Called AT&T

[roland.g]

So I called AT&T to find out when my contract ended, and was given a mid-July date by the phone rep, which made sense since I bought my 3G shortly after launch in July 08. She asked me why I wanted to know, and I told her so I could entertain other wireless carriers, hardware, etc. and make a decision as to my future mobile needs. But I didn't want to pay an ETF, which she informed me would be $60-70 if I left before then.

What was really odd is that she gave me all that info and not once asked why I was looking to switch carriers, what issues I might be having, or what factors were going into my decision making process so that could have the opportunity to save my business. Not that I would buy AT&T stock, but it doesn't bode well for their company to see that they could care less about who leaves or doesn't. I know the iPhone brings them record number of new customers and that the 3GSX, 4G, iPhone HD or whatever it will be called this summer will only add to that as long as there isn't a subsequent Verizon launch a few months late. But it just seemed odd that they really didn't give a ____.

Reasons I would want to leave in order of importance:

1. Network and dropped calls is abysmal still!
2. See #1 again.
3. I really can't stress the first 2 enough.
4. Bill seems to keep going up for no reason, no extra usage. Maybe everyone does this with "fees" etc. But their SMS plans for the iPhone are ridiculous. And I'm on one of them so I'm not paying for SMS a la carte.
5. Still no tethering available for the iPhone, and with the iPad 3G coming out, I don't expect to see it. Certainly not free of charge.
6. I would have considered a 3G iPad had they opted to give iPhone contract customers a plan combo for iPhone and iPad 3G service, but screw that as their 3G is horrible anyway.

Reasons I would keep my iPhone in order of importance:

1. It syncs my Contacts, Mail, Calendars with MobileMe great and I love that functionality.
2. There are some Apps, Maps for finding and calling and traffic, and a few others that are indispensable to the iPhone and not really iPad type Apps.

Maybe I really need to consider a dumbphone and get better phone service as the top priority.

 

[bigjnyc]

Maybe she looked at your account, saw that you had an iPhone and thought "aaah he's not going anywhere..... and if he does, he'll be back"

 

[jlamb0]

You're reasons for keeping the iPhone are similar to mine, but I've started looking into alternatives because the closed (seemingly arbitrarily so at times) nature of the app store is bugging me.

I found that third party syncing solutions are out there for android and palm devices, including (unprotected) iTunes media, and the apps I use (maps, email, messaging, social networks, etc.) have counterparts on other platforms that are as good as or better than what is found on the iPhone.
Take a look at what is available in the Android Marketplace and the WebOS App Catalogue.

I, for one, will probably be jumping ship in favor of the next HP/Palm device that sports WebOS when my contract comes up next year. I'll miss the simplicity of iTunes syncing, but not enough to stay.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Reasons I would keep my iPhone in order of importance:

1. It syncs my Contacts, Mail, Calendars with MobileMe great and I love that functionality.
2. There are some Apps, Maps for finding and calling and traffic, and a few others that are indispensable to the iPhone and not really iPad type Apps.

Maybe I really need to consider a dumbphone and get better phone service as the top priority.

Well 1. might be a hard lost to eat but you can reduce the pain of it by moving a lot of it over to Gmail. Gmail will sync you calandar, contacts, mail and I believe it can sync with your mac as well. You will loss some of the higher end stuff from mobile me but you no longer will be paying for it either.
2. Go look at android. It has the apps for finding maps, calling and traffic that are at the same level as the iPhones. It will be some apps you can not find but all the big critical ones are in both market places.
Hell blackberry has most of those apps as well.

Remember the rules to choosing a phone are
1. Find a carrier that works best where you are.
2. See rule one
3. If you do not follow rule 1 and 2 you should not complain.
4. Then choose a phone on that network.


I have a blackberry and it syncs my calendar, contact and email. Contacts and calandar are handled by an app call Google sync. Nice little app that updates itself every 2 hours to check for changes. Email is pushed to the phone threw RIM famous push email service. The apps for traffic, and finding places are on both so I am good with that.

