While waiting on Sprint Cuistomer Service ("for English, press 11070") I have decided to start looking again... have 4 phones on one plan - looking to have dual band (digital & analog roaming) coverage, could not care less about, ringtones, games, text messaging, cameraphones or all the other crap they hang on em these days, just want clear solid signal...

So which companies are worth a gander and which ones are to be avoided like the plague?

* poll coming *

IBTP

Avoid Cingular.

I have had pretty good luck with Verizon, Sprint sucks big time! ATT is now and has been for years OPENLY anti-gun. And in my part of the country(Oregon) the ATT cell service is terrible!

Quoted: I have had pretty good luck with Verizon, Sprint sucks big time! ATT is now and has been for years OPENLY anti-gun. And in my part of the country(Oregon) the ATT cell service is terrible!

Didn't think about that (AT&T being anti-gun) screw them.

Any of the other companies take a stand (pro or anti?)

Quoted: I have had pretty good luck with Verizon, Sprint sucks big time! ATT is now and has been for years OPENLY anti-gun. And in my part of the country(Oregon) the ATT cell service is terrible!

What has ATT done that is anti-gun?

Verizon all the way.  

Quoted: Quoted: I have had pretty good luck with Verizon, Sprint sucks big time! ATT is now and has been for years OPENLY anti-gun. And in my part of the country(Oregon) the ATT cell service is terrible! Didn't think about that (AT&T being anti-gun) screw them. Any of the other companies take a stand (pro or anti?)

AT&T doesn't sell consumer cell service anymore. They sold their entire opperation to Cingular. Before that AT&T wireless was a spilt off company. It was not AT&T.

Check Amazon.com for $150 rebate for every phone they sell with a service plan.

I was with Qwest for the last 20 years and I just switched to Nextel

A.B.N.

Anybody But Nextel!

T-mobile

I've been with Verizon for a few months and service has been great. I've been in several parts of the country and have never failed to get a signal.

Beware of the taxes and fees they impose; added $20 per month to what I thought I was paying.   Also look out for the voice mail feature. it adds $2.99 per month. If you don't need it, skip it.  

I'm near Clarion, PA--

Sprint coverage sucks--dropped calls, etc.  all along I-80, and when I get 5 miles away from it, I need to have an external antenna to keep things running...

I have been told by several people that Verizon works well in this area.

AFARR

Nextel is the only provider (we've tried them all) with a good, reliable signal out in my particular corner of the sticks, so I don't have any choice... but I've been very happy with them (4+ years now).

I do wonder what kind of effect their upcoming merger with Sprint will have...

I'd say Verizon.  Their service people suck, but their network is pretty darn good.  I used AT&T Wireless when it was around, and my SO had Cingular, neither had as good a network.

A tip for your visit to the Verizon store though.. Go in on the offense and don't drink the kool-ade.. They're as bad as used car salesmen.  Also don't waste one red cent on "accessories".  The $80 accessory pack they tried to shove down my throat on a $15 phone ("It's discounted $20 if you buy it now, and I'd hate to see you lose that discount!") was easily bought elsewhere piece by piece for about $15.

Verizon!

Quoted: A.B.N. Anybody But Nextel!

Agree with that.  And as you now know, Sprint isn't all that great, and AT&T no longer exists (sold out to Cingular)...

Where available, GSM technology (Cingular) seems to perform better than CDMA (Verizon & Sprint) in rural areas, but typically GSM phones do not have analog mode (there is an older phones that does) so there are more unserved areas.   They work about equally well in urban markets.

Beware crappy phones!  Makes all the difference... find a local dealer (not a corporate store) if you can, they'll be much more likely to give you the straight scoop on phone models.  It all boils down to which is better for you in your particular area, but I'd probably look at Cingular or Verizon.

Quoted: Quoted: I have had pretty good luck with Verizon, Sprint sucks big time! ATT is now and has been for years OPENLY anti-gun. And in my part of the country(Oregon) the ATT cell service is terrible! What has ATT done that is anti-gun?

Would like to hear that myself...

Quoted: I'd say Verizon.  Their service people suck, but their network is pretty darn good.  I used AT&T Wireless when it was around, and my SO had Cingular, neither had as good a network. A tip for your visit to the Verizon store though.. Go in on the offense and don't drink the kool-ade.. They're as bad as used car salesmen.  Also don't waste one red cent on "accessories".  The $80 accessory pack they tried to shove down my throat on a $15 phone ("It's discounted $20 if you buy it now, and I'd hate to see you lose that discount!") was easily bought elsewhere piece by piece for about $15.

