Blackberrys/ smart phones....

[bj229r]

Anyone have the droid? I'll be buying it in February when I get my upgrade from my 3 year old POS flip phone. I'd like to know the pros and cons of it, battery life, ect.

$30 more per month

[68Wooley]

The iPhone - if you can handle the keyboard - is pretty hard to bet against. Its almost as good as a Blackberry for corporate messaging and iTunes stomps all over the alternatives for access to media. There are more apps than for any other phone - including VOIP mentioned by a previous poster and Safari is the best mobile browser. The downside - and its a big one - is AT&T. If you live in certain major metropolitan areas - notably New York or San Francisco - forget it. AT&T network is swamped. Recently, I had a single bar of cell phone signal and no data at all at JFK - one of the world's busiest airports. That's just ridiculous. Also, if you live outside a major metropolitan area, there is a strong possibility you won't have 3G data coverage, effectively crippling the phone. What it comes down to is that if you live in an area where AT&T can provide decent service, I'd go with the iPhone. If not, look elsewhere.

There was a rumor doing the rounds a couple of months ago that AT&T were going to lose their exclusivity on the iPhone and that Verizon were working on a CDMA version with Apple. If / when that happens, I'd switch there an then and take the hit on breaking my contract. If it doesn't happen, I'll switch back to Verizon when my contract expires and see what's available then. At the moment, that would probably mean Droid or whatever Blackberry is the latest and greatest. The other thing that's going to be happening soon is the rollout of 4G networks with theoretical data speeds up to 100Mbps. Sprint has already started introducing it in a few locations and I'd bet on Verizon to be way ahead of AT&T and T-Mobile, both of whom are effectively still rolling out 3G.

Cheers,
Wooley.

[Spikes]

Wooley...I heard this as well that Verizon was going to get the contract.

[Shuffler]

The iPhone - if you can handle the keyboard - is pretty hard to bet against. Its almost as good as a Blackberry for corporate messaging and iTunes stomps all over the alternatives for access to media. There are more apps than for any other phone - including VOIP mentioned by a previous poster and Safari is the best mobile browser. The downside - and its a big one - is AT&T. If you live in certain major metropolitan areas - notably New York or San Francisco - forget it. AT&T network is swamped. Recently, I had a single bar of cell phone signal and no data at all at JFK - one of the world's busiest airports. That's just ridiculous. Also, if you live outside a major metropolitan area, there is a strong possibility you won't have 3G data coverage, effectively crippling the phone. What it comes down to is that if you live in an area where AT&T can provide decent service, I'd go with the iPhone. If not, look elsewhere.

There was a rumor doing the rounds a couple of months ago that AT&T were going to lose their exclusivity on the iPhone and that Verizon were working on a CDMA version with Apple. If / when that happens, I'd switch there an then and take the hit on breaking my contract. If it doesn't happen, I'll switch back to Verizon when my contract expires and see what's available then. At the moment, that would probably mean Droid or whatever Blackberry is the latest and greatest. The other thing that's going to be happening soon is the rollout of 4G networks with theoretical data speeds up to 100Mbps. Sprint has already started introducing it in a few locations and I'd bet on Verizon to be way ahead of AT&T and T-Mobile, both of whom are effectively still rolling out 3G.

Cheers,
Wooley.

It was recently in the news about AT&T trying to slow sales in NY because their infrastructure could not handle the load. They have been implimeenting construction on things they had for the future to relieve the burden. AT&T has the fastest network available in the US. If they can catch up at a couple of bottlenecks they should be fine.

[sluggish]

3% of AT&T's customers are using 40% of their available bandwidth.

[Shuffler]

3% of AT&T's customers are using 40% of their available bandwidth.

There is the problem. The success of the iPhone has overloaded the systems designed for phone calls and light to medium data traffic. You have some folks that want to use it like a home computer. It will eventually boil down to buying data. Pricing for light, medium, and heavy use.

