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Cell Phones & Providers

Which cell phone provider is the best?

  • Verizon

    Votes: 4 22.2%
  • AT&T

    Votes: 1 5.6%
  • Sprint

    Votes: 2 11.1%
  • T-Mobile

    Votes: 3 16.7%
  • Other

    Votes: 4 22.2%
  • I don't own a cell phone

    Votes: 4 22.2%

  • Total voters
    18

missypea

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I don't know the specific reasons why I resisted buying a cell phone for as long as I did. I think it had to mainly had to do with the people I saw using them. I guess some of the first purchasers were the ones who still annoy me. Picking up every call no matter where they are or who they're with.....you know the type.

Anyway I finally decided to take the dive and we went with cell phones about 3 years ago. I tried a couple of carriers but verizon seems to provide the best coverage for our area/needs.

It turned out to be easier than I thought to ignore the phone. It's there for my convenience, not the caller's convenience. I know that it drives some of my friends and family crazy but most of the time I treat it like a land line and I still only answer if it's convenient for me and if I feel like answering.


Who's the best provider you've found and what's your story?


:cool:
 
It turned out to be easier than I thought to ignore the phone. It's there for my convenience, not the caller's convenience. I know that it drives some of my friends and family crazy but most of the time I treat it like a land line and I still only answer if it's convenient for me and if I feel like answering.

:cool:

I do this, and it pisses off my wife to no end. :)
 
I don't know the specific reasons why I resisted buying a cell phone for as long as I did. I think it had to mainly had to do with the people I saw using them. I guess some of the first purchasers were the ones who still annoy me. Picking up every call no matter where they are or who they're with.....you know the type.

Anyway I finally decided to take the dive and we went with cell phones about 3 years ago. I tried a couple of carriers but verizon seems to provide the best coverage for our area/needs.

It turned out to be easier than I thought to ignore the phone. It's there for my convenience, not the caller's convenience. I know that it drives some of my friends and family crazy but most of the time I treat it like a land line and I still only answer if it's convenient for me and if I feel like answering.


Who's the best provider you've found and what's your story?


:cool:

I agree...I hate it when people say, I can't ever get hold of you....don't you answer your cell phone. I tell them, my cell phone is not a tracking device. It is for my convenience not theirs.
 
I don't know the specific reasons why I resisted buying a cell phone for as long as I did. I think it had to mainly had to do with the people I saw using them. I guess some of the first purchasers were the ones who still annoy me. Picking up every call no matter where they are or who they're with.....you know the type.

Anyway I finally decided to take the dive and we went with cell phones about 3 years ago. I tried a couple of carriers but verizon seems to provide the best coverage for our area/needs.

It turned out to be easier than I thought to ignore the phone. It's there for my convenience, not the caller's convenience. I know that it drives some of my friends and family crazy but most of the time I treat it like a land line and I still only answer if it's convenient for me and if I feel like answering.


Who's the best provider you've found and what's your story?


:cool:



LOL ! I totally agree with you on the function and purpose of the cell phone. :lol:


We had been using US Cellular b/c of free incoming calls (teenager sharing the minutes, dontchaknow). We both need new phones, and are no longer sharing minutes with a teenager, so free incoming isn't important. I'm interested in the answers to your thread!
 
LOL ! I totally agree with you on the function and purpose of the cell phone. :lol:


We had been using US Cellular b/c of free incoming calls (teenager sharing the minutes, dontchaknow). We both need new phones, and are no longer sharing minutes with a teenager, so free incoming isn't important. I'm interested in the answers to your thread!


We still have a teenager sharing our minutes. Believe me, I feel your pain. :2razz:

It's actually a lot better now. We signed up during some promotional gig and texting is free. Our son is big on texting and small on speaking so that helped. I've also become somewhat of a texter since I don't really like to talk on the phone. It also helps that I can go on-line to change the people I want to talk to for free (that have different carriers than I do) I think it has a limit of five. Of course, anyone that has the same carrier is always free.


Good luck on finding a good fit!

