Let me start by saying that I’m not one to camp out. Heck, I’m not even one to line up. I’m the guy mocking that guy. While I thought today could be the day I finally move on from AT&T, if the queue was too long, I figured I’d probably pick up a CDMA iPhone sometime next week.
So I woke up at my normal time this AM, but instead of heading to the Starbucks for some blogging, I swung by the conveniently located Reston Apple Store. It turns out they had erected plenty of barriers, obviously anticipating a crush, yet I was actually the first person to arrive at about 7AM. And I ended up purchasing their very first Verizon iPhone. Unfortunately, that random honor didn’t land me a discount, citation in the paper, or even a free shirt. But I am looking forward to far fewer dropped calls and more hours of coverage per day.
Yeah, I’m sure I’ll regret my purchase on a geeky level this summer when the iPhone 5 is released and I’m contractually trapped on last years hardware. However, this was a practical decision — AT&T coverage, in areas where I find myself, has become a liability.
While my wife experiences her fare share of dropped iPhone calls, she’s not as negatively impacted as I have been. So she’s staying put on AT&T. Fortunately, I expect her bill to drop given their new unlimited mobile-to-mobile option. We’re both winners today?
Regarding the lack of lines, well I guess most folks are all talk and/or trapped in contracts they’re unwilling to break (or also awaiting that iPhone 5). However, I’m one to put my money where my mouth (blog) is.
Hey, congrats! Did you port your old AT&T number over to Google Voice too? You need to go all out when you switch! :-)
Use something like Tiny Umbrella to save your SHSH, preserving your ability to downgrade to jailbreakable firmwares, keeping the phones eBay value higher. Best of all TU doesn’t modify your phone at all, or require that you jailbreak.
Adam, I have Google Voice but never use it. That number is 571-GIZMODO. ;)
Corey, I’ve already got a buyer lined up, so no worries there.
That pic of an empty Apple store is eerie. Not used to see that.
“That pic of an empty Apple store is eerie. Not used to see that.”
Hoorah!
As an Apple customer, I’d be happy if a lot of their buzz went away so management could be convinced to shift their focus away from Taking Control of the Universe and back to building good gear that lets users control what they use it for.
Down the Walled Garden and the whole anti-jailbreak control-freak philosophy. Up with the sane Cupertino that made OS X such a nice general purpose computer experience.
hows reception in your office?
Verizon is actually third worse behind Sprint (1st) and T-Mobile (2nd) but ahead of AT&T (4th) in my office. However, there’s a large divide between AT&T’s lack of service and Verizon’s minimal service. I’m 3G in most of the building so far and I bounce between 1 and 2 bars at my desk. Not great, but it’s way better than the “Searching…” and “No Service” I’m used to. Also, on the drive to and from work on AT&T I experience an unreasonable percent of dropped calls or failure to connect and expect a massive improvement there.
Good for you. I have more dropped calls than I’d like, but not enough to switch (yet). Plus as a constant WebEx user for work I really really like the simultaneous voice and data.
Yeah, the lack of lines is weird. Seems to suggest few people are switching to Verizon for their iPhone, so AT&T can stop holding their breath. Or maybe all the geeks that would stand in line for a phone already did that at AT&T? Guess we’ll see what happens when the iPhone 5 comes out in the summer on both carriers…
BTW, those of us sticking with AT&T despite our moaning appreciate as many people as possible switching to Verizon. In the past there’s no way AT&T could be counted on to support the WiFi hotspot feature any time soon, nor allow people back on unlimited plans, nor upgrade their tethering support to 4GB from 2GB for the same money. All of this is clearly the direct result of the coming competition, and much appreciated.
i picked up my iphone there and i remember that lines to be sooooo long. i can’t believe its empty. i really think this will be different come iphone 5.
seems this lack of turnout is pretty common, i know i saw it today several places. at the end of the day… it’s a nine month old phone, and the die hards already got theirs on pre-order… i suspect sales will be steady as opposed to the crunch. in addition… people who plan on breaking contracts and such probably need a bit extra time to consider all options and/or figure out how to sell the old phone. my only hope is this does not cause the resale value to drop… i need this phone to cover all/most of the cost of my new phone this summer… it’s not that i need every one, but i need a storage boost… hopefully it’s to 64 and not 32… but either will be better than my 16 that is currently FULL.
It will be interesting to see how people switching to Verizon perceive their service in the next 6 months to one year. While I don’t doubt that some people experience problems with AT&T’s service, I can’t help but believe some of it is overblown. I have had an iPhone from the beginning and my service is way better than it was with Sprint (a Treo 650) and I (and many others I know) haven’t experienced the problems you would think are commonplace if you believed all the negative press. And it isn’t as if I only use my phone in one or two locations. I live in a small town where AT&T only offers 2G (the service is rock solid) and I travel to multiple locations (North Carolina, Virginia and Hawaii) with 3G service on a regular basis, and occasionally to numerous other locations with 3G service with no issues. My guess is that when it is all said and done, the consensus will be that Verizon isn’t as great as many had hoped (believed) and AT&T isn’t as bad.
“My guess is that when it is all said and done, the consensus will be that Verizon isn’t as great as many had hoped (believed) and AT&T isn’t as bad.”
Yep, agreed… generally speaking. But, for me, the AT&T issues were extreme and frequent. Which is mostly reflective of where I find myself physically. I’ve only had the iPhone 24 hours, but the fact that I’ll be notified of voicemail from within the office or can take/make a call *inside* if I have to is a significant win. And on the way home from work yesterday, I made calls without a drop or failure to connect. Perhaps once the major home projects and health crisis has passed, I’ll be more tolerant of AT&T’s flaws. But right now, I need a more reliable service and hope Verizon continues to deliver.
The experience on AT&T varies greatly. While I don’t have too many issues in my normal areas of travel (Boston suburbs), I have experienced NO service in JFK airport, as well as slow to no service when going to sporting events and concerts in Boston and Pittsburgh.