Database Users

T-Mobile US service. Is it worth it coming from 9 years of Verizon?

I have the TP2 on Verizon, and I would like the HD2. My biggest concern is dropping and poor cell reception. I'm in Orange County, CA, but I do travel around the U.S. occassionally. Please be honest and let me know how people who are on T-Mobile U.S. service what you think. Do you drop calls a lot? Poor connections? Dead zones?
I've had Verizon for 9 years, so I've been spoiled with great cell service. I RARELY get dropped calls and dead zone (I'm being honest). So I'm wondering what people think about T-Mobile.

you won't be disappointed
I haven't dropped a call in chicago though i wish data was like philly lol

whiteblazer01 said:
I have the TP2 on Verizon, and I would like the HD2. My biggest concern is dropping and poor cell reception. I'm in Orange County, CA, but I do travel around the U.S. occassionally. Please be honest and let me know how people who are on T-Mobile U.S. service what you think. Do you drop calls a lot? Poor connections? Dead zones?
I've had Verizon for 9 years, so I've been spoiled with great cell service. I RARELY get dropped calls and dead zone (I'm being honest). So I'm wondering what people think about T-Mobile.
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I've never had a dropped call... but the 3g signal sucks. It doesn't get 3g signals in buildings or houses. I really regret leaving at&t, which had great 3g signals. Also, looking at the t-mobile signal map, it looks like there's a lot of places in the US that don't get t-mobile.
I would suggest, if you can afford it, get the Telstra 9193 HD2 imported from australia and use At&t. You'll get much better service, at least 3g service.

3g & signal are great for me better than my friend with an iphone at&t i had tmobile since it was voicestream & the service has always been good but i say it all depends on your area givie it a try if you are not satisfy you could always go back as soon as you dont pass the 30days

Not for the HD2. Reception on this phone blows chunks. It makes a low signal a no signal. It switches over to EDGE at the drop of a hat. Anyone that switched to T-Mobile for the HD2 can't make a good evaluation based on that device, it truly blows. T-Mobile has an good soon-to-be HSPA+ Network in Orange County but I would avoid the HD2 at all costs.

Service
I live in Idaho. I have Att, it is ok, but don't get 3g. But I'm ok with edge. I have tried Tmobile,It was great in the town 14 miles from my home. But lost signal all the time. I would say from what other people say, is it's ok in big cities, but not rural. I would pay the extra, & get telstra, on Att. Actually, I did similar thing, just put my sim in from 10.00 data plan. I don't use much data so I'm not going to pay higher plan,, My bud in Pa has telstra,on att, loves it, no tmobile probs.

Former AT&T user for about 10 years - really depends on the area. I just got a T-Mobile HD2 and while the phone is phenominal compared to the current AT&T offerings (build quality, screen, etc.) the network in St Louis is VERY spotty. As others have said the 3g is very weak - as soon as you move say into a parking garage (3g worked with AT&T) it will immediately switch to Edge. Also there seems to be a ton of dead spots even in urban areas. The 3G speeds here at most get in to the 800 range where AT&T was well over 1200 BUT the latentcy and browsing speeds on AT&T seem slower. iPhones in this area suck up tons of bandwidth.
Traveling from say St Louis across to Atlanta on major interstates - AT&T is pretty much on Edge EXCEPT in really major cities like Nashville but other than that its Edge all the way to Atlanta. Used a AT&T Tilt and 8525 for this run. DON'T believe the coverage maps - as soon as I left St Louis it was Edge through Kentucky unless I passed a very populated city and the speeds were mediocre at best.
Until a radio ROM update is released that hopefully fixes the reception problem the phone will have issues. Call quality is just "ok" with some popping, hissing etc.
I think you'll be ok if you use it in MAJOR urban areas but if you go off route or go to some of the smaller cities/towns coverage will be pretty poor.
I only paid about 75 dollars for the phone with a two year commitment so I can't really complain - the only really bad decision on Tmobile part was to spec the phone differently than the European HD2 - finding cases, screen protectors that fit the phone at the moment is pretty difficult.

