Goodbye AT&T … Goodbye iPhone, it’s been fun while it lasted
With a heavy heart and an empty wallet, I’ve decided that I am finally fed up with crappy AT&T service, enough so that I’m letting go of my iPhone! I was an early adopter. I waited in line for my first iPhone the day it came out. I had a Verizon Wireless Blackberry 7200 prior to the iPhone and was amazed that I couldn’t actually use my new snazzy phone in my house for the first several months. However, the phone was a cool enough novelty that I put up with the network and dropped calls figuring it HAD to get better.
I upgraded to the 3G iPhone the week it came out (even though there was no 3G where I lived (yet)) and I’ve still got my eye on a WiFi iPad. I just can’t wait until Christmas to see if Apple and Verizon can come to terms (and if Apple will build a CDMA version or if they will wait for LTE).
Eventually, the AT&T network in Blacksburg, VA improved, I could use the phone in my house if I stood by the window in the dining room or our bedroom (but not where my home office was). We moved to Raleigh, NC last summer and there was decent coverage out where we live in Apex. There were still a few places where I didn’t have any service that were regular travel destinations (a few clients in VA and NC). I used open WiFi an Skype when I needed to make a call, but eventually broke down and bought a Verizon Wireless MiFi which works just about everywhere with higher speed (and allows me to make Skype calls from my iPhone to boot).
I was still on the fence since we are moving to a new location near Ithaca, NY and our new landlord said that the only network with any signal out where we are moving is Verizon. I considered the $150 (and no extra fees) network extender, but that would only work in and around my home … what about the drives to the grocery store, or drives to and from town?
The coup de gras was just the other day on a pretty big road between Raleigh and Chapel Hill, in the suburbs. I couldn’t make a call while my wife was gabbing away on her Verizon phone. I had to ask her to get off the phone (with her mother) and make my call from her phone. Later that day, even with signal (that was flipping between Edge (2G) and 3G) I couldn’t use my phone for any data. My contract is coming due so this seemed like the appropriate time.
I don’t have my Android yet, but I just ordered the HTC Incredible from Verizon Wireless and it won’t ship for a few weeks. I will do my best to post unbiased reviews and comparisons when I get my new phone. I will admit that I’m a huge fan of Apple products. I bought an iMac when the Core 2 Duo processor was introduced, I have a MacBook Pro, Airport Extreme and Express, two iPods, my wife also has a MacBook Pro and a Touch, and I’m itching for an iPad. So the Android has a high bar to get over. I will have my 30 days of evaluation to determine if I can live with the phone (and if Steve makes some unexpected announcement at WWDC).
I’m sad to have to do this, but the phone is only as good as the network it is on and I’m finally fed up enough with AT&T that I’m moving on.
On the up-side, I have a lot of paid iPhone apps. I may just be forced to purchase an iPad to run all those apps I own 
.
AT&T announced no more data buffet. Wonder what that means for VZW and a potential iPhone. My guess is it means that AT&T doesn’t fear the competition which probably means that they are forcing Apple to keep their pledge of exclusivity for 5 years (expires 2012).
I’m sure Steve-o will also have some big news planned on Monday @ WWDC.
The new iPhone is pretty cool looking. Has some great features. But I will reiterate, the phone is as good as the network. Still no incredible (don’t even know if it has shipped yet), but my neighbor has one. I supposedly have 5 bars (like the BS commercial) and yet his phone not only is faster due to the processor, but data is significantly faster to load.
I broke down and bough a WiFi iPad last weekend. Currently writing my next blog post with it.
What a joke. Did you see that not only does using a microcell use your minute bucket … but using data over a microcell uses your data bucket which is total BS under the new no longer unlimited data plans.
It is official. We had ZERO AT&T coverage at our new home and on the way from home and to Ithaca. It seemed like 2 miles outside of Ithaca, AT&T just went dead. Had a Verizon signal the entire time. Good enough for some decent 3G data. I will do a review, but the battery life on the HTC Incredible SUCKS!!! I’m waiting to see what the announcement from Verizon will be today, I may be switching to Droid 2 or Droid X if battery life is better.