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Verizon iPad 2 vs AT&T iPad 2

Greg Punzo

Greg Punzo

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 16, 2010
44
1
i've been looking everywhere for a speed or coverage test of any kind and i haven't found a single article or video, only cnn's data plan comparison. How come there's been so many Verizon vs AT&T iPhone 4 videos and comparisons but not one iPad 2 comparison?

I have a at&t ipad 1 and got a verizon ipad 2 just to compare but i see that even for internet speed test apps its not a fair comparison because my ipad 2 outperforms the ipad 1 even on the same wifi according to the internet speed testing apps...

so does anyone have any idea how to find out which is better in terms of speed and coverage other than buying an at&t ipad 2 to test along side the verizon version?
 
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There is no easy way to accurately compare speeds without specialized equipment, since it heavily depends on the radio conditions (signal strength, interference from other RF sources, multipath distortion etc.), which may be quite different for the two networks in any given location. In the case of AT&T, the throughput also depends on how many people are sharing the current radio cell, since HSPA uses a shared channel (not sure about the EV-DO mode used by Verizon). Simple benchmarks have at best anecdotal value, but cannot be generalized.
 
Rigby said:
There is no easy way to accurately compare speeds without specialized equipment, since it heavily depends on the radio conditions (signal strength, interference from other RF sources, multipath distortion etc.), which may be quite different for the two networks in any given location. In the case of AT&T, the throughput also depends on how many people are sharing the current radio cell, since HSPA uses a shared channel (not sure about the EV-DO mode used by Verizon). Simple benchmarks have at best anecdotal value, but cannot be generalized.
Click to expand...

would the ipad 1 at&t vs ipad 2 verizon number of bars be an accurate comparison? the main problem i have with at&t's connection is it fluctuates so much, like if i'm doing a upload or download test it'll jump around a whole megabyte, rather than on verizon its like a consistent 1-2 meg down and 1 meg up no matter how many bars, is this how verizon and at&t's 3g usually behaves in general or is the fluctuating at&t 3g speed just an ipad 1 problem?
 
It's a given that att data is much faster than vzw and that vzw is better with coverage. You don't need special hardware for information like that.
 
Are all the rates the same?? Didn't get a chance to compare. I thought I saw / read somewhere that VZ has different rate plans and activation fees etc..
 
I had an iPad 1 on AT&T since the launch last year. I used the cellular data virtually every day and got pretty used to how it should act and feel, browser, email, apps, Youtube etc.

My iPad2 is on Verizon and I have to say that so far I am very impressed. I don't have scientific data yet, but it sure seems faster, more responsive and nimble. It has been consistently good, whereas AT&T would be very spotty, would work great for a while, then would slow to a crawl.

I will have both ipads together tomorrow and I plan on doing some concurrent tests side by side. I will do it in an area where both have good reception.

My initial reaction though is that Verizon is definitely a plus!
 
biosci said:
Are all the rates the same?? Didn't get a chance to compare. I thought I saw / read somewhere that VZ has different rate plans and activation fees etc..
Click to expand...

there's no activation fee for verizon, here's a data plan comparison chart
chart_ipad_prices.top.gif
 
biosci said:
Are all the rates the same?? Didn't get a chance to compare. I thought I saw / read somewhere that VZ has different rate plans and activation fees etc..
Click to expand...

the data rates for verizon are different (starts at $20/mo for 1gb data), but there are no activation fees.
 
A given is something like "water is wet". Since you are so eminently confident I am sure you can provide numerous objective proofs. However, please humor us all by providing just one objective proof of AT&T's faster speed.

Much thanks


vincenz said:
It's a given that att data is much faster than vzw and that vzw is better with coverage. You don't need special hardware for information like that.
Click to expand...
 
Unless you have access to a grandfathered AT&T unlimited plan, the rates are close enough to be a wash. For me +/- $5 a month isn't going to be the deciding factor, the performance will be.

I do have an AT&T unlimited plan and will probably let it go in favor of Verizon. I will test them side by side for a week or so and then decide.
 
Greg Punzo said:
would the ipad 1 at&t vs ipad 2 verizon number of bars be an accurate comparison?
Click to expand...
No, they are neither precise enough nor do they tell the whole story. They are just a rough (and non-standardized) estimate of the signal strength, but do not take many other factors into account (such as interference and other users in the cell). And besides the radio conditions, the speed also depends on the configuration of your cell (the network operator can make variable resource allocations between data and voice).
the main problem i have with at&t's connection is it fluctuates so much, like if i'm doing a upload or download test it'll jump around a whole megabyte, rather than on verizon its like a consistent 1-2 meg down and 1 meg up no matter how many bars, is this how verizon and at&t's 3g usually behaves in general or is the fluctuating at&t 3g speed just an ipad 1 problem?
Click to expand...
This depends entirely on your location and the load of the network (which is, on average, probably still lower on Verizon at this point, since they have far fewer heavy data users than AT&T).
 
rudyo said:
Unless you have access to a grandfathered AT&T unlimited plan, the rates are close enough to be a wash. For me +/- $5 a month isn't going to be the deciding factor, the performance will be.