Nope you are better off with the htc incredible and stay on verzion

stim141 said:
Former AT&T user for about 10 years - really depends on the area. I just got a T-Mobile HD2 and while the phone is phenominal compared to the current AT&T offerings (build quality, screen, etc.) the network in St Louis is VERY spotty. As others have said the 3g is very weak - as soon as you move say into a parking garage (3g worked with AT&T) it will immediately switch to Edge. Also there seems to be a ton of dead spots even in urban areas. The 3G speeds here at most get in to the 800 range where AT&T was well over 1200 BUT the latentcy and browsing speeds on AT&T seem slower. iPhones in this area suck up tons of bandwidth.
Traveling from say St Louis across to Atlanta on major interstates - AT&T is pretty much on Edge EXCEPT in really major cities like Nashville but other than that its Edge all the way to Atlanta. Used a AT&T Tilt and 8525 for this run. DON'T believe the coverage maps - as soon as I left St Louis it was Edge through Kentucky unless I passed a very populated city and the speeds were mediocre at best.
Until a radio ROM update is released that hopefully fixes the reception problem the phone will have issues. Call quality is just "ok" with some popping, hissing etc.
I think you'll be ok if you use it in MAJOR urban areas but if you go off route or go to some of the smaller cities/towns coverage will be pretty poor.
I only paid about 75 dollars for the phone with a two year commitment so I can't really complain - the only really bad decision on Tmobile part was to spec the phone differently than the European HD2 - finding cases, screen protectors that fit the phone at the moment is pretty difficult.
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I don't see exactly what you're getting at. It's the HD2, not the network.. the signal might be weak but the HD2 totally drops the signal. Swap out your HD2 for a Motorola CLIQ or CLIQ XT and you'll see what I'm talking about. I'm not saying it won't ever switch over to EDGE again because the network still has some EDGE-only towers sprinkled in (said to be rectified in 2010+Fiber to the sites) but it will greatly reduce the occurrence.

8 years with verizon, 5 lines in south florida
Switched one line specificly for HD2 to tmobile. SUx 3g signal
Most of the tiem ti shows 3g or H but the connection is weak, i get mostly 300-500 range, once ina while it may spike to 800.
Cant even compare to Verizon, i had Droid.
Thinking to go wimax for Sprint. Same phone but better data output.

I've been with them all - Verizon, Tmobile, AT&T - even dating back to 'Cellular One'. I also used to travel far more in the US than I do now and I've never been disappointed with what is now AT&T's network or service area. Tmobile had been spotty for me.
If you're looking into an HD2, I'd recommend buying a T9193 and going with AT&T. It'll cost you more for the hardware but you won't be forced into a $30+/month data plan for two years because you can go with their 'MEdia Net' unlimited plan for $20/month instead, saving $10 per month over the data plan that iPhone users are forced into. IOW, the $240 it'll save you over two years will help reduce your private purchase of the phone to about $500 or less, if you shop hard and wait for a deal.

it would really depend on your own location i've had verizon< noproblems though many years ago. then moved over to nextel< its nextel:x then moved over to at&t (found this site) at&t I would always have drop spots, not random alsways a consistant few locations other than that it was fine. I recently switched to t-mo for the hd2 on no contract as i plan on moving over to sprint once the evo comes out. so far the best service has come from verizon though at the time I only had a flip phone. I would go back but haven't liked any of the phones and that was the only reason i left. I would stick with verizon and try out the incredible. I haven't encountered any issues being in the OC myself with t-mo service but its only been about a month and I haven't traveled out of OC.

