretty much every other use!
 
Is this some bizarro-world thread? An AT&T plant? The comments in here (mostly) sound completely the opposite of what is posted in other threads.
 
xraydoc said:
I live in Chester County, PA. My house is right on the fringe of 3G service, so unless the weather is just right, I get EDGE only at home. However, the service is fine. I work in and around Newark, DE and Wilmington, DE and travel to Philadelphia a lot. 3G service in those locations is usually good enough, though like everyone else had some early issues with slow/non-existent 3G data throughput despite apparently good signal strength. Getting better as of late. EDGE has been solid from the get-go when I got the original iPhone over a year ago on launch day.
Click to expand...

I live in Montgomery County, PA. Pretty close to Chester and just about the same thing as you.
I hope with the new update coming it will all be fixed.
 
randymac88 said:
Is this some bizarro-world thread? An AT&T plant? The comments in here (mostly) sound completely the opposite of what is posted in other threads.
Click to expand...

I haven't posted in this thread yet but I can say my service has been fine and I have said so in other threads. A couple glitches hear and there but nothing extreme or out of the ordinary. In fact, I started getting 3G at my home just a couple of days ago. Still a little weak but I'll take anything I can get.
 
I recently moved from just north of Providence in Mass to 18 miles south of Boston. In my old BFE town I got 5 bars always and perfect edge.

Now at my new house I get "No Service" on my phone. I'm in the moderate part of AT&T's coverage map. More bars, yeah right.

I am very disappointed. I had to get a house phone because of this. I am surprised on how awful the service is here.

I wish they would increase the coverage.

:mad:
 
My experience:

AT&T service sucks at home and at work (it was better with 2.0). Almost everywhere else in LA, the service has been pretty much decent.
 
TEG said:
Right now the current problem with the iPhone is the power (read attention) it needs from the towers. Firmware 2.0.2 is supposed to fix is, but it won't be totally remedied until everyone upgrades, as even a single iPhone 3G connecting with 2.0 or 2.0.1 can cause problems.

TEG
Click to expand...

Is this true? That doesn't sound possible.
 
I've had the same service for YEARS now. I live in the RTP area of North Carolina.

I was with BellSouth Mobility, then Cingular, and now AT&T.

I have NO problems with service (there are very TINY areas where I know calls will drop, so I avoid using the phone while driving through them, unless I'm on with someone who knows I might drop them, and that's cool).

I have 3G pretty much everywhere. In fact, I've not lost it yet since I upgraded.

I like AT&T, as much as one can like a cell phone carrier, anyway.
 
Other threads

randymac88 said:
Is this some bizarro-world thread? An AT&T plant? The comments in here (mostly) sound completely the opposite of what is posted in other threads.
Click to expand...
I started this thread because I was too lazy to find other threads on the topic. If anyone can direct me to other threads, I'd appreciate it so I can read them.
Thanks!
 
randymac88 said:
Is this some bizarro-world thread? An AT&T plant? The comments in here (mostly) sound completely the opposite of what is posted in other threads.
Click to expand...

They are. The other threads are people with legitimate issues, but are a vocal minority. Officially, the number was at 2% of users affected but that was a few weeks ago. It would be pretty boring if the million + users not having issues came here and posted. I'm glad people are reporting they are OK. It reaffirms my decision to buy one. I've not yet had a problem with reception.
 
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