Verizon vs AT&T

[darogers]

So my contract ends with AT&T in July..and I have been with them since 2007, but I'm seriously considering switching to Verizon. In your opinion, which carrier do you think is better? I'm always going to be an avid BlackBerry fan, and Verizon seems to be just as good when it comes to BlackBerry's. Appreciate any input!

[barney-5-0]

I was with AT&T since they were Cingular. Where I live now the signal is spotty at best. I chose to switch to Verizon because I get reception every where. I only switched because of the reception. Do what you think is best for you.

[raino]

If AT&T has worked for you, why switch? As an out of contract customer, you will have a bit of leverage when it comes to negotiating new handset prices and plan add-ons/features. The retention department should have some nice offers for you.

But if you're in a spotty reception area, I can totally understand if that's the reason you want to switch to Verizon.

[tgeekb]

You cannot ask random people who live no where near you which carrier is best.

[cleverocks22]

Plus VZW 3G speeds top at 2mbp at best

[alnamvet68]

If you are going to lock yourself into a contract for 2 years, then it really is a toss up between all the carriers...cost of a new phone is typically the primary criteria, then overall cost of the total plan that includes data, ability to Bridge, and any additional costs associated with tethering. That said, I am planning to drop all thes guys as soon as my iPhone contract with Sprint is done. I find that, for my/family needs, buying an unlocked, not carrier specific, "world phone" that is both CDMA & GSM is the way to go. Though the initial cash outlay for an unlocked phone may be high, it will be ultimately cheaper for me in the long run, taking into consideration how each family member uses their phones. The wife rarely uses the phone, only has it in her possession for emergencies, and is somewhat, well, a real technotard; the daughter uses her phone primarily for texting, and hates to make calls, and makes a conscious effort to not answer calls unless it's from me, or one of her really close friends. Me, well, I really don't use it much myself, except to call family every now and then. I don't waste my life texting people, and it seems its primary use is reading e-mail messages.

So, with that assessment of my/our use, I find that inspite of the 33.33% military/employer discount I'v had with Sprint since day one, I still feel I'm paying too much for services that I don't want, but have to pay for.

Enter the pay as you go with either AT&T or T-mobile...get a monthly uber basic plan for the wife, get a basic plan for the daughter that includes sufficient texting, and get myself a plan that allows me only that data plan that I will really use. Also, when I travel overseas, I want the family and myself to buy a local SIM card for cheap and have a phone handy. The last time I used international roaming with Sprint, they inserted gently and rammed a 2x4 all the way in sideways.

Anyway, some cursory research on what it would cost me doing a pay as you go plan would be about $80.00/month for 3 phones. Currently, I'm paying $140.00 per month, plus whatever international roaming would cost.

My iPhone 4s is supposedly a "world phone", but I'll believe that when my contract with Sprint is up, since Sprint has locked out my ability to use the GSM portion, instead requiring me to use their international roaming plan.

There you have it, my take on what I will do next.

[BitPusher2600]

I have been with Verizon for a long time. Tried AT&T briefly and ended up coming back.
Basically, depending on what you do, you cannot use your browser (or data services) while on a call. The data speeds are good enough to stream YouTube and certainly fast enough for anything else unless you happen to be one of these people I refer to as "data kiddies" who feel if something isn't "4G" it can't possibly be good enough. The data speeds I notice often stick to or above 3mbps, resident northeast Ohio. I do feel however Verizon's connectivity is superior by far. It is rumor speak I hear that AT&T sucks in certain big cities like NY, but at any rate is just fine. When you find yourself traveling to passing thru the middle of nowhere, Verizon wins it handsdown, but again, I'm in the northeast piece of the US.

As I said, I love Verizon's service and couldn't recommend them enough. My two cents may only be worth two cents

[Rootbrian]

I need to state the obvious: Verizon=CDMA. AT&T=GSM.

That should settle any confusion. Different frequencies and device internals, one cannot be used on the other. You can't unlock a CDMA phone either.

[AlienSlacker]

Originally Posted by darogers

So my contract ends with AT&T in July..and I have been with them since 2007, but I'm seriously considering switching to Verizon. In your opinion, which carrier do you think is better? I'm always going to be an avid BlackBerry fan, and Verizon seems to be just as good when it comes to BlackBerry's. Appreciate any input!

A huge difference is that GSM(ATT & T-Mobile) is the same tech used by about 200 countries around the globe while CDMA(Verizon) is primarily USA and a handful of countries. So if you never plan on leaving the USA youll be okay with Verizon. Also you might want to check out prices as well. My understanding is that Verizon is the most expensive of the services. Dont take my word for it def do your research.

[TGR1]

The absolute number one thing is talk to local friends and colleagues about quality of calls/coverage and consider how important that is versus whatever is attracting you to Verizon.