I do have an AT&T unlimited plan and will probably let it go in favor of Verizon. I will test them side by side for a week or so and then decide.
Click to expand...

I'm interested in your results.
What city are you located in?
 
sarends said:
A given is something like "water is wet". Since you are so eminently confident I am sure you can provide numerous objective proofs. However, please humor us all by providing just one objective proof of AT&T's faster speed.

Much thanks
Click to expand...

You're joking right? I'm not even going to waste time googling for you. In fact, I don't even know why I've bothered responding at all.
 
OceanView said:
I'm interested in your results.
What city are you located in?
Click to expand...
Utah, but travel very frequently to Sacramento, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The AT&T performance was essentially the same in these cities. It wasn't as if I had great service once I made it to Las Vegas.

I'll have my ipad2 AT&T later on this week and will run some video of them side by side.
 
vincenz said:
You're joking right? I'm not even going to waste time googling for you. In fact, I don't even know why I've bothered responding at all.
Click to expand...
If your primary use is going to be running speedtests constantly to prove which posts a better result, then pick AT&T. Raw specs may show them to be slightly faster than Verizon.
In actual day to day usage, I highly doubt that AT&T is the better choice.

I don't really care which one I use, no matter what the specs say. I bought 2 ipads, one AT&T and one Verizon. I have an AT&T grandfathered unlimited plan and I will pick the one that performs the best and will sell/return the other.

If you are a serious cellular user, i would encourage you to do the same and not rely on specs alone.
 
siurpeeman said:
the data rates for verizon are different (starts at $20/mo for 1gb data), but there are no activation fees.
Click to expand...

No initial activation, but re-activation fees are still unclear. For example, if you want 3G after 3 months of not having it. My local store was convinced there were re-activation fees. It would be nice to have an official wording from Verizon about re-activation.
 
aaronw1986 said:
No initial activation, but re-activation fees are still unclear. For example, if you want 3G after 3 months of not having it. My local store was convinced there were re-activation fees. It would be nice to have an official wording from Verizon about re-activation.
Click to expand...

i think there's been plenty of word about the issue. it's unfortunately mixed in with a lot of misinformation making it all confusing.

if this helps...

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/verizon-clarifies-ipad-activation-fes/
 
rudyo said:
Utah, but travel very frequently to Sacramento, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The AT&T performance was essentially the same in these cities. It wasn't as if I had great service once I made it to Las Vegas.

I'll have my ipad2 AT&T later on this week and will run some video of them side by side.
Click to expand...

Make sure to post your video either on this forum or make a new one, I'm also very curious since your litterly the only one on the Internet doing this test
 
my 32GB White Verizon Ipad2 gets horrible speed all area's around Salt Lake City, Utah.

Using the same speedtest on my iphone 4 on AT&T it crushes it.

download on V iPad 2 is .40 mb down .71mb up.

My download speed on my iPhone 4 is around 2.4MB down and 1.5MB up.

I want an AT&T iPad 2 now lol

Also, everywhere I have tested it the Verizon signal is MUCH lower (1-2 bars) in most area's where my iPhone is usually all bars full.
 
vincenz said:
It's a given that att data is much faster than vzw and that vzw is better with coverage. You don't need special hardware for information like that.
Click to expand...

It's a given, huh? I get 500kbs download at home and 300kbs at work on my AT&T iPad 1. Let's not even talk about upload times, especially at work. I live in NYC and I guess it is "a given" that AT&T cell service stinks in New York. I'm wondering how Verizon iPad 2 will compare.
 
rudyo said:
Utah, but travel very frequently to Sacramento, San Francisco and Las Vegas. The AT&T performance was essentially the same in these cities. It wasn't as if I had great service once I made it to Las Vegas.

I'll have my ipad2 AT&T later on this week and will run some video of them side by side.
Click to expand...

Just wondering but how's your ATT coverage in Sacramento/San Francisco? I go to UC Davis, live in the East Bay Area, and Sac/SF are some places I do hit up frequently. Debating between which 3G iPad to get and on which carrier to switch to for an iPhone. Thanks!
 
sarends said:
A given is something like "water is wet". Since you are so eminently confident I am sure you can provide numerous objective proofs. However, please humor us all by providing just one objective proof of AT&T's faster speed.

Much thanks
Click to expand...

Anandtech.com's review of the VZW iPhone showed it's data speeds were noticeably slower.
 
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