I have a Memoir and I have searched the net in a pinch when away from a computer. I have used the GPS for directions and traffic, and I have used it for weather.  I am not on it all the time. I use a computer when handy.

You can thank the folks who live for their phone for the bottlenecks.

[68Wooley]

It was recently in the news about AT&T trying to slow sales in NY because their infrastructure could not handle the load. They have been implimeenting construction on things they had for the future to relieve the burden. AT&T has the fastest network available in the US. If they can catch up at a couple of bottlenecks they should be fine.

Actually, Sprint now have the fastest network albeit in a very limited number of locations.

My experience is that, although HSDPA used by AT&T is theoretically faster than EVDO used by Verizon, in real life there's very little difference. If anything, Verizon is a little faster. As a very un-scientific test, using the speedtest.net app on my iphone gave me 784kbps down and 220 kpbs up. Using my Verizon Wireless card on my laptop (because AT&T wont let me use the iphone as a tethered modem - network capacity worries I guess), I got 822kbps down and 412kbps up. The difference is small enough to be effectively negligible. Both are fast enough for browsing / email and some low-grade file transfers. What I will say is that the Verizon wireless card will continue to give me those speeds is areas where the iPhone drops to Edge or GPRS.

[68Wooley]

3% of AT&T's customers are using 40% of their available bandwidth.

I think most ISP's - wired, wireless or otherwise would claim something similar.

The success of the iPhone has overloaded the systems designed for phone calls and light to medium data traffic. You have some folks that want to use it like a home computer.

There's undoubtedly a small percentage of people who take the p***, but you can't blame the majority of users who simply want to use the device they are paying for in the manner in which it was intended. For me it boils down to AT&T badly underestimated the impact of iPhone on its network.

That said - in the interests of fairness I have to point out that where I live, the AT&T network performs at a perfectly acceptable level and I do love the iPhone as a device.

[dyna76]

 ....thank god I still have my bag phone.

 

[Shuffler]

Actually, Sprint now have the fastest network albeit in a very limited number of locations.

My experience is that, although HSDPA used by AT&T is theoretically faster than EVDO used by Verizon, in real life there's very little difference. If anything, Verizon is a little faster. As a very un-scientific test, using the speedtest.net app on my iphone gave me 784kbps down and 220 kpbs up. Using my Verizon Wireless card on my laptop (because AT&T wont let me use the iphone as a tethered modem - network capacity worries I guess), I got 822kbps down and 412kbps up. The difference is small enough to be effectively negligible. Both are fast enough for browsing / email and some low-grade file transfers. What I will say is that the Verizon wireless card will continue to give me those speeds is areas where the iPhone drops to Edge or GPRS.

Recent real world tests by several facilities say AT&T by far. The recent news named 3 or 4 companies /watchdogs that tested the systems. I believe it may still be up on CNN Tech News.

I can personally tell you that sprint is a terrible carrier as far as coverage. .

Quoted from CNN...

Analysts say AT&T's problems would have happened on any network that carried Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) iPhone because of the overwhelming amount of data downloaded by iPhone users. Over the past three years, AT&T's data traffic increased 5,000% because of the iPhone.

"There's a map for that" commercials have poked fun at AT&T's smaller 3G footprint. And that has helped Verizon take market share, according to Piper Jaffray.

But studies show that AT&T's network is actually faster than Verizon's, and Verizon's ad campaign may be a bit misleading.

Four recent independent studies from wireless industry analysis firms Global Wireless Solutions and Root Wireless, investment bank Piper Jaffray and tech blog Gizmodo all concluded that AT&T's 3G network was the fastest in the United States.

"We drove millions of miles across the country, and our data support AT&T's claim that it has the fastest 3G data network," said Global Wireless CEO Paul Carter.

The map that Verizon shows in its ads is correct, but AT&T's 3G network still covers nearly 80% of the U.S. population, said Carter. And AT&T's non-3G coverage is also broader than its 3G network.

