What's the Best Cell Phone Carrier

[Sphexi]

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: Krk3561
You can search your area with this
http://coverage.t-mobile.com/Compass2/

The fact is, if you travel, T-Mobile has the least coverage of any national carrier. Cingular and Verizon are tied for most, though Sprint technically offers the most if you get their Fair & flexible "America" plans... which basically means you pay $5/month to roam on anyone else's network.

But the most important question of getting coverage where you live comes down to you going out, buying the phone, and trialing the service for the 14 days they give you. Within the first week, make sure you're talking to someone on the phone (not just looking at the "bars" of coverage) while moving around in all the places where you most want service (ie, house, work, common travel routes, etc.). That's the only way to be sure you'll like your service.

BTW, I have Sprint, and I have no complaints. They get me coverage where I expect to get coverage. If I want to get coverage when I'm camping (once or twice a year), I'd pay the extra $5 for roaming.

Fair and Flexible no longer exists, keep an eye on Sprint in the next few weeks, they're retooling their plans and they're going to be coming out with a few no-roaming options that give them better access to more people (in theory) than Vzn does. I haven't had any problems with my Sprint phone btw

 

[Krk3561]

Originally posted by: JoeKing

Originally posted by: GrantMeThePower
Sorry, i should have explained more about what I didn't like with Verizon. First off, it is NOT the reception. The reception with Verizon really has left me with no complaints at all. I've never had a network busy and dropped calls have always been minimal. Overall, pretty pleased with that part of the equation.

What I hate about Verizon are the following:
1. Customer Service. Terrible. They are very slow both in store and on the phone.
2. Pricing- much higher than Tmobile/Cingular
3. Phones- They always have the worst phones. They are either too large and bulky, or very outdated. Furthermore, if you don't accept the fact that you can only get a new phone every two years because of their contract deals and pricing, you pay way too much for lesser phones
4. Destroyed features/Forced extras- They will release a phone with Bluetooth, but not let you use it for anything but a wireless headset. The phones that are supposed to play mp3's can only do so if you hack the phone or buy songs from them and you can't set them as ringers. They make you pay over and over again for things that the phones should do for free.
5. Contracts- You really have to get into a two year contract to make the prices of the phones make sense. (i.e. the new 8100 from LG. WIth a new contract and being out of my last two year contract it was 50 bucks with rebate. If i just wanted to buy it, it would have been 380 after rebate)

It is, however, the qualtiy of reception that is making me hesitate switching, but I don't like the money pit and poor service that is Verizon.

Just a little FYI I can get a signal with Verizon in buildings where t-mobile can't.

Yea, I dont think TMo has that great of coverage in Poopsville, CA haha

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: Krk3561

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: Krk3561
You can search your area with this
http://coverage.t-mobile.com/Compass2/

The fact is, if you travel, T-Mobile has the least coverage of any national carrier. Cingular and Verizon are tied for most, though Sprint technically offers the most if you get their Fair & flexible "America" plans... which basically means you pay $5/month to roam on anyone else's network.

But the most important question of getting coverage where you live comes down to you going out, buying the phone, and trialing the service for the 14 days they give you. Within the first week, make sure you're talking to someone on the phone (not just looking at the "bars" of coverage) while moving around in all the places where you most want service (ie, house, work, common travel routes, etc.). That's the only way to be sure you'll like your service.

BTW, I have Sprint, and I have no complaints. They get me coverage where I expect to get coverage. If I want to get coverage when I'm camping (once or twice a year), I'd pay the extra $5 for roaming.

T-mobile has roaming agreements too.... a crapload too. The compass map there shows NATIVE coverage. How else do I get reception in the mountains... Plus you're going to be in city 90% of the time so T-Mobile works fine.

Plus if you live in CA, T-Mobile owns the network out here so if you're on Cingular in CA, you're really using TMo's towers

Cingular uses AT&T's towers now. If they use T-Mobile's towers thats roaming...

