What's wrong with AT&T that isn't also wrong with other carriers? Everyone biatches about their carrier.

iPhone 3GS > remaining smart phones; been very satisfied

/That's, like, my opinion man.

Really? Are we really moving into an era where we have to argue about who we buy our cell service from? Or are we already there and I've just not been paying attention?

They blew it. Shoulda picked Android for the OS

Whodat?: Really? Are we really moving into an era where we have to argue about who we buy our cell service from? Or are we already there and I've just not been paying attention?

We've been there for quite some time.

i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

I'm in MD and have had mine for a week. No serious issues so far. No overheating when charging/browsing/playing music all at once. Speeds around 1.3Mbps download. Only minor complaint is lack of Flash support, my kids like the Sesame Street website but I can't use the iPhone for it.

d3: zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

I'm in MD and have had mine for a week. No serious issues so far. No overheating when charging/browsing/playing music all at once. Speeds around 1.3Mbps download. Only minor complaint is lack of Flash support, my kids like the Sesame Street website but I can't use the iPhone for it.

i mean like at&t and dropped calls and the service and stuff

unless there were no issues?

zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

iPhone good, AT&T bad

zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

Central Ohio AT&T/iPhone customer here. Verizon is the dominant carrier around this area. That being said, I've been 95% happy with my AT&T service and I love the iPhone. I got the original 3G when it came out last July, so I've got some miles on it. Here is the lowdown (according to me):
3G service is pretty darn accurate if you check the AT&T coverage map on their website.
3G coverage is pretty freakin fast. Edge coverage is kinda "meh" You use it, but you don't like it.
Battery life is a little crappy. Believe me, you will use this phone 10x as much as your existing phone. If you have good 3G coverage and use the phone alot, you'll be at 30% by the time you get home from a 8-10 hour day.
Coverage is pretty good along major highways and mid-size and up towns. Small towns = no coverage.
I use this as an actual phone about 3% of the time. The other 97% is apps apps apps. After years of having a cripped Verizon phone, this one seems awesome. (I know I'll get the "Apple is the DEVIL!!!" but oh well, this phone is 1000x more functional than any Verizon phone I've had)
Oh yeah, I've had the iPhone thru most of Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and all the way around Lake Erie (Toledo-Detroit-Windsor-Toronto-Buffalo-Cleveland)

That's about it off the top of my head.
Now the disclaimer:
I am an electronics and gadget nerd. I have three macs, four dells (Dell Mini9 triple boots OSX, Windows7, and Ubuntu) and two iPhones(wifey HAD to get one after I got mine). I run a website and two message boards. I also go "muddin" in my jeep on weekends, so I'm not a complete loser. :)

In other news: Toshiba makes smartphones?

Network quality is going to be highly location-specific.

My own delightful AT&T story: I got an iPhone 3G. After being specifically told that I'd get good coverage at my home and office, I actually was unable to place or receive calls from either location. I returned the phone almost immediately (within a day or two, well within the free trial period), but apparently the store didn't process the return properly, because I was billed for over a hundred dollars for the first month's service. When I responded 'no, seriously, how much do I owe you for what I actually used?', they sent me to collections. I knew it wasn't going to be worth my time to fight it, so I sent the collections agency a check for the full amount they asked for (while insisting that they verify the amount). They then proceeded to hound me for months, saying that I'd never paid. Finally, out of nowhere, they returned the check (the one they'd insisted I'd never sent) without explanation, and I've never heard a word from AT&T or the collection agency again.

If I am going to get a smart phone then it must be powerful enough to run not only document software such as word/excel, it must also play games,movies in 720p, and play all the common digital music formats. The phone must also be able to do all of this and never have a battery life under 24 hours In addition to this the phone must either act as an attached storage device when connected to a computer or it must use 16/32gb SDHC Micro memory cards, the phone must also have a replaceable battery and use standard sim cards, the phone must also use a standard USB micro or mini plug.

If they can shove an nvidia Tegra graphics chip into a cell phone and slap on that snapdragon cpu, and have a battery with a high enough capacity to run them for more then a few hours then they are on the right track.

godwin5: In other news: Toshiba makes smartphones? everything.

I dare you to find a technology-related industry they don't at least dabble in.

iPhone = insanely good
AT&T = average

zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

Seattle, WA. I switched from Verizon when I got my 3GS. And, it's just fine so far. Reception is great, customer service was fine (I bought my phone inside an AT&T store, so I could get my company discount on the monthly plan).

I think if you look around, you'll see people complaining about all the companies, and if you read them enough, you'll think they all suck. I think the reality is that people who have bad experiences complain loudly, but those of us who haven't had any problems (which is most of us) don't ever bother to post about it. So I'd take the complaints with a grain of salt.

It isn't a proper Toshiba product without HD-DVD support.

jameseatsbabies: zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

iPhone good, AT&T bad

And...

