OT: Cellular phones and Cell phone service

[saab2000]

Hi Kids,

I am currently a Cingular subscriber. Started out with AT&T Wireless, but they have been absorbed. I am displeased with my service, to make an understatement.

I have a lot of dropped calls and frequently the tone quality is so bad that the other person is more or less unintelligible. The sound quality may have to do with the nature of cellular phones, but when I was in Europe it was never this bad and I had a digital phone over there too. Also, having a call dropped was very rare. I would guess that 1/3 of my calls are interrupted.

Another issue is my phone/battery. I have an LG L1150 phone. I am basically pleased with it,but the battery was getting poor. I have had it about 10 months now. Replaced the battery with an aftermarket thing which cost me $40 and it too is already losing life, after only about 1 month. I am having a hard time finding an OEM battery. Everything online is "aftermarket". To me this means Chinese landfill filler. Sorry, but my current "aftermarket" battery is chinese and it is a piece of junk. I will try to take it back, but I expect no satisfaction.

My question is this: what do others here have? Cell phones and providers? I am thinking of switching to Verizon as I am very dissatisfied with Cingular. Anyone here have Verizon? Report?

Also, how 'bout phones? I could possibly be talked into a new phone if there were something cool out there. Any suggestions?

Thanks for the tips and I hope that this non-cycling topic is benign enough to not incur the wrath of the moderator! :beer:

[William]

Verizon has been pretty good so far. Few dropped calls and always clear. Of course there's the typical raise rates on you and not tell you about better deals they might be running then the one you currently are on, but that's par for the course for most of the cellular providers.

Thanks for the tips and I hope that this non-cycling topic is benign enough to not incur the wrath of the moderator!
Just stay away from the French ones and you'll be all-right. ;)

William

[slowgoing]

Your service depends on a lot of factors, including your phone as well as the infrastructure where you're located. I had Verizon for years and their service was really good in most areas. I recently switched to Cingular and it is marginally worse one my commute, but I get better reception at my house and visiting relatives out of town. The best bet is to go to a store and ask for a loaner phone you can take with you for a day or so to see how their service works on that phone where you need it.

I don't think it's fair to generalize about Chinese v. Japanese on li-ion batteries (not many at all being made in the US). A few of the Japanese companies are even setting up shop in China to cut their losses on labor, and even Motorola is sourcing batteries from China. If you stick with a name brand, you should be OK because you should still be getting the same quality control procedures mandated by that company - and most companies test for total capacity and ability to hold a charge. Motorola batteries, whereever made, also have an extra protection circuit for preventing fires.

[zap]

Verizon mobile user for 5+ years. No problems.

A number of reports have shown Verizon to provide the best cell coverage on the east coast.

You will probably need a new phone when switching. Verizon promo's usually include a basic phone for free.


OT-Just got Verizon Fios for internet use as well.

[Ozz]

Verizon for close to 10 years...no problems...a few "dead zones" between Seattle and Portland...but no big deal.

I have a cheapie Motorola flip style phone...about $50 two years ago....no problems. Very small, hardly notice it when it's in a jersey pocket

[Serotta PETE]

Verizon has the best reputation for coverage here in Eastern USA

[NicaDog]

I have Verizon and it's pretty good here in CO. However, they use the CDMA system only. If you travel abroad, T-Mobile is the way to go. They use Quad Mode phones mainly on GSM that much of Europe uses. Then you can use the same phone and number most anywhere.

Also, if you use internet or email via you phone Verison is very expensive, matched by Cingular - T-mobile again wins on that front. However as others have pointed out Verizon has great coverage in the US.

Let us know what you find out.

[sc53]

Saab, I think I read that you are going to be posted to the DC area soon. I have Sprint in this area and there are a lot of dead zones, drop-outs, etc. But my friend has Verizon and reports the same sort of thing--just in different areas. I'm keeping Sprint because some of my family members have it and calls between Sprint people are free. But it's pretty poor service here. I really haven't heard of a reliable, consistently good cell connection in my area from any of the many providers.

[RichMc]

I've been using Verizon Wireless for years. It's a keeper. My girlfriend uses (old ATT) Cingular. Dropped calls all the time with ATT and not any better with Cingular. There have been a few times I've almost gone out and bought her a phone through Verizon just so I wouldn't get so frustrated with losing her call. It's her service not mine. I've had customers call me and have their call dropped (calling into my landline shop phone). Then they would call right back using their friend's cell phone and no problem. The friend's phone - Verizon. Their phone (ATT) Cingular.

Plus, get this, my girlfriend had her original account with ATT. So ATT switched over to Cingular. No extra phone problems for her but when she went into the Cingular store to look for a new case they took her phone from her saying they had to "update" it. Gave her a loaner phone for a day or two. She had to go back to the store to get her "updated" phone and then they charged her $25.00 to do the "update." She still won't change service. I'd be so peed off that I'd throw the phone through the window.

I also have a friend that is a communications consultant. According to him the LG construction - reception is one of the worst. Says Motorola is about the best. Nokia is pretty good too. I don't know. I'm using a LG and have no problems with it.

[L84dinr]

Man I am in the same boat as Mr. SAAB. I was an AT&T customer for ten + years. I was having trouble with my old Motorola so went to the cingular store and was convinced the new GSM phone was light years ahead of the old Motorola. So i made the switch to the new GSM Motorola and switched over to Cingular; ATT/Cingular has been trying to get me to switch my account for months. The New Motorola isn't nothing to brag about! The voice recognition is CRAP... And Cingular coverage SUCKS! Plus, They can't get the monthly bills correct. The phone coverage is worse than with ATT. I have not been happy and will be switching to Verizon soon, only if the Verizon salesperson will allow me a trial period.