As for my carrier I am with AT&T because where I spend my time its service is great and the perks of free M2M keep me on it.

 

[mcdj]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

Not to defend AT&T, but the fact that one CS rep didn't inquire about your service concerns doesn't mean that the next CS rep you speak to wouldn't.

You could get the most knowledgeable caring rep, ir the most clueless and detached. Neither are a good representation of the average.

 

[roland.g]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)

Not to defend AT&T, but the fact that one CS rep didn't inquire about your service concerns doesn't mean that the next CS rep you speak to wouldn't.

You could get the most knowledgeable caring rep, ir the most clueless and detached. Neither are a good representation of the average.

What I dare AT&T to do is send a rep to spend a day with my phone and tell me they still want to use AT&T after that.

Just before the 1 year expiration of my iPhone warranty in 2009 I had my phone replaced at an Apple Store after hours and countless calls to AT&T and Apple to try and resolve my dropped calls and signal quality. The Apple Store genius did a diagnostic that reported my phone had a 44% dropped call rate over the previous week. So I walked out of the store with a replacement phone. Over that summer AT&T "upgraded" their network to finally make it more robust. But things got marginally better.

Is it the network or the phone. People with iPhones in other countries don't have the issues that U.S. AT&T customers do. But at the same time my wife's flip phone doesn't drop calls on AT&T like my iPhone does. So maybe it is the way the iPhone and AT&T interact that is the problem. Dunno.

But I can tell you I live in a fairly major city, in the heart of the city, where there is always full coverage and that a dropped call while sitting stationary in near proximity to a cell tower is never the result of dropped signal bars. The call just fails. How many times do I place a call and the calls fails prior to even ringing through, where I have to try 3 or 4 times before it connects.

 

[Shorties]

Haha for some reason with your title, I half expected the entire body of your post to be "And my iPhone dropped my call"

Anyway, I honestly believe AT&T will only get better in the next 5 years, while Verizon will be stuck in the current situation that AT&T is in. The reason Verizon has 3G coverage everywhere they have cell coverage is because the towers they owned, essentially required a software update to support 3G. While AT&T had to go update their towers with new hardware. But with the next generation of mobile internet technologies the roles will be switched. Most of AT&Ts 3G towers will be a much easier upgrade process than Verizons because of the way LTE works with CDMA towers.

 

[aristobrat]

But I can tell you I live in a fairly major city, in the heart of the city, where there is always full coverage and that a dropped call while sitting stationary in near proximity to a cell tower is never the result of dropped signal bars.

If you haven't already read the technical explanation for that, see below. Hopefully AT&T will rectify it in your area sooner than later.

A source—who requested we not reveal his identity—told Ars that the problem isn't the cell radio hardware, nor the network infrustructure, but an issue with the way that the iPhone OS conserves power. All iPhone apps, including Phone.app, cause the radio to switch from "active" to "idle" mode when accessing the network far more often than traditional phones do. This causes the signaling channel, responsible for such functions as SMS messaging, initiating, maintaining, or ending a phone call, voicemail notifications, and DHCP requests, to become overloaded.

"This can lead to odd effects," the source told Ars. "For example, you could be in an area with perfect 5-bar reception, but because the signalling channel is overloaded your phone won't ring and calls go into voicemail." Our source also said that the iPhone was the first phone to cause this particular problem, but that Android and webOS phones have had a similar effect.

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2...-iphone-service-is-apples-fault-is-bunkum.ars

Rodimus' rules for picking a phone are spot on.

