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the great debate: best iphone service provider

Which carrier would you chose to carry the iPhone exclusively?

  • Total voters
    67
  • Poll closed .
AppleIntelRock

AppleIntelRock

macrumors 65816
Original poster
i think a lot of people would agree with me that ATT isn't the best provider in the world. If the iPhone was carried exclusively by one US carrier, which one would you chose and why?

Survey on it's way
 
verizon....in almost 10 years pretty much never had a problem with service AND customer service... if it ain't broke...
 
poll is now here.

i'd go with Sprint because they've got a reliable network and fast 3G soon to be 3.5G service- as well as reasonable rates.
 
I had to pick Verizon as they're the only carrier I've had and they've been great. The only thing I have against them is their phones are sometimes crippled. 🙂 Other than that - decent prices, good customer service, great coverage.
 
i picked at&t, because i've always been happy with cingular's reception. sprint was good to me, but i never got service anywhere i really needed it. i'm sure it's improved since i left, but that's probably true with all carriers. sprint did give me six free months of service once, because i was unhappy with them. but what good is free service if there is no service to take advantage?
 
I picked T-Mobile because I have it. Otherwise all can burn in hell. Btw, you missed some major carriers.... Alltell , U.S. Cellular?
 
I think ATT was a good choice. Sure they have a ****** 3G network but I've been impressed where they get coverage in my area compared to most other networks. My phone coverage is definitely more important to me than the internet coverage. They also have full 3G in my entire city, so when that becomes available I'll be able to take advantage of it.
I'd go with ATT or Verizon.
 
appleintelrock said:
poll is now here.

i'd go with Sprint because they've got a reliable network and fast 3G soon to be 3.5G service- as well as reasonable rates.
Click to expand...

Except Sprint has the crappiest coverage on the West Coast 🙁

Verizon has the best coverage out here, AT&T isn't all that much worse (despite the exaggerated whining you hear from some people). Unfortunately, Verizon is also NOT GSM, and they love to cripple their phones, as well as nickel and dime you to death. It took how many years before they offered Bluetooth phones? But if you want to sync to your computer with BT, you have to pay extra!

T-Mobile just doesn't have the nation-wide coverage right now.

So, AT&T ends up being the lesser of all evils.
 
AT&T

Well, as far as service is concerned, AT&T is great for me. I don't know about anyone else, but I nearly always have service.

Their 3G network is unremarkable. AT&T is running into many problems with the equiptment people.

Plus "The New AT&T" has such a fresh, cosmopolitan image. I found Cingular (and the jack logo) to be kind of childish and unprofessional.
 
I'm so tempted to say Verizon. I've been using Verizon for the last... five years? Without a problem with coverage. Never a dropped or disconnected call. But their phones and their rates are horrific. Absolutely horrible. 😱

I used to use Cingular from about '98-'00. Then they became/ were bought out (?) by AT&T and I had AT&T from '00-'02. My experience with them then, was decent coverage, but definitely had dropped calls. Never received some calls (or even voice mails). And would suddenly disconnect when talking. But I liked their phones and plans more.

So I'm a bit torn... 😱
 
pianos101 said:
verizon....in almost 10 years pretty much never had a problem with service AND customer service... if it ain't broke...
Click to expand...
yea. verizon has better coverage then any other carrier in the united states IMO. Their ads really aren't false, verizon has a ROCK solid network. now... as far as EVERYTHING else goes... 🙄

speedballs said:
I think ATT was a good choice. Sure they have a ****** 3G network but I've been impressed where they get coverage in my area compared to most other networks. My phone coverage is definitely more important to me than the internet coverage. They also have full 3G in my entire city, so when that becomes available I'll be able to take advantage of it.
I'd go with ATT or Verizon.
Click to expand...
ATT's 3G wont be done until Sprint and Verizon have 3.5G🙄

Goldenbear said:
Except Sprint has the crappiest coverage on the West Coast 🙁

Verizon has the best coverage out here, AT&T isn't all that much worse (despite the exaggerated whining you hear from some people). Unfortunately, Verizon is also NOT GSM, and they love to cripple their phones, as well as nickel and dime you to death. It took how many years before they offered Bluetooth phones? But if you want to sync to your computer with BT, you have to pay extra!

T-Mobile just doesn't have the nation-wide coverage right now.

So, AT&T ends up being the lesser of all evils.
Click to expand...
Really, I'm in Northern California and Sprint has pretty good service here, (even in the Santa Cruz area where cell coverage is kind of spotty)- Verizon def. is numer one- period in terms of coverage. Regardless of ATT's network coverage, their network reliability is pretty poor.
wakka092 said:
AT&T

Well, as far as service is concerned, AT&T is great for me. I don't know about anyone else, but I nearly always have service.

Their 3G network is unremarkable. AT&T is running into many problems with the equiptment people.

