Related
So I'd like the experts to weigh in on this one: I'm pretty sure I'm getting the Touch Pro but I'd like to know the pros/cons of going the sprint route vs. the AT&T route. Do the same cooked roms on this site work on both, or only on the GSM (AT&T) version of the phone? Do people find the CDMA network faster/slower than the GSM network for Data (i.e. how do their 3G speeds compare). What other features might be different? And I know there's been some confusion on release dates but has that been cleared up at all?
...Part of me wants to wait and see if the Touch HD Pro will come out (HD w/ QWERTY) but I don't know if I can wait that long, and if it's only released for Europe w/out US 3G that'd suck...
Thanks all for your help!
I'd also like to see a good summary of the differences with the 2 providers. I'm probably going to be leaving Verizon for this phone.
I'd also read that the Touch HD would not be released in the US - so I'm pretty much counting on the Touch Pro.
jumping along with this one
Somebody can give more details, but I can still pitch in a little bit.
I'm from Canada so I can't really pitch in for pros/con for T-Mobile/AT&T. One advice is to get a real good look at the 3G coverage because ultimately that can be a big factor depending where you live/go.
From what I read, I wouldn't hold my breath for the HD, apparently it's currently not planned for North America. One with a keyboard is even a longer shot because of it's size, making it thicker would pretty much make it a huge phone, don't know if there's a big market for that.
As for the ROM, I saw that Elite Team is talking about making a CDMA rom, but in this forum, you will find much more GSM material. I believe that the North America user are not a huge proportion of the user base, so it explains why most of the talk is revolving around GSM.
Hope this helps a bit in your decision, overall the TP is very nice and I think the custom ROMs in this forum can make it a greater phone!
That definitely helps - If it makes a difference in terms of which service would be better, i live in the NYC area and so getting the coverage on either network wouldn't be an issue. I've heard good things about the sprint high speed network, but haven't used their service in like 5yrs, so have no idea if they've gotten better or worse since then.
In any case, the features of each phone look pretty comparable. It's not like the sprint phone will have some sort of killer app that the AT&T version wouldn't have.
I guess time will tell once people actually start using these and comparing notes on them. Is "Sprint TV" anything? I know that comes with the sprint version but have no idea what it is.
slyng1 said:
That definitely helps - If it makes a difference in terms of which service would be better, i live in the NYC area and so getting the coverage on either network wouldn't be an issue. I've heard good things about the sprint high speed network, but haven't used their service in like 5yrs, so have no idea if they've gotten better or worse since then.
In any case, the features of each phone look pretty comparable. It's not like the sprint phone will have some sort of killer app that the AT&T version wouldn't have.
I guess time will tell once people actually start using these and comparing notes on them. Is "Sprint TV" anything? I know that comes with the sprint version but have no idea what it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sprint tv is tv on the go u get channels like nfl network , disney, and cnn live,but most of the channels arent live just clips and stuff...the only difference i see with them is the fuze took away the number row and replaced it with symbols, as far as networks i dont know whos is better, but sprints $15 data plan comes with sprint tv and you get 3g with att u have the pay for internet then if u want 3g then u have to pay a extra $10, but that mite just be for the iphone
labbbby said:
I believe that the North America user are not a huge proportion of the user base, so it explains why most of the talk is revolving around GSM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I take offense to you lumping me, a GSM user, in with the likes of Verizon and Sprint.
A co-worker of mine has the Vogue (CDMA Touch) on Verizon, and it's total BS what you have to go through when you flash a new radio or ROM to the device. Verizon uses something called an "A-Key" to authenticate you to their data network, and that key is wiped out on radio flashes (sometimes ROM flashes), so you constantly have to call Verizon to have them resend you a key to allow data connections (ALL data, not just ICS) to work.
...and Sprint has registry keys built into their ROMs to prevent ICS from working. Admittedly, this annoyance has a much easier workaround that Verizon's, but it's still BS.
havox22 said:
...with att u have the pay for internet then if u want 3g then u have to pay a extra $10, but that mite just be for the iphone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T has several different data packages available, and the device you have determines your choices, but all of them connect to 3G without additional fees.
Att All The Way!
As an owner of the FUZE. I can tell you I love this phone. The ATT version will a little different because it’s GSM. Forget the TV that any device comes with and get a Sling Box.
- Change your SIM to a cheap phone when you go Drinking or to the beach or overseas!
- Video Share, although not used a lot I use it and love it!
- Push To Talk, Again not really used a lot but its there.
Wow I sound like I work for ATT or something!
garymedina said:
As an owner of the FUZE. I can tell you I love this phone. The ATT version will a little different because it’s GSM. Forget the TV that any device comes with and get a Sling Box.
- Change your SIM to a cheap phone when you go Drinking or to the beach or overseas!
- Video Share, although not used a lot I use it and love it!
- Push To Talk, Again not really used a lot but its there.
Wow I sound like I work for ATT or something!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
definetly like being able to pop the sim in a crappy phone
wich my 8525 will be soon enough
The other thing to remember is Sprint is really struggling right now and may not be around much longer. If you do travel anywhere outside of the US and want to take your phone, you will want GSM. Just my 2 cents.
