With LTE and considering everything, which one is better? Verizon or ATT?

[gusnyc]

Now that the iPhone 5 has LTE, which is the most convenient carrier in the USA? Verizon seems to have more LTE coverage than AT&T, Sprint is almost non-existent, but what about the prices, and extra perks, like the shared plans, or the FaceTime using LTE?

Is it possible to use the iPhone 5 as a hotspot with a share plan in ATT or Verizon?

Also what happens when you travel abroad. Is Verizon limited because of their HSPA instead of AT&T' GSM?

What carrier will (or would) you choose for the iPhone 5, and why?

Thanks for your opinions.

Gus
PS: (I am in ATT now, I would have to pay $250 to upgrade, but I am thinking on switching to Verizon and paying the penalty for canceling my contract with ATT, but still I want to consider my options. I think the inclusion of LTE changed the panorama a bit).

 

[snook911]

Well if you only have one smartphone the new verizon plan is a total rip off. It will cost you $40 for the smart phone and $70 for 2GB of shared data. Only problem is if you only have 1 smartphone you are not sharing it with anyone. So that's $110 plus fees to switch to verizon. I was thinking about switching to Verizon but that's about $40 a month over what I pay at at&t and I have the grandfathered unlimited and $5 text package. I have decided to go with the extra dummy line for $10 a month to get the iphone 5 (and every other iPhone coming) for the full discount price for an extra $120 a year on my bill.

 

[mpossoff]

Now that the iPhone 5 has LTE, which is the most convenient carrier in the USA? Verizon seems to have more LTE coverage than AT&T, Sprint is almost non-existent, but what about the prices, and extra perks, like the shared plans, or the FaceTime using LTE?

Is it possible to use the iPhone 5 as a hotspot with a share plan in ATT or Verizon?

Also what happens when you travel abroad. Is Verizon limited because of their HSPA instead of AT&T' GSM?

What carrier will (or would) you choose for the iPhone 5, and why?

Thanks for your opinions.

Gus
PS: (I am in ATT now, I would have to pay $250 to upgrade, but I am thinking on switching to Verizon and paying the penalty for canceling my contract with ATT, but still I want to consider my options. I think the inclusion of LTE changed the panorama a bit).

To be honest in my opinion LTE had become hype. The AT&T 4S holds very well against VZW LTE devices in my area. When VZW 1st came out it was faster than it is now.

I would be very satisfied if the iPhone 5 performed as well as my 4S without LTE. And yes my area does have LTE.

 

[gusnyc]

LTE in verizon

My only experience with LTE is with a Verizon iPad. It is really fast, and I found coverage almost everywhere.

My 4s struggles with AT&T in New York City. The service is better than before but I still get a few dropped calls every week. And the data speed is very inconsistent. I am not sure how Verizon will hold up when hundred of thousands of new LTE connections come to their network.

I also have an unlimited data plan from AT&T with a $5 message plan. I wonder if it is worth loosing it.

I will be sharing a plan with another iPhone and an iPad. Currently I have AT&T and Verizon LTE iPads, so I can go either way.

It seems both shared plans allow to use your device as a hotspot.

I just found out that the Verizon iPhone 5 supports GSM outside of the US (article on Wired).

With so many things to consider, it is hard to make a decision.