picassoianctions said:
8 years with verizon, 5 lines in south florida
Switched one line specificly for HD2 to tmobile. SUx 3g signal
Most of the tiem ti shows 3g or H but the connection is weak, i get mostly 300-500 range, once ina while it may spike to 800.
Cant even compare to Verizon, i had Droid.
Thinking to go wimax for Sprint. Same phone but better data output.
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LOL.. I really hope you do pick up a WiMAX phone. If you think you're disappointed now just wait. Also the connection has nothing to do with it, if you're getting slow speeds that's because the backend of the network is still on one T1. When HSPA+ is enabled it will blow WiMAX out of the water.
BillTheCat said:
I've been with them all - Verizon, Tmobile, AT&T - even dating back to 'Cellular One'. I also used to travel far more in the US than I do now and I've never been disappointed with what is now AT&T's network or service area. Tmobile had been spotty for me.
If you're looking into an HD2, I'd recommend buying a T9193 and going with AT&T. It'll cost you more for the hardware but you won't be forced into a $30+/month data plan for two years because you can go with their 'MEdia Net' unlimited plan for $20/month instead, saving $10 per month over the data plan that iPhone users are forced into. IOW, the $240 it'll save you over two years will help reduce your private purchase of the phone to about $500 or less, if you shop hard and wait for a deal.
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When did you have T-Mobile?

whiteblazer01 said:
I have the TP2 on Verizon, and I would like the HD2. My biggest concern is dropping and poor cell reception. I'm in Orange County, CA, but I do travel around the U.S. occassionally. Please be honest and let me know how people who are on T-Mobile U.S. service what you think. Do you drop calls a lot? Poor connections? Dead zones?
I've had Verizon for 9 years, so I've been spoiled with great cell service. I RARELY get dropped calls and dead zone (I'm being honest). So I'm wondering what people think about T-Mobile.
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I have T-Mobile as my personal phone (Proud owner of The HD2) and have AT&T phone as my business phone (company gave it to me to use it)... So, here is the comparison:
Where I live the reception is very strong for both T-Mobile and AT&T - when you check their maps... T-Mobile has not failed me in last 5 years. I recall only one outage I have experienced and that was due to bad weather where I simply was not able to make phone calls to certain people. So my rating for T-Mobile is and stays 5 stars hands down...
Now AT&T - it appears to have faster 3G - like it is a big deal since I do not use it at all - but anyway, having faster 3G that's where everything stops. Call Reception is terrible, dropped calls all over the place, you get into the building you loose reception easily, etc. Therefore, can easily rate AT&T with lousy 2 stars - which they get only based on faster 3G.
Bottom line T-Mobile is definitely better in service where I live which is Chicagoland Northern burbs - but comparing it to Verizon? Well, I never had Verizon as I am not fan of CDMA networks - more like GSM person (habbit I brought from Europe I guess lol)... I heard Verizon is good with coverage; not that great in Basements - but having HD2 in mind - I do not think you will regret it...
PS test it out and see how it works - you can get that done and see for your area if it's working or not... good luck!

Nearly half a million customers left T-Mobile in Q1 2011

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/08/nearly-half-a-million-contract-customers-left-t-mobile-in-q1-201/
Will YOU be leaving?

If the merger goes through, then yes. I have been a tmobile customer for 7 years. I have been satisfied with the hardware, the accounts, and even the customer support. Especially the customer support.
AT&T want a stellar company before the SBC buyout, but it became terrible after. I expect the same thing if Tmobile is consumed.
I do not look forward to finding a new carrier.

I don't think I'll leave TMO unless AT&T acquires it and doesn't let me keep my current plan and pricing. I travel accross USA and do not have a voice coverage problem with Tmobile. Its excellent with few to none dropped calls. But the data sucks, my phone switches to edge 80% of the time as compared to my co workers AT&T and Sprint.
Not to mention I pay less than $160 for 2 lines with unlimited everything.... The next cheapest is sprint @ $210

If the buyout goes through, absolutely leaving. I will never be an AT&T customer again, even if it means taking my Vibrant over to Simple Mobile.
Ginger Clones of the World Unite!!! via the XDA App

I'll be leaving as well. As far as when, that depends on when the merger goes through and who gets the SGSII. One things for sure, I'll NEVER use AT&T again.

