T-Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon?

[Cyradis]

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Moving into the states and looking for some comments on the 3 major cell phone service providers (unless I'm missing one?). Based on overall stuff like prices, customer service, reception, phone selection etc. etc. (so everything).... which would you recommend?

Background: I'm currently using a non-3G smart phone (yeah, weird I know), but am considering upgrading in the next year or two (thinking the 4G iPhone once it comes out or maybe an Android phone if those pan out to be pretty good).

Pricing and reception are both pretty important to me, as well as customer service (yeah I know I just listed everything). In particular, my current provider has a thing where once you've been with them for 1 or 2+ years, they're very very willing to offer you sweet unadvertised plans/tons of credit towards a new phone etc. to keep your business. Something like that would be awesome!

Thanks all =)

P.S. What do you guys think of Android?

Edit: Just thought I'd add I'll be in Virginia, fairly small town too so bad reception is probably a definite no. Upgrading phone would probably be once I start doing clinical stuff.

 

[Bacchus]

It really depends where you're going. I have a 3G phone with ATT, my girlfriend has a BB Curve (older model) with Verizon. ATT wins for speed hands-down.

 

[Danlee07]

But verizon has service where many of my friends' servers don't

 

[Poliscidoc]

It really depends where you're going. I have a 3G phone with ATT, my girlfriend has a BB Curve (older model) with Verizon. ATT wins for speed hands-down.

ATT two thumbs up, good service here in NC. Tmobile has horrible service here well at least from my experience. I have never had verizon sry...

 

[chibrown01]

Tmobile! Using an iPhone.
Great combination bc tmobile is cheap!

 

[MadRadLad]

I have T-mobile right now, and I love it, its so cheap and i get great service where I am. However their network does suffer in some areas, so i'd ask people in that area. If the reception is decent there, then you'll save a lot of money with T-mobile and they have great customer service too.

Otherwise, Verizon + Android phone. Best network, sick phones.

 

[Cyradis]

Hey thanks for all replies so far! Pretty heavily stacked towards Verizon in the polls but it hasn't been talked about much - could some of you share why Verizon seems to be so popular on there? I originally wasn't even considering Verizon that strongly because of the CDMA network... but a lot of people seem to like them?

 

[Cytotoxic]

It really depends where you're going. I have a 3G phone with ATT, my girlfriend has a BB Curve (older model) with Verizon. ATT wins for speed hands-down.

This is nonsense. While HSPA+ is potentially much faster than Verizon's EVDO Rev. A, ATT customers will almost never see the difference. The problem is that areas where ATT has deployed HSPA+ are also the ones with its highest-load. And by the time ATT can sufficiently expand capacity, Verizon will be well into deploying its 4G network, LTE.

I should also point out that any network speed difference between an iPhone and a Verizon BB may be due to the way the browsers handle data: iPhone's WebKit browser (like that on Android) handles scripting better and can render images faster, while the BB browser wins with HTML. This will all change this summer, however, with the release of Blackberry 6.0 software (most new BBs will be able to upgrade), which will include an updated, WebKit-based browser.

Oh, and (if it's unclear from my post) Verizon ftw.

 

[Cytotoxic]

Hey thanks for all replies so far! Pretty heavily stacked towards Verizon in the polls but it hasn't been talked about much - could some of you share why Verizon seems to be so popular on there? I originally wasn't even considering Verizon that strongly because of the CDMA network... but a lot of people seem to like them?

Verizon has the best coverage of any US carrier. This may not be a problem if you're in a large city like NYC or SF, but if you venture out, you may find yourself without service. Verizon also has the best customer service; for instance, you can take your phone into any Verizon store and (usually) get it repaired or replaced on the spot. ATT requires you to go to special service centers, which aren't always conveniently located. I don't know about the other carriers.

Re CDMA: the one downside is that you can't do simultaneous voice an data (e.g. talking on the phone while browsing web). On the plus side, CDMA has better call quality, tower switching, and building penetration than does GSM.

