Why would one choose Verizon over a GSM carrier?

[Kremlar]

I drive a lot for work in MA, RI, CT. Nothing sucks worse than losing a call. Verizon is by far the most reliable carrier with the most coverage in my area.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Kremlar
I drive a lot for work in MA, RI, CT. Nothing sucks worse than losing a call. Verizon is by far the most reliable carrier with the most coverage in my area.

Definately - Verizon is better than most landlines in my area. Verizon has the best quality in New England, imo, and I tried out a lot of different carriers on friend's phones before committing to them. I haven't regretted it!

 

[tm37]

Verizon and Cingular would not port my number and Sprint would not give me a discount on a new phone (I had purchased a udes phone 10 months ago) so I went with Tmobile.

I travel and I have yet to find somewhere I did not get a signal where as it seems to depend which carriers would and would not. Sprint worked great in LA convention center and Cingular did not where as it ws vice virsa in ALB, NM)

Also I have a quad band phone and when I go to Europe myt phone works (wlthough it is really spendy)

 

[FreshPrince]

verizon + motorola v60c = best service you can get with low radiation! I loved that phone!

My coporate plan is with tmo now, and I have to say...signal is not as good. However, if you ever travel to europe or asia, you pretty much need to get GSM. I was in Taiwan and europe last year and had total service with my blackberry

I want to try EVDO though, that's pretty cool. Although, HSPDA has potential as well...

 

[sswingle]

Where I live, the only signal available is Verizon or Nextel, and I hate nextel.

 

[Pikachu]

Originally posted by: dartworth
I've used both Verizon and Cingular from coast to coast in the US.

Both work great for my needs. However, I've had less dropped calls and breaks in service with Cingular.

While visiting my dad, my aunt was trying to talk to her daughter on Verizon, and the call kept failing. I called her daughter on my phone, and it worked fine. I'm also on Verizon. Difference is I use a Motorola, while she uses an LG. Only way to really compare connectivity/reliability/coverage, is by using the same phone for each carrier.

 

[alm4rr]

gsm don't get signals into my apt

 

[loup garou]

I have TMobile, but Verizon is looking pretty tempting right now:

1) Best coverage in NYC area
2) EVDO
3) Motorola Q

 

[Scarpozzi]

1. Cellphones are scams.
2. No one really NEEDS one
3. They are nice when you travel but not worth $50+ a month (think $600+ recurring charges)
4. Cellphones make it too convenient for work to call when they need you
5. GSM is a better concept

 

[mb]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
1. Cellphones are scams.
2. No one really NEEDS one
3. They are nice when you travel but not worth $50+ a month (think $600+ recurring charges)
4. Cellphones make it too convenient for work to call when they need you
5. GSM is a better concept

1. No
2. Wrong
3. Wrong again
4. Don't give them the #&$^& number
5. Poorly implemented in the US

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
3. They are nice when you travel but not worth $50+ a month (think $600+ recurring charges)

I pay $40/mo for my cell phone. I don't have a landline. Just a basic landline, without caller ID or voicemail, would cost me $24/mo here, plus I'd have to deal with the constant sales calls from the telco. If I add caller ID and Voicemail, plus factor in long distance, I'd be paying almost as much as I pay for a cellphone now. The extra cost for a cellphone is worth not having any sales calls to me.

Plus, I can take it with me, so I can make calls from the road if need be.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
verizon, nextel, sprint, and all the other cdma carriers lock you to one phone. moreover, the phones available are limited. why would one choose their service over GSM carriers? are their plans cheaper? i don't see any advantages in choosing a cdma carrier.

EVDO... 3G is significantly faster than 2.5G EDGE. Also I get unlitmited EVDO +text + 400 mins for 30 bucks a month.

 

[secretanchitman]

sprint has better phones. period. and my dad has been with them for over 10 years. no joke, so we get a nice plan and deal.

the razr/rokr/slvr/all other 4 letter phone names and models suck.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: loup garou
I have TMobile, but Verizon is looking pretty tempting right now:

1) Best coverage in NYC area
2) EVDO
3) Motorola Q

Not only that, but Motorola Q for $199 I've heard that it has a $99 rebate too...

 

[thescreensavers]

I think I the only one saying this but I had less droped calls and calling problems with t-mobile then with cingular. In south florida

 

[Gibson486]

maybe verizon has the best coverage? You really think average joe knows the difference between GSM and CDMA?

