Survey Claims 26% of AT&T iPhone Customers Planning to Switch to Verizon

[MacRumors]

Market research firm ChangeWave Research today announced the results of new survey examining the impact of the Verizon iPhone on customer carrier preferences. While the survey of professional and early-adopter consumers was conducted in late December, ahead of the official Verizon announcement, the general media consensus at the time had been that a Verizon announcement was imminent.

Among the findings of the survey was a surge in the percentage of AT&T subscribers planning to change carrier over the subsequent 90 days, rising to 15% from 10% just three months earlier.

Importantly, when we compared the churn rates for the top wireless providers, we found major differences.

Only 4% of Verizon's customers plan to switch in the next 90 days. In comparison, 10% of Sprint/Nextel's customers say they plan to switch, as do 15% of both T-Mobile's and AT&T's.

Related to that spike was a result showing that 16% of surveyed AT&T customers were planning to switch to Verizon if it began offering the iPhone, with an additional 23% of AT&T customers registering as unsure whether they will switch carriers.

That metric was even higher among AT&T's iPhone customers, with 26% of them saying they would leave AT&T for a Verizon iPhone. While most AT&T iPhone customers are currently tied into long-term contracts, many of them are apparently ready to jump ship anyway, with 41% of those planning to switch saying they will do so within the first three months of Verizon iPhone availability and an additional 31% doing so within a year.

ChangeWave has also continued to track reports of dropped calls on the major carriers, an area where AT&T has struggled mightily. The most recent survey did in fact find some good news for AT&T in this area, with its dropped call rate falling to 4.7% in December from 6% as measured in September. But despite clear improvement presumably related to network improvements, AT&T's call-drop rate remains far above that of Verizon's 1.7% figure.

Article Link: Survey Claims 26% of AT&T iPhone Customers Planning to Switch to Verizon

 

[pr5owner]

CDMA really sucks.... why would you go backwards in speed? (unless there is no coverage from any other provider)

even bell and telus in canada is preparing to drop CDMA support

too bad the US doesnt get unlocked iPhones like canada

 

[PsyD4Me]

CDMA really sucks.... why would you go backwards in speed? (unless there is no coverage from any other provider)

even bell and telus in canada is preparing to drop CDMA support

too bad the US doesnt get unlocked iPhones like canada

please, like ATT is great.

 

[fabian9]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-gb) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Wow, I've heard about how bad AT&T is, but never would have thought that customer satisfaction is THAT low!!

I'm glad I live in the UK and haven't had to deal with AT&T.

 

[eh270]

... survey of professional and early-adopter consumers...

Given this, it's not surprising. I think the same survey among "regular people" would be very very different.

 

[alex2792]

CDMA really sucks.... why would you go backwards in speed? (unless there is no coverage from any other provider)

even bell and telus in canada is preparing to drop CDMA support

too bad the US doesnt get unlocked iPhones like canada

You obviously don't have a clue about wireless technology, because CDMA is far superior as far as voice quality and security goes. Any hacker wannabe can listen to your GSM calls because the security is so poor.

 

[nep61]

I'll stay with AT&T... Coverage isn't that bad overall where I am... I've had very few dropped calls.

 

[TonyLukes3]

CDMA really sucks.... why would you go backwards in speed? (unless there is no coverage from any other provider)

even bell and telus in canada is preparing to drop CDMA support

too bad the US doesnt get unlocked iPhones like canada

Agreed. Unless you have awful AT&T coverage, the service from a data perspective (including both speeds & ability to multitask) is below what AT&T offers. I'll stick with AT&T, no problems here.

 

[nagromme]

You see, AT&T, this is why you must give us free personal hotspot functionality (and soon) Also candy. We like candy.

Since I live in an area where AT&T is reliable (and where my main spotty-coverage area is the same for my Verizon friends), I don’t see myself switching. I’d lose the ability to look up restaurant/movie/driving/meeting details while talking on the phone when out and about. But for the right price, I’d still be glad to ditch AT&T’s awful support/customer service! (But I know people with the same anger toward Verizon. There is no truly GOOD carrier option.)

P.S.... 4-6% dropped calls!! That’s about 1 in 20. I almost never drop a call on AT&T. Glad I live in a medium city and not NYC. To really pick a carrier, I’d want a map of WHERE the calls are dropped.

 

[chim9999]

26%? Why does it look like 16% to me?

(okay, I didn't read the article, I just looked at the chart )

 

[andiwm2003]

well, I guess that is close to 100% of iPhone users in Cambridge MA.

ATT really sucks here. There is a gaping hole in coverage about 300yards right around my house. you get at best 1 bar and a dropout every 5 minutes. it plain sucks and this has been like this for at least three years.

 

[Chumburro2U]

Are U serious>?

You see, AT&T, this is why you must give us free personal hotspot functionality (and soon) Also candy. We like candy.