With that kind of pedigree, analysts say AT&T was likely the best-equipped network to handle the iPhone.

"For Verizon ... we still wonder if the network has the capacity and backhaul to support a device with an adoption curve of the iPhone," said Piper Jaffray analyst Chris Larsen in a client note.

more.... http://money.cnn.com/2009/12/29/technology/att/index.htm?CNN=yes

[Hoarach]

Actually, Sprint now have the fastest network albeit in a very limited number of locations.

My experience is that, although HSDPA used by AT&T is theoretically faster than EVDO used by Verizon, in real life there's very little difference. If anything, Verizon is a little faster. As a very un-scientific test, using the speedtest.net app on my iphone gave me 784kbps down and 220 kpbs up. Using my Verizon Wireless card on my laptop (because AT&T wont let me use the iphone as a tethered modem - network capacity worries I guess), I got 822kbps down and 412kbps up. The difference is small enough to be effectively negligible. Both are fast enough for browsing / email and some low-grade file transfers. What I will say is that the Verizon wireless card will continue to give me those speeds is areas where the iPhone drops to Edge or GPRS.

I connect my laptop all the time  to the internet through my phone without any trouble and I have the AT&T Tilt.  Maybe they just restrict the iphones,  

Where I live I never had problems with AT&T service and rarely have I ever seen the edge service.  99% time Im connected with HSPDA.

[Vulcan]

There is the problem. The success of the iPhone has overloaded the systems designed for phone calls and light to medium data traffic.

Not entirely true. The iphone is extremely 'chatty' on networks (like all apple products). So it generates more data doing the same thing other phones do with less data. For example because you cannot multitask on the phone it relies on background server notification for instant messaging apps.

The iphone's nice, but it's far from a decent smartphone. It's a good phone media player. But it's calendering and scheduling capabilities suck.

For corporate use it has some serious security concerns (It's also the first phone to have it's own botnet LOL ). After the exchange-encrypted phone / cisco vpn client 'mistruths' many corporates are wary of iphones.

And sure the itunes shop is nice for buying music. But if you want to chuck some mp3's on there or some AVI's the iphone once again sucks. For example I can throw some of the latest tv shows in divx format onto my 8Gb SD card and throw that in my treo to watch on flights. No conversion needed, can't do that on an apple product. You have to buy conversion software then wait for hours for the stuff to convert to their format.

[68Wooley]

I connect my laptop all the time  to the internet through my phone without any trouble and I have the AT&T Tilt.  Maybe they just restrict the iphones,  

Where I live I never had problems with AT&T service and rarely have I ever seen the edge service.  99% time Im connected with HSPDA.

AT&T are specifically blocking the iPhone. It can be used as a tethered modem in other markets (or, I believe, if you jailbrake it).

Shuffler is almost certainly correct in pointing out that had Verizon carried the iPhone rather than AT&T, their network would be on its knees in some areas too. However, my point on the speed of the two networks is that the differences are small enough to be negligible for most users. Who really cares if you can download at 80KB/sec on AT&T and only 76KB/sec on Verizon or whatever. Also, whilst he is correct in stating AT&T non-3G network coverage is extensive, you just wouldn't want to use it for data. Looking at things by geographical area rather than population, Verizon wins. For the 80% of the population covered by AT&T, that's probably not a big deal, but I do find myself in the boonies on a fairly regular basis.

[Hoarach]

AT&T are specifically blocking the iPhone. It can be used as a tethered modem in other markets (or, I believe, if you jailbrake it).

Just a dumb question, how do you specifically block the iphone?  Does the iphone send its own specific signals that AT&T can block or do they block by phone numbers.  Im just curious.

[Vulcan]

Just a dumb question, how do you specifically block the iphone?  Does the iphone send its own specific signals that AT&T can block or do they block by phone numbers.  Im just curious.

Browser most likely, and IMEI.