Plus "The New AT&T" has such a fresh, cosmopolitan image. I found Cingular (and the jack logo) to be kind of childish and unprofessional.
Click to expand...
100%. I'd go with AT&T B/C of the logo 😛

devilot said:
I'm so tempted to say Verizon. I've been using Verizon for the last... five years? Without a problem with coverage. Never a dropped or disconnected call. But their phones and their rates are horrific. Absolutely horrible. 😱

I used to use Cingular from about '98-'00. Then they became/ were bought out (?) by AT&T and I had AT&T from '00-'02. My experience with them then, was decent coverage, but definitely had dropped calls. Never received some calls (or even voice mails). And would suddenly disconnect when talking. But I liked their phones and plans more.

So I'm a bit torn... 😱
Click to expand...
Honestly, I think I would prefer Verizon also... if they were not allowed to TOUGH the GUI of the iPhone 😱 😡
However, if you look at VZW's rates... they're about the same as AT&T and ummm... VZW's network is.... at least 100 times better.
 
here is my experiance

I voted Tmobile for my own personal needs.
I have had all service providers in the past 4 years over a range of areas.
I pretty much found that on either coasts, tmobile, verizon and ATT/Cingular are about the same, all have hit or misses but about avg.
In the middle-ish of the country however, it would say it is a no contest for verizon.
Sprint/nextel i have seen intemittant just about everywhere.
Tmobile has the best rates in the USA, and overall, i have had the best customer service with them. In fact, I love tmobile. I only wish they had got the iphone USA, becuase I would have LOVED not to switch.
ATT/Cingular: i really have no problem with their cellular service, although I have found their customer service to be the 100% worst I have dealt with ever. It was striking how bad every experiance I had with them was. cellular Service wise, they are fine.
Really, I dont know what everyone is really complaining about with ATT, my iphone is working 95% exactly as described, I am so happy.
plus, SOO many people are switching to ATT, soon it will be the absolute largest network, means free calls for me.
Apple probably went with whomever would give the cheapest data deals. after all, iphone would be an ipod without the data.
A
 
I totally agree that T-Mobile has by far the best prices of any carrier out there (with the exception of local carriers that don't even offer long-distance calls.) T-Mobile's customer service is also very, very good. T-Mobile's network on the other hand... isn't the best. I would say you get what you pay for... however AT&T is expensive 🙄 😡 so... if I used that saying, they'd have to provide a high quality network... right 🙄
 
ATT has best reception in my area. Hated Verizon when I had them.
Never had a problem with ATT Customer Service. All problems handled quickly and effectively.
Don't know what all the fuss is about ("Boo ATT" fuss).

I'm sooooooo happy that Apple went with ATT as I doubt I would have switched had they picked another provider (and I'd currently be crying big tears of disappointment rather than loving my phone).
 
I would have to say T-Mobile, for you can't beat their messaging rates, and data rates. Also, they are just about the only service that would give me any bars in my own house.
 
I'd say Sprint and here is why:

1) They are not as arrogant as Verizon

2) Free roaming lets you use the Verizon network when the Sprint signal isn't available (for example in the DC subway, where Verizon is the exclusive carrier. No ATT service down there).

3) Their rates are lower than most other carriers. Unlimited 3G service w/ ABC News on SprintTV was just $15/mo. Compare that to ATT's slower EDGE that we are paying $20/ mo for.

4) They have always been decent to me. I had a Treo go bonkers on me out of warranty. I took it in and they replaced it for free even though I didn't have an ext. warranty.

5) The CDMA network in the US is bigger than the GSM network.

6) Even w/ CDMA Apple could still make the iPhone a "world phone" like the new Blackberry and stick a GSM radio inside too.
 
My Vote

I have been a Verizon customer for 17 years (incl. Pac Bell which was before Verizon). I absolutely hate them, but, if you want the best wireless service nationwide, there is no contest. Their customer service at the stores is generally bad, the phones are crippled, the sales people tend to lie a lot, and they love to push accessories. However, if your primary interest is to make the connection regardless where you are in the country, go with Verizon.
 
appleintelrock said:
...Really, I'm in Northern California and Sprint has pretty good service here, (even in the Santa Cruz area where cell coverage is kind of spotty)- Verizon def. is numer one- period in terms of coverage. Regardless of ATT's network coverage, their network reliability is pretty poor...
Click to expand...

Has it always been good in your area, or is it just recently?

My brother-in-law dumped Sprint because he could never get a consistent signal in San Francisco. He's been on Cingular/AT&T for a few years now with no regrets.

I know several people in the LA area that also switched from Sprint to Cingular/AT&T a few years back. Again, they're very happy they did so.

Even a friend of mine who loves Sprint (lives back East, where it apparently has great coverage) mentioned how crappy the coverage was in LA.

Again, this was a few years ago, so maybe they've added some towers since.
 
I'm reading the posts and had the opposite experience from many of you. I left Verizon after dropping calls left and right. I think the day I decided to leave for good was the day that I lost a call and all coverage while walking past the Verizon building in Baltimore. For me, I don't use a lot of minutes, so Rollover was the fairest deal in wireless for me. My roommate left T-Mobile after having even worse coverage that I had with the V, and Sprint seems to be pretty hit or miss (my sisters are normally happy with their coverage).

I don't think there is one carrier that is strong enough to merit being the "exclusive carrier", but I suppose from my standpoint, ATT is working out well enough that it would take a massive failure to want the iPhone to be switched to another carrier. But to select from scratch? I don't really care.
 
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