 

[psiu]

I don't mind Verizon thus far, I know they are a big evil insensitive out-to-screw-me-with-elevntybeelion-fees corporation, but they have the best coverage, and more importantly their coverage is EVERYWHERE, including the aforementioned Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Nextel is really only useful in urban/heavy suburban/along the interstate areas, and only if you know lots of people with them to utilize the Direct Connect feature.

TMobile does let you look at VERY detailed coverage maps ahead of time, so you'll know what kind of coverage you will probably get and and you should know how much traveling you do.

Don't have any experience with At&T/Cingular, I've only heard ~blah reviews of Sprint. Plus the merger with Nextel is just gonna be buggering things up with them for awhile, along with jggling the iDEN, CDMA, CDMA2000, PCS, EVDO networks...if you want to be a guinea pig :thumbsup:

Definitely depends on what you need your phone for.

 

[JoeKing]

Originally posted by: Krk3561

Originally posted by: JoeKing

Originally posted by: GrantMeThePower
Sorry, i should have explained more about what I didn't like with Verizon. First off, it is NOT the reception. The reception with Verizon really has left me with no complaints at all. I've never had a network busy and dropped calls have always been minimal. Overall, pretty pleased with that part of the equation.

What I hate about Verizon are the following:
1. Customer Service. Terrible. They are very slow both in store and on the phone.
2. Pricing- much higher than Tmobile/Cingular
3. Phones- They always have the worst phones. They are either too large and bulky, or very outdated. Furthermore, if you don't accept the fact that you can only get a new phone every two years because of their contract deals and pricing, you pay way too much for lesser phones
4. Destroyed features/Forced extras- They will release a phone with Bluetooth, but not let you use it for anything but a wireless headset. The phones that are supposed to play mp3's can only do so if you hack the phone or buy songs from them and you can't set them as ringers. They make you pay over and over again for things that the phones should do for free.
5. Contracts- You really have to get into a two year contract to make the prices of the phones make sense. (i.e. the new 8100 from LG. WIth a new contract and being out of my last two year contract it was 50 bucks with rebate. If i just wanted to buy it, it would have been 380 after rebate)

It is, however, the qualtiy of reception that is making me hesitate switching, but I don't like the money pit and poor service that is Verizon.

Just a little FYI I can get a signal with Verizon in buildings where t-mobile can't.

Yea, I dont think TMo has that great of coverage in Poopsville, CA haha

this actually applies all over the state. I do a lot of traveling and was on two plans at once for a while.

 

[WdnUlik2no]

I love Cingular. Haven't had too many problems with them. Except for one time where I got behind on the OTA downloads. My signal strength is great on my phone. My only issue is with some of their other phones, the LG1 C300 in particular. My ericsson T637 works great, but the LG C1300 reception absolutely sucks, it drops calls all the time and you can barely hear the person on the other end. If it wasn't for my T637 never dropping a call, I would blame the C1300 problems on the cingular service, but it is in fact the phone.

Plus Cingular has rollover. Can't beat that. I have over 4500 rollover minutes and I am on a 850 minute plan with unlimited Nights and Weekends and only talk about 150 minutes per month during peak hours between me and my wife. I probally could go to a lower plan. But the next lowest plan ends up being the same price because they charge 19.95/month per extra line, my plan only charges 9.95 per extra line.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: GrantMeThePower
Sorry, i should have explained more about what I didn't like with Verizon. First off, it is NOT the reception. The reception with Verizon really has left me with no complaints at all. I've never had a network busy and dropped calls have always been minimal. Overall, pretty pleased with that part of the equation.