Wherever I go I plan on walking in (and being ready to walk right back out) wanting a deal for the 4 phones at least as good as what I am getting now (with Sprint)

I do have to confess that the Motorola RAZR is a pretty cool looking phone - wouldn't let that override whose coverage is best but that neatness factor is a plus... (right now have Sanyo 4900's which have a nice clear display - important for those of us whose vision ain't quite what it used to be)

In order of importance I suppose I would rank needs thusly:

1. Coverage (and roaming if off digital network)
2. Clarity (if ya cain't hear me, it ain't no good!)
3. Battery Life (always get a car charger but still a nuisance to alway have to be charging a phone)
4. Display (backlight a must, color nice but eats batteries, still probably clearer than B&W and doubt that I'd want to go back to B&W)
5. Ergonomics - I want buttons I can push with my big paws, no eentsy "chiclet" keyboards - those are for women and aliens with long skinny fingers.
6. Headphone jack - I have this noise cancelling headset that makes me look like Madonna (if Madonna was 6'2", a guy and not a skank) and I need to plug it into something. Like the phone when I am busy obeying the speed limit and slowing for safety checkpoints.
6. Coolness (RAZR factor - classic marketing: "buy this phone and you will get laid!"


Things that I could not possible care less about:

1. Games
2. Ringtones (anyone else get the urge to strangle people with 5 minute long ringtones?)
3. Text messaging. I see legions of kids with carpal tunnel before they turn 18. "Let's make a phone you can type on!" wtf? I just don't get it...
4. Video/camera/MP3/whatever - it's a phone, not a Swiss Army Cuisinart. grrrrr


Things I would like, but don't know if they make...

1. Waterproof (I'm not a SEAL, but I have dropped things in the toilet )
2. A "clapper" thingie - does anyone else call their cellphone with their home phone to find out where they left it? ("I hear it ringing in the attic!")

keep them reviews comin'...

I don't know where you are in PA, but Verizon is king (for coverage) here in southeastern PA.  

One buddy had AT&T but his signal would consistently drop out as he drove up I95 to Philly.  He dropped them and went to Verizon.

I have been with Verizon since 1998 and have not had any coverage problems, except in the mountains near Sciota where I don't think you can get any coverage from any provider.

I have the old version of the LG VX8100 with Verizon (same phone but the case is more square on mine). Works really well, I get service everywhere and I only have to charge it once a week. Verizon has the best service (at least in AZ). My phone does have all the bells and whistles that you said you didn't want but there are more basic versions out there

So my reception (Sprint) has gone down the tubes and I asked them to do a site survey to check signal strength, well, Sprint just called back and said, "you are in a valley between two towers and you have trees, reception might improve after the leaves fall..."

wtf?

I am not in the damned valley, I am on top of a hill & the idea of phones that actually function 12 months out of the year is somehow attractive - asked the Sprint guy where the towers were and what readings they were getting and he said "that's proprietary" - asked for a copy of the report and he said we don't give that out to customers, told him I have 4 freakin phones that are more useful when they actually WORK and he starts givin me the "I'm just the messenger" line.



What a dick.

I will so enjoy cancelling these idiots -

Verizon is king East of the Mississsippi.

Kharn

Avoid Verizon like the plague.

www.verizonpathetic.com

I live in a fringe area, and Verizon is the only one that provides reliable service. Heck, it even works in my basement (mostly)!

I drove from California to Ohio here recently. I had a Verizon, my brother had a Nextel. He didn't have service for most of the trip (US-80). I had reliable coverage for most of it.

It's purely anecdotal, but there you go.

First, I'd like to point out that I'm a die hard Cingular fan. Now that we've established that, the Razr disappoints me. Yeah its got all sorts of neat little gadgets, but I got to handle one the other day, and it felt very flimsy and cheaply made. I felt like I was gonna break it, just by opening the flip. I would say fuck the Razr, if you want a good phone, get the Motorola v551 from Cingular.

i hate nextel, they dont count a check as recieved funds until the check clears and they can take up to 10 days from reciept of the check to post it to your account. result: my account suddenly is past due  and the phone turned off until i pay them in cash.

try arguing with some moron who can only go by what the computer screen tells him, supervisors who hung up on me and one who point blank told me that they had no obligation to me whatsoever. they have no stores or customer service locations like other cell providers so in order to get my phones turned back on i had to go to a third party store and pay a fee to pay them cash. 4 days later i get my service restored and a week after i get my bill and voila .... i have a 160 credit balance.

now im arguing with them that i am owed a service credit for the week my service was down and they are telling me i am not entitled to a credit since iwas late with the payment, it does not matter that i am paying for service i did not recieve the computer tells them i was late on my payment so thats all.


did i say i hate nextel

Tagged.

I'm leaving Nextel, since I'm tired of dropping calls in the center of a medium city every single time.  

Nextel sucks major ass and I would not give them my business if they were the only company around.  

Most cell phone comapnies have a 30 day trial period.  

Remember that and go with cingular or verizon.  I have cingular now after having sprint, t-mobile, and nextel.  I am very happy with cingular.