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According to this article there may be some evidence that the iPhone, although a success for the company financially, is actually hurting AT&T’s reputation.
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Is The iPhone Hurting AT&T's Brand?
- Thread starter HardOCP News
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Vermillion
Supreme [H]ardness
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I can see that. While my iPhone 3G hasn't given me the grief of dropped calls like others have I still have dropped more calls then I ever did with other cellular providers.
The whole MMS debacle was nothing but a huge mess for AT&T. Lack of tethering is still a huge problem. We'll eventually get tethering but AT&T will want another $20 a month leading to more AT&T bashing as well (and rightly so).
The whole MMS debacle was nothing but a huge mess for AT&T. Lack of tethering is still a huge problem. We'll eventually get tethering but AT&T will want another $20 a month leading to more AT&T bashing as well (and rightly so).
-Apple frenzied hyped customers flock to aTT (did they have a choice?)
-iPowned is the symbol of kewl....
-a company that is the definition of corporate whore keeps selling the iPowned thus overburdening their network. - PRICELESS
...and yes, this message is sent (sigh) from an iPowned
-iPowned is the symbol of kewl....
-a company that is the definition of corporate whore keeps selling the iPowned thus overburdening their network. - PRICELESS
...and yes, this message is sent (sigh) from an iPowned
Maybe if Apple and AT&T would stop blocking legit apps such as Google's Push apps, they wouldn't get spit on so much.
I use Gary Fung's PushGmail for always-on Gmail and Agile Mobile's Messenger for always-on Gtalk. I can't understand why they won't let Google launch their own product, but allow third party to do it.
I use Gary Fung's PushGmail for always-on Gmail and Agile Mobile's Messenger for always-on Gtalk. I can't understand why they won't let Google launch their own product, but allow third party to do it.
Rofl-Mic-Lofl
For Whom The Bell Trolls
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Bone_Enterprise
Enter in the Rear
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And the way you constructed this whole comment makes you look like a moron.
They have spent around 18 billion a year since 07 on upgrades. Several of those years more than what Verizon spent on it network.
No one else has had such a influx of smartphone users doing whatever they do on their phones in such a short period of time. I'm pretty sure that if it had been Verizon or Sprint we would be saying the same things about them. Could they have done more? probably, but money is only part of the problem in upgrading a network. Getting the equipment, installing it, planning on how to roll it out, etc. Just saying, they should have spent more is foolish.
purple_haze
2[H]4U
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Ya, i think big red would probably have its fair share of problems due the massive amounts of data transfer. It might even bring the giant to its knees. Though i don't live in a town with those problems with the iphone yet, i can understand everyones hassle.
Companies only care about money; things like customer satisfaction are just a means to get more money. Since AT&T has a virtual monopoly on the iPhone, they can treat customers as poorly as they want for as long as it's popular. It might come back and bite them one day, but companies can often be as short-sighted as individuals.
I agree to a point.
Their cell service was fine before the iPhone in the Milwaukee/Chicago area. Once the iPhone swarmed the network here, there are dropped calls and calls that "fail" when first dialed, and data network becoming slow and sometimes non-responsive.
Their customer service revolves around "how do we get more money from the customer?", which is made clear every time I contact them or even talk to an in-store rep.
I've actually had a store manager argue with me in line the morning the iPhone 3G went on sale, telling me that I cannot get the iPhone 3G unless I change my family talk plan from 850min for $60 to 700min for $70 - even after having AT&T corporate note my account that my voice plan was to not be changed.
I left there with the 850 minutes plan still on my account, and a bad feeling about their direction towards customer service. Today, I am residing with Sprint as a carrier, which is the lesser of 3 evils with a good price.
marshac
American Hero
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I don't think it's the iPhone so much as it is the cost for that iPhone service- customers know they're being bent over the barrel, and they're OK with that arrangement, but only so long as they feel that they're getting fantastic service. Anything less than premium quality service for the premiums AT&T charges would be intolerable- and since we all know AT&Ts network is totally awesome, many people are disappointed.