Since I live in an area where AT&T is reliable (and where my main spotty-coverage area is the same for my Verizon friends), I don’t see myself switching. I’d lose the ability to look up restaurant/movie/driving/meeting details while talking on the phone when out and about. But for the right price, I’d still be glad to ditch AT&T’s awful support/customer service!

(4-6% dropped calls!! That’s about 1 in 20. I almost never drop a call on AT&T. Glad I live in a medium city and not NYC. To really pick a carrier, I’d want a map of WHERE the calls are dropped.)

Verizon's customer service blows big time. I know because I switched from Verizon to ATT and ATT's customer service, in my dealings with them, are top notch. Don't let the door hit your @ss on the way out. Heck it would free up more bandwidth for me.

 

[j-a-x]

I took one of those surveys and I didn't know what to say because I want to switch and I might be able to get out of my contract (AT&T offered me a chance a while ago and I don't know if that still holds), so I answered maybe. Anyways, my point is, it's hard to know how many AT&T subscribers are going to switch because it really depends on contracts more than anything.

What is really significant (I think) is the number of people who have been waiting for an iPhone until Verizon gets one, who haven't considered getting an iPhone because of poor AT&T service (pretty much my entire family). I know a lot of people who bought Androids because Verizon didn't offer the iPhone and AT&T's service was too bad. I'm not a huge fan of CDMA but it would beat dropped calls every day.

 

[Consultant]

I am not switching. Not a problem where I am.

 

[grassfeeder]

I've never once had an issue with ATT, drops calls rarely happen - no more so than they did with Verizon.

I'll be very happy if that large of a number jump ship - a lot less network traffic for me to enjoy! Plus I can then laugh at those can't use data & voice simutaniously - I utilize this functionality a great deal.

Competition in the marketplace is a great thing for everyone.....

 

[entropys]

1.7-4.7% dropped call rates? No wonder you Yanks complain so much. I would not regard even a 1.7% dropped call rate acceptable.

I almost n ever get dropped calls, even in rural and remote areas. I have a little bit this week but that is because we have a major natural disaster underway here in Brisbane and the networks are a little 'congested' to say the least.

Is that what it is like on US networks all the time?

 

[dukebound85]

I am not switching. Not a problem where I am.

likewise

I wonder how many are switching for the sole sake of having the latest from Apple. Makes me wonder!

 

[Consultant]

well, I guess that is close to 100% of iPhone users in Cambridge MA.

ATT really sucks here. There is a gaping hole in coverage about 300yards right around my house. you get at best 1 bar and a dropout every 5 minutes. it plain sucks and this has been like this for at least three years.

Got a problem at Burdick Chocolate once around 5 PM on a weekday (people getting out of work?), but I did not experience any problems around Cambridge whenever I visit.

 

[j-a-x]

ATT really sucks here. There is a gaping hole in coverage about 300yards right around my house. you get at best 1 bar and a dropout every 5 minutes. it plain sucks and this has been like this for at least three years.

Same deal here in Houston TX. Service is fine in a lot of parts of the city, but where I live (3 miles from Downtown) I often drop out of 3G and EDGE and end up with GPRS (the little "O" symbol) or no data at all. Often my phone doesn't ring and messages go straight to voice mail when I am at home. AT&T says it's because I live indoors and there are a lot of trees near by...

 

[pr5owner]

please, like ATT is great.

i did indicate it was "too bad" that you dont get unlocked phones, its better to choose the phone you like, and the carrier that has the best coverage and options in your area.

You obviously don't have a clue about wireless technology, because CDMA is far superior as far as voice quality and security goes. Any hacker wannabe can listen to your GSM calls because the security is so poor.

voice quality - arguable, telus sucks in canada but it could of been the crappy dumb phones i had to use for a while

security, sure ill believe you on this since i did see an article about the gsm encryption being hacked

you did forget the advantages than GSM provide, and IMO i believe they outweigh what cdma provides

in the last month ive used about 30 dffrent phones (just to test), i would have to pay every time i switched numbers if i were on cdma,

 

[TheOrioles33]

Yeah, because the grass is always greener on the other side. Right?

 

[rickdollar]

Will that many people switch? Maybe.
Talk is usually cheap.
People say they're going to do lots of things.
Will they really do it? Guess we'll find out. Should be interesting.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Finally a Verizon CDMA thread.
What took you so long?

But seriously folks I am verizoned and CDMA-ed out!

We need a Mac Mini thread.

Usually around this time the rumors start flying for the next refresh.

I hear there will be a Mac Mini Air size of the AppleTV.
No cables anyplace!

Sits on a permanent induction pad to charge together with all other devices..

 

[slapppy]

I've been lucky. I can't even remember getting a drop call in the last year with AT&T. Also I rely on GPS a lot and being able to make a call while pulling or sending data while on the phone with my clients. The first year with AT&T was a real nightmare, but lately, its been very good.

 

[derek1984]

Verizon

I would if I could but I can't. Middle of contract. Can't switch.