Iphone vs Droid / AT&T vs Verizon

[rph]

My Blackberry Storm, which I hate, is starting to die on me. I can either upgrade to a Droid X, with Verizon, or switch over to AT&T with an Iphone 4.

I think I've paid too much for Verizon's services, for the past couple of years and am looking for a way to cut down some of the expense. I'm changing some parts of my plan, which will cut it back some, but it looks like it will save me another $40/month to switch to AT&T (after some upfront costs).

I've heard good things about both the Iphone and the Droid. Either of them will probably do more than I need or will require. The issue for me is more in the service.

I've had few problems with Verizon (at least until I'm approaching the two year mark...I'd swear they have a kill switch for the phones). It looks like AT&T has almost the same coverage, but I've heard they have problems with dead zones and dropped calls are fairly common.

That sort of thing won't really work for me. I have to use my phone to communicate with co-workers in a fast-paced environment. I was wondering if any of you could give me some perspective on the phones and on AT&T's service, especially in and around Houston. Are the dead zones and dropped calls only occasional, or fairly common?

Thanks for any help!

[Flea77]

Granted I am a bit north of you but my wife and I have no problems with out iPhones (a 3g and a 3gs, also data on an iPad). I have a slew of friends on iPhones around here, hardly ever hear of a problem. Had Verizion years ago and hated the coverage areas. Can't speak to the Driods although I have heard good things.

Allan

[brewercm]

I'm on a HTC EVO but that is from Sprint. I really do like the Android OS and with the OS being open source there are tons of free apps. I also liked the newer Palm web OS when I had my Palm Pre I also had it cracked so it could use open source apps. I haven't had the I-Phone but I have a 64GB I-touch (basically the I-phone minus the phone). I think any of them would be good and do whatever you wanted. I actually liked the way the Palm web OS did multi tasking better then the other two, just screen was too small for my taste.

Sorry can't give any insight on coverage but I think all the phones operating systems are good.

[S-Man]

I had an enlightening experience on my recent trip to Concan, TX. I was out in the boonies and had full bars of 3G service on my iPhone 3G, while my friends with their DroidX's and HTC Evo's and such were all paperweights. No phone calls, no internet, nothing. I made my phone a wi-fi hotspot for my friends to use their laptops through and saved the day more than once. I was delighted with my AT&T service at that moment. I'll probably be getting an iPhone 4 in the next few months.

[groovyone]

My friend and aunt have Droid X phones. They are pretty sweet. I use an EVO 4G myself and would not part with it for an iPhone.

[Zack Davis]

I've had Verizon ever since I've had a phone, service wise if you're heavy on the internet use with AT&T's new tiered pricing you'll likely end up paying about the same or more. I can't speak for service quality in Texas since I've only been to San Antonio for Imaging USA and didn't use AT&T while there.

But as far as hardware goes there's two important things to know about verizon and droid. First Droid vs Iphone is more about how you use the phone than anything there's things one does that the others don't, for me though Droid is the best phone I have ever had. Beyond that Verizon will be highly likely to get an iPhone in the first quarter of next year. Granted that rumor has been around for years but there's some actual evidence starting to gather showing it's likely to happen.

Definitely don't judge Verizon off the Storm though, neither they or blackberry should have allowed it to start being sold... especially when compared to the Storm 2 or Droid.

[KenJulio]

Everybody's experience with the providers and phone will differ. As Sam stated, in one area, he has coverage with his phone, while his friends do not. It all depends on where you're using your phone the most and who has the best coverage that is reliable. A friend of mine, had the iphone 3gs with ATT and daily he would constantly drop calls, he recently switched over to the Samsung Captivate with ATT and hasnt had an a drop call since.

IMO, the iphone is/was a excellent device, but the service is questionable with this device. With that said, I would take advantage of each carriers trial periods, make sure you understand the contract during the trial periods. Some will be prorated based on the plan you decide on, some will not have any charges.

[dmcantrell]

Originally Posted by Zack Davis

if you're heavy on the internet use with AT&T's new tiered pricing you'll likely end up paying about the same or more.

This comment is a little misleading.

For $15/mo you get up to 200MB.

For $25/mo you get up to 2GB.

I am a fairly average user, and I typically use about 600MB-800MB/mo. I send photo text messages, download youtube clips, lots of regular text messages, etc. You'd really have to try to break the $25/mo limit and bump into the higher charges.

[toverman]

My wife is in love with the Blackberry Torch, which combines the touch screen with the slideout "real" keyboard. Her boss has one, and it will sync with their work e-mail, which the iPhone has trouble with (this is a product more of the e-mail service, but still a consideration). There are some interesting phones out there, and before taking the plunge on our upgrades we are going to look at more than just two, I'm sure.

[picman]

Just got 3 Droid based Sprint Samsung Intercepts at Sam's last month. (the cell phone booth is apparently run by Radio Shack) The family data plan by Sprint was the best service deal by far. Was told that Sprints go-to for roaming was Verizon.

[groovyone]

Originally Posted by picman

Was told that Sprints go-to for roaming was Verizon.

That is because they are both CDMA and not GSM.

If you like Blackberries but not the Storm (which NO ONE liked) you could check out the new BB Torch on AT&T.

[ST77]

Agreed I push my internet use hard on my iPhone and have yet to break the 2gig point. I love my iphone but when my contract is up I will be looking around to see what else is out there that meets my needs, not that I will leave att, just going to look around.

Originally Posted by dmcantrell

This comment is a little misleading.

For $15/mo you get up to 200MB.

For $25/mo you get up to 2GB.

I am a fairly average user, and I typically use about 600MB-800MB/mo. I send photo text messages, download youtube clips, lots of regular text messages, etc. You'd really have to try to break the $25/mo limit and bump into the higher charges.

[ChuckW]

I have a Blackberry Storm II with Verizon. While I live in the Dallas area my daughter lives in Houston and I get very good service there whenever I visit. I also had the original Blackberry Storm and find the Storm II to be a vast improvement. That said, when and IF Verizon offers the iPhone I will probably switch. While I don't doubt your estimate of a $40 savings by switching carriers I would check and double check your numbers as an actual bill often does not reflect those savings!

[Murph]

HTC Mobile Phones - Aria AT&T - Overview

AT&T's version of the droid operating system. I like this one better than my blackberry to some extent. Also look here: Android Central | Android Forums, News, and Help

[jeffclow]

My wife has the Droid and I have the iPhone 4. Both terrific phones.

iPhone has a killer screen - the resolution is absolutely stellar. Many more apps on the iPhone than on the Droid.

AT&T service is great in Texas but sometimes iffy if you travel to rural America a lot.

I would recommend the iPhone 4.0 if you can find one - they are out of stock everywhere. Apple planned to sell about 4.0 million this year and they've already sold 4 million this summer.

There is a reason the iPhone is so popular. It is a stellar piece of engineering.