 

[jlc1978]

Haha for some reason with your title, I half expected the entire body of your post to be "And my iPhone dropped my call"

Anyway, I honestly believe AT&T will only get better in the next 5 years, while Verizon will be stuck in the current situation that AT&T is in. The reason Verizon has 3G coverage everywhere they have cell coverage is because the towers they owned, essentially required a software update to support 3G. While AT&T had to go update their towers with new hardware. But with the next generation of mobile internet technologies the roles will be switched. Most of AT&Ts 3G towers will be a much easier upgrade process than Verizons because of the way LTE works with CDMA towers.

Actually, most cell phone towers are owned by companies like Crown Castle and American Tower; not the cell phone companies. They simply lease space for their antennas and the tower companies handle the rest. A tower will often have multiple providers antennas on it and using the the backhaul.

 

[roland.g]

Rodimus' rules for picking a phone are spot on.

Except that by what you said, I could stay with AT&T over say Verizon as long as I got away from pretty much any smartphone until this problem is resolved.

 

[thetexan]

Haha for some reason with your title, I half expected the entire body of your post to be "And my iPhone dropped my call"

Anyway, I honestly believe AT&T will only get better in the next 5 years, while Verizon will be stuck in the current situation that AT&T is in. The reason Verizon has 3G coverage everywhere they have cell coverage is because the towers they owned, essentially required a software update to support 3G. While AT&T had to go update their towers with new hardware. But with the next generation of mobile internet technologies the roles will be switched. Most of AT&Ts 3G towers will be a much easier upgrade process than Verizons because of the way LTE works with CDMA towers.

There is so much misinformation on this forum it's not even funny sometimes.

The transition from 1x to EVDO (CDMA's 3G) required a hardware update. Verizon had to upgrade the hardware on each tower for 3G. There was a software update for something called EVDO Rev. A, but before Rev. A could be implimented the towers had to be upgraded hardware wise to support EVDO. It's very similar to how AT&T had to update the tower's hardware for 3G then a software update allowed 7.2.

Also the transition from GSM to LTE will be the same as going from CDMA to LTE. The only thing LTE shares with GSM is the group behind the standard. LTE is not backwards compatible with GSM, and it will require a hardware update for both Verizon and AT&T. Both organizations will have to run two networks (GSM+LTE for AT&T and CDMA+LTE for Verizon) as people transition from one standard to another. Both GSM and CDMA will be phased out, and in the next 15-20 years your current iPhone 3GS will be a paperweight.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Except that by what you said, I could stay with AT&T over say Verizon as long as I got away from pretty much any smartphone until this problem is resolved.

I think it is a mixture of AT&T and the iPhone.
I left Verizon years ago because they sucked where I was at the time (Lubbock Texas) and I think about I left Texas Tech they started getting better but by then it was to late.

First I went to sprint because it was a Cingular and Sprint coverage in the area. I later switch to Cingular which because AT&T because that was most of my friends and family were on and it again work great in the areas I was in.

 

[Shorties]

There is so much misinformation on this forum it's not even funny sometimes.

The transition from 1x to EVDO (CDMA's 3G) required a hardware update. Verizon had to upgrade the hardware on each tower for 3G. There was a software update for something called EVDO Rev. A, but before Rev. A could be implimented the towers had to be upgraded hardware wise to support EVDO. It's very similar to how AT&T had to update the tower's hardware for 3G then a software update allowed 7.2.

Also the transition from GSM to LTE will be the same as going from CDMA to LTE. The only thing LTE shares with GSM is the group behind the standard. LTE is not backwards compatible with GSM, and it will require a hardware update for both Verizon and AT&T. Both organizations will have to run two networks (GSM+LTE for AT&T and CDMA+LTE for Verizon) as people transition from one standard to another. Both GSM and CDMA will be phased out, and in the next 15-20 years your current iPhone 3GS will be a paperweight.

Hmm, I must of gotten confused over the 7.2mbs 3G, Well that's good to know, thanks for the explanation.

 

[aristobrat]

Except that by what you said, I could stay with AT&T over say Verizon as long as I got away from pretty much any smartphone until this problem is resolved.

