Digital Domain – AT&T Takes the Fall for the iPhone’s Glitches – NYTimes.com.
The issue seems to be with the iphone’s radios, not with the AT&T network. Don’t get me wrong I love my iphone as an internet device and music player, even for some portable gaming action. Not so much as a phone. We’re a two iphone family, with my wife using the 1st generation model, while I have a 3GS. She’s become so frustrated with call quality and drops that she hardly uses it as phone anymore. I think the only reason she has it around at all is that it plugs into the ipod adapter I installed in the family car (2008 Prius) last year. To be fair about it, since this is an off contract carrier unlocked phone we use it on T-Mobile. It’s also due a battery replacement and refuses to go a full day without charging.
My 3GS is not unlocked, jailbroken or otherwise hacked and runs stock firmware on AT&T. While I have far fewer drops than she does, it still happens enough to frustrate. While traveling from Tampa, FL to Columbus, GA this month, I had little to no 3G data coverage through most of rural Georgia once we left I-75. Only when I reached the outskirts of Columbus did I get a reliable 3G connection. It sucks the fun right out of trying to use Google Maps to navigate. We could not get an EDGE connection or even a voice signal for large swaths of the trip once we left I-75. Relying on my 3GS to help make my way through unfamiliar territory at night was frustrating. It was useless when I needed it the most. All I can say is it was better than the Metro PCS phone someone else had, and that’s not saying much.
I’ve invested a great deal of time and money in the iphones, apps and itunes music. At this point I’m considering how much effort and expense it would be to convert all the itunes songs into unencrypted MP3s and get switched to something else less balky. Maybe there are Andriod based phones in our future? Santa, have I been a good boy?
iphone pluses:
- Lots and lots of apps, many useful free apps
- Great ipod features
- A reasonably passable gaming platform with lots of games available
- A pretty good browser, but it could still use some help (Flash anyone?)
iphone minuses:
- Crap data connections outside of cities
- Crap voice connections in many places, including in cities
- Evil policies governing what can and can’t be installed on the phone (no non-Apple background apps)
- Expensive data contract required
- Requires itunes software to be useful (I’ve had issues with itunes)
Do the pluses out weigh the minuses? I’m beginning to think not. I really think the Apple/AT&T needs to heed the advice in the NY Times article I linked to:
The data seem incontrovertible: AT&T, while meeting 4,000 percent growth in data use, has acquitted itself quite nicely. But the company is saddled with an awful public image as the perennial laggard.
AT&T and Apple could both gain by swapping talent.
Apple, send your marketing wizards to lend your partner a hand. It sorely needs help.
AT&T, send some engineers to redesign the iPhone to make better use of the country’s fastest wireless network.
Can you hear me now AT&T and Apple?