Sprint is better in my opinion
sprint evdo rev a is $15/month which is the fastest mobile speed you can get in the US, versus ATT 3G $30/month which much slower (i have compared a mogul versus 3g iphone, and the mogul(ppc-6800) is reasonably faster)
sprint $15 unlimited texting
ATT $20 unlimited texting
this all comes down to what your friends have?, because if you talk alot and your friends/family has att, then just go with them since mobile to mobile is unlimited and vice versa if you have sprint friends/family.
also, the previous poster is correct in the sense that sprint is obviously not good outside the US and for switching phones all the time.
sprint is using a dying technology (cdma) but at this time, there is no denying that it is the fastest data in U.S. and sprint has alot of coverage nation wide.
i think it will be a couple of years before CDMA is completely out of the picture and anyone buying the touch pro will on to their next phone at that point.
shadowwarz said:
sprint evdo rev a is $15/month which is the fastest mobile speed you can get in the US, versus ATT 3G $30/month which much slower (i have compared a mogul versus 3g iphone, and the mogul(ppc-6800) is reasonably faster)
sprint $15 unlimited texting
ATT $20 unlimited texting
this all comes down to what your friends have?, because if you talk alot and your friends/family has att, then just go with them since mobile to mobile is unlimited and vice versa if you have sprint friends/family.
also, the previous poster is correct in the sense that sprint is obviously not good outside the US and for switching phones all the time.
sprint is using a dying technology (cdma) but at this time, there is no denying that it is the fastest data in U.S. and sprint has alot of coverage nation wide.
i think it will be a couple of years before CDMA is completely out of the picture and anyone buying the touch pro will on to their next phone at that point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i agree with basically everything you said. The phones are basically the same, and flashing sprint phones doesn't take anything special besides making sure the Rom/Kitchen is designed for Sprint. Which most of the ones on ppcgeeks.com are on sprint first anyways sometimes only sprint.
but if you do international traveling I would definitely get the ATT version, just so all you have to do is pop in a different SIM card.
But ultimately it just comes down to which plan you can get for cheaper I'd say, like for the same minutes/data.
I travel a lot. Several times a week, and both nationally and internationally.
I use the Kaiser on ATT, and unless I am out in the middle of God's country (like, say, Carroll Iowa... don't ask), I find 3G and H all over.
I haven't used Sprint in forever.... but, as far as data goes, ATT seems to have pretty great coverage.
Making it simple:
Sprint
+Cheaper plans
+slightly better up/down speeds (especially factoring in the iphone factor)
-Harder to Flash (?, based on what's said here)
AT&T
+Usable internationally
+Easier to flash (again, based on whats said here)
-Data more expensive unless you lie to AT&T about your device (possibly causing a huge bill someday)
-Data speeds a bit slower
beyond that I couldn't say much more that isn't placebo or really effected by too many other factors... Traditionally Sprint phones will use more power then their GSM counterparts.. but there's a lotta factors involved in this issue
Also, with the Sprint CDMA network you don't get the annoying sound of speakers freaking out when you walk around and your phone does things in your pocket, unlike the AT&T GSM network.
Although if you like to be a pain, you may prefer the speaker interference caused by GSM phones.
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out. It's especially annoying in meetings when there is a conferance phone with speakers near all of the seats. I have to leave my phone at my desk! Not to mention the 9 billion dropped calls i get with this damn thing!
HTC_Feind said:
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out. It's especially annoying in meetings when there is a conferance phone with speakers near all of the seats. I have to leave my phone at my desk! Not to mention the 9 billion dropped calls i get with this damn thing!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you turn the data off the speakers shouldnt be affected unless a text comes in
I read somewhere that verizon wireless is also going to carry the touch pro.
rrider77 said:
I read somewhere that verizon wireless is also going to carry the touch pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes this has been known
but it isnt really in teh same league since they are cutting the processor and ram and also removing the tilt sensor
HTC_Feind said:
Yeah, i have the 3G iPhone now and it is always making speakers freak out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's half true only.
The noise which you hear through speaker only appears when you're in GSM/GPRS/EDGE mode but not in 3G UMTS/HSDPA mode. Furthermore, all GSM phones on any carrier all around the world will do the same.
What's up guys some of you know me some don't, but I am looking for a new carrier and device to build my roms for, so I want to ask you guys what you like about att and what you don't. I need something different from vzw mainly because of price, but I want to also try out a different user base I've been building roms for vzw based devices for year's now and it seems like they are dying out fast forums are dead no real dev support so tell me your opinions guys, and let ne know if you would like to see ne around thanks
Newt
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Get Tmobile. And unlock the HOX. Best combination IMO.
From my sexy white, Nocturnaled HTC One X
theking_13 said:
Get Tmobile. And unlock the HOX. Best combination IMO.
From my sexy white, Nocturnaled HTC One X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool, enjoy your EDGE!
@OP- I have had nothing but great experiences with AT&T. Their plans are decently priced, their LTE is fast as hell, and their customer service reps are easily manipulated.
at&t data speeds are better. Prices are pretty good. Versus Verizon. Customer service is also pretty good, I always get them to refund my activation fees, lol. Plus we have a nice community and need more devs.
Please join us.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Get T-Mobile and a One S. AT&T is too damn expensive.
They also have an annoying threashold set for voice activity detection on their calls resulting in an audible mute whenever someone stops talking for half a second. Most people don't notice it, but I do. It honestly feels like you're talking to someone on a walkie talkie... This doesn't happen when I'm using T-Mobile. So... What I'm trying to say is call quality blows, and I also get dropped calls a lot...
Update: and LTE isn't even available in most decent cities. There are only like 11 locations in the USA.
Sent from mobile
At&t lte is awesome and as already stated att reps are pretty easy to manipulate I can't tell how many times I've gotten them to credit my account for various charges. The one x has a great community very friendly for the most part and the phone itself is solid. We have a handful of great devs and they seam to work well together when it comes to sharing and helping each other out. You would be a very welcome addition to the community.
