I'm want to get an iPhone. I'm not restricted by any provider as I am with sprint and my contract is about to expire. Which service should I get?
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AT&T vs. Verizon
- Thread starter c0l3a5h3r
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Two things to factor in:
- Local Service - Doesn't matter which provider has X features if they have crap service. This should be your primary concern. Does Verizon or ATT have better local coverage.
- Speeds + Simultaneous Data/Voice: ATT has faster internet (in solid areas) and the ability to use Voice + Data at the same time. Verizon has slower internet (when compared to ATT in solid areas for both) but has tested w/ better voice quality.
Outside of that they're pretty much identical. So go with whichever has the best in your area as your primary. If they're equal factor in the 2nd part of the equation (or if that is VERY important).
D.
- Local Service - Doesn't matter which provider has X features if they have crap service. This should be your primary concern. Does Verizon or ATT have better local coverage.
- Speeds + Simultaneous Data/Voice: ATT has faster internet (in solid areas) and the ability to use Voice + Data at the same time. Verizon has slower internet (when compared to ATT in solid areas for both) but has tested w/ better voice quality.
Outside of that they're pretty much identical. So go with whichever has the best in your area as your primary. If they're equal factor in the 2nd part of the equation (or if that is VERY important).
D.
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Thanks. After a little more research I found that Verizon has better coverage. I'm going to go with them.
Thanks. After a little more research I found that Verizon has better coverage. I'm going to go with them.
If ATT provides good service in your area, go with that. You'll get faster speeds and you'll be able to use data while on a phone call. But if ATT offers bad service around your area, or anything short of excellent, get Verizon. You'll be slamming your head against the wall every time you make a phone call if the ATT service isn't outstanding in your area. If the service is the same, then get ATT. They just offer more right now.
Are there any websites that tell you who has the better overall service locally? Then that is the carrier to go with. Price-wise they are nearly identical except Verizon still has unlimited data plans but AT&T has rollover minutes. Doesn't matter at all on unlimited voice plans. I can't believe all the fanboy crap regarding preferred networks. They're all evil networks. You should jut give your hard-earned money to the network with better coverage where you are going to be the most. Period. It's great that Verizon and AT&T both have the iphone. That's like 80% of the US market. Now all this "my network is better than yours" bickering needs to stop. Guess what? My wi-fi is better than both combined so there 
Pick one of the many threads about AT&T Vs Verizon
Seriously though it all depends on your local area.
Find out how coverage is, ask people who have either VZ or AT&T and find out about their down/up speeds if that's important to you.
And again you still have 30 days to test out both services and decide on your own. Individual results will vary so someones experience in Florida will not be the same for someone in Texas for example.
Seriously though it all depends on your local area.
Find out how coverage is, ask people who have either VZ or AT&T and find out about their down/up speeds if that's important to you.
And again you still have 30 days to test out both services and decide on your own. Individual results will vary so someones experience in Florida will not be the same for someone in Texas for example.
Thanks for the link. Verizon, as expected around here, ranked easily the highest in just about all the Phoenix Metro zip's I checked.
I checked a few area's I lived, zip's, and based on the ratings and the few they show you immediately (reviews) I'd agree w/ the rating.
I do have to say this, though. I've had 4 cell phones at my current house (5 including the iPhone) (85296) which is an area that was completely rural/farmland until a few years ago (when it boomed and became one of the fastest growing area's in the US).
So coverage can be spotty in a few area's, and out of the 4 phones I've owned (Motorola Droid, Blackberry Curve, HTC Touch Pro & Blackberry Storm) and now my iPhone the best phone that I've had service on is the iPhone. In my house I used to get 2-3 bars just because of where i live and I get 4-5 w/ my iPhone.
+1 with some personal observations.....
Had been on Sprint for eons here in the DC area... they share networks with Verizon IIRC here in the DC area. Been with ATT since the first iPhone, and saw no real call differnce between networks locally.
On some road trips in SW Virginia my friends had better luck at times with Verizon than I did with ATT. But there was one time last year that us ATT users had connections in Fredericksburg VA while Verizon users didn't!
Not sure if it was the iPhone 4 - or my getting used to the power of the iPhone - but like the ability to take a call and surf the web at the same time....
The other factor to consider is who is on your network (saves minutes that way), and does ATT's rollover minutes makes sense for the way you make phone calls - it does for me so far...
Verizon may have better coverage but the speeds can be horrific. I've never once have had a problem with AT&T and their customer service is 10X nicer in my opinion. Plus Voice and Data at same time is a wonderful bonus.
You've had good luck on the CS side. They're ranked the worst of the US carriers.
Awesome on your local service. Unfortunately as a "whole" ATT has a worse overall voice network. Lots of dead spots. Most likely just issues w/ the GSM frequency not penetrating structures as well as the CDMA 800mhz spectrum. Nothing major, but for voice heavy users this is a big issue.
One thing I forgot to add is traveling. If you travel a lot I recommend going w/ Verizon. Simply because they have the more solid "overall" network and if you're on the road this can be a big deal.
If you're in your home area mostly (or do very little road travel) then definitely go for the best in your area for Voice/Data combo.
+1 on customer service! Took me like 6 months and Verizon threatening my credit rating after less than my 30 day trail with them years ago... ATT has been good so far...
Ranks and surveys dont mean much IMO.
What does matter is local area coverage in the place you spend most your time at. Unless you travel all over the US on the regural then local coverage wont matter much. But if you travel a few times a year Im sure you'd be able to put up with good or bad coverage depending on the place you are for a short period of time.
What matters more to me is 3G speeds, be able to talk and pull data at the same time, customer support and the ability to swap phones at any time with a sim card and JB and unlock my iphone to use abroad when I travel to Europe a few times a year.
But again, everyones needs are different so do what works best for you.
AT&T operates on 850mhz in teh great majority of areas. And I do travel a lot and wouldn't agree with this statement.