[Entertainment72]

BGR

The image above says it all. It shows a screen capture of an actual speed test performed on an Apple iPhone 4 while connected to AT&T’s 3G network in northern New Jersey. It is not an anomaly. In fact it’s pretty standard in my home town and in the surrounding areas. Sometimes my download speed is faster and sometimes it’s slower, but it generally stays between 3.5 and 5Mbps�. I can’t give that up.

Verizon Wireless has an incredibly strong network. It works everywhere, seemingly without fail, and hopefully the carrier can maintain its reputation as a rock solid network even after it is infested with data-gulping iPhones. What the Verizon Wireless network is not, however, is fast. In my town, which is roughly 15 minutes northwest of the George Washington Bridge, Verizon’s average download speed sits around 800Kbps�. The fastest I’ve seen it in this area is just over 1Mbps. I use Verizon devices all the time as part of my job, and I often carry them with me outside my job. When I want to do something that involves downloading large files or streaming video content, I use an AT&T phone.

But what about reliability? AT&T is horrible! Wrong. AT&T might be horrible for you, but it works just fine for me. Not always, of course, but often enough that I have no interest in switching my main personal account to another provider and sacrificing data speed in the process. In late 2009 and early 2010, it was a very different story. I could rarely make phone calls in the area around my office in New York City and had Verizon scored the iPhone back then, I would have switched in a second. But beginning last summer, however, AT&T’s service in midtown Manhattan improved dramatically.

The other big part my decision comes down to the core reason any “my network is better than your network” argument is patently ridiculous. A network’s coverage, performance and reliability vary greatly depending on region — without exception. Notice the full five bars my iPhone 4 was reporting when the screen shot above was captured. Along with every other AT&T phone I have lying around, my iPhone just about always displays five bars of coverage near my home, office and nearly everywhere else I go in the area. Even when I give it the death grip.

In 2012 when AT&T and Verizon Wireless each have LTE networks that offer widespread coverage and speedy data connections, I’ll reassess the situation. I expect a 4G LTE iPhone to launch for both networks in 2012, so pricing and coverage will become the two main factors I consider. Today, however, switching from AT&T to Verizon would be like switching from broadband to dial-up — and I just can’t handle that.

What kind of speeds are you guys getting? I'm at over 5+Mbps with AT&T where I'm at, can't give that AND simultaneous Voice and Data up as well.

[lolreconlol]

My friend has an iPhone here in NNJ and it's painful watching him use it, it drops calls all the time. I hear nothing but horror stories from AT&T customers, but if you're one of the lucky ones there's no reason you should switch to Verizon. Also, I don't see how the simultaneous voice/data is such a problem.

[Cleveland]

I get between 4 to almost 6 (5.77) Mbps here 15 miles West of Cleveland and to make matters worse, I hate Verizon for what they did to me, glad to see ATT won't be a bogged down but I won't switch either, even have there are a few issues with their network

And after VZW did this to me..

none of the permalinks would work from here so here's the story... (was posted orig in the "all those switching devices" threat in gen discussions

Well after years of running AT&T into the ground I finally gave up my storm my storm2 and my tour for the iPhone 3GS. And the worst part of this storybis if vzw weren't such a**holes about my issue and taken the time to actually work with me on all the plans, I'd probably still be their customer.

I bought my storm2 the day it came out and used the hybrid prl since my work location was an alltel 3g area and vzw wasn't, I also used a tour for my work and tethered it at home in a regular basis with my MacBook. About. Week after I go the storm2 my tethering speeds on my tour dropped to around 2kb-4kb a second which let's face it is unacceptable plus the web on my storm2 was just as bad, couldn't download apps etc....