Sent from my Nocturnalized Beast
newtoroot said:
What's up guys some of you know me some don't, but I am looking for a new carrier and device to build my roms for, so I want to ask you guys what you like about att and what you don't. I need something different from vzw mainly because of price, but I want to also try out a different user base I've been building roms for vzw based devices for year's now and it seems like they are dying out fast forums are dead no real dev support so tell me your opinions guys, and let ne know if you would like to see ne around thanks
Newt
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I remember you from the Rezound. I'm sure everyone would love to have you developing for the One X. You're stuff was great.
ECEXCURSION said:
Get T-Mobile and a One S. AT&T is too damn expensive.
They also have an annoying threashold set for voice activity detection on their calls resulting in an audible mute whenever someone stops talking for half a second. Most people don't notice it, but I do. It honestly feels like you're talking to someone on a walkie talkie... This doesn't happen when I'm using T-Mobile. So... What I'm trying to say is call quality blows, and I also get dropped calls a lot...
Update: and LTE isn't even available in most decent cities. There are only like 11 locations in the USA.
Sent from mobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have great call quality and that mute is kinda nice. I think it's built into the phones myself, since my gpas flip phone never does this. Cuts out background noise.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
I am pleased with the att coverage. Customer service is pretty good also. I usually get to upgrade every 6 months just have to call and ask them and I don't even make threats to leave. They just talk to a mananger and its all good.
I am sure your aware of this but not all service is great in all areas. I'm in south Louisiana where att is great and Verizon blows. As I'm positive Verizon is boss in some areas where att is crap. So research your area before switching.
Sent from my HTC One™ X, an WCX Illuminati 4G LTE smartphone
Coverage for Verizon vs. AT&T varies quite a bit in some locations, so I'd check with friends, coworkers, etc. and try to get a feel for coverage quality in your general area, and places you visit frequently.
Just as example, in my home/work area (Boston suburbs) the reception for both VZN and AT&T is very good. But for other places, such as a ski are in NH that I occasionally visit, reception is non-existent (both voice and data, no signal at all) on AT&T while my friends on VZN have great voice and data reception. Just anecdotally, I find this situation to be the case more often than not, where VZN has more consistent coverage than AT&T. When I was on a camping trip with friends to Alabama last fall, I had no data on AT&T, and could barely get a voice call out (with signal breaking up, and dropping calls) while my VZN friends were enjoying great voice reception and full 3G. Given, it was a pretty rural area. But coverage in your local area should definitely be considered when looking at changing carriers.
Another consideration is if you do any foreign travel, and intend to roam on your local carrier. The vast majority of customers never do this, or not frequently enough to matter. But I travel quite a bit for work, and its one of the main reasons I stay with AT&T. CDMA is simply not used in most parts of the world, and VZN's selection or "world" phones (with GSM compatibility) is very limited. Roaming service on AT&T has been consistently great, in a variety of foreign countries. Funny thing, both coworkers I was traveling with to Germany recently were on VZN, and had big issues with service during the trip. They had to use my AT&T phone to call VZN customer support (which I obviously gave them sh_t about). First off, the phones weren't setup right for international roaming, which was probably more my companies fault, and not VZN. But even after they had things up and running, they lost service the next day. VZN claimed it was a fire at a nearby Vodaphone switching station that was interrupting service in the whole area. But my AT&T phone was also connected to Vodaphone, and was working just fine. I ribbed my coworkers yet again: "Can you hear me now???" :victory:
Again, the foreign travel thing doesn't apply to a great many people. But if it applies to you, I'd say that AT&T wins in that category.
Att service and customer service had been great since switching from Verizon 6Yrs ago. LTE is fast when available, and hspa+ is a fast fallback also.
I don't get static or bad reception in los angeles, san Francisco or Denver. Except in the mountains sometimes.
Phones are cheaper than Verizon and tmobile.
Go for it.
Sent from my HTC One X
ECEXCURSION said:
Get T-Mobile and a One S. AT&T is too damn expensive.
They also have an annoying threashold set for voice activity detection on their calls resulting in an audible mute whenever someone stops talking for half a second. Most people don't notice it, but I do. It honestly feels like you're talking to someone on a walkie talkie... This doesn't happen when I'm using T-Mobile. So... What I'm trying to say is call quality blows, and I also get dropped calls a lot...
Update: and LTE isn't even available in most decent cities. There are only like 11 locations in the USA.
Sent from mobile
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I can say the same about my in laws and their T-Mobile service here. But they're grandfathered in to a cheap rate even after they got smartphones last year.
Only way to find out is to test drive the service carrier for the 14 or 30 days they allow.
Sent from my HTC One X
I've been on AT&T since the Cingular acquisition. NY Metro area and Long Island NY, with extensive travel to other metropolitan (70%), rural (20%), and international (10%) locales. Rarely a complaint. Reasonable pricing and very accommodating customer service. They always had the newest and coolest phones, but that playing field's been kind of leveled now. I can honestly say that I don't ever plan on leaving AT&T. I've never had a problem with muting - but voicemail eliminates recorded dead airtime (not an issue to me).
Vendetta-NY said:
I've been on AT&T since the Cingular acquisition. NY Metro area and Long Island NY, with extensive travel to other metropolitan (70%), rural (20%), and international (10%) locales. Rarely a complaint. Reasonable pricing and very accommodating customer service. They always had the newest and coolest phones, but that playing field's been kind of leveled now. I can honestly say that I don't ever plan on leaving AT&T. I've never had a problem with muting - but voicemail eliminates recorded dead airtime (not an issue to me).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had LTE for 2 days a week ago on at&t on long island. Now it's mysteriously shut off.