What I hate about Verizon are the following:
1. Customer Service. Terrible. They are very slow both in store and on the phone.
2. Pricing- much higher than Tmobile/Cingular
3. Phones- They always have the worst phones. They are either too large and bulky, or very outdated. Furthermore, if you don't accept the fact that you can only get a new phone every two years because of their contract deals and pricing, you pay way too much for lesser phones
4. Destroyed features/Forced extras- They will release a phone with Bluetooth, but not let you use it for anything but a wireless headset. The phones that are supposed to play mp3's can only do so if you hack the phone or buy songs from them and you can't set them as ringers. They make you pay over and over again for things that the phones should do for free.
5. Contracts- You really have to get into a two year contract to make the prices of the phones make sense. (i.e. the new 8100 from LG. WIth a new contract and being out of my last two year contract it was 50 bucks with rebate. If i just wanted to buy it, it would have been 380 after rebate)

It is, however, the qualtiy of reception that is making me hesitate switching, but I don't like the money pit and poor service that is Verizon.

EDIT- I live in CA- Pasadena area (just north east of Downtown)

To me, reception > *. Yes, Verizon is pricier and their phones aren't as flashy. But it works nearly everywhere, and that's well worth it for me.

 

[dudeman007]

Verizon is the best provider by far from what I have gone through and seen. (Lives in LA area)

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: dudeman007
Verizon is the best provider by far from what I have gone through and seen. (Lives in LA area)

Verizon =better in SoCal. It's even the local phone provider, while we use SBC in norcal. I agree. Verizon reception is the best HANDS DOWN.

 

[wiredspider]

No matter what, they will all suck.

 

[Mermaidman]

Originally posted by: wiredspider
No matter what, they will all suck.

QFT: Every carrier seems to have its detractors and proponents. So far, I've been treated very well by Verizon, but who knows down the road.

 

[Jzero]

Originally posted by: wiredspider
No matter what, they will all suck.

Ayup. The grass is always greener.

 

[Legendary]

For me T-Mobile has only been slightly worse in service than Verizon, and I mean ever so slightly - I stay mostly south of 14th St. in NYC for location reference.

 

[Krk3561]

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: Krk3561

Originally posted by: DLeRium

Originally posted by: Ilmater

Originally posted by: Krk3561
You can search your area with this
http://coverage.t-mobile.com/Compass2/

The fact is, if you travel, T-Mobile has the least coverage of any national carrier. Cingular and Verizon are tied for most, though Sprint technically offers the most if you get their Fair & flexible "America" plans... which basically means you pay $5/month to roam on anyone else's network.

But the most important question of getting coverage where you live comes down to you going out, buying the phone, and trialing the service for the 14 days they give you. Within the first week, make sure you're talking to someone on the phone (not just looking at the "bars" of coverage) while moving around in all the places where you most want service (ie, house, work, common travel routes, etc.). That's the only way to be sure you'll like your service.

BTW, I have Sprint, and I have no complaints. They get me coverage where I expect to get coverage. If I want to get coverage when I'm camping (once or twice a year), I'd pay the extra $5 for roaming.

T-mobile has roaming agreements too.... a crapload too. The compass map there shows NATIVE coverage. How else do I get reception in the mountains... Plus you're going to be in city 90% of the time so T-Mobile works fine.

Plus if you live in CA, T-Mobile owns the network out here so if you're on Cingular in CA, you're really using TMo's towers

Cingular uses AT&T's towers now. If they use T-Mobile's towers thats roaming...

No its not, they have an agreement. I'm pretty sure Cingular/ATT still uses Tmo in CA.

Cingular owns the network used by Tmo in NYC or the other way around, something like that tho

 

[GrantMeThePower]

So from what I'm gathering, if I leave Verizon, T-mobile is better than Cingular in SoCal? (Based on posts that say Cingular uses T-Mobile towers in CA).

The phone problems aren't even that the other carriers have flashier or cooler phones, just that they don't destroy them the way Verizon does because they want all of the power of selling you extra stuff instead of allowing you to do what you want. (uh oh! is this an Apple vs. PC thing?)

 

[Krk3561]

Originally posted by: JoeKing

Originally posted by: Krk3561

Originally posted by: JoeKing

Originally posted by: GrantMeThePower
Sorry, i should have explained more about what I didn't like with Verizon. First off, it is NOT the reception. The reception with Verizon really has left me with no complaints at all. I've never had a network busy and dropped calls have always been minimal. Overall, pretty pleased with that part of the equation.

