[MPLexus301]

So I've gone back and forth on this for a while and I think I've decided to switch to Verizon from AT&T but I would appreciate the input of others.

Part of this is impulse that VZW has the 9930 before AT&T does, but there are other pros as well...

1) We have two other homes outside of the primary residence and AT&T gets zero service at either. I have to walk around holding up my current phone to try to get one bar of GSM just to make a call or check voicemail. Very frustrating. Other family members have VZW and get full 3G at both locations.

2) AT&T's coverage in Atlanta is spotty. For a long time, they were pretty flawless but over the last 2-3 months it has gotten patchy and there are periods at night (I'm not sure why) where my phone either doesn't have service at all, or will be on GSM or edge - in the same exact spot where it might have full 3G 5 hours earlier. It makes no sense.

3) BlackBerry Bridge. As a PlayBook owner, I have a problem patronizing AT&T after they have gone so "big brother" with BB Bridge. I'm thankful for the CB OTA DL links but 1) that's a pain and 2) I worry that they will detect it on my phone at some point and charge me.


As for cons, I keep hearing that the 9900 will be more polished, run better, has more free memory, and it should run on AT&T's "4G" network. CX's posts have mentioned AT&T's stricter field testing process which almost always yields a better product (as history has shown). The idea of getting a 9930 now sounds great, but I'm torn between grabbing it and waiting until the 9900 lands to see what the user impressions are at that point.

Also, the AT&T plan is a bit cheaper, but not by a significant margin.

Any thoughts or input here? I'd appreciate both.

[dcgore]

Voice service with Verizon is top notch, i think you'll be very happy with it if you make the switch. The advantage with att is faster speeds and when the 9900 comes out for it, it will be capable of 14.4mbps download speed. With Verizon's 3G the most you'll ever get is 3+Mbps, this is due to the technology limitation of their CDMA technology.

I think most people will say that it is pointless to have the capability of faster speeds (at&t) when service is spotty.

[mpscan]

As someone who just ported over five lines to Verizon from AT&T about an hour ago, I did it for:

1. The 9930. Needed two of them.
2. Coverage. I have a vacation home that gets horrible AT&T coverage where Verizon friends have no problems. I was on the fence about getting an AT&T MicroCell, but then VZW just got the 9930 (see #1).
3. Employer discount of 18%. That brings down my bill to within $2 of AT&T's price.

[MPLexus301]

The issue with vacation homes is a big one for me. While I'm away, I still need to be checking emails and voicemail and driving into town or walking through fields aimlessly, hoping to get service, is no longer fun.

[AbstraKt]

Srsly, the ONLY ONLY ONLY thing keeping me w/AT&T is my g-father'd unlimited data and, possibly, rollover minutes.

[ibcop]

Srsly, the ONLY ONLY ONLY thing keeping me w/AT&T is my g-father'd unlimited data and, possibly, rollover minutes.

Exactly!!!

[MPLexus301]

I should also note that being able to browse the web, get and send texts while on the phone is a surprisingly nice feature. I'd miss that if I switched to VZW.

[BBtoiPhone]

I think the only reason that you should switch service providers is if you will get better coverage in areas that you live/travel to often. To switch because of a device seems weird to me.. I would rather have great service and a good device, than crappy service and the newest device.

[Stein357]

I don't think they'll be much of a difference in the user experience between the 9930 and the 9900, especially with OS updates. That being said, Verizon has much better coverage in my area and I am a lot happier with it than I was with AT&T despite AT&T's faster data.

[howiewolverine]

I switched from AT&T to Verizon about 6 months ago for many of the same reasons. The primary reason I switched is because I had no AT&T coverage at my vacation home, and Verizon coverage (while not perfect) is much better. I should also note that Verizon works better during the drive TO the vaction spot, which is a nice bonus. My experience with the switch is mosly positive, although there have been a couple of drawbacks. First, I think the battery performance is worse with the 9650 than it was with the 9700. I don't know if this is because of the network, or the device, however. Also, I did like being able to use data and voice at the same time with AT&T, and that feature does not appear to be availalbe with Verizon. None of these were deal breakers. Lastly, with respect to speed, I'm a little torn. I think that my 9650 is slightly slower than my 9700 when it comes to data download. However, when I tether my 9650 to my laptop, it is more than fast enough to use the Internet. This suggests to me that the speed issue that I experience is more a function of the phone than data speed.

[MPLexus301]

One other issue for me is that I have no idea how much data I use. I'm on the unlimited data plan for $30/month with AT&T so if I switch to Verizon, I need to know how much data to pay for.

I do some light browsing every day on news sites and two other forums, but that's about it. How should I gauge how much data I need/use?

[mpscan]

You can sign into your account on attwireless.com and run a graph report that will show monthly usage for the past year. You'll be surprised how low it is...

[pkcable]

Get the 2Gs for 30 per month plan

[MPLexus301]

Thank you both. I also just learned that I get a 17% discount on my plan through my employer, and the phone is $199 instead of $249, so I think this is a go!

Unlimited talk and messaging, 2GB of data for ~$114/month including tax.

[ADGrant]

My BB 9700 uses about 50MB a month but I am not doing much web browsing with it.

[anon(19759)]

You're first two bullet points are all you need to consider really IMO. For me, it's all about coverage first, device second. I must have Verizon for where I work and play, no other network coverage is even close. I do believe CDMA is harder on a battery than GSM but also voice clarity is generally better on CDMA. All about compromises based on your needs.

[MPLexus301]

Case closed. I'm a verizon wireless customer, and waiting for my new Bold to arrive.

[Statehouse]

Srsly, the ONLY ONLY ONLY thing keeping me w/AT&T is my g-father'd unlimited data and, possibly, rollover minutes.

I'm in the same exact boat. However, I don't really think I used much data.

[MPLexus301]

I asked and I use 170-215MB of data per month, so I've got a looooong way to go to even clear the 2GB hurdle.

Unlimited data is nice, but what does it matter when you use so little?

[mpscan]

Because they needed to establish caps somewhere. As time goes on, our usage will steadily increase but the caps will remain. The ultimate goal of the wireless industry as a whole is to get pricing to a level like electricity or gas, where you're charged for exactly what you use. They realize it will take a decade to get there, so they're doing it in baby steps that most won't notice.

[pkcable]

2GBs will be just like unlimited for you. EVEN if you get in to using streaming music and video. NFL Mobile is WAY COOL! You still won't even come close to breaking the 2GB barrier. I'm a heavy user and while I HAVE come close on my heaviest month, I'm usually right around 1GB, and often under. And I stream music or video EVERY day!