I have a $30 SERO plan with sprint. I know i'm getting a hell of a deal, so even if I drop several calls a day (in actuality, I rarely drop calls), i'm still OK with it- i'm not paying that much.
I have a $30 SERO plan with sprint. I know i'm getting a hell of a deal, so even if I drop several calls a day (in actuality, I rarely drop calls), i'm still OK with it- i'm not paying that much.
Jakalwarrior
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They have always charged extra rape prices for tethering. Nothing new. Just the iPhone brings it to light when a billion new people learn what tethering is.
the lack of tethering was for me a deal breaker. If I am going to be paying that much well I should be able to make full use of it.
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact AT&T nickle an dime the hell out of people that want to use the iPhone. Let's see... "unlimited" internet access $30, unlimited mins $99, unlimited txt $20... $150 a month for unlimited service... hmm... let's see, I am with Virgin Mobile US (used to be Helio) and my unlimited plan includes all this for $99 (actually $89 since I am getting a promo right now)... I think Sprint is unlimited everything for $99 too... hmm... I mean, who else charges extra for txt anymore?.. I have seen the iPhone and even used it... it isn't "cool" enough to warrant the extra "bling" tax that AT&T thinks it does. Not to mention that when I used to have service with AT&T it SUCKED big time. Ok, granted, you can get service for your iPhone for about $70 but it is limited and doesn't even included txt. I personally don't even use txt that much, but it's the principle of it. And now AT&T is "offering" some kind of mini cell tower for your home to "improve" your service/experience. Funny how they want to charge you even more to compensate for their crappy service. I just don't understand why we are so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to anything wireless...
OK... rant is over... please enjoy the rest of your day
OK... rant is over... please enjoy the rest of your day
Couldn't be more right. I've had an Iphone for 2.5 years with AT&T since it came out. With the recent MMS NOT being supported on the 2G model, I decided to cancel my service and switch to TMobile with a Mytouch 3g android phone.
Something about APPLE and AT&T trying to force original iphone users to upgrade to get proper service... Total BS
Something about APPLE and AT&T trying to force original iphone users to upgrade to get proper service... Total BS
And now AT&T is "offering" some kind of mini cell tower for your home to "improve" your service/experience. Funny how they want to charge you even more to compensate for their crappy service. I just don't understand why we are so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to anything wireless...
OK... rant is over... please enjoy the rest of your day
You do know that Sprint offers the same thing right? And they charge for it. Airave prices are $99 for the device, $4.99/mo for the service, or $10/mo for unlimited service. At least with AT&T you could buy the device and use your minutes without a charge.
I swear, half the people complaining about it don't understand it, or just hating on AT&T because it's popular.
I have not had a dropped call on Sprint yet... I have had good cell reception everywhere I have gone sense I got this phone, Houston, Chicago, El Segundo, Philly, Dallas, and Indy.
The same can not be said for my Verizon work phone that drops calls about 1/4 calls, I end up using my personal phone for work calls due to the drop issue.
I love the Sero plan, but if I want to get a Hero come the 11th I am gona have to go with the $70 plan, the idea of a $35/mo increase hurts.
SERO and HERO plan? What's next? ZERO plan? :-P
RadCliffeX
2[H]4U
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AT&T - More Dropped Calls in More Places
AT&T's hurting the iPhone imo. My wife own's one and I don't., We're both on AT&T. I never have AT&T related problems with my phone, but my wife's iPhone gives her nothing but AT&T related issues.
And that sucks.
Whether you like the phone or hate it, it is a slight innovation in the EASE how we use cellphones for other mundane tasks.
And that sucks.
Whether you like the phone or hate it, it is a slight innovation in the EASE how we use cellphones for other mundane tasks.
CaptNumbNutz
Fully [H]
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Verizon and Sprint most likely wouldn't have had the same problems. Unlike ATT, both Verizon and Sprint are continually upgrading their main network rather than waiting till the last minute like ATT did. Both Verizon and Sprint know that Data is the future, and even voice systems will be going VoIP in some form or another. Verizon and Sprint are the ONLY US carriers rolling out 4G right now (Verizon is behind Sprint though).
