Pros/Cons of an iPhone 5 on AT&T or Verizon (or Sprint?)

OKAY! I officially made it 11 days with Verizon and GAVE UP.
Given my town, my scenario, and the pros and cons of phone quality versus IPHONE quality I couldn't do it.
I apparently NEED the simultaneous voice/data feature in a way I NEVER understood before going one week without.

ALL week I was thinking: really? I can't do that???

Don't get my wrong, I don't LOVE AT&T and the minute Verizon can do simultaneous voice and data I'm there, but until then... I'll deal.
 
LapsangSouchong said:
OKAY! I officially made it 11 days with Verizon and GAVE UP.
Given my town, my scenario, and the pros and cons of phone quality versus IPHONE quality I couldn't do it.
I apparently NEED the simultaneous voice/data feature in a way I NEVER understood before going one week without.

ALL week I was thinking: really? I can't do that???

Don't get my wrong, I don't LOVE AT&T and the minute Verizon can do simultaneous voice and data I'm there, but until then... I'll deal.
Click to expand...

Awesome... if AT&T was fine before, I don't think you can go wrong with either.

The other thing I've noticed since going back is that people tell me I sound better on the phone, and voice quality on my end is better as well... not sure if it's a bum handset versus Verizon/CDMA or what, but that's one thing.
 
ercsliberty said:
sprint.LTE.unlimited
just look at all the scared people around here that check theyre data usage hourly,enough said
Click to expand...
I ain't scared bro ;)
 

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LapsangSouchong said:
OKAY! I officially made it 11 days with Verizon and GAVE UP.
Given my town, my scenario, and the pros and cons of phone quality versus IPHONE quality I couldn't do it.
I apparently NEED the simultaneous voice/data feature in a way I NEVER understood before going one week without.

ALL week I was thinking: really? I can't do that???

Don't get my wrong, I don't LOVE AT&T and the minute Verizon can do simultaneous voice and data I'm there, but until then... I'll deal.
Click to expand...
America's most reliable network nuff said :)
 
We just switched back to Verizon from ATT. Best cellphone decision we've made. Sick of dropped calls, slow data and low building penetration. Could never get a signal in any grocery or warehouse store. Plus the hospital we work at has all Verizon antennas throughout.
 
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Paulsan said:
We just switched back to Verizon from ATT. Best cellphone decision we've made. Sick of dropped calls, slow data and low building penetration. Could never get a signal in any grocery or warehouse store. Plus the hospital we work at has all Verizon antennas throughout.
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Interesting. My AT&T 3G is faster than my Verizon LTE was.
Building penetration is a bummer for me, but I'm hoping LTE will help that (next month).
I just couldn't do the no simultaneous data/voice. I've had it for years (since the sidekick).

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exi said:
Awesome... if AT&T was fine before, I don't think you can go wrong with either.

The other thing I've noticed since going back is that people tell me I sound better on the phone, and voice quality on my end is better as well... not sure if it's a bum handset versus Verizon/CDMA or what, but that's one thing.
Click to expand...

My call quality is better at home with AT&T and better at work with Verizon. So it was a wash.
 
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Paulsan said:
We just switched back to Verizon from ATT. Best cellphone decision we've made. Sick of dropped calls, slow data and low building penetration. Could never get a signal in any grocery or warehouse store. Plus the hospital we work at has all Verizon antennas throughout.
Click to expand...

This building penetration thing is frustrating. I thought VZW had better penetration, saw better penetration when I used it, but then had 1-2 bars of reception at my home -- unsure where the nearest towers are.

Then there were the multiple people telling me I sounded as if I was under water or far away on VZW and the slightly more muffled conversations on my end.

In other buildings other than the hospitals around here, AT&T definitely held its own... just with non-LTE, sometimes painful data.

Is it just a matter of whether AT&T is using 850 or 1900 MHz, and what Verizon is using in that particular area?
 
I am a Verizon guy and haver a question for AT&T subscribers - My mother in law has seen my wife and I use our iPhones and she has got a bug up her now that she wants a smartphone - As she is not (really) technically inclined - I think an iPhone would be among the best choices for her.

I doubt she would root an android.

The trouble is she is cheap - she pays about $50 out the door for her dumb phone bill - she is with AT&T - and has an upgrade. But I don't think that she can get her bill low enough with AT&T - she won't use much data at all - and she doesn't need a lot of minutes...

What is the cheapest monthly bill she can get with an AT&T smartphone?

(The price of the phone itself is not a consideration - she'll pop $99 for a 4S)
 
Ivabign said:
I am a Verizon guy and haver a question for AT&T subscribers - My mother in law has seen my wife and I use our iPhones and she has got a bug up her now that she wants a smartphone - As she is not (really) technically inclined - I think an iPhone would be among the best choices for her.

I doubt she would root an android.

The trouble is she is cheap - she pays about $50 out the door for her dumb phone bill - she is with AT&T - and has an upgrade. But I don't think that she can get her bill low enough with AT&T - she won't use much data at all - and she doesn't need a lot of minutes...

What is the cheapest monthly bill she can get with an AT&T smartphone?

(The price of the phone itself is not a consideration - she'll pop $99 for a 4S)
Click to expand...

