Just venting over AT&T

[Bugn]

The first year iPhone came out I did not purchase it even though I thought it was the coolest phone ever. I had checked at&t prices and I was getting such a better deal w/ t-mobile that I did not want to switch. (I did however use a touch, so I knew basically how cool the device was minus the phone and camera and speaker.)
However this past summer when the latest version of the iPhone came out. I knew it was time to make the switch.
I tried going the first day and standing in a long line (what a joke!) And eventually just ordered it. It came in less than 4 days.
I was thrilled!!!!! The best phone ever!!!!!

Now however I am less than thrilled. Not with the iPhone. It's an amazing piece of technology. It is AT&T! First off I now pay double what I paid before w/ t-mobile just to get equal what I had before. Second the amount of dropped calls is ridiculous! And not just with me. Any of my friends and or family that have an iPhone are constantly dropping calls as well. If we are talking to each other I guarantee we can't go more than several minutes without having to call each other back.

It is not like we live in BFE. We are in Seattle and surrounding areas.
And another thing is 3 of us have the exact same plan and live in the same tax region and all 3 of us have different bills. The amounts vary from $1.00 to $10.00.

Why Why Why did Apple go w/ AT&T????
I don't understand it. And if other people have the dropped call so much why is AT&T still in business or at least why they don't charge less? Its bad service.

I am not sure what to do at this point. For the most part I wished I would have stayed w/ t-mobile. I never had a dropped call with them. I would have more no bars areas but not dropped calls.

 

[Warbrain]

Why Why Why did Apple go w/ AT&T????
I don't understand it. And if other people have the dropped call so much why is AT&T still in business or at least why they don't charge less? Its bad service.

Because Apple had enough sense to develop a GSM phone and not one for CDMA. ATT has the best GSM coverage nationwide. GSM is the standard for the majority of other regions, Japan aside. This allows them to sell the phone EVERYWHERE.

That's why they went with ATT in the US.

 

[Ntombi]

Apple went with AT&T because Verizon wouldn't agree to Apple's terms. AT&T needed Apple, and Apple needed an agreement that gave them more power than any other provider was willing to hand over.

I also waited last year, because at&t's 2G service is notoriously bad in my area too. But when 3G was announced, I decided to go for it, and have been pleasantly surprised: I've only had two dropped calls since July. AT&T 3G in SoCal is great.

I wouldn't be willing to have a phone that constantly dropped calls. I guess you have to decide if it's worth it.

 

[Carl G35c]

bc at&t just bent over when apple said what they wanted

 

[macaco74]

I have been disappointed with the service of AT&T - with verizon I never had one dropped call. I experience several dropped calls now - primarily when I am on 3G - edge, not bad.

 

[barkomatic]

I feel your pain. There are a few phones on the pipeline that could conceivably compete with the iphone in terms of features and ease of use. If those come to fruition on a more reliable carrier at better plan prices I will sell my iphone to cover the AT&T ETF and go with whoever.

I kinda doubt it however.

 

[TEG]

Because Apple had enough sense to develop a GSM phone and not one for CDMA. ATT has the best GSM coverage nationwide. GSM is the standard for the majority of other regions, Japan aside. This allows them to sell the phone EVERYWHERE.

That's why they went with ATT in the US.

Japan uses W-CDMA which is GSM 3G, the same that is used elsewhere, it is just that Japan shut down the older GSM networks several years ago, that is why the original iPhone won't work there.

Also, most problems related to 3G dropping cars is due to the 3G towers being over loaded or people still running 2.0 or 2.0.1 and sucking all the power from the tower.

Apple only went with at&t because of their network's size, number of subscribers, and because they are GSM which means they only have to make one type phone for the entire world. Also, T-Mo USA is number 4 in subscribers, so they had zero ability to get the iPhone. It would have been better if Apple had not locked it to a particular network, but Apple needed a partner to implement some of the features (like visual voicemail) and to lend some legitimacy to Apple making a phone.

TEG