I agree with most the other comments....... I pay 152 per month for 2 lines unlimited everything......... and I use it............ When and IF ATT does get T-mobile. . . then I will have to find a new carrier, I really like TMO but tempus fugit......
As far as the customer loss I do not see that as a real big issue, if I remember correctly, the average for all the major carriers is between 6-8 million per carrier per year or as it is called in the industry the "churn"
I agree with KWKSLVR it is about who gets the S2

It depends on my dad....he pays me and my sister's phone bill cuz we're in college...no matter if we stay or go...i still gotta unlock my Vibrant for another carrier

If the plans stay the same then ill stay plus some might have better coverage
in areas they never did

T-Mobile coverage is terrible Verizon has the iphon now and at&t had some good Android phones.
I'll be leaving.
Also, t-mobile hasn't cared about building out their data network for a long time. Data id more important than voice to me. I use 50 voice minutes a month but 2gb data. I don't mind paying more for a better network...
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express

any other provider sounds better then att. i would gladly switch to boost with an unlocked android. or even metropcs has got a few good androids to date. att is making a losing bet unless they all of a sudden change their pricing plans.

N8ter said:
T-Mobile coverage is terrible Verizon has the iphon now and at&t had some good Android phones.
I'll be leaving.
Also, t-mobile hasn't cared about building out their data network for a long time. Data id more important than voice to me. I use 50 voice minutes a month but 2gb data. I don't mind paying more for a better network...
Sent from my HD7 using Board Express
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If you knew T-Mobile coverage was bad in your area perhaps you should have started out with a different carrier in the first place. Here in Dallas I get 3G or H almost everywhere.

Add me to the list of people who will leave T-Mobile the day AT&T goes through. Keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen.

XPLANE9 said:
If you knew T-Mobile coverage was bad in your area perhaps you should have started out with a different carrier in the first place. Here in Dallas I get 3G or H almost everywhere.
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Hi idiot.
I did. No one else had coverage but t-mobile thanks to voice roaming, but at&t put a New 3g tower up so now they have everything. I went from at&t to sprint before t-mobile.
Thanks for using that pea sized brain of yours, though.
At&t... Building out their network.
T-mobile... Dead end.
And traveling with a t-mobile phone is a lesson in frustration compared to at&t other Verizon.
I'm with them cause I live in a rural area and had no choice then.
NOW I do... So ill be leaving.
Don't care where you live and how your signal is, tbh. even at the hspa+ market down the interstate your phone can go from full 3g to edge at any random time.
T-mobile are not defendable, so stop ****ing trying Even with good phones and low prices people are leaving, and for a reason. They aren't spending more just cause they can... There are sizeable cities here that can't get more than 3 bars gprs from t-mobile here, but the other three carriers have full 3g
Thank you.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I've been a T-Mobile customer for almost 5 years. Up until I transferred to the college in this town now, my 3G data service has been great. Im actually so unhappy w/ T-Mobile..Right now i live in Huntsville,TX where I goto college at and T-Mobile is beyond garbage here. Personally, If I'm going to pay the same amount of money as someone who has 3G/4G coverage, i have to have to have the same equal coverage. I'm back and fourth on GPRS and Edge here missing important calls like clockwork. I can get a similar plan with AT&T for the same amount with 4G service here in this town. (Trust me i work for Radioshack and I know all about both companies plans and prices as well as restrictions) When the Samsung Galaxy S2 comes out this summer for AT&T, I'm leaving T-Mobile to give AT&T my money instead. I'm not handing over my whole pay check for a Verizon phone LOL and I'm not going to Sprint with their 3G coverage map looking like a pepperoni pizza LOL
For the most part, T-Mobile has been beyond great as far as customer serviceand pricing, its just that voice and 3G data coverage is, always, and forever will be their weakness and that doesn't work for me.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I hate At&t

