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Verizon iPhone Ad Targets AT&T Reception, AT&T Giving Out Free Microcells to Some Cu
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Great commercial. Am I the only one amused by the actions AT&T has been taking in the past few days? (i.e. Email stating "Feel free to make a call while you read this", giving away free microcells, etc.) Is AT&T getting a little nervous? 
Further, it's completely unclear if microcells will actually fix any problems.
Alex Lindsay of Pixel Corps got one of these for his office in SF. He reported on one of the twit.tv podcasts (I believe it was Macbreak Weekly) that microcell calls were quite flaky.
That's normal. They just want to make sure the microcells has the same quality service as the rest of ATT's network.
Free what, now?
The idea that AT&T is going to use the Microcell as a customer satisfaction tool is laughable to those of us who have suffered with the horrible things for lo these many moons now.
Not only is the Microcell broken, and has been ever since its nationwide roll-out (which came after almost two years of field testing), but AT&T has demonstrated unambiguously that they absolutely do not care. If you have any trouble with the Microcell, they will literally tell you to return or eBay it. It's just astonishing.
The idea that AT&T is going to use the Microcell as a customer satisfaction tool is laughable to those of us who have suffered with the horrible things for lo these many moons now.
Not only is the Microcell broken, and has been ever since its nationwide roll-out (which came after almost two years of field testing), but AT&T has demonstrated unambiguously that they absolutely do not care. If you have any trouble with the Microcell, they will literally tell you to return or eBay it. It's just astonishing.
Heh.
"I gotta hang up so I can check the movie times. I'll call you right back."
Haha.
AT&T iP4 User: "Hey sending you the new spreadsheet and graph now, ok sent, let me know what you think."
Verizon iP4 User: "Ok let me see.... I'm gonna have to call you back."
What prices have been brought down by Verizon? AT&T started the DataPlus and DataPro plans last year without any competition on iPhone, but that was technically for less stuff. Verizon went to those plans, but now its back to $30 for unlimited, the same exact price AT&T has charged for 3G service.
I say again, what lower prices?
Fight fight fight! Wow, competition in mobile industry in the US?
Looks like Apple revolutionized another industry, again.
Looks like Apple revolutionized another industry, again.
I received a letter from ATT in the mail today offering a free Microcell.
Picked it up this evening. Took 10 minutes to activate. Works great, sound quality is as good as any call I have gotten on the iPhone.
Picked it up this evening. Took 10 minutes to activate. Works great, sound quality is as good as any call I have gotten on the iPhone.
Whine about something real....
I've had a Verizon 3G smartphone for at least 6 years, and I honestly didn't realize that I had this "problem" until I read about it on MacRumours.
If I'm on a phone call, the phone is against my ear. If I'm using data, it's in front of me. If the phone is against my ear, I don't care if my data link has been transparently paused.
And don't be so rude to your callers as to expect them to hold while you go surfing - say "I'll check and call you back". Their time is important too.
That could mean that the sound quality is horrible. You might want to edit....
I've had a Verizon 3G smartphone for at least 6 years, and I honestly didn't realize that I had this "problem" until I read about it on MacRumours.
If I'm on a phone call, the phone is against my ear. If I'm using data, it's in front of me. If the phone is against my ear, I don't care if my data link has been transparently paused.
And don't be so rude to your callers as to expect them to hold while you go surfing - say "I'll check and call you back". Their time is important too.
That could mean that the sound quality is horrible. You might want to edit....
Nah... its more like
ATT iP4: Hey, sending you... [!@#$]
ATT iP4: I was saying I am going to send you the new spreadsheet...
ATT iP4: Called again to tell you I sent you the spreadsheet and graph.
VZ iP4: I got it and saw it in between your dropped calls. I think, like ur calls, the graph is a mess.
ATT iP4: Hey, sending you... [!@#$]
ATT iP4: I was saying I am going to send you the new spreadsheet...
ATT iP4: Called again to tell you I sent you the spreadsheet and graph.
VZ iP4: I got it and saw it in between your dropped calls. I think, like ur calls, the graph is a mess.
I always found this to be the most interesting part of the MicroCell fine print. WTF is wrong with AT&T charging me twice for the same data, really.
Saw the commercial on TV a few times tonight, pretty well done. See you later Android, enjoy your new niche in third world feature phones.
I have been with AT&T for a bit over 2 years.... and I got one of the free microcell emails today!
