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Truth Or Dare — What Is the Best US Cell Company?
Epsilon Eridani writes "I am returning to the US after an extended time overseas and upon my return I need to jump head first into the data enabled phone bandwagon. I have to admit ... I am lost as to what is the best company to choose. Before I left the US I used a Sprint HTC phone running Windows with the 'simply everything' plan to communicate and stay organized and a Sprint Wireless Card to connect my laptop to the world. Coming back several generations of technology later, what is the best set up technology-wise to link phone and laptop or two to the Internet? (Open source solutions accepted too!) Can the Slashdot community verify some of the claims on quality of service before I give my first born up when I sign a service contract?"
wouldn't this be best done as a slashdot poll?
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(the correct answer, by the way, is Cowboy Neal Mobile)
moox. for a new generation.
It's AT&T.
With that in mind, I fully expect nothing but a torrent of complaints about them.
Unfortunately, I need to use AT&T for the iPhone's 3G.
For a list of entirely subjective replies.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
From a pure technical perspective, Verizon will get you the best coverage. But the sales people are vicious.
AT&T has iPhone obviously, but shitty coverage. I lend my phone to friends on AT&T in a couple different cities.
T-Mobile is worse coverage then AT&T. But has more open phones.
If you've got nothing right now, I'd go Droid on Verizon, pay 40 bucks for the unlimited data and use Google Voice for routing of your calls and LD service.
-Malakai
A Dragon Lives in my Garage
This is like asking what is your preferred way of being tortured. They all have negatives and are would not exist if they had the competition that Europe does. AT&T doesn't care to increase their network, T-Mobile doesn't have real 3G, Sprint and Verizon are still CDMA so you'll have to get a really expensive world phone if you want to go back overseas... Better off sending telegrams.
If you're in a major metro area, T-Mobile is by far the best and cheapest. They also let you tether with all their smartphones without an additional tethering charge. If you're in the boonies, it seems Verizon is the only way to go.
Polls are to get very general opinions, choices.
This is about discussing the options. And since the vast majority of cell phone service providers are considered evil somewhere around that of Lord Sidius with their locked phones, deplorable customer service, and preposterous early termination fees, I expect there to be a great deal of negative comments relative to a very few positive ones.
There is no "good" cell phone service provider - we're here to work out the "lesser of the evils" question.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
"Which cell phone company is best" really depends on your location, and on your definition of "best". In some places, Sprint will be best, in others it will be Verizon or T-Mobile, and it's even possible that AT&T is best somewhere. I personally have been happy with Sprint for both voice and data. If you live in an area where they have implemented high speed data, they might be the best choice. I have not experienced the constant data drops or poor customer service I saw at Verizon (people seem surprised when I say Sprint customer service has been good, but it has). T-Mobile supposedly rolled out high speed data across the country this month, but I haven't heard any reports of how well it works.
Where are you headed? The USA is a big place, and not all areas are served equally by the cell phone companies. If you're in an area where there's good coverage for all carriers, then the question is which network are your friends and family using? Mobile-to-mobile call rates will drop your usage of "anytime" minutes.
Once you have used T-Mobile and UMA at $0.10 per minute, you will NEVER go back to standard plans.
UMA is basically "GSM over IP over 802.11g", and it allows you to make GSM cellphone calls [billed at a standard $0.10 per minute] from any publically accessible WiFi hotspot.
I'd buy an older UMA phone off of eBay, and purchase a $50 [$0.125] or $100 [$0.10] prepaid plan from T-Mobile, and say goodbye to monthly fees forever.
... before I give my first born up when I sign a service contract?
You are not ready for the US American cell phone companies. Packets are transported by the souls of the damned who sign service contracts. Your firstborn is not payment enough; you must provide the souls of all your friends and family.
Every mans' island needs an ocean; choose your ocean carefully.
Coverage varies waaay too much to flat out say one is better than all the others. In any given location, any carrier could give the best coverage depending on your needs.
One thing none of the big boys want you to know is that almost all of them have a 30 day escape clause in their contracts. If you are not satisfied, you can cancel (you'd have to give back the shiny phone or whatever they subsidize) and you won't even have to give up your firstborn to do it.