SamuraiInBlack
Supreme [H]ardness
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Perhaps it has something to do with the fact AT&T nickle an dime the hell out of people that want to use the iPhone. Let's see... "unlimited" internet access $30, unlimited mins $99, unlimited txt $20... $150 a month for unlimited service... hmm... let's see, I am with Virgin Mobile US (used to be Helio) and my unlimited plan includes all this for $99 (actually $89 since I am getting a promo right now)... I think Sprint is unlimited everything for $99 too... hmm... I mean, who else charges extra for txt anymore?.. I have seen the iPhone and even used it... it isn't "cool" enough to warrant the extra "bling" tax that AT&T thinks it does. Not to mention that when I used to have service with AT&T it SUCKED big time. Ok, granted, you can get service for your iPhone for about $70 but it is limited and doesn't even included txt. I personally don't even use txt that much, but it's the principle of it. And now AT&T is "offering" some kind of mini cell tower for your home to "improve" your service/experience. Funny how they want to charge you even more to compensate for their crappy service. I just don't understand why we are so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to anything wireless...
OK... rant is over... please enjoy the rest of your day
I'm with Sprint. I pay about $140 a month for TWO lines to have unlimited everything, with the recent addition of Any Mobile Anytime. Before AMA, it was 1500 minutes, and unlimited text and data. The only thing I don't get with my plan is Blackberry Internet Service, which is a moot point for me because neither phone is a BB.
I have to be honest, everyone I talk to that is on AT&T, iPhone user or NOT, they ALL want out of their contracts. They are getting tons of dropped calls and there's times when they can't even access the startup page to their phone browsers.
you are so 'un'
I don't think it's the iPhone hurting AT&T's brand so much as AT&T hurting the Apple brand.
One is a marvel of technology and design that's very likely the progenitor for all HCI approaches over the next three decades.
The other is a crap network that was crappy before the iPhone, crappy during the iPhone and will probably remain crappy long after the iPhone has gone to other NA carriers.
One is a marvel of technology and design that's very likely the progenitor for all HCI approaches over the next three decades.
The other is a crap network that was crappy before the iPhone, crappy during the iPhone and will probably remain crappy long after the iPhone has gone to other NA carriers.
All of them upgrade their network all over the country in some way every year, so it's not a matter of them waiting to the last minute. For example, AT&T had spend 18 billion in 05 and 06 on converting to Edge, and when the first iphone came out had really just started to roll out 3g. If anything they are guilty in being late on rolling that out but that still doesn't mean that they would be in the same boat if they didn't have the phone.
And technically Sprint is having clearwire build their network for them, and has indicated that they would be willing to convert to LTE if the market called for it, putting them in the same boat as Verizon, haven't really started yet if they do.
SilverSliver
[H]F Junkie
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AT&T would not even exist anymore without the iPhone.
how do you figure that united state's largest carrier at the time and the 2nd largest carrier right now would just no longer exist? your saying those 70 million people would all just leave just the iphone was on another carrier?
att is just at a disadvantage because they use a difference technology and are essentially on their own building their network. Where as verizon and sprint have a little head start and the ability to roam on each other's networks.
though they did definatly underestimate that the demographic that buys the iphone would be the type of people that browse the web a lot. In contrast the average BB user uses way less data transfer per month than the average iphone user.
General Crespin
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With my BlackBerry and Simply Everything Plan on Sprint, I'm not allowed to add PAM service. Sprint doesn't want my money.
But I'm still able to use it as a Bluetooth modem for my laptop. I don't get charged for it. The data usage doesn't show up on the bill. I've asked CSRs about this and they don't know.
That alone will keep me with Sprint and BlackBerry, at least until Sprint fixes this.
But I'm still able to use it as a Bluetooth modem for my laptop. I don't get charged for it. The data usage doesn't show up on the bill. I've asked CSRs about this and they don't know.
That alone will keep me with Sprint and BlackBerry, at least until Sprint fixes this.
marshac
American Hero
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They're not called crackberries because you can play solitaire on them.