I don't think so. Dumphones require the signaling channel in order to know when to ring, get txts, etc. If you're in an area where the signaling channel is overloaded at times, during those times, all devices should be affected, not just smartphones.

 

[snoopy07]

Iphone on t-mobile will be a great Solution

come this summer the best that can happen is a t-mobile iphone.

 

[omegaphil6]

why do people always say AT&T Drops calls? That is simply not true! I've AT&T for 5+ years and it is near flawless.

And if you are SO sure that the other providers have this magic network that never drops calls, then why in the hell would you sign a 2 year contract with AT&T? Did you not realize it when you signed the actual contract? Did these mythical dropped calls not start happening until the 31st day of your service?

Since you have AT&T then you really don't know how good the other providers network really are aside from word of mouth but that isn't a real world test.

If you are really unhappy, pay your ETF (which you knew about on the day you signed your contract) and go elsewhere!

F&%#ing whinebags

 

[mstrze]

why do people always say AT&T Drops calls? That is simply not true! I've AT&T for 5+ years and it is near flawless

+1

Although I have heard, but not experienced, that it really is an issue in some cities.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

why do people always say AT&T Drops calls? That is simply not true! I've AT&T for 5+ years and it is near flawless.

And if you are SO sure that the other providers have this magic network that never drops calls, then why in the hell would you sign a 2 year contract with AT&T? Did you not realize it when you signed the actual contract? Did these mythical dropped calls not start happening until the 31st day of your service?

Since you have AT&T then you really don't know how good the other providers network really are aside from word of mouth but that isn't a real world test.

If you are really unhappy, pay your ETF (which you knew about on the day you signed your contract) and go elsewhere!

F&%#ing whinebags

Wow so you have been lucky one. AT&T has gotten worse over the years in dropped calls and I have found out were they are more common on the time I have used AT&T.

A lot of the problems are coming up in very heavily populated areas were they towers are getting over loaded.

The service providers in a given area is a hit or miss. Were it is great we're you may live it may suck were some one else lives.

Take for example my experience with Verizon. It worked great in Houston but in Lubbock it dropped calls, and did not send voice mail notifications. Now when the contract was up I switch to sprint and I was happy with them. Just they had some more dead zones during my drive and most of my friends and family were on AT&T.

Back to my point. over the past few years in the same given location I have watch my drop call rate increase.

 

[omegaphil6]

slo then its fair to say that all the providers have their quality issues. not just AT&T. There is a small dead zone on one road i travel on but it doesnt make me want to switch providers!

 

[Rodimus Prime]

slo then its fair to say that all the providers have their quality issues. not just AT&T. There is a small dead zone on one road i travel on but it doesnt make me want to switch providers!

They all have dead zones but AT&T quality has been going down hill. In the past 4-5 years I have been on AT&T now I will say I have watch the drop call rate increase in the same given location. The location I am talking about is my home. Same location and a consistent area.

Verizon on the other hand from what my friends who use them report and what I do know from observation is in those formally bad areas they have improved.

Take Lubbock TX for example. By the time I left Texas Tech Verizon had improved their system out there and started working correctly.

 

[hard-case]

why do people always say AT&T Drops calls? That is simply not true! I've AT&T for 5+ years and it is near flawless.

Well, I'm very happy for you. Now maybe you can entertain the concept that quality of cell service has a number of factors involved that will change depending on things like location. Take your phone to my friend's office on the 22nd floor in Manhattan and tell me your service is flawless when you'll never see anything but "No Service" on your screen, or my data lab where you'll be lucky to get a GRPS connection with AT&T but Verizon is on full service.

And if you are SO sure that the other providers have this magic network that never drops calls, then why in the hell would you sign a 2 year contract with AT&T? Did you not realize it when you signed the actual contract? Did these mythical dropped calls not start happening until the 31st day of your service?