Sent from my HTC One XL using xda app-developers app
Joooin us att is fine and vzw is certainly not better. Everyone thinks att ducks but I live in a obscure town and I get lte
Sent from my One X using xda premium
AT&T LTE is on in my area and it rocks. As far as AT&T as a company, I've been with them since it was my local Bell South, then Cingular, then AT&T. Aside from a few quirks here and there, I've always been relatively satisfied and the customer service is usually pretty good.
The One X is a great device. I had the international version, which broke after 2 weeks. I sent it back to HTC America where after two months they told me it couldn't be repaired due to injunctions on importing the parts to the US, at which point they sent me the AT&T LTE version. I was naturally pissed, but that anger quickly dissipated as soon as the lady at AT&T handed me my phone and I saw the 4G LTE logo.
The more devs the better, of course we want you here!
This may be of interest to you as well the one x will be reduced to $99 with contract on July 29th that is a steal for this device
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1798227
Sent from my Nocturnalized Beast
It's highly dependent on where you live. If you have AT&T LTE service where you are, it's no contest. But if you don't, or often travel to rural areas, it's more of a toss-up. Verizon simply has a bigger coverage area.
If you travel outside the US, forget Verizon. There's nothing like having your phone "just work" halfway around the world. (But do investigate AT&T's global plans if you do this a lot.)
I'm going to agree with what's been said about AT&T's customer service. I think they must have some kind of corporate inferiority complex about people leaving for Verizon, because I've found they will usually do what it takes to keep you happy.
I came from Verizon before I got an iPhone, and I never liked the degree to which they kept everything so locked down. Based on the encrypted bootloader they just slapped on their SGS3, this clearly hasn't changed.
jayv81 said:
Customer service is pretty good also. I usually get to upgrade every 6 months just have to call and ask them and I don't even make threats to leave. They just talk to a mananger and its all good.
Sent from my HTC One™ X, an WCX Illuminati 4G LTE smartphone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you say to the manager?
Thanks for your comments guys... I'm checking into things this week... You may see me around
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using xda app-developers app
This could help everyone who has weak signal at home. My SGS3 was constantly switching LTE 3G 1X and sometimes loses connection completely when sitting downstairs. Even when it had reception call quality was terrible. Upstairs I got solid -99dBm LTE so that's fine. In the same time and place my old Fascinate has solid 3G or 1X and never loses connection or has problems with call quality. So I've called vzw and they offered me network extender. The problem was they wanted me to pay $150 for it ($250MSRP - $100 discount) even that I'm their customer for almost 10 years and pay $200/month for 4 lines. So I filed a claim with FCC but actually I wasn't hoping for anything. 10 days later I got surprise call from vzw and got brand new network extender shipped 2nd fedex for free. It helped a lot but it's still not 100% perfect. My phone still connects to LTE even it's only at -120dBm and then jumps to 3G extender when LTE is lost completely. So it won't help battery drain when switching bands but I don't lose connection and don't have problems with call quality anymore so that's better than it was before. So my advice for everyone having the same issues: spend some time filing a claim.
Give us the complaint details. Might help me
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
More details would be great
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
http://www.fcc.gov/complaints
Wireless Telephone - Billing, Service, Privacy, Number Portability and other issues
File form 2000B with your details. I basically put exactly what vzw customer service rep told me as comments. So that my home location has "marginal" coverage and I could get network extender for $150 even that I'm paying $200/month for service that I don't get. I've also included comment about well known reception problems with new S3. That was enough apparently.
btw. I think that you should call customer service first before filing any claim. Ask them to put some notes about your reception issues on your account. And ask about network extender also. Maybe you will be lucky and they will offer extender for free without any claim.
Have now 3 recorded signal complaints with Verizon, tried replacement devices etc. This is fantastic, I literally was going to invest in one of these myself (verizon didn't even mention it to me, found out from an at&t user).
Thanks man
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
Last year I called cust. service and complained about the crappy signal at my parents house. They shipped out a free network extender no questions asked. I guess it just depends who you talk to, but they do have the authority to give you one.
I'm happy for you, but I would like to play devils advocate for a moment and make the argument they should have made.
Why do you complain about having marginal service in one place in your house now when you've been a customer for 10+ years? There are plenty of other carriers that may offer better service in your usual hangouts, but you have decided to stay with a company that cannot provide adequate coverage for a long time.
I may give this a try. I was looking at network extenders online and saw a lot of mixed reviews, so I haven't taken the plunge. My street in general is a 2 bar 1x deadzone. Thanks for the info!
While I am happy for you...it seems to me that this was not truly VZW's problem and is not something they should have had to fix unless we want everyone that works inside a building to get range extenders as well, for example. It appears as though you are a victim of great customer service to begin with (a $100 discount), and you simply got more oil because of being a squeaky wheel. There's nothing wrong with that, but VZW went out of their way to help you as far as I'm concerned.
Regardless, congratulations on your improved coverage! Does it work with Wi-Fi or 1X as well, or is it just 3G and 4G LTE? It'll last you a couple years at least as I don't see VZW upgrading radios for quite some time. How does it work? Does it just amplify the weak signal or do you have to have relays set up?
stargate125645 said:
While I am happy for you...it seems to me that this was not truly VZW's problem and is not something they should have had to fix unless we want everyone that works inside a building to get range extenders as well, for example. It appears as though you are a victim of great customer service to begin with (a $100 discount), and you simply got more oil because of being a squeaky wheel. There's nothing wrong with that, but VZW went out of their way to help you as far as I'm concerned.
