I agree with everything you said. I'd just like to emphasize the customer service difference. I've always had AT&T cell phones and am pretty used to the type of customer service they provide. In the week and a half I've had the Verizon iPad, I've spoken to them on the phone twice and gone into a store once. All experiences were exasperating. Felt they were less accommodating and unprofessional. Probably just me, but I definitely like AT&T a lot better. Using Verizon's prepaid data on the iPad, I probably won't interact with them after after this initial period, but for my cell phone service, I wouldn't change.
100% agree with you. For me CS ATT is far more better compare to Verizon. They don't know even how to swap data plan. In addition VZW"Lady" called me Honey!, Man! , Dear! (or deer)
Now forum members cannot get SIM replacements for the new ipad for prepaid.
I'm going to keep my Verizon iPad anyway, it works, slow on 3g compare to ATT, but I save 120/year. I don't need 2 gb I never use.
But after I tried VZW I doubt I switch my iphones there. Now I understand why VZW has not as good as ATT financial results.
I'm definitely at a critical point here.
AT&T's LTE speeds in Chicago are pretty awful. In the city-proper, I'm getting average speeds of around 4.0 MBps down - the highest speeds I've gotten were when I was pretty far from the city - around 19 miles away. At that point, I average around 7-10 MBps down (although on launch day I did hit 17 once)...
My problem is finding a Verizon iPad in the next day...
Most? Citation? I've been in plenty that do not.Why would you use your 4G in airports, when most airports have free wifi?!
Has Verizon LTE been solid for people in Chicago? I'm considering swapping the WiFi.
Why buy from the Apple Store when Walmart gives you 90 day return policy?
AT&T for me. I had a hard choice:
1. My cell service is with AT&T. But that's partly because with a phone, coverage means everything. Verizon's coverage area WHERE I AM is much smaller than AT&T's. Much meaning... probably just a bit over half... (30-40% smaller I'd guess). Data means more than rural coverage with the iPad. After all, iPads aren't how you make emergency calls from rural highways, they don't go out in the woods with you, and they aren't used in the car (the big difference between AT&T and Verizon is one fairly drive - about 200 miles - I make once or twice a month has coverage in only a few places with Verizon, and all but about maybe 30 miles are covered by AT&T.)
2. There's also some places around here where Verizon has service AT&T doesn't. I used to carry a Verizon prepaid phone for that 200 mile drive (since literally places along it that had AT&T didn't have Verizon and places with Verizon didn't have AT&T. But AT&T has since covered everywhere Verizon has service. Plus a lot of new area along the road. Plus, obviously, everywhere they had service Verizon didn't. But there's other towns that have Verizon and no AT&T). Having a Verizon iPad, while not a GREAT emergency phone (no 911) could get me an email out for help or could just let me stay in touch if I happen to go work in, say, Haugen (a tiny town with Verizon and not AT&T). I'd still have my iPhone for the (far more common) places with AT&T but not Verizon.
3. Speeds. AT&T is much faster here. Today. AT&T averages 2-6 mbps in my state depending on area. Verizon - 0.5-2. Today. Thing is, Verizon I think is more likely to bring LTE and other network upgrades here, and I'd bet in parts of the state before mid-fall.
4. Price. With these considerations all ending in pretty much a draw the decision was based solely on price. Who cares if Verizon brings LTE here by 2013? 2GB will be gone like THAT. And EVDO is darn slow today. UMTS HSPA+ is more than fast enough for web browsing, which is all you can do on these kinds of caps. And 3GB is at least a bit better than 2GB. Thus, AT&T won![]()
If you already have ATT the choice is obvious:...
Wow, I am really confused. Did you use the Ipad dictation ??
I went with the AT&T here in the DC area and I am glad I did. I have turned off LTE and yet still got HSPA+ most of the way down U.S. 50 to Winchester. HSPA+ is plenty fast for using the iPad on a trip, as long as you are not streaming video. In West Virginia, where we were staying in Canaan Valley, Verizon was non-existent, and yet I had a strong EDGE signal. Say what you want, but EDGE is far better than nothing. There was a Wi-Fi hotspot that just did not play well with new iPad, but my wife's iPad 2 worked just fine with it.
Like some others on this thread, I give far too much to Big Red anyway.
Does anyone know if the 14 day return period resets with every exchange, or is it still from the original purchase? I've had to exchange mine a couple of times.
I'm pretty sure it's the original purchase. If not, the return period can be extended indefinitely by the owner. I doubt Apple or any retailer would allow that. Also, that's what the Genius said when we were exchanging my brother's iPads.
Why buy from the Apple Store when Walmart gives you 90 day return policy?