I've been with AT&T, Cingular, for over seven years now actually. In my area, which of course cannot be extrapolated to fit all of AT&T's service areas, the service quality in that seven years has noticeably changed. Not in the sense that it has substantially downgraded, just that it has become much less reliable. I can go entire weeks without a single dropped call, then I have a day like yesterday where I have to call a person back 5 times (both of us on iPhones, on AT&T) in the span of a half hour just to finish a conversation due to dropped calls, or the day before where I'd have to send each text message 3-4 times until it can go through.

You could entertain the possibility that network quality is NOT a static variable, and it can and does change over a period of time. It could be the area wasn't overloaded until well into the contract (as was the Philly metro area before the iPhone), or they had to move to a new location that had poorer service quality mid-contract. It could be that the area is experiencing outages due to upgrading (which AT&T never really talks about), or hardware failure.

Since you have AT&T then you really don't know how good the other providers network really are aside from word of mouth but that isn't a real world test.

Care to explain how spending 2+ years with a work phone from Verizon and a home phone from AT&T isn't a real world test? I'd honestly be with Verizon, but while I think the quality of cell service is better, the absolute hell I had with Verizon Wireless customer service ensures that I'll never touch their network except for work purposes (when my job requires me to have a phone, or if I started my own business and needed reliable phone service).

If you are really unhappy, pay your ETF (which you knew about on the day you signed your contract) and go elsewhere!

Yes. God forbid we do things like try to let others know how AT&T service might be in the area (good or bad), so that they can make informed decisions beyond looking at a poorly accurate coverage map. Or that we actually want AT&T to be aware of these issues so they can work on improving them. Walking away, or shutting up and going "pleas' sir, can I 'ave sum mor'" doesn't get network issues addressed, or existing towers upgraded, or new towers built.

F&%#ing whinebags

Most threads on here are pretty well titled, so if you don't want to hear people talking about AT&T...next time just don't click on the thread. Save yourself the heartburn. Life's too short to get bent out of shape over something so trivial.

 

[corriewf]

You should check out this site. http://www.cellreception.com/

 

[GoCubsGo]

why do people always say AT&T Drops calls? That is simply not true! I've AT&T for 5+ years and it is near flawless.

And if you are SO sure that the other providers have this magic network that never drops calls, then why in the hell would you sign a 2 year contract with AT&T? Did you not realize it when you signed the actual contract? Did these mythical dropped calls not start happening until the 31st day of your service?

Since you have AT&T then you really don't know how good the other providers network really are aside from word of mouth but that isn't a real world test.

If you are really unhappy, pay your ETF (which you knew about on the day you signed your contract) and go elsewhere!

F&%#ing whinebags

Perhaps you never had a dropped call but I have documentation supporting enough dropped calls that could get me out of a contract if I were actually in one. Is any network perfect? No, but Verizon in my area is better than AT&T.

 

[alphaod]

I stay with AT&T despite no service for these reasons:
1) T-Mobile doesn't really have good 3G coverage yet and their frequency is different from the rest of the world. Their plans are sweet and they allow tethering.
2) Sprint F-ed up my credit score. They sent a credit agency after me for $30 which I sent them and they deposited. Yes they even defaulted me after I proved that they got my money.
3) I hate Verizon; they also kicked me off their network a few years ago for abusing the network; it's not my fault for using 200GB in a one month over 3G when it says "unlimited."
4) Forget the smaller carriers.

Pretty much means AT&T is all I have. Just to be clear, the only place I don't get coverage is my home. Which is also why I'm considering a landline.

 

[Hmac]

My wife and daughter have iPhones, I have a Blackberry Curve on Verizon. Niether of them has had a single dropped call in the 4 months they've had the phones, and together they push the limits of their 3000 minute bucket family bucket. Their 3G performance beats my 1x EV/DO hands down. I get repeated spam calls, they get none. The AT&T web interface is superior to the one I have to use.

I guess it varies widely from location to location. IMHO, AT&T is the winner by a wide margin around here.