Just read the contract and ask the salesman to get the details, but they all should have something like that, so try them all out and see what is best for YOU.
...if you're coming back from overseas, you'll find there is no 'best'.
I've been back and forth for the last decade, and it is always a disappointment coming back into the US and trying to get decent cellphone service. The US is a backwater of customer abuse and services gone wanting.
When living/working in Japan, South Korea and China, I learned not to discuss one countries offerings versus the US unless I was looking for laughs...
I worked for Samsung in SK and for a major domestic telecom in China, so I had ample opportunity to see things from both the corporate and consumer sides.
These days in the US I carry a cellphone only for emergencies. I don't text, don't use mobile banking, internet, etc. I make maybe one call every month or two, and those are usually from my car where the phone is coupled via Bluetooth to the head unit and everything is hands free. I can't bring myself to accept a locked in contract and the high fees are best spent elsewhere... For me, the whole cell phone experience in the US is a bust.
Cell phones I brought back from Asia are going on 2 years old now and still have features that were ubiquitous there that aren't yet common here.
"It's complicated."
Signal quality and coverage depend on multiple things - the carrier's infrastructure vs your (common) locations, and your phone. Verizon's coverage, say, in one city, can be completely different than in another city. There is also the difference between voice quality and data, and then there's data SPEEDS to consider. You also want to look at future upgrades. Verizon will be the first one going to LTE (the next big jump in data connection speeds), though Sprint has already rolled out WiMax in some cities (a competing 4th gen spec), noone is likely to be coming out with any WiMax smartphones until the second half of the year, by which time, Verizon will be on the verge of their LTE rollout. You can get WiMax cards for your laptop now, though, if you just can't wait.
There's also the issues of phone selection and plan pricing to consider, and whether you're going contract-free or not. We're in a period of transition this year on more than one front - the impending switch to LTE in the second half of the year, and the decimation of Windows Mobile-based phones by Android-based phones, oh, and the now 'superphone' type phones - ones with 1ghz-class processors and WVGA screens (like the Nexus one and HTC Bravo).
So, I guess I would start by thinking about finances. Can you afford to outright buy a phone? If you can, I'd suggest that so you can go contract-free and increase your choices for switching in a year if you need to based on how the industry shakes out this year. The beginning of 2011 is going to look VERY different from what it looks like now. Android will be matured, LTE will be available in most major cities by Verizon at the very least, Sprint's WiMax infrastructure will possibly be starting to switch over to LTE if it is, indeed, as simple as upgrading network tower software, and we'll see how mature Android is, how much Microsoft bribes the cellphone companies to put out WinMo 7-based phones, and whether the iPhone finally upgrades to 'superphone' status and becomes available on networks other than AT&T.
If you can't afford to outright buy your phone, then go with Verizon or Sprint for the 3G coverage (for now), assuming 3G is a big concern. Verizon vs Sprint is a matter of network quality/phone selection vs price. Verizon (currently) has the better phone selection and network quality over Sprint, but Sprint has those Simply Everything plans (I'm on the Simply Everything 450). Verizon is officially going to be carrying the Google Nexus One phone later this year. Sprint was completely silent during CES on what phones it's going to be carrying. If they get the HTC Bravo (the hardware that is essentially the Nexus One), I may stay with Sprint, especially if it has the Sense UI on it, which the Nexus One does not. Verizon seems to have made the biggest official commitment to the Android platform of any of the major US carriers. I just wish they'd match prices with Sprint. If I could get an HTC Bravo on Verizon at Sprint's prices, I wouldn't hesitate to sign a two-year contract.
I wouldn't consider AT&T or T-Mobile because of their 3G coverage and network reliability issues at this time, but those AREN'T issues for many people in many locations. You'll want to find out from people where you live what those networks are like there.
I'm up in Alaska and no national carrier works outside the three major cities. Up here AT&T is the only national carrier that works at all. The question asker needs to look at where they are going to be and research locally what is right for them.
I had T-Mobile in Portland and it worked great, in Seattle/Everett it had meh coverage and sucked down by Tacoma/SeaTac.
i have t-mobile pre-paid. if you do $100 refills the minutes don't expire for a year and you get 1000 minutes for your $100. texts are 10c I think.