Isn't it strange that we as consumers pay money for a product that is so hit and miss. Sometimes works in buildings... Sometimes works at the lake... Sometimes works at home... Have to hold your head in just the right position to make/recieve a phone call. If a toaster worked so terrrible it would be returned in an instant. Or if your shifters worked so hit and miss the company would be hurting with the bad reputation etc... But not with cell phones they just increase sales every year and nary a complaint is lodged or heard. I certainly don't think I am in the minority calling the service Pith pour.

Give me back my old clunky analog motorola and I'll be happy. I would even pay the extra money to operate the darn thing.

I despise cell phones; the necessary evil things that they are.

rtp

[JohnS]

I have Verizon here in DTW and it works great.

[Tailwinds]

I'm a former AT&T customer. I was with them for 6 years, and their service really declined the last couple of years, so I switched to my husband's provider, Sprint. I have been very, very happy w/Sprint. I'd give their customer service an A+. They have even been happy to fix mistakes that were our fault, not theirs. Their coverage area has gotten better and better, and their pricing was the best for what we needed.

I went w/a friend of mine to a Cingular shop so he could look at new phones. He was an AT&T customer, and they told him he had to pay $25 to keep coverage. Total BS in my book. He asked me which phone he should get, and I told him "none of them." The customer shouldn't have to pay b/c the company was bought out. That's a terrible way for Cingular to start out w/former AT&T customers.

[67-59]

Although that was before the days of the cell phone, how many of you recall having telephone problems back when we had the good ol' monopoly?

Didn't think so.

FWIW, I have Cingular, and while the service is mediocre, it isn't any worse than my previous provider (Sprint). In fact, my wife and I were hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park several days back and our group got temporarily separated. My Cingular worked fine -- but the Sprint phone of a person I was trying to call didn't.

[saab2000]

Thanks for the answers! It seems likely that I will switch over to Verizon when I get out east. I may try to do a thing with them where I have my land-line, internet and cellular phone all on one bill. If it's cheaper.

They are indeed a necessary evil and I wish I could live without one. But the fact is that in my job I am simply gone too much to be without one. Yeah, I could live without one. But not when I am away from home for 3 or 4 days per week.

But the number of dropped calls with Cingular is simply intolerable. When I complain it is the usual excuse - you might be in a weak signal area. But when I am looking at the phone it is indicating maximum strength.

Dealing with these types of issues is nearly impossible because the people you deal with are hired at minimum wage and do not understand the technology. They might have a basic idea of the plans on offer, but that is all.

I travel to Europe a lot and wish to have international coverage. They treat me like some sort of freak for wanting this. When I had my phone in Europe (Swisscom) it was a non-issue to have worldwide converage - it just cost more if I was in China or Venezuala or Rangoon for that matter. But the availability of the signal was incredible. And this was about 8 years ago.

It is very primitive here and their service stinks. FWIW, my phone then was a Motorola. I will probably have to go back to one as I had a pretty good experience with it.

[ClutchCargo]

Verizon has the best reputation for coverage here in Eastern USA
also, I don't know if this has changed following the at&t merger, but cingular has generally had a pretty (very) bad reputation with regard to billing mistakes and poor customer service. verizon usually comes out on top in customer surveys.

[JohnS]

NWA had (has?) a deal with Sprint for their employees. The problem was that Sprint's coverage was very spotty at the Detroit airport, NWA's biggest hub. Money must talk!

[saab2000]

I don't really see myself going with Sprint. T-Mobile is the only one other than Verizon I will really consider.

My plan is pretty good with Cingular. My primary complaint is regarding dropped calls and poor sound quality, though this may or may not even be because of them.

[zap]

Saab-verizon wireless is a separate company owned by verizon and vodafone, so you would get 2 bills.

Rumblings are that t-mobile wants out of the US. I think they paid 30+bil. to get in and looking to sell for 20 or so.

Wanna buy it.

[dirtdigger88]

things could be worse- you could use Nextel :crap:

now there is one screwed up phone company



Jason

[H.Frank Beshear]

Great walkie talkie cell phone s**ks :D . Can ya hear me now Uh not really :rolleyes: :beer: Yeah we got em 2 Frank

[dirtdigger88]

Great walkie talkie cell phone s**ks :D . Can ya hear me now Uh not really :rolleyes: :beer: Yeah we got em 2 Frank

We spend hours a month looking over their bills- and finding mistakes- damn we have 135 units- slight errors end up big $$$$$

Jason

[Louis]

Am I the only person left in the world who doesn't have a cell phone? I don't need one for work, and very rarely do I ever think "Boy, I wish I had a cell phone right now..."

And yes, I like DT shifters, and no, I don't own a television. Call me a retro-grouch if you will, but there are some technologies that I can live without.

Louis

[dirtdigger88]

I dont think dbrk has a cell either- other descriptions could also apply

Jason

[saab2000]

Louis,

I wish I did not have a cell phone. But in my line of work they are quite handy if I like to keep in touch with family and friends. I am frequently gone for up to 4 consecutive days. That said, I would not mind living without one. They not only provide bad service, but they are pretty expensive too. I spend over $80 to have my bad service.