Regardless, congratulations on your improved coverage! Does it work with Wi-Fi or 1X as well, or is it just 3G and 4G LTE? It'll last you a couple years at least as I don't see VZW upgrading radios for quite some time. How does it work? Does it just amplify the weak signal or do you have to have relays set up?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is what I forgot to put in my post, is it just for phone calls or does it have internet enhancing capabilities as well? Furthermore, I know companies share hardware to some extent, any clue if it would boost t-mobile as well?
I'm tired of paying for data when I feel forced to be on wifi all the time
Did last 2 posters actually read my first post? It's not that Verizon coverage was always that bad for me. My previous phone Samsung Fascinate that I'm still using on another line works just fine in the same place. I've also had numerous of other phones in the same place before (motorola razr 2 and motorola razr maxx was last 2) and none of them had problems with calls quality. So it's clearly S3's poor antenna what's causing reception problems for me. Verizon sold me not fully functional Samsung’s product and I've signed new 2 year agreement when got S3 and have to pay for service so they have to provide me what I'm paying for. They could try to replace my S3 with another one but everybody knows that it wouldn't help. They could send technicians to check signal in my area (that was first suggestion from rep) but that would probably not make any difference either or take another couple of months. They have network extender available for problems like that but why would I have pay to get it if I pay for service each month? That’s not my fault that they sold me product that cannot give me proper access to their service in the same place where other phones are working just fine.
SotYPL said:
Did last 2 posters actually read my first post? It's not that Verizon coverage was always that bad for me. My previous phone Samsung Fascinate that I'm still using on another line works just fine in the same place. I've also had numerous of other phones in the same place before (motorola razr 2 and motorola razr maxx was last 2) and none of them had problems with calls quality. So it's clearly S3's poor antenna what's causing reception problems for me. Verizon sold me not fully functional Samsung’s product and I've signed new 2 year agreement when got S3 and have to pay for service so they have to provide me what I'm paying for. They could try to replace my S3 with another one but everybody knows that it wouldn't help. They could send technicians to check signal in my area (that was first suggestion from rep) but that would probably not make any difference either or take another couple of months. They have network extender available for problems like that but why would I have pay to get it if I pay for service each month? That’s not my fault that they sold me product that cannot give me proper access to their service in the same place where other phones are working just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you read my post? I didn't say anything about your previous phone. I only pointed out that VZW did what they were not obligated to do. By virtue of the fact that you get service upstairs, your basement is the problem and not VZW.
Guys you should read what Network Extender is.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/device/network-extender
It's not cellular amplifier. It uses your internet connection to make and receive calls. So basically it's VoIP device with built in 3G signal antenna.
stargate125645 said:
Did you read my post? I didn't say anything about your previous phone. I only pointed out that VZW did what they were not obligated to do. By virtue of the fact that you get service upstairs, your basement is the problem and not VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all it's not a basement, it's ground level (2 level townhouse). Second, my other phones are working fine in the same spot and never lose connection or get poor call quality. So it's not fully functional device that they sold me.
btw. I love my S3 and would not replace it for any other vzw current phone
SotYPL said:
Did last 2 posters actually read my first post? It's not that Verizon coverage was always that bad for me. My previous phone Samsung Fascinate that I'm still using on another line works just fine in the same place. I've also had numerous of other phones in the same place before (motorola razr 2 and motorola razr maxx was last 2) and none of them had problems with calls quality. So it's clearly S3's poor antenna what's causing reception problems for me. Verizon sold me not fully functional Samsung’s product and I've signed new 2 year agreement when got S3 and have to pay for service so they have to provide me what I'm paying for. They could try to replace my S3 with another one but everybody knows that it wouldn't help. They could send technicians to check signal in my area (that was first suggestion from rep) but that would probably not make any difference either or take another couple of months. They have network extender available for problems like that but why would I have pay to get it if I pay for service each month? That’s not my fault that they sold me product that cannot give me proper access to their service in the same place where other phones are working just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You never mentioned your quality over time, only your reception discrepancy between phones. You also left your internet situation somewhat ambiguous, only mentioning that it switches between radios even with the extender. I understand your argument is that its a less desirable antenna in the GS3 than your previous phone, was just trying to get you to say more about your extender while taking a friendly poke at Verizon's usual lack of customer service.
I tend to use google voice when I'm at home through my computer, its just nice to know my phone actually HAS service in case of an emergency or if somebody important calls, or Jesus comes back etc.
The verizon variant of the S3 has considerably less radio power than other verizon devices. It's a known issue with Verizon, and it's up to them to remedy it, as the same device from Sprint gets better reception. I proved that with a coworkers sprint s3 + mine at work. His made calls, mine didn't.
Until they fix the radio issue, things like this may need to be implemented. Awesome original post, thanks again for the info.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
Still, if you can get reception elsewhere, it is not necessarily VZW's responsibility. Otherwise, they'd need to supply everyone who works in a building that limits signal, etc. I'm just saying VZW went out of their way. If your house is within the 4G LTE map coverage boundary, and you couldn't get coverage even on your highest floor, I could see what Verizon did as required. Verizon cannot control the configuration and construction of your house, after all. It is of no consequence regardless and Verizon doesn't lose money on the deal if it is assumed you would switch service providers had they not helped out so you've nothing to defend. I'm simply saying I, personally, don't think you were entitled to the signal booster to the point that an FCC complaint was warranted. A $100 discount would have been more than enough - in my opinion.
annoyingduck said:
The verizon variant of the S3 has considerably less radio power than other verizon devices. It's a known issue with Verizon, and it's up to them to remedy it, as the same device from Sprint gets better reception. I proved that with a coworkers sprint s3 + mine at work. His made calls, mine didn't.