I sell verizon service at a indirect store. I specialize in small bussiness which includes a large portion of our smartphone sales. Trust me, just because there are people out there on blackberries that use alot of data and modify it, does not mean the average blackberry customer does. Most of them don't even know how to change the ring tone. Its a work tool for them, not a toy. Almost all iphone users bought it so they could play with it.
greenfrogman
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a lot of users of I-Phones or G1 google do not know that turning off 3g will fix most if not all of the problems turning off 3g get more bat life as well, my G1 google phone UK t-mobile and O2 UKwith I-phone has cida same issues 3g is spotty when your moving or when the 3g tower is faulty or the signal is below 20% it trys to hang onto the connection when there is none so you get an droped call or cant make or receive an call when the phone says there is still an connection (1-2 towers around me that refuse to give me 3g data but 2g is perfectly fine all my chat programs stay connected on G2 as well on 3g they randomly drop off)
if apple and google would put in place Move to 2g when signal is below 20-30% move to 2g network (GPRS/EDGE) when it drops below that its really hit or miss if it work or not at least when its on 2g if there is Realy no signal the phone will show you that
windows phones are not sure as i have not really had any problems with calls much (as long as you disable the below option) on UK orange so 3g seems fine as long as you Disable HSDPA/HSUPA option as when i had them turned on it was making my calls divert to my google phone when i had 2 bars on me phone
i work for self so cant miss calls so if my orange phone cant be connected to it diverts to me google UK t-mobile one, this would happen same problem with O2 UK with I-phone tell them to turn off 3g and you find the phone will work far better (2g/GSM is every where or what ever USA call it as they do not use SIM cards in most of there networks, just tell them to turn it on if they want something to come fast)
if apple and google would put in place Move to 2g when signal is below 20-30% move to 2g network (GPRS/EDGE) when it drops below that its really hit or miss if it work or not at least when its on 2g if there is Realy no signal the phone will show you that
windows phones are not sure as i have not really had any problems with calls much (as long as you disable the below option) on UK orange so 3g seems fine as long as you Disable HSDPA/HSUPA option as when i had them turned on it was making my calls divert to my google phone when i had 2 bars on me phone
i work for self so cant miss calls so if my orange phone cant be connected to it diverts to me google UK t-mobile one, this would happen same problem with O2 UK with I-phone tell them to turn off 3g and you find the phone will work far better (2g/GSM is every where or what ever USA call it as they do not use SIM cards in most of there networks, just tell them to turn it on if they want something to come fast)
greenfrogman
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(HTC Touch HD with pocket shield to disable the annoying touch answer and hang up buttons when some one rings me owners of the HTC will now of this problem)
Ron Mexico
Weaksauce
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Perhaps it has something to do with the fact AT&T nickle an dime the hell out of people that want to use the iPhone. Let's see... "unlimited" internet access $30, unlimited mins $99, unlimited txt $20... $150 a month for unlimited service... hmm... let's see, I am with Virgin Mobile US (used to be Helio) and my unlimited plan includes all this for $99 (actually $89 since I am getting a promo right now)... I think Sprint is unlimited everything for $99 too... hmm... I mean, who else charges extra for txt anymore?.. I have seen the iPhone and even used it... it isn't "cool" enough to warrant the extra "bling" tax that AT&T thinks it does. Not to mention that when I used to have service with AT&T it SUCKED big time. Ok, granted, you can get service for your iPhone for about $70 but it is limited and doesn't even included txt. I personally don't even use txt that much, but it's the principle of it. And now AT&T is "offering" some kind of mini cell tower for your home to "improve" your service/experience. Funny how they want to charge you even more to compensate for their crappy service. I just don't understand why we are so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to anything wireless...
OK... rant is over... please enjoy the rest of your day
It's cool enough to jailbreak and unlock so I get all of those things for $89 a month.
As far as the iPhone hurting the AT&T Brand? Palease! How about things like AT&T giving the NSA full access (and even setting up the infrastructure) to Americans internet lives without their knowledge or a warrant? That is what everyone should be saying when the idiot traitor execs at AT&T scratch their dumb little heads and wonder if the iphone is hurting them...