:2wave:
 
We still have a teenager sharing our minutes. Believe me, I feel your pain. :2razz:

It's actually a lot better now. We signed up during some promotional gig and texting is free. Our son is big on texting and small on speaking so that helped. I've also become somewhat of a texter since I don't really like to talk on the phone. It also helps that I can go on-line to change the people I want to talk to for free (that have different carriers than I do) I think it has a limit of five. Of course, anyone that has the same carrier is always free.


Good luck on finding a good fit!

:2wave:


Thx! We should get texting this time. I wasn't at all interested last time, especially since it was extra, but I'm beginning to feel like I'm missing out on normal technology. We'll see.

:mrgreen:
 
I don't know which is the best; I only have experience with AT&T and Verizon.

Have been on AT&T for 8+ years; never a problem, no surprise bills, and it's been a while since I've found a place where there's no coverage. Not terribly expensive, either.

Switched the business phones to Verizon in December, lured in by the "largest 3G network" and all the commercials. Have never been more frustrated by lack of service area, poor customer service, and surprise charges -- in any kind of a company, actually -- as I have with them. For the record, I've been many cities (big and small) in several states flung over the expanse of the continent, and I have not yet found ANY 3G service with Verizon, even though the AT&T phone finds it almost everywhere.
 
I don't know which is the best; I only have experience with AT&T and Verizon.

Have been on AT&T for 8+ years; never a problem, no surprise bills, and it's been a while since I've found a place where there's no coverage. Not terribly expensive, either.

Switched the business phones to Verizon in December, lured in by the "largest 3G network" and all the commercials. Have never been more frustrated by lack of service area, poor customer service, and surprise charges -- in any kind of a company, actually -- as I have with them. For the record, I've been many cities (big and small) in several states flung over the expanse of the continent, and I have not yet found ANY 3G service with Verizon, even though the AT&T phone finds it almost everywhere.



I'm not really technology savvy. I have no idea what 3G is. You're going to have to fill me in.


We used T-Mobile at one time and I could never get service, even in my own house. I had to go out on the deck or risk dropping the call. It drove me bonkers!


:shock:
 
I use Cricket. Unlimited minutes. They still charge for roaming
 
Is it still where you lived makes the biggest difference? Here on the Texas gulf coast I had a huge number of dropped calls under Verizon. I've also had AT&T/Cingular with so-so service.

The last three years I've had T-mobile and am happy as a peach, The fave five plan keeps my bill lower than any of the others, and I've never had a dropped call.

Oh - during the last hurricane I went way over my minutes, they called me and said they would remove the extra charges. I plan on being with them for a long time.
 
Is it still where you lived makes the biggest difference? Here on the Texas gulf coast I had a huge number of dropped calls under Verizon. I've also had AT&T/Cingular with so-so service.

The last three years I've had T-mobile and am happy as a peach, The fave five plan keeps my bill lower than any of the others, and I've never had a dropped call.

Oh - during the last hurricane I went way over my minutes, they called me and said they would remove the extra charges. I plan on being with them for a long time.


It must be the different areas we live in. You may have more towers in your area?

I did like T-Mobile's customer service. No complaints on that end, they were always great.
 
I carry a cell phone for emergency's only, nothing more. If you can't reach me at home I am probably 50' or more under water, lol.

I have a had a few in the past and Verizon while being expensive had great service.
 
I've never heard of Cricket. Is it something local or new?

3G technology also known as 3rd Generation technology, is a family standard mobile telecommunications device. It allows you to access the internet via a small device (usually what looks like a USB pen drive) directly to a satellite using powerful transmission technology, so it allows you to access the internet not just in one location, but usually provides coverage over large areas of land, usually entire states. For 3G enabled phones (the device being being built in) , it provides access to the internet and allows a user to make video calls, etc, from any one location, and is a useful gadget to have...old lady :2razz:
 
Last edited:
3G technology also known as 3rd Generation technology, is a family standard mobile telecommunications device. It allows you to access the internet via a small device (usually what looks like a USB pen drive) directly to a satellite using powerful transmission technology, so it allows you to access the internet not just in one location, but usually provides coverage over large areas of land, usually entire states. 3G enabled phones can access the internet, do video calls, etc, and is a useful gadget to have...old lady :2razz:

Hey now, I'm not that old! :cool:


But I understand now why I don't know much about it. I only want a phone. I don't want or need email or internet on it. The phone service is expensive enough for me.
 