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/17/us-tmobile-att-lawsuits-idUSTRE77G59020110817
I know there's already a thread for this, but this article just seems too important for me.
Is At&t violating our rights? Somebody answer this for me.

don't know, but I just posted a thread about my complaint against AT&T today.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=261
but apparently if the firm wins and we sign up, I think we can get $10,000
http://www.fightthemerger.com/FAQ/

Agreed.
I have heard from friends and customers as well how horrible att&t's reception can be, however i am not sure about customer service.
I have Verizon for a for my cell and Bellsouth for my home, I used to have att&t a long time ago.

I'm happy with at&t. Great customer service and great reception!. But why does everyone want to fight the merge? If anything it will boost t mobile
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App

I guess that depends on where you live. I was on AT&T less than a month ago and I can't say that I miss it. The service where I spent most of my time in was pretty bad. Calling coverage was somewhat ok around my work, but 3G was downright terrible. I could have a full row of bars on 3G and somehow still not be able to get on the web haha. My house was even worse. I'd usually have 1-2 bars, but it was almost a guaranteed drop call unless I sat right next to the window at the front of my house. Can't really comment on the customer service though, since I never really bothered to call.
Not really looking forward to the merge, but I'll reevaluate my options once my T-Mo contract expires. Maybe the merge will be a good thing. Maybe not. We'll see.

At&t kept the iphone exclusively for its own company for how many years?
Alot of my friends who are on T-mobile did so specifically because T-mobile has a better selection of phone plans for the working class. And I feel like they're not trying to screw me over with excess charges.
Back in the day, if you didn't like At&t, then fine, you still had T-mobile. But now it's not even possible to fight back against the merger.

trell959 said:
I'm happy with at&t. Great customer service and great reception!. But why does everyone want to fight the merge? If anything it will boost t mobile
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA Premium App
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I'm against the merger because compared to T-mobile EVERYTHING ABOUT AT&T SUCKS! Their prices, customer service, phone selection...I mean AT&T ONLY RECENTLY got the Nexus S....I've had it on T-Mobile since Dec....
Silly people are silly.

I had T-Mobile for over 8 years and a year ago i switched to AT&T and got my captivate. I can say that I get much better 3g coverage, and much better 3g speeds in general. Yeah customer service isn't exactly the best but they help me with any issues I've had with them so far. But I am in the LA/OC area so I'm sure this is one of their most developed networks. But I remember on T-Mobile I would be stuck on Edge about half the time.

Everyone is different...but in MY AREA...T-Mo beats AT&T BY A MILE especially in coverage AND speed...not to mention I have the option to pay 60$ for 10GBs versus AT&T and their crappy 4GB for 45$....or I could stay with 5GB for 20$
#justsayin
All your OT are belong to Pipsqueak

I ran away to Sprint... >.>;
Real unlimited, and wimax is fast around here.

synaesthetic said:
I ran away to Sprint... >.>;
Real unlimited, and wimax is fast around here.
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I wish I got 4g here. Sprint has been great other then that. Never had an issue that I couldn't get taken care of in a few minutes.

How is AT&T's network (U.S.)?

I'm currently trying to decide which carrier to go with for the GS4, does anyone have experience with AT&T? I know they have a bad reputation for unreliability, has that improved at all? How is their coverage in the NJ/NY area?

NY/NJ are you referring to downstate NY, upstate wise its pretty good and frankly I was already leaving Verizon before today's announcement about the no early upgrades at 20 months crap and no using a MiFi or tablet line for an upgrade both of which are things I enjoyed so FU Verizon and hello AT&T.