Until they fix the radio issue, things like this may need to be implemented. Awesome original post, thanks again for the info.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What? How does that prove anything? The towers would have to be in the exact same spot, have the exact same output, hardware, design, etc., for that to even come close to proving anything. I'm not saying there isn't a problem, but simply that you didn't prove anything.
Boston area dude, no issues network wise here. The vzw s3 doesn't hold a card to vzw droids or HTC devices signal wise. There is little or no difference in this area between the carriers.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
---------- Post added at 11:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 PM ----------
Plus both s3 devices registering an approximate -100 to 110db signal, vzw has 2 bars, sprint full bars.
Sent from my VZW GS3 running Synergy/Trinity/Dark Horse Rises
stargate125645 said:
Still, if you can get reception elsewhere, it is not necessarily VZW's responsibility. Otherwise, they'd need to supply everyone who works in a building that limits signal, etc. I'm just saying VZW went out of their way. If your house is within the 4G LTE map coverage boundary, and you couldn't get coverage even on your highest floor, I could see what Verizon did as required.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually looking at vzw's website coverage maps my house is in the middle of full LTE coverage. Marginal coverage was rep's word. Maybe they have more detailed maps for internal use. But LTE was not a issue for me. I don't need data at home cause I always use wifi. Problem with making and receiving calls was the problem. It is fundamental future of the phone and S3 is still a phone right?
stargate125645 said:
Verizon cannot control the configuration and construction of your house, after all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct but they can control what they sell. So if they sell not fully functional phone they have to back it up and do whatever it's needed to make it work right. My other phones were always working fine in the same spot and even in the worst spot of the house where Fascinate would switch to 1X it never lost reception completely and never had problems with call quality. It is clear for me that Galaxy S3 hardware/software is the problem not my house and probably vzw is fully aware of that.
stargate125645 said:
It is of no consequence regardless and Verizon doesn't lose money on the deal if it is assumed you would switch service providers had they not helped out so you've nothing to defend. I'm simply saying I, personally, don't think you were entitled to the signal booster to the point that an FCC complaint was warranted. A $100 discount would have been more than enough - in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As my original post said, I was not hoping for anything filing fcc claim. I was prepare to fight more directly with vzw if nothing would change till the end of September. Probably I would demand technician visit or phone replacement. They chose to make me happy in the easiest way and that's fine for me. My post was strictly for informational purposes for people like me struggling with poor S3's reception who had no luck dealing with vzw directly.
Geeze people, why are you attcking the OP. He had bad signal at is house and Verizon sent him a booster. I think the issue here is with Verizon. They pick and choose who to send them to for free and who needs to pay. Maybe if they were consistant it would not be a big deal.
But why should one person have to pay $150 for the device and others get it for free with no other reason then they got lucky with the rep they spoke to. If people's main home billong address is in a known frigne area they should offer these for free. Verizon customers pay the highest monthly fee's then any other carriers. I had no problem getting a free booster from Sprint as many others received them as well free of charge.
[email protected] said:
Geeze people, why are you attcking the OP. He had bad signal at is house and Verizon sent him a booster. I think the issue here is with Verizon. They pick and choose who to send them to for free and who needs to pay. Maybe if they were consistant it would not be a big deal.
But why should one person have to pay $150 for the device and others get it for free with no other reason then they got lucky with the rep they spoke to. If people's main home billong address is in a known frigne area they should offer these for free. Verizon customers pay the highest monthly fee's then any other carriers. I had no problem getting a free booster from Sprint as many others received them as well free of charge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed completely! Also why is everyone trying to stick up for Verizon so much?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
With my OG Evo coming to a slow end in support (Thanks to ALL the devs btw for the BEAUTIFUL roms) and my contract coming to an end in March, I'm looking to decide to either stay on Sprint, or switch to the other two widely known markets.
I would like some pros and cons from REAL users and devs here please. Any dope can google, but I trust only those said in XDA. I would like to get a GS3 for xmas, but I need to decide to either get it for sprint, or wait and see what I can do when my contract comes up. A close friend of mine says ATT atm is the way to go with their HSPA+ networks as 4g is old, and LTE isn't as widely available yet. But I'm worried about dropped calls and customer support... AND/OR pricing plans. I'd like something under 100$/mo as my sprint atm is only 85.
It really depends on your area and the infrastructure. Personally, switching to T-Mobile was a great choice for me - I have great coverage all over my city. I'm on the $30/mo plan with 100 minutes, unlimited texting and 5Gb of data at 4G speeds (throttled after). It's great for me because I used an average of 100 minutes a month (all minutes factored in) - some people use VOIP to make that go farther, but it depends on your needs.
What carrier offers what you need ? Do you really want to enter another contract ? Does a contract offer give you any benefits (roaming, mobile-to-mobile, et cetera) ? What do you actually need and use ? How many minutes / texts / data ?
As for network technology and "the future", I don't know. Do you use tons of data ? Does it have to be super-fast ? Chances are that by the time a contract is up or a phone has seen better days, the technology is going to be in a different place, anyway. Streaming Netflix is about as heavy use as I do and it only uses 1/5 of the bandwidth available to me. I'm sure data and use will be changing in the future, but who knows what it will be like when it's time to get a new phone / contract ? Who knows what mergers and agreements will happen between then and now ?
I never experienced a "dropped call" on any network - and although I spend most of the time in the city (where there's great coverage on any network), I live in the boonies and routinely made calls on my way to and from work - and I've done so on every network but ATT. But clearly I don't make THAT many calls if I'm only using an average of 100 minutes a month.