 

[Gibson486]

maybe verizon has the best coverage? You really think average joe knows the difference between GSM and CDMA?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: InlineFour
verizon, nextel, sprint, and all the other cdma carriers lock you to one phone. moreover, the phones available are limited. why would one choose their service over GSM carriers? are their plans cheaper? i don't see any advantages in choosing a cdma carrier.

Far, far, far, far, FAR better coverage in rural areas. If you don't live in a major city or along a major traffic thoroughfare the GSM networks are sh*t. Additionally, GSM is an older technology. CDMA has higher audio fidelity, higher data bandwidth, and much better call security. Finally, what's wrong with the phones? I'm using a four year old Motorola V60 and it does everything that I would ever need a phone to do. Some of us don't feel a need to have the latest kumkwat-colored phone just to show off our ability to spend money to replace things that aren't broken.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: DaWhim
coverage is useless unless you travel a lot. in metro area, you will get good coverage by all the carriers.

Yup. Because everyone lives in a metro area. :roll:

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Pikachu

Originally posted by: dartworth
I've used both Verizon and Cingular from coast to coast in the US.

Both work great for my needs. However, I've had less dropped calls and breaks in service with Cingular.

While visiting my dad, my aunt was trying to talk to her daughter on Verizon, and the call kept failing. I called her daughter on my phone, and it worked fine. I'm also on Verizon. Difference is I use a Motorola, while she uses an LG. Only way to really compare connectivity/reliability/coverage, is by using the same phone for each carrier.

Can't be done across technologies. The GSM Razr has a reputation of having very poor reception and voice quality while the CDMA Razr is crystal clear and has zero reception issues. They're the "same phone" but because of the different technology implemented in the circuitry they behave very differently. There's simply no way to take the same phone and use it to compare GSM vs CDMA.

ZV

 

[Pikachu]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Pikachu

Originally posted by: dartworth
I've used both Verizon and Cingular from coast to coast in the US.

Both work great for my needs. However, I've had less dropped calls and breaks in service with Cingular.

While visiting my dad, my aunt was trying to talk to her daughter on Verizon, and the call kept failing. I called her daughter on my phone, and it worked fine. I'm also on Verizon. Difference is I use a Motorola, while she uses an LG. Only way to really compare connectivity/reliability/coverage, is by using the same phone for each carrier.

Can't be done across technologies. The GSM Razr has a reputation of having very poor reception and voice quality while the CDMA Razr is crystal clear and has zero reception issues. They're the "same phone" but because of the different technology implemented in the circuitry they behave very differently. There's simply no way to take the same phone and use it to compare GSM vs CDMA.

ZV

That's interesting, thanks. Hard to believe the RAZR became so popular with poor reception added to its list of shortcomings. I guess the "bling" factor really weighs heavy in many folk's (read kid's) priorities.

My point is that you have to at least use comparable, high quality, phones from each carrier. People like my aunt would say Verizon drops a lot of her calls compared to X carrier, but only due to her crappy phone. I take most of the opinions expressed here with a grain of salt. Way too much fanboyism!

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Good question. With a quad-band GSM phone, there is nowhere on the globe I can't talk, whereas with Sprint/Verizon you are limited to the USA.

Yes, and this feature severely limits 99.99% of cell phone users. :roll:

Also, did this thread really start with the idea that more phone choices should = better carrier? Isn't phone service and customer service about 100x more important than NUMBER of choices? I mean, the original poster doesn't even postulate that there are BETTER choices for phones outside of the ones carriers already offer, just that more phone choices would certainly lead to better ones.

I get Sprint in this apartment, I got them in my last apartment, and I couldn't be happier with my service overall. But sure, I should switch because someone has more phone choices. :roll:

 

[Bartino]

GSM sucks compared to CDMA. the wavelength is so much shorter so you get passed around towers alot more which just makes more room for error

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Bartino
GSM sucks compared to CDMA. the wavelength is so much shorter so you get passed around towers alot more which just makes more room for error

care to elaborate on that (the second part of your statement)?

 

[Imdmn04]

CDMA is technically a superior standard than GSM. GSM is more widely deployed in the world. Technical superiority isn't everything, see beta vs. VHS.