RaptorMD said:
NY/NJ are you referring to downstate NY, upstate wise its pretty good and frankly I was already leaving Verizon before today's announcement about the no early upgrades at 20 months crap and no using a MiFi or tablet line for an upgrade both of which are things I enjoyed so FU Verizon and hello AT&T.
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I'm referring specifically to central NJ and Brooklyn, NY (one of my family members commutes there).

snapple232 said:
I'm currently trying to decide which carrier to go with for the GS4, does anyone have experience with AT&T? I know they have a bad reputation for unreliability, has that improved at all? How is their coverage in the NJ/NY area?
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I work for at&t.
It's an excellent service for people up north and I've never heard of a complaint from the region. Also, checking our private coverage viewer you seem to be fine around those locations.
Just know that for individual lines, at&t can be expensive.
Your entry level plans are as follows.
85$ for 1 gig of data and unlimited talk and text.
90$ for 3 gigs of data, 450 minutes to landlines, unlimited to other cellphones and unlimited text.
You can save been 4 to 12 dollars a month depending on where you work. Discounts can be added through paystubs or work emails.
After tax expect it to come to around 100 dollars a month.

snapple232 said:
I'm currently trying to decide which carrier to go with for the GS4, does anyone have experience with AT&T? I know they have a bad reputation for unreliability, has that improved at all? How is their coverage in the NJ/NY area?
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I've had every major carrier. I rate AT&T to be nearly as good as Verizon, personally, and faster data. I've used it in Washington D.C., los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Indianapolis, and various other large cities and I've never had any complaints.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747

Verizon is much better in Chicago. Been with at&t since 2004 and have the same dead zones and during 9-5 hours downtown, the network is unusable. Verizon crushes at&t in reception and speed in Chicago. Fact.
And I'm an at&t customer. Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

I know in South Jersey, AT&T is much better than Verizon. In fact, my girlfriend finally went on my plan because she was tired of not having very good coverage in Glendora, NJ.

cfn87 said:
Verizon is much better in Chicago. Been with at&t since 2004 and have the same dead zones and during 9-5 hours downtown, the network is unusable. Verizon crushes at&t in reception and speed in Chicago. Fact.
And I'm an at&t customer. Lol
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
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Maybe, but it really depends on where you spend most of your time. When I was in Chicago I never lost a good signal for an entire weekend and my data speeds killed my friend on Verizon. Maybe we just didn't go to the AT&T dead zones.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747

I travel all over - rural and cities - the only place that I have ever strugged with AT&T in the past year has been San Francisco.

I came from 13 years of Sprint to AT&T for the first time today. All I can say is, nothing can be worse than Sprint. At least with AT&T, I get reception INDOORS. Good grief Sprint's indoor reception is just balls.

snapple232 said:
I'm referring specifically to central NJ and Brooklyn, NY (one of my family members commutes there).
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Should be good especially in Brooklyn.

There are several android apps that compares cell phone coverage for any given area.
If you are using an android smart phone now you could download one and see what the coverage looks like according to the various cellmap / cell coverage apps
[Also ask your relatives in the areas that they live in to do the same!]
I used one app called: Cell Maps Mobile Coverage (I think) and it was quite accurate for my area and the different service providers. I was lucky to hit the right provider without it, but I can say that what the app provided in results matched what I had seen!
My opinion:
#1. Coverage is the key more than anything.
Check the area where you are going to use the phone. Don't use the provider maps of coverage -they are pretty useless. Get an app like I mentioned and drive arround. Ask folks who are in the area what phone service they have there. We on XDA are all over the world and that won't help you (much).
#2. AT&T coverage in lower NYC, SI and Jersey-opposite the city for me has been fine.
Service is also important, (but not as important) I am in California and have used AT&T for years now. But I visit family and friends in Staten Island and the NYC area and my AT&T coverage has been very good. Including in Jersey area across the river. Every now and then I can hit a weak spot, but no serious complaints.
#3. Service is also important (but not as important as coverage)
I like the personal service of AT&T, especially their call-in phone support operators (their stores are not so hot. . .) I had VZ for years and Verizon was not really good at listening or caring for my problems or questions. AT&T is really good at that.
However, AT&T is also pretty expensive. They say they are not, but it just doesn't seem to work out that way! (Verizon is close!) Some folks who could do AT&T for good phone coverage use Straight Talk for their good price. Although they seem to have zero personal suppport service --at least for most people I have talked with. (my opinion only).
#4. Bottom line: If you can't talk, you might as well not have the phone, so number one priority is to get an app and to test the coverage in the target area.
Then go with the company that gives you the best coverage. (price and service come after coverage!)
Good Luck!