Chilton: iPhone = insanely good
AT&T = average

Why? Don't repeat stories you've heard from others - tell us your own story and how AT&T was bad/average for you. I'm not being a smart-aleck - as a new customer, I'd like to hear it.

Nanan: If I am going to get a smart phone then it must be powerful enough to run not only document software such as word/excel, it must also play games,movies in 720p, and play all the common digital music formats. The phone must also be able to do all of this and never have a battery life under 24 hours In addition to this the phone must either act as an attached storage device when connected to a computer or it must use 16/32gb SDHC Micro memory cards, the phone must also have a replaceable battery and use standard sim cards, the phone must also use a standard USB micro or mini plug.

If they can shove an nvidia Tegra graphics chip into a cell phone and slap on that snapdragon cpu, and have a battery with a high enough capacity to run them for more then a few hours then they are on the right track.

Well, that phone doesn't exist yet, though I'm certain it will eventually. But tell us, why does your smart phone have to do all of that? You're basically talking about a good laptop.

KickahaOta: Network quality is going to be highly location-specific.

My own delightful AT&T story: I got an iPhone 3G. After being specifically told that I'd get good coverage at my home and office, I actually was unable to place or receive calls from either location. I returned the phone almost immediately (within a day or two, well within the free trial period), but apparently the store didn't process the return properly, because I was billed for over a hundred dollars for the first month's service. When I responded 'no, seriously, how much do I owe you for what I actually used?', they sent me to collections. I knew it wasn't going to be worth my time to fight it, so I sent the collections agency a check for the full amount they asked for (while insisting that they verify the amount). They then proceeded to hound me for months, saying that I'd never paid. Finally, out of nowhere, they returned the check (the one they'd insisted I'd never sent) without explanation, and I've never heard a word from AT&T or the collection agency again.

so the trial period includes the contract? great.

dear AT&T representatives stumbling across this thread:

fark your service
fark your company
fark your contract with Apple

as soon as I can get my iphone on another network (legally) you and I are over. you are legitimately evil and need to die off. FOR SRS

Whodat?
Really? Are we really moving into an era where we have to argue about who we buy our cell service from? Or are we already there and I've just not been paying attention?

Apple Iphones are for Liberals. Mobile 6/Pocket Pc's are for Conservatives. But it gets confusing because AT&T are conservative, so iPhone should've chosen like a Sprint or even Tmobile for their service, who are more Libbie.

Nanan: movies in 720p

Uh. Show me a 1280x720 screen that can fit in your pocket? Or were you gonna play 720p content on a screen that's incapable of displaying it?

It's still better than Sprint.

jameseatsbabies: zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

iPhone good, AT&T bad

ATT is the only reason I do not have an iPhone.

/former customer

KickahaOta: Network quality is going to be highly location-specific.

My own delightful AT&T story: I got an iPhone 3G. After being specifically told that I'd get good coverage at my home and office, I actually was unable to place or receive calls from either location. I returned the phone almost immediately (within a day or two, well within the free trial period), but apparently the store didn't process the return properly, because I was billed for over a hundred dollars for the first month's service. When I responded 'no, seriously, how much do I owe you for what I actually used?', they sent me to collections. I knew it wasn't going to be worth my time to fight it, so I sent the collections agency a check for the full amount they asked for (while insisting that they verify the amount). They then proceeded to hound me for months, saying that I'd never paid. Finally, out of nowhere, they returned the check (the one they'd insisted I'd never sent) without explanation, and I've never heard a word from AT&T or the collection agency again.

Dude, you won. I don't know how you did it, but given that you were dealing with the phone companies, that is definitely a check in the "win" column.

One of these days I need to tour the country to see how bad AT&T service is. Here in the PacNW it's fantastic. I've been all over Oregon and 3/4 of Washington, but haven't had anything but great service (rural access gets sketchy, but that's the same across all carriers).

Verizon is great out here too, but AT&T is GSM while VZW is CDMA. I like being able to switch phones quickly and easily in an emergency. I am a recovering handset junkie.

/Only Sprint and T-Mobile suck out here

karmachameleon: jameseatsbabies: zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

iPhone good, AT&T bad

And...

Chilton: iPhone = insanely good
AT&T = average

Why? Don't repeat stories you've heard from others - tell us your own story and how AT&T was bad/average for you. I'm not being a smart-aleck - as a new customer, I'd like to hear it.

