AT&T Wireless w/ iPhone

plowjockey · #1 03/28/10, 09:39 PM

We have been mostly satisfied Centennial Wireles customer, for 5 years.

Centennial wireless was purchased by AT&T and has a the name changed.

They are offering us a great deal to switch all of our family users, over to the AT&T network for the same monthly costs, but we will have to buy phones.

For the same money we are getting 500 more shared minutes, internet and unlimited text for all phones. We can get Apple iPhones for $99 for us and maybe get the kid's text phones for free.

Anyone have comments on the AT&T network ( signal strength calls dropping, etc.), or on the Apple iPhone? I have heard both bad and good on the iPhone.

Callieslamb · #2 03/28/10, 10:34 PM

We bought our iphones in a big town in TN. They don't work as well in rural MI. We often have a weak signal and dropped calls, but still better than when we had verizon - and we are VERY rural. Even so, we love our phones. $$$$$- be ready to hand it over. The internet capability is good - slower than our computers on our wifi. - we love the road map application! We have found itunes a pain the the rear to work with for us. All apps have to be downloaded through itunes. You don't have to buy the internet part - we didn't over a year ago anyway. It's $35 a month PER PHONE.

DH's mother board quit working - he could use the phone but not his other apps. He was out of warranty, but they replaced his phone for him anyway. You have to find an apple store/repair center for any kind of service. Once we bought the iphone service, you were locked in for the duration of your contract.

Being in a new area, we have found these phones very, very useful. Apps are not expensive. DH uses the music IPod thing all the time. I don't. There are apps for just about everything. We have a voice google - you speak into it "Olive Garden" and it shows you the closest one. We used it a LOT traveling across country last week.

Here are some of Dh's apps -
weather - bolt and nut (diminsions) - beams (light) - congress - constitution - flashlight (use the phone as one) - radio - trigonometry - let fly ( cartridge spec list) - people tunes - voice memo - clinometer- decibel -IConvert - google earth
live cam - PCal lite - stocks - speedocheck - white pages - math tasks

It is limitless as you can see. I like that I can set individual webpages as icons on the home screen - not having to let them load slowly. They are fascinating phones.

We have no complaints about the cell coverage as we probably wouldn't have it with any co where we live. 3G is getting to be more and more available in smaller and smaller towns too.

57plymouth · #3 03/29/10, 07:18 AM

If you get an iPhone, you must get the unlimited data plan.

Generally, the iPhone will not get good coverage in rural areas because it runs on 3G, not the typical network.

I have AT&T, and I hate them. They have miserable customer service. The problem I have is that they are the only ones that offer coverage that will work at my house. 3G won't work, but regular coverage will.

If the Verizon network will work at your house, get a Straight Talk phone from Wal-Mart. They have great customer service, and they have unlimited minutes for $45 per month. I bought one, but it would not work at my house since it uses Verizon towers.

My advice is to run far away from AT&T if you have an option.

KY Doug · #4 03/29/10, 07:28 AM

We have ATT in a very rural area. Dropped calls are the norm. My wife has an i phone which she seems to like for all the apps but the phone part of the i phone doesn't do very well here at home. She usually borrows my old, basic(did I mention old) phone when she needs to use the phone.

If there were any other choice here, I would try it.

Doug

Alice In TX/MO · #5 03/29/10, 07:31 AM

I have A T & T, and the local store / phone company is privately owned, so service is ultra-fantastic.

agmantoo · #6 03/29/10, 08:22 AM

I have an AT&T package and the service itself is OK as long as you do not have to interface with an individual. No one from the top management to the India support people know what it going on or what they should be doing. I avoid dealing with any of their support service if at all possible. I even buy my phones elsewhere to avoid the agony. If AT&T was not my only source for other than dialup I would be gone ASAP. To give an example of how aware the company is I get an offer in the mail about every two weeks from them for the services they are already getting paid for for nearly 3 years!

MN Gardener · #7 03/29/10, 09:21 AM

I have AT&T and had an iphone. I was happy with both. I just cut out the iphone because it ran $30 per month, per phone for the internet and I did not use it so why pay for it. If you have an iphone, you have to have the internet. I have heard there are other internet capable phones at AT&T that are cheaper and are only $10 per month. AT&T is the only reliable service in this area, so I am stuck with it. At first the customer service stinked, but the last few calls I have made the customer service was excellent and was from the US>

big rockpile · #8 03/29/10, 09:23 AM

We have IPhones they work ok if we are not in the House but thats saying something considering we usually can't get any phone to work.

At our cabin I can't get other phones to work in the Cabin but we can get the IPhones to work.

So far I'm happy with them.

big rockpile

roachhill · #9 03/29/10, 09:27 AM

I had Cingular for many years and a few years after it became AT&T. Now I have Verizon. AT&T works fantastic across the country as long as you travel on the interstates. Verizon isn't as good along the interstate but covers more rural areas. I would have stuck with AT&T but it doesn't work around my house and its obvious they have no intention on bringing in service. In fact when AT&T bought Cingular they turned off the 2 closest towers. They did however let me out of my contract without any fees which is unheard of so I can't complain about customer service. In the end it's going to depend on where you use the phone so the coverage where you aren't isn't going to mean squat to you.

krische1012 · #10 03/29/10, 09:28 AM

AT&T is the only reliable service at our farm, we had to switch from Verizon since it was so horrible here. DH and I both have iPhones and love them. We had Blackberries before and have been very happy with the iPhones.

Service will depend entirely on your area though so might be best to ask your neighbors!