What I hate about Verizon are the following:
1. Customer Service. Terrible. They are very slow both in store and on the phone.
2. Pricing- much higher than Tmobile/Cingular
3. Phones- They always have the worst phones. They are either too large and bulky, or very outdated. Furthermore, if you don't accept the fact that you can only get a new phone every two years because of their contract deals and pricing, you pay way too much for lesser phones
4. Destroyed features/Forced extras- They will release a phone with Bluetooth, but not let you use it for anything but a wireless headset. The phones that are supposed to play mp3's can only do so if you hack the phone or buy songs from them and you can't set them as ringers. They make you pay over and over again for things that the phones should do for free.
5. Contracts- You really have to get into a two year contract to make the prices of the phones make sense. (i.e. the new 8100 from LG. WIth a new contract and being out of my last two year contract it was 50 bucks with rebate. If i just wanted to buy it, it would have been 380 after rebate)

It is, however, the qualtiy of reception that is making me hesitate switching, but I don't like the money pit and poor service that is Verizon.

Just a little FYI I can get a signal with Verizon in buildings where t-mobile can't.

Yea, I dont think TMo has that great of coverage in Poopsville, CA haha

this actually applies all over the state. I do a lot of traveling and was on two plans at once for a while.

was it the same phone? not all phones get the same quality reception

 

[Panakk]

Coming from VZW, you have been accustomed to the CDMA quality, switch to GSM and you could be dropping because of coverage, interference, capacity.. and the list goes on. Sprint = VZW. I would stick to either one of them..

If your friends say they have crappy service with Sprint they probably have a crappy phone. With Sprint, i'd always stick with a Sanyo phone. If you must, go with Samsung but never get a Nokia.. NEVER. It is horrible.

 

[Ktulu]

Verizons Customer service has always been top notch when i've had an issue.

Do not switch, because of features and phones, that is just pathetic. If you're phone and provider are giving you excellent reception and service, then you should stick with them

 

[GrantMeThePower]

Why is it "pathetic" to switch because of features and phones? (of course, that is only a partial reason) but if a provider does not provide you with adequate choices, shouldn't you change? I, for instance, don't carry a purse (obviously. me=male) so my phone goes in my pocket. Hence, i need a small phone. I am also a techie and like having features such as blue tooth and a camera (impromtu shots). Verizon, in addition to its other problems, does not offer a quality option for me. I do not think that that is a "pathetic" reason. Could you please explain your thinking a little more?

 

[eplebnista]

Cingular

 

[SouthPaW1227]

I've loved US Cellular (I'm in BFE so I'm still on CDMA lines)

Tried Cingular and it was horrendous.

 

[monk3y]

Been using Cingular for a year now. I love it.

 

[Ikonomi]

Been with Cingular since its birth (Houston Cellular in this area before that) and I've had no problems. Coverage is great just about everywhere I've been in the US, and if you happen to find a spot with no Cingular/ATTW towers, T-Mobile or another B-list carrier fills in with no roaming charges, ever. Cingular's coverage and my Nokia 6230b mean I can place and receive clear calls just about anywhere, even with crappy signal.

In my opinion, GSM voice quality is superior to CDMA. CDMA sounds a bit hollow to me. *shrug*

Of course, depending on where you live, your mileage may vary.

 

[amol]

2½ years with Verizon -- never had "no service", no dropped calls, plus, when i dropped my phone and cracked the main screen two weeks after the warranty died .. they replaced it ... FOR FREE!

It helps when the account you're on has been active since the late 1980s.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I just ordered an IPAQ 6315 from TMobile for $99 & no extended contract already have a F/F contract with them, there's a $50 rebate & free BT headset...

I put up with reduced coverage because the customer service is that much better.

A full year after my contract with AT&T/Cingulair expired & I'm getting a monthly bill showing a credit. Can they fix it? Fvk no, I'll be getting the goddamn monthly statement from them till I die