I would think for that kind of information, it would be best to ask locally. When I was shopping around for a new phone-plan, I asked all my co-workers who they had and if they liked it.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app
Stay with Sprint!!
Hey there,
Stick with Sprint for sure. Although other carriers are presently better in coverage in certain areas, you can't beat what is on the horizon for Sprint!! Nextel is being decomissioned, towers being migrated to Sprint, LTE being integrated into them as well as existing towers. Exciting frontier of change coming from Sprint. Sprint also has the most spectrum (essentially air rights regulated by the fcc inhibiting wireless growth) aka wireless realestate! Sprint comes in slightly higher than double the nearest carrier being verizon. Once what Sprint calls Network Vision (their network overhall) is complete, we will be so far advanced compared to nearest competitor. Not to mention the prices in correlation to being the only carrier who offers truly unlimited, unthrottled data blows it all up out of the water. This is both publicized and internal information known in correlation to recent and soon mergers. Trust me
If you found this information helpful feel free to hit the thanks button!
I've been with verizon since 2000 and never really had an choice to change since they always had the best service in my area. I've never liked at&t and the rep for tmobile has been its known for prepaid and shotty service. Thing is now, I see more and more people moving over to tmobile and are loving it. Its cheaper per month than verizon and service in my area in NJ is pretty much the same as verizons. Plus there are some features like the wifi calling, the hspa+ coverage, lte. that make it pretty attractive. But the kicker on whats making me consider the change is the phone selection. Verizon seems to always be lagging behind and I'm tired of having to wait for new phones to hit verizon and for updates to be released. Has anyone else thought about a move?
topaz330 said:
I've been with verizon since 2000 and never really had an choice to change since they always had the best service in my area. I've never liked at&t and the rep for tmobile has been its known for prepaid and shotty service. Thing is now, I see more and more people moving over to tmobile and are loving it. Its cheaper per month than verizon and service in my area in NJ is pretty much the same as verizons. Plus there are some features like the wifi calling, the hspa+ coverage, lte. that make it pretty attractive. But the kicker on whats making me consider the change is the phone selection. Verizon seems to always be lagging behind and I'm tired of having to wait for new phones to hit verizon and for updates to be released. Has anyone else thought about a move?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm probably going to switch to their pre-paid service when my contract is up. I want a Nexus.... Verizon doesn't seem to be getting another any time soon.
I would definitely go with Tmobile for better phone selection & price, but the service in my area is below average. Hopefully LTE rolls out to my area then I'll jump ships.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
I have to jump ship Verizon breaking my bank bad got to pay a fortune to keep service . I gotta switch back to my iPhone I know -_- and go to T-Mobile prepaid because they have the 1900 MHz support in my area
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
If you go to a T-Mobile store they might be able to help you pay for your ETF fee, at least that's what they did for me. I would have to pay Verizon 150, but the rep just credited my T-Mobile account 100$ when I switched. He told me that this is something every store has a budget for. It's definitely worth a shot just asking the rep. It's saved me quite a bit of money so far (even if coverage isn't perfect)
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I had T-Mobile and really liked 'em. They were NOT cheaper, I'm able to get on VZW's Old Fart Plan and it was just $5/mo more than the T-Mo plan I had.
CS is about equal with both except for T-Mo's prepaid which gets you people who speak no intelligible English, with postpaid you get good CS.
Coverage, very close to zero with T-Mo, everywhere I went. Only spotty coverage in the largest cities, VZW has 3g or better everywhere I travelled.
A phone that can't make a call until you find a Starbucks with free WiFi isn't useful to me.
Have your car break down on California 371 in the middle of the Cahuilla Indian Reservation? You're 50 miles from ANY T-Mo signal and you've got 2 - 3 bars with Verizon.
I really liked T-Mo but it wasn't usable for me.
for those that had coverage issues how long ago did you have tmobile? I heard coverage recently got better and that they are aggressively expanding to more towers across the country.
I don't like Verizon's pricing, phone selection, and the hassle required to unlock their phones for international use.
That being said, I switched from t mobile to Verizon in 07 for one reason: coverage. I use to live in Philadelphia in an 5 floor apartment with a T-Mobile store like three blocks away. No coverage in my apartment unless I kept the phone by the window.
Now I live and work in north nj and Verizon is the only reliable wireless carrier (by word of mouth). Not sure how much has changed in six years but I would leave Verizon if anyone had coverage close to the theirs
topaz330 said:
for those that had coverage issues how long ago did you have tmobile? I heard coverage recently got better and that they are aggressively expanding to more towers across the country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried 2 weeks ago, just to test their service and see how it was since I haven't been with them for 1 year and a half and its still sucky. They do have 4G (HSPA+) in my area now but I get 1 bar of it and when it dont get a strong signal it'll go to Edge. I hear a nearby area "might" get LTE in late June so that means my area "might" get it late 2013. I'm just waiting to see what happens...my contract is up in November for Verizon
My buddy has tmo and hates the service. He doesn't get service with his phone and winds up using his Verizon work phone 90 percent of the time to make calls.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
I had Verizon before I switched to T-Mobile. T-Mobile is cheaper, has just as good of support and a good selection of phones. However, Verizon does have better service so if you travel frequently expect some dead zones.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
I used to have T-mo and I loved it! The reception in my area was incredible. I moved to verizon and it's still in the same category in satisfaction. T-mo is a lot cheaper than verizon, so I would give it a try. You're not going to regret it. Sim cards are the best.