 

[red10]

verizon has the best coverage where i live and since apple is about to release an iphone for verizon, there's really no reason to have ATT around here. Tmobile is just plan crap where i live. it's not even in the running

 

[MidnightSun32]

I have had my iPhone with AT&T for quite a while and love it. However, I just moved to a small town in Wisconsin and the service was so patchy during my commute that I had to get a cheap plan with Verizon for the drive. The service doesn't really go out at all. In this small town, there are three Verizon locations and no other phone provider locations. The only thing I've never really liked with Verizon (had them in the past) was the internet. I don't know if it is just how the internet is on the Blackberry, but I don't like it. I've had better luck with the iPhone with internet. So overall, I would say it just depends on where you are going to live. 🙂

 

[Cytotoxic]

I have had my iPhone with AT&T for quite a while and love it. However, I just moved to a small town in Wisconsin and the service was so patchy during my commute that I had to get a cheap plan with Verizon for the drive. The service doesn't really go out at all. In this small town, there are three Verizon locations and no other phone provider locations. The only thing I've never really liked with Verizon (had them in the past) was the internet. I don't know if it is just how the internet is on the Blackberry, but I don't like it. I've had better luck with the iPhone with internet. So overall, I would say it just depends on where you are going to live. 🙂

The current BB browser is old, clunky, and slow. BB's new browser looks much improved. Android's browser is probably on-par with the iPhone's, and may have surpassed it with new Flash support in Android 2.2.

 

[Bacchus]

This is nonsense. While HSPA+ is potentially much faster than Verizon's EVDO Rev. A, ATT customers will almost never see the difference. The problem is that areas where ATT has deployed HSPA+ are also the ones with its highest-load. And by the time ATT can sufficiently expand capacity, Verizon will be well into deploying its 4G network, LTE.

I should also point out that any network speed difference between an iPhone and a Verizon BB may be due to the way the browsers handle data: iPhone's WebKit browser (like that on Android) handles scripting better and can render images faster, while the BB browser wins with HTML. This will all change this summer, however, with the release of Blackberry 6.0 software (most new BBs will be able to upgrade), which will include an updated, WebKit-based browser.

Oh, and (if it's unclear from my post) Verizon ftw.

I'm not using an iPhone. My browser is NetFront (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetFront). I'm comparing a speedtest done via dslreports. My d/l speed was faster than hers.

 

[MidnightSun32]

I saw a video where they compared the Android and the Blackberry (maybe on CNet, I can't remember) and I was actually pretty impressed with Android. I haven't used 'em though. I have the Blackberry Storm 2 now and it's okay. I got it because I used to manage a consumer electronics company and the Verizon reps were nice enough to get me a good discount on the plan. 🙂

 

[Cytotoxic]

I'm not using an iPhone. My browser is NetFront (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetFront). I'm comparing a speedtest done via dslreports. My d/l speed was faster than hers.

My mistake, I assumed you were using an iPhone (it seems like most ATT data customers are). In what city were you when you did the test, if you don't mind me asking? I've tried similar tests in the North East (VZW BB vs. ATT iPhone) and have not seen appreciable differences in speed.

 

[Bacchus]

Philadelphia. I will say, I used DSLReports and compared it to her datarate I observed thru the app manager.

 

[Sesom]

I voted T-Mobile because I never had a dropped call from them before. Verizon I had quite a few dropped calls in St. George Utah. I am currently using AT&T because I wanted an Iphone although there are times when my phone will not make any calls for like 20 minutes. It seems to be a network problem. I do hear that Verizon has the best coverage though so who knows. Anyway, none of this matters because Iphone is by far the best phone out there and they are sold by AT&T so go go go AT&T + Iphone.

 

[Cyradis]

Is GSM at all compatible with Verizon? I ask because I already have a phone (which is GSM)... would I be able to go with Verizon without buying a new phone?

 

[Cytotoxic]

Is GSM at all compatible with Verizon? I ask because I already have a phone (which is GSM)... would I be able to go with Verizon without buying a new phone?

Not unless it's a world phone (has both GSM and CDMA radios).

 

[MaryLennox]

i've had all three and verizon wins by a long shot. you'd think in chicago there would be good coverage everywhere. but i like living in vintage apartment buildings ( aka thick concrete walls) and i could barely have a conversation when i had att. i had to either lean out my bathroom window or save all my phone conversations for the car (now illegal here.) verizon, no problems whatsoever so far.

of course i dont ever use phones that do fancy stuff or use the internet on my phone, so if you do, i couldn't tell you. but for making phone calls- is that even still the point of having a phone?- i love verizon.

 

[235009]

if coverage and call quality are the most important to you and you don't mind paying a little more for reliability then get Verizon

if price is most important to you and you don't mind giving up a noticeable amount of reliability then get Tmobile

if you want to strike a balance between price and reliability then get AT&T

if you have a strange obsession with walkie talkies, think everyone within ear shot should hear your phone conversations, can't define the word reliable and don't mind getting ripped off on a monthly basis then get Sprint

 

[Earl Grey]

I use Sprint... but they're not that great but definitely not as bad as the above user claims. I'm only using it because Sprint has some very cheap plans.

