iPhone Users (in the Mid & North East)

[dmw16]

I really love the look and feel of the iphone. The web surfing is excellent (interface wise) and the hacks make it really attractive.

However, I am concerned about cell coverage thru AT&T. Right now I live in MD (between DC and Baltimore to be more specific) and my cell phone is my primary phone. I don't want to make the switch and find out that AT&T's coverage sucks.

Can anyone comment on this?

Thanks.

 

[Kaido]

I live in CT and my primary phone is my cell phone as well. I switched from Verizon to AT&T to get an iPhone. I love everything about the iPhone except for AT&T's service. I've never had so many dropped calls in my life. If you are not in direct line of sight to the sky, you can't get service. In my basement, I get no service. In rooms in the house, I get no service unless I go near a window. Outside the reception is fine, but inside structures it's not so good. Also, their quality is not that great. It's worse than talking on Skype much of the time - lots of weird staticy noises and garbles. When I drove cross-country this summer, the best reception I got was in the middle on nowhere like in the miles of farmland in Kansas. 5 bars all the way! I'm in Utah right now and the reception is about the same as Connecticut - 3 to 5 bars outside with direct access to the sky, zero to 2 bars inside buildings.

My advice would be to talk to as many AT&T users as you can in your area. I've heard that some areas get really great reception, but after driving through a bunch of states this summer I can't say that I've found one yet. Oh, and it's not just my iPhone either - my wife has one too and gets the same kind of reception.

 

[dmw16]

Thanks for the insight. My apartment is on the ground floor, so it doesnt sound like AT&T service for me.

Guess the iPod touch is the way to go for me.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: dmw16
Thanks for the insight. My apartment is on the ground floor, so it doesnt sound like AT&T service for me.

Guess the iPod touch is the way to go for me.

See if you can get a friend with a good quad-band AT&T phone to come over and make some calls...reception is different in every area, so you never know. I'll tell you though, as soon as they release a CDMA iPhone, my GSM iPhone is going on ebay

 

[DnetMHZ]

AT&T is great for me in central NJ. I always have full signal in my house. The only time I have a problem is in about a 1 mile stretch on my way home from work.
I don't recall any major problems while traveling in CT, Eastern PA (Philly burbs), the DC area, or in Manhattan.

 

[preslove]

Man, with the price drop I would LOVE to get an iPhone if I could just get a dataplan and keep my t-mobile phone for calls. 1). I had cingular for a few days and it SUCKED, 2). I'd rather just have a dedicated phone for calls.

I'm considering an iPod touch once third party apps come in for things like email and texting.

 

[bigrash]

AT&T service is not too bad in NYC. About 4 years ago, it was really, really bad and I used to live in the apartment building and never get reception. I had switched back to Sprint and when I came back to AT&T couple of years ago, the service improved a lot. I would say the service for my iPhone is the same as the other AT&T phones that I had over the last couple of years. I haven't noticed a change in reception at all. Yes, service could be better sometimes, but I even get clear reception at work where people with verizon and sprint phones don't get any.

 

[dmw16]

Are they planning on making a CDMA (Verizon?) iPhone? I'll be first in line.

 

[QueBert]

Originally posted by: dmw16
Are they planning on making a CDMA (Verizon?) iPhone? I'll be first in line.

AT&T has a 5 year exclusive deal, not sure how this will pan out now the phone has been unlocked, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a CDMA iPhone. The rumor I heard was Apple originally went to Verizon about carrying the iPhone, but Verizon said no because they didn't like Apple wanting total control over the phone. And Apple = 99 cent songs and ring tones. That would cut into Verizon's 3 dollar mp3's and 2 dollar ring tones, the ring tones expire too. I don't know if this is factual but I could see Verizon passing up a monster like the iPhone because they don't want their space invaded.

I too wanted a CDMA iphone, but I guess I'll have to be happy with my Moto Q and maybe add an iPod Touch

 

[Pabster]

Just wait, the software unlock is coming shortly. Then you don't need to be stuck with AT&T.

Around here AT&T is crap, as it is in many other places. EDGE sucks too.

I'd love to see a CDMA version but it isn't gonna happen. GSM is necessary for a "World Phone"...