I had never owned a 'smartphone' previously so I've nothing to compare an iPhone against. I'm very tied to Google apps/products and I'm very pleased with my iPhone 3gs. My first cell phone was through Cingular in Richmond, VA so I was swept into ATT and have been with Cingular and/or ATT since 1999 or early 2000. I can't remember exactly. Coverage (and this is for a regular cell phone and since I've gotten the iPhone on July 7) has been great in Richmond. I traveled along I-81, I-64, and I-77 and did not have any problems to speak of with regard to signal or speed. I had some problems a few days ago with the iPhone when I visited my parents in extreme southwestern Virginia but I had the very same frustrations with a regular cell phone. I chalk that up to poor coverage area in a remote location. As for customer service, I've been a committed online user for the last two years and have pretty much ZERO complaints. Text/e-mail support for payments is good. When I've gone to an ATT store to buy or ask questions it does depend on the representative you end up with but I've dealt with maybe 5 and 4 have been good. When I find someone I like -- sort of like a barber -- I go back and ask for the same one if possible. I've never been one to push electronics to their extremes but man this phone has everything I need, especially with regard to google and gmail. I'm also hella happy to use it as my camera. Please feel free to ask any questions and I'll answer them as honestly as I can. I also want to add that I had all intentions of at least buying a 3G but Drew's blog post on the 6th saying 3GS was noticeably faster made me pay the extra $100. My service contract was offered an upgrade on July 7th (I checked back in Jan). I had planned on moving to an iPhone between July 7 and the end of this year when the significant other was ending a plan. It worked out for me to go ahead on July 7. When I bought my iPhone I did have to lock into another 2 years. If you sign 2 years remember they'll offer you upgrades at 1 year, 6 months in an attempt to keep your business. Again, I pretty limited on apps but from what little I know I'd be happy to answer what questions I can.

SethX9: What's wrong with AT&T that isn't also wrong with other carriers? Everyone biatches about their carrier.

Very true. Here we are with our hands on the internet, and yet there's no room for a stupid wifi network. Japanese have them all over the place, yet the US has not one. When we finally get wireless cell-phone with unlimited wireless internet (via PC, not via phone), let me know.

SethX9: What's wrong with AT&T that isn't also wrong with other carriers? Everyone biatches about their carrier.

True, though I actually haven't had a problem with Verzion in the ten-plus years my family's been with them. Some arguments over bills a couple times, but they all worked out in our favor.

Around here (Middle GA), AT&T is fairly limited with the 3g coverage, so my PoS Titan (crappy wm6, 64meg of RAM-over half just for the OS, hacked to wm 6.5) actually outruns my friends' iphones on searches. I'm not saying my phone is better by any stretch of the imagination, but Verizon's coverage is dead sexy everywhere around here.

Cut to Mercer University: Any GSM carriers got zero signal into the engineering buildings, while I had full coverage even deep into the labs in the middle of the building.

I'll be shopping for a new phone soon, but I'll probably stick with verizon.

/liked wm6.1
//reeeeaaaaally like 6.5
///just need more RAM.

zephyy: d3: zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

I'm in MD and have had mine for a week. No serious issues so far. No overheating when charging/browsing/playing music all at once. Speeds around 1.3Mbps download. Only minor complaint is lack of Flash support, my kids like the Sesame Street website but I can't use the iPhone for it.

i mean like at&t and dropped calls and the service and stuff

unless there were no issues?

You can make phone calls on it?!? ;)

No, haven't had issues with dropped calls.

On another note, I got a new app called Trapster yesterday. It shows off known police enforcement/revenue generation locations (red light and speed cameras). It uses the GPS and running just that one app make the phone get noticeably warm. I think the 'overheating' issues some people are seeing depends on the quality of the app and how efficient it uses CPU.

zephyy: i really really want an iphone 3gs but i keep hearing at&t is trash, can anyone share their experiences (and where they live/lived when they use/used them)

Just traveled from Dallas to Chicago and back and only once lost service somewhere in BuFu East Oklahoma. I don't know what these people are complaining about.

I live in the DFW area and the area around my apartment has terrible coverage. I lose service completely in the bathroom and drop calls constantly in the kitchen and at the Wal-Mart down the street. Everywhere else has been outstanding.

I live right off the 101 in Hollywood, and AT&T's coverage is pretty poor. Admittedly, its in the foothills of Cahuenga Pass, but there's no reason I should ever get "No Service" on my iPhone. On average, we get two bars at home, and rarely run into dead spots around town.

Absolutely love the iPhone though (first gen). Will probably wait until the 4th gen to upgrade, and pray that AT&T's contract with Apple is up by then. Verizon's customer service is supposed to be crappy, but no one I've talked to has ever had coverage problems with them here in LA.

Battery life has always been really good, but I only turn wifi on when a hotspot is obvious and necessary.

servlet: Nanan: movies in 720p

Uh. Show me a 1280x720 screen that can fit in your pocket? Or were you gonna play 720p content on a screen that's incapable of displaying it?

How hard would it be to adapt the item in link to a smart phone size screen? Heck they could make a 1920x1080 resolution screen at that size.

Tiny High-Res OLED (new window)

All of the tech I want to see in a cell phone exists, problem is no manufacturer has combined all of it into one package. It is very likely that this will happen soon(next year or two) I just have to wait.

servlet: Nanan: movies in 720p

Uh. Show me a 1280x720 screen that can fit in your pocket? Or were you gonna play 720p content on a screen that's incapable of displaying it?

How hard would it be to adapt the item in link to a smart phone size screen? Heck they could make a 1920x1080 resolution screen at that size.

PSP Go

Link (new window)