Who has the best cell phone service?

Sonar · January 2011

Hey, can someone provide me a direction when looking for actual service comparisons? Not plans, but actual practical coverage, connectivity, dropped calls, length of time for sending and receiving text messages.

I'm interested in a Google Nexus S but that means T Mobile and I'd like to compare the service beyond the plans.

Thanks!

xraydog · January 2011

From my experience it depends on where you are. I have AT&T and have had no problems at all on my iPhone 4. Reliable 3G service almost everywhere, and only one dropped call (but that was a weird circumstance). However there are horror stories about AT&T out there that you should probably read up on. Verizon is generally considered to be pretty good everywhere (i think?). I used to be with them and had no problems as well.

Also keep CDMA vs GSM in mind. On a CDMA network (like Verizon's) you can't do voice and data at the same time. For instance, on my iPhone I can browse the web and talk on the phone at the same time.

MichaelLC · January 2011

Yeah, it's really dependent on the area.

I would say from my experience here in Chicago, Sprint has been very good, while AT&T has been crap. People I've talked to seem to like Verizon as well. For some reference, we've had Sprint for 8 years, and have had 10 or less dropped calls over 8 phones between the two of us.

Jollus · January 2011

Sprint is pretty spotty in Oregon when you get outside the major cities. Verizon is rock solid around here.

Nissl · January 2011

It is region dependent, and you should ask lots of friends/coworkers about their experiences.

As a general rule, in the vast majority of areas you won't go wrong with Verizon. AT&T is known to be very weak/spotty in SF and NYC. Verizon is known to be very strong/extensive in rural areas. Most people I have known were happy with Sprint, but not in a couple parts of San Diego. Don't know much about T-Mobile except that they're the cheapest of the big 4. Verizon is the most expensive.

My relevant personal experience is that AT&T drops calls at my office desk, and Verizon does not.

Evander · January 2011

T-Mobile has a coverage map on their website. Coverage is the one flaw that T-Mobile has, but it has actually gotten much better than a lot of folks realize (my phone suddenly started working in my basement a couple of months ago.)

In terms of price, T-Mobile is generally cheapest, but a few Sprint plans beat them out. T-Mobile customer service is routinely rated to be leagues ahead, though.

You ought to check out http://www.billshrink.com and see what costs you are looking at. It's a third party website that compares rates for all kinds of services, including cell phones.

For the record, I am a T-Mobile employee, but the views I've expressed in this post are solely my own, and based on having been a customer with all four major carriers over the course of the past five years (I had a really great plan with Sprint, much cheaper than anything any one else offered, but one day they doubled the rates without my agreeing to it, and told me that I could either go ahead and pay the new rate, or leave my contract early with no ETF.)

bowen · January 2011

http://www.cellreception.com/coverage/

I've had the best luck in coverage with Verizon.

saltiness · January 2011

In my experience, Verizon. My LG Verizon phone works where most others do not. I called a locksmith for a couple of women at the summit of the 10,000 ft volcano Haleakala in Maui. I was able to reach AAA for a tow truck at the 8-mile-marker of a dirt road in the middle of goddamn nowhere on the North coast of California. In both of these instances there were several other people with me who had AT&T and no service at all.

ronzo · January 2011

saltiness wrote: »

In my experience, Verizon. My LG Verizon phone works where most others do not. I called a locksmith for a couple of women at the summit of the 10,000 ft volcano Haleakala in Maui. I was able to reach AAA for a tow truck at the 8-mile-marker of a dirt road in the middle of goddamn nowhere on the North coast of California. In both of these instances there were several other people with me who had AT&T and no service at all.

Conversely, I've been through large areas of texas and new mexico and verizon/sprint get shit for service in much of it. Where my grandparents live in NM, you have to drive about 20-30 minutes away before you get a signal for them, while AT&T (and roaming t-mobile) get good signal there.

Which carrier is best pretty much always comes down to where you live. In metro areas, most will work fine. Out in the sticks, its probably going to be verizon or att only that gets out to there.

Evander · January 2011

Yeah, with coverage you really want to check out the maps, not just go with who ever claims to be biggest or fastest. Everyone's got coverage holes, and if you live in one it doesn't matter how fast the network is or how neat the phones are.

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