Don't know. You'll get a better response if you make a new thread instead of trying to hijack this one. ;)
 
And now that I'm back on AT&T, I'm wondering whether I should give VZW a second try and assume the voice quality thing was a dud, even though I rarely saw even 3 bars where I lived, but was fine in the areas around my home. Any thoughts?
 
exi said:
And now that I'm back on AT&T, I'm wondering whether I should give VZW a second try and assume the voice quality thing was a dud, even though I rarely saw even 3 bars where I lived, but was fine in the areas around my home. Any thoughts?
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I dunno. I tried Verizon. I didn't see a big improvement in call quality, except at work, and the lack of simultaneous data/voice was a total deal breaker.

My signal at home is MUCH better on AT&T. I am also curious to see what LTE brings next month.

if/when Verizon gets that? I may make the jump again.
 
jk4lebron23 said:
Wow bit of a d-bag comment
Click to expand...

Not being a douchebag at all. I'd happily give my two cents if I had an opinion, but chances are people who know will answer in a thread with a title that actually has something to do with what he's asking.
 
As just signal for my area in cleveland, Verizon is the best. AT&T and sprint have similar signal. Not horrible by any means, but there are some locations where I could just wish for one extra bar.

AT&T wins for data speed. If I cant get +20-30 mbps on LTE, I pretty much get 5-8 mbps download due to 4G being everywhere I go at least. Verizon isnt bad, but LTE is around 5-10 most of the time and 1-2 if the rare area I go without LTE. Sprint is just horrible for my area. Im lucky to get 1.5mbps download most of the time.

Sprint would be the cheapest cost, but I just cant justify the speed for low cost. AT&T comes second in cost. I moved from Verizon to save around 30 dollars a month (should become more with FAN). I am forced to get 1400 minutes on Verizon due to some family using more than 700 minutes. I can get the 700 minutes on AT&T due to mobile to mobile being free.

Once sprint covers my area with LTE (and it being good), I may consider them, but im guessing that will be years later for now.

One of the biggest reason why I chose AT&T is the phones. I can sell them, change them or etc as long as I have the sim card. I can also use it for majority of international carriers. I dont want to pay ridiculous roaming fee, so at&t is better than verizon or sprint.
 
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Per Verizon, I have 30 days from porting out to reopen the account and still get the subsidized pricing on a two-year contract.

As much as I like simultaneous voice/data and the idea of being on a GSM network, I'm seriously toying with the idea of taking advantage of Verizon's widespread LTE and reputation for reliability.

Verizon users: I get 1-2 bars in my home (compared to 4-5 on AT&T), feel like incoming voice is clearer on AT&T, and was told repeatedly that I sound better on the other end on AT&T. Think it's still worth it for someone who has had few issues with AT&T? All of this is why I came back from Verizon the first time.
 
exi said:
Per Verizon, I have 30 days from porting out to reopen the account and still get the subsidized pricing on a two-year contract.

As much as I like simultaneous voice/data and the idea of being on a GSM network, I'm seriously toying with the idea of taking advantage of Verizon's widespread LTE and reputation for reliability.

Verizon users: I get 1-2 bars in my home (compared to 4-5 on AT&T), feel like incoming voice is clearer on AT&T, and was told repeatedly that I sound better on the other end on AT&T. Think it's still worth it for someone who has had few issues with AT&T?
Click to expand...

Good luck. It SO wasn't worth it to me. I was so frustrated with the lack of simultaneous. I had no idea how much I, personally, relied on it.
I also have more bars, generally on ATT. Work: ATT is tough, but HOME: verizon was iffy.
 
Thoughts welcome on this AT&T vs. Verizon thing.

LapsangSouchong said:
Good luck. It SO wasn't worth it to me. I was so frustrated with the lack of simultaneous. I had no idea how much I, personally, relied on it.
I also have more bars, generally on ATT. Work: ATT is tough, but HOME: verizon was iffy.
Click to expand...

I'm curious. What do you do that requires simultaneous voice/data? I like it myself, but I feel like I could work around the CDMA limitations of that in a pinch.
 
exi said:
Thoughts welcome on this AT&T vs. Verizon thing.



I'm curious. What do you do that requires simultaneous voice/data? I like it myself, but I feel like I could work around the CDMA limitations of that in a pinch.
Click to expand...

In addition to my regular "job" (where I'm always on wifi) I run a consulting business where I drive around the state and work. I need to be on the phone while:
running a map (the new maps stops, turn by turn stops turning lol)
opening dropbox and viewing MS word docs and pdfs (nope)
sending iMessages (sometimes they go, sometimes not)
accessing emails that are no longer "cached" on my iphone (nope)
googling an address (nope)
accessing my consulting business web portal (nope)
That's just off the top of my head.
I'm sure it works just fine for some folks, but my whole iphone "experience" depends on simultaneous voice/data.
 
I'm thinking of getting a new iPad with Cellular service for those occasional times when I am traveling.

I am curious about the pros and cons of AT&T vs. Verizon models for travel in Europe. Getting info from the company web sites is an exercise in frustration. I suppose I'll have to visit some local Verizon and AT&T stores but wanted to check here first.
 
stickybuns said:
Please be sure to post an "After" picture for your voice minutes now that you've given your cell phone number to an internationally read forum.
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LOL - I was thinking the same thing...! An innocent mistake I'm sure, made in haste in response to a previous post.
 
Though some may say throttling can't be noticed, I disagree.

I recently have been getting throttled (using near 5-6 gb's on unlimited) and the drop in speed is rather insane.

Pages take much longer, little runs smoothly streaming wise, etc....
 
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