 

[sml5t]

I go to school in Virginia...not sure how small a town you mean, but I'm in Charlottesville (UVa). I have T-mobile and it sucks...only plus side is that it's cheap. My friends with Sprint have pretty decent service, and Verizon is great. AT&T is pretty good too. Just don't do T-mobile.

 

[Cyradis]

I go to school in Virginia...not sure how small a town you mean, but I'm in Charlottesville (UVa). I have T-mobile and it sucks...only plus side is that it's cheap. My friends with Sprint have pretty decent service, and Verizon is great. AT&T is pretty good too. Just don't do T-mobile.

I'm coming to UVA in the fall, haha. Hm, this forum has me convinced that Verizon is the way to go, but my current phone doesn't support CDMA =(. I'm checking out Verizon plans right now and... seriously, is $60/month normal for talk + text and $90+/month for 3G normal...???? In Canada it's about $20/month less than those numbers....

The only plan I can find within the same general range is T-Mobile's 500 min + unlim text for $40/month, but the general consensus seems to be that T-Mobile's coverage sucks =/

 

[Excelsius]

T-mobile is all or nothing. Check your area coverage - they have maps. If it is covered properly, T-mobile is the best value out there. People usually like to say that T-mobile coverage isn't good, but I have not found that to be true. It only applies to very rare locations where other phones are spotty too. Once on a boat in Las Vegas my friend had no service on his Verizon and yet my T-mobile did have service. Even I was surprised because overall, Verizon has a better national coverage (which most people aren't going to need unless they live in some inaccessible neighborhood).

Another huge problem with Verizon - they nickle and dime you to death. I had them for couple of years and for some months I had to call about my bill every month. Got rid of them and T-mobile has been sending me rock solid bills for almost two years now. That's something that I value a lot because I don't have to spend any time on my bills. Finally, T-mobile has the best value for the minutes.

Before you get a phone, check out www.letstalk.com. They have the best deals on the phones, even though not everything is there. When I first switched to T-mobile, I got two smartphones for my plan and made $100 for it. People usually can't believe that you can get the Droid for $20 from there (if you go with Verizon).

One more thing - before you get rid of your old cell phone, consider selling it. You'll be surprised by the amount that people will pay for it. I sold my Razr almost two years ago for almost $60 when I changed plans.

 

[chman]

I really like T-Mobile. They also make it a point to have low cost plans for people without much money, which it seems other providers could give a hoot about.

PS-I have never had trouble with service either, but I am in a major metro area, not to mention the same city of residence as the founder.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

Verizon > AT&T > Tmobile

 

[vin5cent0]

I can't believe the **** asked on these forums. Do people need their hand held through every life decision?

 

[plauto]

Verizon: priciest, best service
Att: IPhone (which you don't need in med school but it's a great little thing)
T-Mobile: the cheapest

 

[figmentj]

I have T-Mobile, and while their call coverage isn't bad - a few dropped calls and dead zones, but not that many - their data rates *suck* compared to Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint. On my Android phone, it takes more than twice the time to load any website than on my boyfriend's ancient Blackberry on Sprint. And that's if it's on 3G, if it's on the edge network, which it is a significant percentage of the time, it's impossibly slow.

This is in NY and western MA.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I can't believe the **** asked on these forums. Do people need their hand held through every life decision?

I dunno. Of all the things asked in PA, I'd say this is one of the more useful topics. I mean, would you rather see this or another "I got DUI!!! Am I screwed???!!!???!???" or "Take a B- or a W?" thread? As someone who's getting a new phone pretty soon, I can use all the help I can get.

 

[Cyradis]

I can't believe the **** asked on these forums. Do people need their hand held through every life decision?

I don't really see asking people for their thoughts on cell phone providers as having your hand held through a life decision....

Anyway thanks for the replies everyone! Apparently T-Mobile will let me use my current phone with no contract for a relatively cheaper plan, so I'm going to give that a shot and then if the reception is really too unbearable I'll switch to Verizon and get a new phone and all.

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[chman]

I don't really see asking people for their thoughts on cell phone providers as having your hand held through a life decision....

Anyway thanks for the replies everyone! Apparently T-Mobile will let me use my current phone with no contract for a relatively cheaper plan, so I'm going to give that a shot and then if the reception is really too unbearable I'll switch to Verizon and get a new phone and all.

Thanks so much for the help!

I think you will be happy with them (if you are in a relatively "big" city) BTW, how dare you be an informed consumer!!??