The 7-eleven speakout was the only sim card I could find in canada that didn't expire your unused minutes every 30 days or require you to add more minutes every month.
I've been w/T-Mobile since they started in the US. Here's why I like them:
* Avid supporter of Android. First one to introduce the G1, and now the first partner w/the Nexus One.
* Support advanced android features like visual voice mail for free and auto-notification when you near your minutes limit
* Reasonably priced, as cell phone companies go.
* Customer service has been shockingly fast/friendly whenever I've needed them (which admittedly, hasn't been often)
* Great coverage in US. Every city I've been to has had solid coverage. I've only been to fairly large cities though.
* After 3 months of service, they give you unlock codes for your phone.
* GSM network so most phones can be used overseas-- successfully used my US G1 in US, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, etc. T-Mobile's parent company is Deutsche Telekom.
* They are not AT&T.
* As far as I know, they did not spy on Americans when Bush asked them to.
And no, I don't work for them.
I believe it also depends on EXACTLY where you want to use the phone, particularly where you regularly want to use it.
You can look at the carriers web site and it can clearly show you are right in the middle of their coverage area, but get no signal, or only an intermittent signal, or only 2G instead of 3G.
I would suggest going and signing up for service by a major carrier and trying it out in the area's where you primarily will use it, and if it doesn't work well, return the equipment and cancel the service quickly [I believe most of them let you return everything for little or no penalty with a 1/2 month or a month].
Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
Well if you Slashdot daily you will have heard GSM encryption has been hacked and the code is in the wild. The fact that the major GSM providers continue to downplay this is a good reason to steer clear. That leaves you with Sprint, Verizon or a local carrier.
Both Sprint and Verizon have good deals on plans and they have decent phones. I am an unrepentant crackberry addict and will tell you why. It lasts more than 5 hours on push and I can change the battery my damn self if needed, (haven't had too except while camping).
Sprint's everything plan is good and Verizon has followed suit with something similar. My preference for Sprint is that they discount their already low price by 25%. I have been with them for over 10 years which also means I get full upgrades on all my phones every year not two years. I pay $150/mo. for three phones with 1500 shared minutes, weekends and evenings starting at 7PM (not 9PM), any network roaming in US & Canada (quad band phone required), and everything data (including BlackBerry service). Minutes to me wasn't as big an issue as the data. I send and receive over 100 texts and emails a day.
Verizon has a better pick of phones in my opinion, something I don't hesitate to tell Sprint as often as possible, especially when I want them to knock another $100 off a new phone. Verizon has wider coverage where Sprint seems to have stronger signal in Cities. I can often get in the elevator and keep my conversation going while friends drop off. As I said my Sprint signal fades faster though when I get away from the city. Having a quad-band phone is handy I can jump over to another network and I'm up and running.
If your're dead set on the iPhone and you don't care about its limitations I say go for it. If you need a serious work phone that is rugged and long lasting I recommend a Blackberry. Keep in mind there are two families of BB, consumer (Pearl & Curve), and industrial (Tour & Bold), not sure where the touch screen one fits in since it seems to have features of both families. Android phones are getting better reviews every time I look at them. At the moment they seem to lack the finer polish of the iPhone but they perform just as well and they are an open platform.
I am not sure where to come down on the Palm Pre and Pixi, they seem to suffer from the same lack of polish that Android phones have but they are also a closed platform meaning they will likely evolve out of that phase slower. Palm was great back in the day and if the Pre came out 3 years ago I would have said it was a game changer now it's like a relief pitcher brought in too late to win the game and is only there to keep the run lead down and salvage as much of the team's reputation as possible.
My final opinion avoid the iPhone and AT&T or any other GSM carrier. Pick an Android phone if you want fun and a BlackBerry if you need a serious workhorse.
"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." ~Ozzy Osborne
I've been using these guys for about 4 years and had good service. Their O2 service uses the ATT network and you can use your GSM phone if it operates on the US frequencies.
http://www.ecallplus.com/cellular/o2-gsm.html
I've settled on AT&T. I've spent a lot of time on the road and have been to nearly every state, and AT&T has been generally okay for me (certainly not good, but okay). But with that said, Verizon and T-Mobile both sucked for me, with both coverage issues and serious billing issues (the kind that get you red in the face and ruin your day, then your week, then your month, until you're telling people how ridiculous it's getting).