I live in Idaho where cell coverage is spotty no matter what carrier you use... so a microcell will be handy to have (I currently get good reception at my house... but Edge only... but of course that doesn't matter because I also have wifi in my house). I am thinking of moving further out in the mountains though... and this microcell would be VERY handy.
The catch is that you have to sign a contract for another 12 months. I am currently out of my contract on my two iPhone 3G's so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I won't be leaving AT&T either way (rollover + tons of family). I probably will end up getting it (as long as it doesn't mess up my ability to get discounted iPhone 5's later this year!).
I live in Idaho where cell coverage is spotty no matter what carrier you use... so a microcell will be handy to have (I currently get good reception at my house... but Edge only... but of course that doesn't matter because I also have wifi in my house). I am thinking of moving further out in the mountains though... and this microcell would be VERY handy.
The catch is that you have to sign a contract for another 12 months. I am currently out of my contract on my two iPhone 3G's so I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I won't be leaving AT&T either way (rollover + tons of family). I probably will end up getting it (as long as it doesn't mess up my ability to get discounted iPhone 5's later this year!).
They're not charging you twice, unless you've got AT&T DSL, but even then it's two different divisions of AT&T. You're paying twice, though.
But don't worry. The Microcell does data so poorly (it has a 50-100 kbps uplink channel) that you're not going to want to run very much data through it.
The one upside is that you get a publicly routable IP address even if your microcell is behind a NAT.
I'm an AT&T guy, and have no intention of switching... but damn good commercial! How about now all Apple people live in peace instead of trying to defend each other's network...? Is that possible? Haha
" Now let me just send you that contract we came up with for beginning to act more civil. Oh, err, I can't. I'm gonna have to go."
"Oh why?"
"You know, the whole verizon thing... smh"
Well we tried. Back to normal life.
" Now let me just send you that contract we came up with for beginning to act more civil. Oh, err, I can't. I'm gonna have to go."
"Oh why?"
"You know, the whole verizon thing... smh"
Well we tried. Back to normal life.
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Your data/call still has to go across the AT&T network with the microcell.
Android isn't going anywhere. It still thrives in Europe where the iPhone is available on virtually every carrier. Some people simply don't like the iPhone.
I was given a free MicroCell 5-6 months ago when I called AT&T to tell them how horrible the service was at my home. It didn't take much convincing by me for them to approve a free one for me (once I got to the right person).
That being said......
It worked quite well at my last address. My only complaints are that when I arrived home, sometimes it took its time switching to the MicroCell from 3G. Also, when calling out, there was at least a 5 second delay before my iPhone started ringing out. That was pretty annoying, especially when I was calling radio shows trying to be the 10th caller to win that free trip to Hawaii. Besides those issues, the call clarity was good.
I moved to a new address a few weeks ago, and have decided to stop using the MicroCell (at least for now). A handful of the first number of calls that I made dropped, and I just couldn't trust it anymore. Fortunately, the 3G reception here is much better and I don't really need the MicroCell. However, the MicroCell would still be better than the regular 3G inside.
If I feel bored one day, maybe I'll reconnect it and troubleshoot with a MicroCell rep. I don't feel like being on the phone with them for an hour just yet.
I've never had much of a problem with AT&T reception here in LA when I'm oot and aboot.
That being said......
It worked quite well at my last address. My only complaints are that when I arrived home, sometimes it took its time switching to the MicroCell from 3G. Also, when calling out, there was at least a 5 second delay before my iPhone started ringing out. That was pretty annoying, especially when I was calling radio shows trying to be the 10th caller to win that free trip to Hawaii
. Besides those issues, the call clarity was good.I moved to a new address a few weeks ago, and have decided to stop using the MicroCell (at least for now). A handful of the first number of calls that I made dropped, and I just couldn't trust it anymore. Fortunately, the 3G reception here is much better and I don't really need the MicroCell. However, the MicroCell would still be better than the regular 3G inside.
If I feel bored one day, maybe I'll reconnect it and troubleshoot with a MicroCell rep. I don't feel like being on the phone with them for an hour just yet.
I've never had much of a problem with AT&T reception here in LA when I'm oot and aboot.
Wow, an iPhone that can do telephony. What will the magicians at Apple come up with next?
As for the Microcell ATT gave me - meh, when I try to hook it to an academic network, its a NOGO due to proxy serving. I could set the proxy in 30 seconds, but there is no web interface that would allow me to do so.
As for the Microcell ATT gave me - meh, when I try to hook it to an academic network, its a NOGO due to proxy serving. I could set the proxy in 30 seconds, but there is no web interface that would allow me to do so.
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