Hey now, I'm not that old! :cool:


But I understand now why I don't know much about it. I only want a phone. I don't want or need email or internet on it. The phone service is expensive enough for me.

My father is the same. He has a black and "green", old Nokia phone. Its small and handy, and its best feature, has a light on the top. :2razz:
He says as long as i can recieve and make calls, its good enough. As for me, i need the latest, flashy iPhone device, otherwise im not happy. :)
 
My father is the same. He has a black and "green", old Nokia phone. Its small and handy, and its best feature, has a light on the top. :2razz:
He says as long as i can recieve and make calls, its good enough. As for me, i need the latest, flashy iPhone device, otherwise im not happy. :)


My nieces are the same. They want (and have) the works.
 
Who's the best provider you've found and what's your story?

The best provider is kind of a toss up depending on where you live.

On the east coast AT&T and T Mobile have the best coverage area on average.
Even then though if you have constant access to Metro PCS or Cricket's network your better off going with them as they only charge a fix rated and you get unlimited usage.

I use AT&T because they had a plan that offers unlimited calling to all AT&T customers, which compromises most phones in my area and on the east coast.
 
I've used a lot of carriers in the past, currently using T-Mobile for my personal phone because it's the only one that gives me what I want. I rarely ever use my personal phone to call anyone but my wife and vice versa, we have a shared-minute plan with free calls to T-Mobile cellular customers, meaning we rarely ever use any minutes at all.

I've had Verizon and while they never were any trouble, they were always expensive. I could pick them up again as a bundle with my TV/Phone/Internet, but it's just not worth it.

I've dealt with AT&T and Sprint through work and both suck horribly, nothing but problems and they just don't care.
 
I was one of the last people I know to get a cell phone. My theory was, I leave my house so no one can reach me...why would I want to carry something that defeats this purpose? However, when I went into private practice, having a cell phone became a necessity. I find it easy to ignore. Yes, my friends will say, "why even bother carrying a cell phone if you never answer it?" The cell is for my convenience...I am not on call to folks 24/7.

I've had AT&T/Cingular the entire time I've had a cell (10 years). Very happy with the service. Most people around here have Verizon, and always bash AT&T's service. I have no problem with dead zones, drops, or anything like that. And, when anyone with Verizon tries to get smug or say that their service is better than AT&T's, I do two things: I tell them that I have had no problem with AT&T's service, and I pull out my iPhone and tell them to get back to me when Verizon has one of those. ;)
 
Yeah, I'm sitting here with my AT&T phone having full bars and 3G, whereas the Verizon phone has 1 bar and it's 1xev, not even 1XEV. Verizon was a mistake.
 
I've had AT&T/Cingular the entire time I've had a cell (10 years). Very happy with the service. Most people around here have Verizon, and always bash AT&T's service. I have no problem with dead zones, drops, or anything like that. And, when anyone with Verizon tries to get smug or say that their service is better than AT&T's, I do two things: I tell them that I have had no problem with AT&T's service, and I pull out my iPhone and tell them to get back to me when Verizon has one of those. ;)

I don't remember the last time I hit a dead zone, period. I think it was about a block-square area in San Diego about 15 years ago, back when I was still getting charged for roaming. Otherwise... T-Mobile and Verizon both worked flawlessly no matter where I went.

Oh, and while it hasn't been officially confirmed yet, according to Verizon, they'll have the iPhone as early as next year. AT&T is losing their exclusivity, just like Verizon is going to pick up the Palm Pre in January, it's also not going to be exclusive any longer. More phone manufacturers are realizing that exclusivity is a bad financial decision.
 
Sprints customer service isn't that good, but if you have good coverage in your area they're great to go with. They have a very large roaming network as well so it helps for traveling across the U.S. They are the cheapest of the 4 "major" companies, especially if you use a smart phone of any sort.
 
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