iPhone vs. ______________?
I am completely torn over a looming decision I have regarding upgrading my cell phone. My heart tells me I want an iPhone, but my brain tells me leaving Verizon is just not a good idea. The news just seems to complicate things more every single day.
I know this place is filled with Apple lovers, so I was wondering, in your biased opinion, does this Android thing have legs? Should I just suck it up an get an iPhone, or are devices like the HTC Imagio, Samsung Omnia 2, and whatever the new Android phone ends up being called the best of both worlds (functionality + network)?
Comments
I love my iphone. Everything about it.
That being said, we still have a land-line in our home so it’s not my primary phone. I use it quite a bit as a phone, but it’s not my only source of phone contact or usage. Which is where the main complaints about the iphone I’ve heard have been since At&T isn’t the best service.
But as far as the web browser, the apps, the e-mail interface….unbeatable.
I just want to point out that I love the fact that my unbreakable habit of typing “Verizone” is now forever immortalized in the tags. My brain just can’t get past the fact that “zon” does not necessarily mean “e” is coming next.
We do get a lot of dropped calls with AT&T, and I loved my iphone until the new update caused the phone to freeze at least once a day… but I’m hoping that latest problem will soon be fixed.
Just get an iphone now and if something better comes along, break your contract.
I love my iPhone to death…BUT the 3G network has been down all day and I’m not thrilled with AT&T in general. The plans are also way too expensive.
i have an imac. i have a phone from verizon with a tip calculator on it. i have no need for a phone to do more than calls, texts and calculate tips.
i wouldn’t leave verizon for the iphone. although i’ll admit they were cool when only the first few people had em.
I haven’t had any AT&T problems with the exception of the new update (Dawn — I restored my phone from scratch and didn’t restore the backup and it fixed all my issues). Most of the AT&T gripes are west coast based where they have much shittier service. In the NY/NJ area, AT&T has one of the best networks and is at least on par with Verizon.
That said, I’ve seen the android phones and there’s definitely a lot of potential there. If you’re a nerd. They have a more open framework and are more fun to hack and do all sorts of things with as just about anyone can develop anything for it. But for ever great feature, I hear about bugs. My boss and coworker have them and, for example, the last update they just got killed their sound output with no fix in sight.
Cost is the only real reason I could see choosing an Android phone over an iPhone.
John said:Most of the AT&T gripes are west coast based where they have much shittier service. In the NY/NJ area, AT&T has one of the best networks and is at least on par with Verizon.
I think this is the key to my whole problem, I just don’t know whether it is true or not. I do know that my lady friend uses an iPhone, and when we talk the call quality is shitty. But how do I know it’s her phone and not mine? The fact that I don’t seem to have any issues when talking to other Verizon(e) customers tells me that it is her.
But then again, if a Verizon(e) phone is talking to an AT&T phone, which network are you on? Both? All I’m asking for in my phone is excellent call quality with few (if any) drops, intuitive messaging, and easy access to Google Maps and my fantasy teams. Everything else is just gravy.
I had a Blackberry for work with AT&T, and I absolutely HATED the service. If my calls didn’t get dropped, they were garbled. At the same time, I had my Verizon phone, and loved it. When it came time for my upgrade, I first got a Dare, which I hated beyond anything I expected. I then got an Omnia, and it was OK, but really just no iPhone. I traded it in for a Blackberry (with Verizon this time), which I like for the e-mail interface, and I have decent internet access, but I just got it to wait it out until the iPhone’s exclusive contract with AT&T runs out in 2010.
Plus there’s that whole 4G thing around the corner. I don’t know much about it, but it’s supposed to be the Next Big Thing. As someone who’s been able to compare phone service, literally side-by-side up and down the eastern seaboard while I had the Blackberry for work, you couldn’t pay me to go to AT&T. Not even for an iPhone.
4G is a ways away. Fact is, neither network is set to support the iPhone or 4g. If Verizon had the number of iPhone users that AT&T does, they’d be crippled as well. They use hundreds of times more data than a non-iphone user.