So I've been with AT&T several years now and am uninterested in switching at this point (and I live in NYC, where people [usually not AT&T customers] are sure AT&T is at its worst).
STOP . AMERICA . NOW
That's actually offered by AT&T under the term "A-List", Sprint under "Any network any time", and T-Mobile as "MyFaves"... all require their higher plans.
What's the best kind of attack to have, heart attack, or stroke?
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
Sprint is about the same price as Tmobile (and until recently, were cheaper), has better 3g coverage by far than Tmobile, and roams on Verizon's network in case you *are* heading for the boonies. Sprint has a bad reputation they can't seem to get rid of, but have made vast improvements in customer service under their new CEO Hesse. That having been said, all of the carriers suck....
Sprint. Seriously.
If you were happy with Sprint before you still will be. Your hardest decision will be choosing between Web OS (Palm) and Android (Google/HTC) phones.
For the record, I chose the Pre and am very, very happy. Especially after having all but stolen my brothers Verizon Motorola Droid and Mom's Verizon HTC Droid Eris.
obviously no deficiencies vs. no obvious deficiencies
The question is clear and other people's answers appear to have the same problem I do -- namely that it's unclear WHAT kind of service you want (good voice quality, good data quality, good SMS, pricing, etc.) and no criteria for "Best."
At this point I could stop having criticized the question, but instead let me offer you some answers, and you can pick and choose.
I have a Nokia N900 on a T-Mobile "all you can eat" plan. The plan is great. The phone is great. In my area T-Mobile can't hold a call.
I have a Motorola Droid on a Verizon "don't eat very much but enjoy your meal" plan. The plan is so so. The phone is almost great. Verizon coverage for voice and data is awesome here.
I have a Treo 700wx running Windows Mobile 5. I believe it's three years old. It was my Verizon phone prior to the Droid, and while it was annoying in requiring reboots and factory defaults, it was reliable. I did not love it very much tho, as I'm not a big fan of Windows Mobile. Here it works on SPRINT or Verizon, which are good.
If you go 1 hour north, there are totally different carrier coverages. However, on their respective maps they all appear to have equally good coverage here or there.
SO: When asking what is the best US Cell company, realize that
1. There are different companies throughout different parts, regions, and even cities in the same country.
2. Some companies (e.g. Cricket) resell limited services of some other companies (e.g. SPRINT or Qwest or Verizon within a limited geo. area where I am)
3. Some companies (e.g. Verizon) are an amalgamation of other companies, and their services vary greatly. (Verizon *in this area* formerly Cellular One formerly Bell Atlantic)
4. Data services and voice services are a function of many different things including how they provision service to the cell sites. Literally moving two miles away may get you 700Kbps on 3G data and good phone service, but the other way no data and decent phone service.
5. SMS is something I consider critical. Others do not.
So, in sum, to wind up this post, Voice Coverage, Data Coverage, SMS Coverage, and availability of phones are what can be used to judge the best US Cell company -- in my little neighborhood. Your conclusions 5 miles away will vary.
Good luck with your quest.
E
I switched from AT&T to Sprint in 2004 because of coverage, and recently switched to Tmobile to get GSM and the Cliq. Now I'm trying to figure out the cheapest way to get a Sprint backup phone so I can at least have phone service at home (the cellular repeater I got isn't working out too well, though a directional antennae may help).
I like Tmobile as a company, and Sprint was fine too, but I've heard too many horror stories with Verizon and AT&T to even consider either.
What exactly do you have against thin small outline packages, anyway?
Scientists point out problems, engineers fix them
altslashdot.org: The future of slashdot.