I recently jumped from Verizon to T-Mobile and pretty much all comments thus far are justified.
topaz330 said:
for those that had coverage issues how long ago did you have tmobile? I heard coverage recently got better and that they are aggressively expanding to more towers across the country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They've added -some- sites in recent times, but the "re-farm" you seem to have heard about is primarily a massive equipment refresh for about 85% of the existing WCDMA sites. Unlike Sprint's Network Vision or AT&T's "add an LTE panel to an 8 year old WCDMA site" rollout, T-Mobile is doing a -complete- equipment refresh on said sites using either Nokia Siemens Networks Flexi Base Station solutions or Ericsson's Antenna Integrated Radio setups. For the sites that get the new equipment, coverage could see a 10-15% improvement in coverage and in-building penetration due to each of the NSN/Ericsson setups having the radio at tower-top.
T-Mobile will do you well if you are a city-rat. The lack of rural expansion pre-AT&T failed merger was due to the cost of infrastructure and backhaul when the only spectrum you have is high-frequency (PCS/AWS). Even in areas of excellent coverage, there's still a few limitations: Deep inside buildings, attenuation -will- eat the signal. Terrain is another big one that affects all carriers... if you happen to be in a place where terrain blocks your line of sight, you're not gonna get a good signal. Now, the equipment refresh is to facilitate LTE, as both setups are capable of LTE-A out of the box. T-Mobile had to sit on their hands for 18mo and not do any proactive system/coverage upgrades due to the AT&T merger debacle, but it was a good thing as now that they have the money and spectrum from both the merger fallout and MetroPCS plus new equipment, they're good to go. So, depending on where you live, work, and play, T-Mobile could potentially be great...
but...
bbqsfire said:
My buddy has tmo and hates the service. He doesn't get service with his phone and winds up using his Verizon work phone 90 percent of the time to make calls.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MiG8GT said:
I had Verizon before I switched to T-Mobile. T-Mobile is cheaper, has just as good of support and a good selection of phones. However, Verizon does have better service so if you travel frequently expect some dead zones.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, when all you have is high-frequency spectrum to use and a network that hasn't seen significant expansion since 2009, this is going to happen. As with all carriers, one man's perfect signal might have a crap signal from another carrier in the exact same spot. Happened to me: with Verizon, could pull 30mbit LTE from bed, but at work I could kill an entire charge with light use because the phone had crap signal on all 3 services (1x EVDO and LTE(whose average speedtest at the desk was 2-3mbit down)). Meanwhile, terrain eats T-Mobile's WCDMA signal at my house(edge only), but I pull 3x the speeds on T-Mobile because of a near perfect signal than I could with Verizon at work.
If you have a friend with T-Mobile, treat'em to lunch and ask them to take a ride around town with ya to see how the service is where you go. Another option is to borrow someone's unused, unlocked T-Mobile phone and grab a sim, sign up for the $30 100min/unlim data&text online and carry that around with you for a bit.
For someone like me who -rarely- leaves metro areas when I travel, T-Mobile is great. For you, it could be different, just take the "ZOMG SPOTTY COVERAGE TMO SUCKS" with a grain of salt, and understand that no carrier is perfect everywhere, even if those comments for that individual are justified.
Forgot to add: T-Mobile won't see any WCDMA expansion for the foreseeable future since their current focus is on the equipment refresh on existing sites. The next round of expansion will come after the 600MHz auction next year.
Shoot me an IM/PM if you have any more questions.
Opposite for me, since Tmo coverage is awful for even making calls in a lot of areas where I live. I agree that they are easier to deal with, but lack of coverage in a lot of areas in Kentucky and Ohio nix them for me.
rushless said:
Opposite for me, since Tmo coverage is awful for even making calls in a lot of areas where I live. I agree that they are easier to deal with, but lack of coverage in a lot of areas in Kentucky and Ohio nix them for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, I have Vzw, for two reasons, one they have good coverage nearly everywhere in the us and two data speeds are good. important if you need t use Google Navigator.
topaz330 said:
for those that had coverage issues how long ago did you have tmobile? I heard coverage recently got better and that they are aggressively expanding to more towers across the country.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a T-Mobile S3 and Verizon Z10 for work, Verizon Bionic and TB for personal.
I get better coverage and internet speed on my Verizon devices than my T-Mobile.
I'm in Chester County, PA.
coverage
You could always do a bit of research for your expected area to see what the coverage is like across the various carriers.
www dot opensignal dot com
As if the captchas and relogins aren't enough, I can't friggin post links either.
I've started to take a hard look at T-Mobile and seriously thinking of switching when my contract end on Verizon. I live in southern NH and work in MA. There are T-Mobile 4G towers close to my house and work, but my commute would be mostly 2G.
Comparably, Verizon is mostly 4G in the area, a strong 4G signal at work, but at home I rarely get a 4G signal and half the time the phone will drop because of poor signal strength. There are 3G spots and some bare areas on my commute.
My step-son has T-Mobile and he get a strong 4G signal at our house. He also says he mostly has phone service in the area(drop spots) and data is mostly 2G. When you get closer to the highways or bigger tows / cities there is better service.
Verizon
T-Mobile is awesome, if you live in a coverage area, work in a coverage area, and/or go to school in a coverage area. Also, if you DO NOT EVER plan on traveling, or, at least, taking your phone with you when you go.... Their coverage is horrible compared to Verizon, but their prices are nicer, the packages are more appealing, and prepaid is way better. Really, it's just all up to you, and what you want.
I never had any problems while traveling with t mobile service I have gone from one end of the country to another with mine when I had them before and I'm looking to switch back only switched because I wanted to give Verizon a try not liking them way to pricey and crappy phone selection
Sent from my SCH-I535