ATT or Verizon?

I'm leaving Sprint, and was planning on moving to ATT, but now taking a look at Verizon. It appears that VZ has slightly better coverage in my rural area. I'm also moving up to the GN3 and have been reading that some features may not be available on VZ. I would really appreciate any opinions or recommendations that would make this decision easier.
Cost? Seems pretty close.
Phones? Does one carrier limit their instruments more than the other?
Coverage and reliability?
Anything else?
Thanks in advance.
I'm posting in General, because although there are question marks here, they're not exactly questions. Please move if you think so.

re: AT&T or VZW
kat3k said:
I'm leaving Sprint, and was planning on moving to ATT, but now taking a look at Verizon. It appears that VZ has slightly better coverage in my rural area. I'm also moving up to the GN3 and have been reading that some features may not be available on VZ. I would really appreciate any opinions or recommendations that would make this decision easier.
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My 2 cents: It really depends on coverage. If you get a signal with VZW and not with AT&T, your problem is solved, and vice versa. If you live in a rural area and get a weak signal, there are boosters (I have used a Wilson Yagi antenna with 4G Sleek cradle and gone from 0 to 5 bars...but the cradle limits mobility. It comes in versions for VZW or AT&T but not both). VZW offers 6Gb data for $50 while AT&T gives you 5Gb. However, AT&T gives access to WIFI hotspots, and may give you more options if you travel overseas. As for the GN3 - I'm eagerly awaiting mine - on AT&T, after 15 years a Verizon customer. Both versions look like they will be more difficult to mod than other phones (which is why some people are buying a T-Mobile version and moving to AT&T). I had no issues with Verizon in the 15 years I was with them, and am only buying the AT&T GN3 to find out if coverage on their network is better here than VZW; if not I'll return it and probably cease using cellular coverage for internet access and go with Excede - I live in a rural area, too, and have to climb a hill to use voice. Radio Shack rep told me Wilson is coming out with a signal booster "in a couple months" that will not tie you to a cradle. I get my phone tomorrow, and am anxious to find out how the radio on the Note 3 compares to my Droid Razr. Good luck!

bienbien said:
My 2 cents: It really depends on coverage. If you get a signal with VZW and not with AT&T, your problem is solved, and vice versa. If you live in a rural area and get a weak signal, there are boosters (I have used a Wilson Yagi antenna with 4G Sleek cradle and gone from 0 to 5 bars...but the cradle limits mobility. It comes in versions for VZW or AT&T but not both). VZW offers 6Gb data for $50 while AT&T gives you 5Gb. However, AT&T gives access to WIFI hotspots, and may give you more options if you travel overseas. As for the GN3 - I'm eagerly awaiting mine - on AT&T, after 15 years a Verizon customer. Both versions look like they will be more difficult to mod than other phones (which is why some people are buying a T-Mobile version and moving to AT&T). I had no issues with Verizon in the 15 years I was with them, and am only buying the AT&T GN3 to find out if coverage on their network is better here than VZW; if not I'll return it and probably cease using cellular coverage for internet access and go with Excede - I live in a rural area, too, and have to climb a hill to use voice. Radio Shack rep told me Wilson is coming out with a signal booster "in a couple months" that will not tie you to a cradle. I get my phone tomorrow, and am anxious to find out how the radio on the Note 3 compares to my Droid Razr. Good luck!
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Thanks very much for the helpful response. Both carriers are neck and neck reception-wise, with VZ probably slightly better. I have used Sprint's femtocell and was considering the counterpart for whichever carrier I go with, as it's been my understanding my signal is not adequate for a booster, but hooking up to DSL does work great. I have looked at a Wilson model booster before, and might give that another look after hearing from you. I don't know much about that option. In any case, I'm going with Costco for carrier and phone, and am going to try to hold off for Black Friday, just in case, but might not make it, especially if my N2 gets sold first. Thanks again.