Don't be a troll: http://mobile.engadget.com/2006/12/18/sprint-users-can-get-their-data-served-verizon-style/
I too will be coming back to the States in June. Currently, I have Vodafone India service, and the difference between it and US service is astonishing -- Friday after Thanksgiving, I was in the middle of the Thar desert on the back of a camel. It occurred to me to see if I could call my Mom in the States and wish her a happy Thanksgiving. Yup, four bars. No electric lights in sight, but when the sun came up I could see a cell tower on a distant mountain. That 15 minute call cost me about $2. We have service *everywhere*, it costs six rupees per minute (1.5 cents), and data is cheap and fast. Note that this isn't a government-subsidized plan, it's Vodafone -- they're making money at this. I currently have about $20 worth of minutes on my Corby, and will probably not be able to use it all before we leave.
When it comes to which company is the BEST, there are several things you need to look at:
For the area you live in or spend the most time in, how is the coverage map? I am not talking about 2G vs. 3G or anything like that, but more, do you have dead spots on the various networks?
How much traveling do you do? The more you travel, the more important the overall service coverage area is. Also, 3G, while it speeds things up quite a bit, it may not really matter to you as long as you have data service that works.
Do you want to TRUST your cell phone service provider? Verizon is probably the company I would trust the least when it comes to a bill(land line or cell phone). Will there be a random $10 that they will take off if you complain, meaning you MUST check your bill in detail each month for "strange" fees? This is what I hate about Verizon, they have a long track record of just throwing random fees at customers, knowing that a very low percentage will be checking their bill and catch it. How about the sudden bump in early termination fees that Verizon just put out there that doesn't specify which phone you have? So, a cheap $50 phone could hold the same early termination fee as a $400 Blackberry(unless the new fees specify based on phone what the termination fee will be).
Now, with those questions in mind, AT&T for overall areas of service may be just a little smaller than Verizon. In general, for overall quality of service, Verizon is probably the best. Keep in mind that the AT&T commercials are correct, the data service will generally not work while talking on the phone. With a speaker phone, this IS a key weakness for Verizon. At the same time, Verizon service does tend to be a bit better in many or possibly most areas. Considering they are also the local phone company for many on the east coast of the USA, this makes some sense since they have local crews everywhere for servicing the normal land lines. Third is Sprint, and their coverage area as a whole is a lot worse. They are good in many places, but in rural areas, it is hit or miss how good or bad the service will be. T-mobile is also short on coverage area, with many areas not able to get T-mobile service, and I am not just talking about little towns in the mountains, but in areas with over 10,000 people living in it.
If you travel overseas, GSM is pretty dominant, so AT&T and T-mobile phones can easily just have a sim chip put into them to let you use a local carrier while you are there. If you have a locked phone(which most are), regulations in the USA require that the provider provide an unlock code so you can use it while traveling.
When it comes to 3G coverage, Verizon clearly has the better network, but as I mentioned, for most people, 3G is nice but isn't necessary for most things. I use my phone to get traffic updates for my GPS, and others use their phone as a cellular modem(bluetooth connection on their laptop). Just keep in mind that not all phones will let you use them as a way to get data for other devices, and it can also cost more per month from your cell provider(they give you unlimited bandwidth on the phone, but if you use tethering to use that phone as a modem, you have to pay for bandwidth usage).
Blackberry services...they are different from your average smartphone service when it comes to data. As a result, you get some benefits from a Blackberry, but you may run into other headaches with that Blackberry service.
So, consider, but just keep in mind you will probably be stuck in a 2 year contract or subject to an early termination fee.
On a related note, the iPhone for all its functionality and apps and such is very much locked into AT&T(with a Verizon version due in the next few weeks from what I have read). With all the hype, I have not heard enough about comparisons of how it is as a phone compared to other phones on AT&T. The dropped call issues on the iPhone COULD be service related, but it could also jus
I've been with Verizon for just a little over a year - which means my LG Dare's warranty just expired. Well it died. Speaking with Verizon, they ran me through some encantations, and gave me the bad news. Then they asked me if I wanted to upgrade - No. Then they asked if I would pay $50 for a refurbished (same unit) - No. Then they just sent me a refurb for free. I don't pay for their insurance, BTW
Another story is the time I was about to go over my minutes. They called me and offered to move me up to the next plan for $20, instead of sending me a bill with $100 of overage charges. I'm sticking with Verizon.
Anybody have experience with ALLTEL wireless and internet access?
Alltel was acquired by Verizon Wireless in 2008.
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