I had trouble tickets opened with vzw, had a manager replace my phones with brand new ones right out of the box and it took me 3 days to get 12 apps back I. The storm2 mind you I had 5 bars and live in a suburb of Cleveland .. So I got the store somehow to credit me for the data plans and half the tethering since I was still using it although I think dial up would have been faster lol

so after a month and still no fix, I called vzw and tried to get credit for the second month everything didn't work, and I was told well you'll have to pay for it and if we deem it's a regional newtork issue we may credit you. I'm like WTF really ? I was told twice my trouble tickets would be elevated to a higher priority and finally after the second one I got a phone call from vzw saying that they found out with the transition of the alltel/vzw merger I'm dropping the 3g where I live and going to 1x and there was no fix but the transition would be until the end of feb and I would not receive any kind of compensation in the bill due to this ??? I'm like WTF !! But.....

What I had done two days before as go get an iPhone 3GS and after that call I went into vzw to shut all the lines off and they tried to put me in a droid I'm like I'm done you already lost me as a customer!

I have to admit that even though AT&T lacks the 3g coverage that vzw does, their edge network is light years faster than vzw's 1x coverage and apps actually work on edge.

The biggest thing I've noticed about my switch of networks and phones ... I haven't had to reboot my iPhone once, and the coverage may not be as good compared to vzw but the data coverage whether in 3G or non 3G areas is still functional compared to vzw.

I loved my blackberries but other than. Few things (like for instance I liked it that the facebook app would read any activity linked with the email and you wouldn't get both and the iPhone I do but the email is the only sound based notification) and I miss bbm lol

I'm in a agreement with a lot of bb livers out there that nothing will get better unless a new OS in introduced. The rumored storm 3 already well unless there is significant changes made to the OS and maybe getting the apps to store on the sd card instead of flash memory since it'll slow down the phone it'll be pointless


Unfortunately whether the storm or storm2 vs iPhone ... The iPhone is the better product and I owned a storm for a year and a storm2 for two months... I've had my iPhone for two weeks and I can't believe how much I've been wrong lol

Guess it goes to say you better watch what you wish for lol

Thanks but no thanks... bunch of blood sucking leeches ... ok my rant is done back to our normally scheduled forum programming lol

[nite732]

Stl real good coverage, I think it's all that old southwestern bell system because I get good speed almost everywhere.

[Aussie Joe]

Shhh. The more people that migrate to VZW the better the network will be for the rest of us

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[scotts11]

The iPhone will be announced tomorrow at the press conference in NYC. This is great news for VZW

[dcgore]

I live in Manhattan and the most i've gotten is around 800Kbts download speed. I use the exact same application as the one posted by the OP. Im always afraid of dropping calls and using data based apps on the phone takes forever...I am switching.

I think i am a reflection of people's sentiment in my area and probably in San Fran as well. This is the reason i see many people who find themselves in the same situation making the jump. Having said that, if i were to be in Cleveland as Cleverocks22 is and get the same speeds i would not.

I have to pay an ETF and i will; that;s how fed up i am. But for those of you who do not "need" to make the switch and "waste" money in doing so, you should stick with At&t in my opinion.

[JoJoCal19]

Speed is good....if you can get 3G at all. AT&T has made great strides in FL to expand their 3G coverage but it's still sorely lacking outside of the major city limits. I do a lot of traveling throughout FL and I get EVDO almost everywhere including many rural areas and back roads. It's nice to know I can use Googlemaps while out and about or any other apps that need data.

Also AT&T's great speed is not consistent. I had the iPhone 4 for two months and a Droid X and honestly there is no noticeable difference browsing whether on the X with 2.2Mbps or iPhone 4 at 4Mbps. It's not like we're downloading Adobe CS5 to our phone and need the peak bandwidth.

[jhamilton3#CB]

Even if you are not enticed by the speed dilemma.. Look at the contracts Verizon is locking people into - I like to upgrade yearly, on Verizon thats going to be very difficult/expensive with the new contract system they are putting into place.

[Shodan775]

I wouldn't complain if ATT would fix the service for better in NYC. While there is a good excuse in small towns scattered around in New England in the woods, there is no excuse for not having a strong signal in big towns and cities. With all that money they made with exclusive rights to Apple and new BBs..you'd think this company would be investing their money into strengthening their coverage. No.....they are obsessed with that damn U-verse thing instead.