amplification & mini cell tower
for voice, texting and 3g in a poor coverage area Verizon offers a free or low cost mini cell tower that runs off of an ethernet connect to the internet. when synched you have your own mini cell tower in the house
my situation was odd: i had very good cell and data. then verizon re-did their antenna system and my neighborhood got horrible reception and data. after about 6 weeks of my calling a few times per week and insisting on level 2 techies,
a supervisor approved selling me a refurbed mini tower for $100. or cancelling my contract. i took the tower and that ended my problems for voice, texing and slow internet at home. i have fast interent with good wifi converage all around my house and property.
months later they fixed the antenna problem. my service is not great--like it was 18 months ago, but good. i still use the mini tower and am very pleased. $100 well spent.
you way want to make inquiries before they sign you up. customer service supervisors at verison are generally pretty good.
4g or LTE if you have any signal at all, there is a 4 lte amplifier available for about $250. zBoost SOHO DataBlast 4G Data Booster Kit for Verizon LTE
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UNGTCQ/ref=gno_cart_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
If you are in a rural area, sometimes there are choices, none of which are great i have no idea what is available with at&t to augment their signals.
i live in a suburb very close to downtown just outside the city limits of miami. when my home area was having problems, 2 miles away at my office, i was down loading generally at over 20mgs. today my office is the same. at home my down load sppeds vary from sometimes mid-teens to 3 to 5 mgs lower end. during the few problematic months, i could not stream video on my cell without wifi at home.

bob52r said:
for voice, texting and 3g in a poor coverage area Verizon offers a free or low cost mini cell tower that runs off of an ethernet connect to the internet. when synched you have your own mini cell tower in the house
my situation was odd: i had very good cell and data. then verizon re-did their antenna system and my neighborhood got horrible reception and data. after about 6 weeks of my calling a few times per week and insisting on level 2 techies,
a supervisor approved selling me a refurbed mini tower for $100. or cancelling my contract. i took the tower and that ended my problems for voice, texing and slow internet at home. i have fast interent with good wifi converage all around my house and property.
months later they fixed the antenna problem. my service is not great--like it was 18 months ago, but good. i still use the mini tower and am very pleased. $100 well spent.
you way want to make inquiries before they sign you up. customer service supervisors at verison are generally pretty good.
4g or LTE if you have any signal at all, there is a 4 lte amplifier available for about $250. zBoost SOHO DataBlast 4G Data Booster Kit for Verizon LTE
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009UNGTCQ/ref=gno_cart_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
If you are in a rural area, sometimes there are choices, none of which are great i have no idea what is available with at&t to augment their signals.
i live in a suburb very close to downtown just outside the city limits of miami. when my home area was having problems, 2 miles away at my office, i was down loading generally at over 20mgs. today my office is the same. at home my down load sppeds vary from sometimes mid-teens to 3 to 5 mgs lower end. during the few problematic months, i could not stream video on my cell without wifi at home.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the Amazon link, but I don't have enough of a signal to use a booster. I'll have to go with the femtocell once I know my carrier. If not for that, I would have gone long ago to Straight Talk, but no reception aids for them that I know of (unless you piggyback on an ATT acct, but once the ATT acct is gone, so are you). The reception maps at Sensorly.com swayed my decision from ATT to VZ. It's just pretty hard to come out ahead, with any kind of savings, especially if you like to get new phones very often. I always think I love this phone so much, I will never want another, but then I do.

Please discuss in the upgrading stickies in General sections.
Thanks
FNM