Consumer Reports did a study on satisfaction with cell phone companies in 23 metro areas. Verizon scored highest in all but 3 markets where it was beaten out each time by Alltel. AT&T scored anywhere between 2nd and 4th. Scores were based on altogether customer satisfaction, but they also specifically rated the services on some connectivity issues. Since I don’t think I can easily copy and paste CR’s chart, and can’t link to the subscription only site, I’ll give you the info for Philly and NYC. Rated from 1-5, 5 being best.
Philly
“No service” – V(erizon) 4, A(T&T) 3, T(Mobile) 1, S(print) 3
“Circuits full” – V 3, A 3, T 3, S 2
“Dropped calls” – V 4, A 3, T 3, S 3
“Static” – 3’s across the board
Total customer score – V 78, A 72, T 71, S 66
NYC
“No service” – V 3, T 1, A 2
“Circuits full” – V 3, T 2, A 3
“Dropped calls” – V 3, T 3, A 2
“Static” – V 3, T 2, A 2
Total scores – V 76, T 70, A 66
Sorry if that’s hard to read.. I guess CR makes coded graphs for a reason!
And for a long copy and paste:
Cell phone services Recommended
Last reviewed: January 2009
Overall satisfaction with the carriers, reflected in their reader scores, generally corresponds to their connectivity scores. Among those who contacted their carriers for help, however, customer support was a more important factor.
Recommended
These carriers stand out for the reasons cited below.
A standout choice for most people
Verizon
Widely available, among the leaders in satisfaction and connectivity in every rated city, and the standout in customer support. Its prepaid service is as highly rated as its traditional plans. It also offers Vcast mobile TV, a live-TV service offering cable and broadcast channels.
A fine alternative where available
Alltel
Though Alltel service is available to only 26 percent of the U.S. population (vs. 87 percent for Verizon), this provider typically matched Verizon for overall satisfaction and connectivity. It’s also among the least expensive carriers for Web access. Its My Circle plan allows unlimited free calls to as many as 20 designated phone numbers, including wireless and landline on any network.
Worth considering, especially if you frequently travel overseas
T-Mobile
Overall satisfaction is similar to Verizon in most cities, though it doesn’t match Verizon in connectivity or customer service. It’s among the least expensive carriers for Web access and for text and multimedia messages. Its My Faves plan allows unlimited free calls to five designated phone numbers on any network.
Also consider
AT&T and Sprint might be an option if they’re competitive in the Ratings for your city or if their exclusive phones or plan features appeal to you. AT&T is home to the iPhone and allows you to carry over unused minutes for almost a year and control kids’ phone usage and access. Sprint, though inferior overall, has the Samsung Instinct and HTC Touch Diamond and unlimited free calling that starts at 7 p.m. weekdays, earlier than other carriers.
Now despite all this, if you really want an iPhone, just get one. AT&T’s network is not enough of a problem to make it a totally bad decision.
After all of this agony, I decided to go completely off the board. For some reason I am just drawn to Android, I believe it’s the future, so I went with the current best(?) Android phone on the market and got an HTC Hero on Sprint. I obviously love it right now, but I’ll see how I feel in the coming weeks and keep you guys updated if you’re interested.
I haven’t cancelled my Verizon contract yet. I can spend 30 days with the Sprint phone and return it if it proves to be unreliable, but it seems to be working just fine everywhere so far. I can’t see myself being disappointed if this performance keeps up, especially since the plan only costs $69.99/month.
I’ve heard that the Hero phones are crrraaazzzy sluggish (they use a chipset from 2003). Notice anything like that?
John said:I’ve heard that the Hero phones are crrraaazzzy sluggish (they use a chipset from 2003). Notice anything like that?
Apparently those “crrraaazzzy sluggish” reviews were of the Euro model released a couple of months ago. This was apparently fixed with a software update, and I haven’t noticed any lag at all. It’s not quite as “crisp” as the iPhone, but it’s pretty damn close. The tech geeks are definitely wary of this phone because it is apparently running the new OS on relatively old hardware, but I’m coming off of a basic Verizon handset so it seems blazing fast to me.
The way this thing integrates with Google is really sweet. It’s super customizable.
You have to let me play with it next time you’re down here.
John said:You have to let me play with it next time you’re down here.
Sure thing.