So, since I got my Droid on the 6th of November, it doesn't really matter, right?
Also, I've been wondering, if Verizon were to get the iPhone, I wouldn't have to pay an ETF if I just bought the phone outright for $600-700, no? And there wouldn't be a contract extension either?
I think that would be the best of both worlds. A good wireless network now, and the posibility of a new phone should Apple get it's act together. Otherwise, it's all LTE next year for me baby! #verizonwireless
@anexanhume: It looks like phones PURCHASED on or after Sunday are subject to this new ETF. Remember, as of just about this time last year, all "smartphones" require the $30/mo extra plan for data, so I'm guessing that purchasing a smartphone also requires a two-year data contract now?
You'll just have the lower, original ETF if you buy it before Sunday. Of course, that's just how it APPEARS to me, I could be totally incorrect. #verizonwireless
I can't say I blame them, especially with how expensive some of those phones are. Even with that early termination fee, I'm willing to bet they're taking a hit on the phone if you leave. Hell, I'm willing to make a bet that they take a hit if you stay too just because of how large the subsidies on some of those phones are. #verizonwireless
@Nathan Obbards: I agree, but I think it would be neat if the fee decreased over time, as the company is supposedly recouping that subsidy as the customer gets closer to fulfilling their contract.
A linear formula that evaluates to $0 at the end of the contract seems right. #verizonwireless
@FigNinja: So, you're telling me I could save $10 by making and breaking a contract? I didn't know the cost, but I knew the Pre and iPhone both are north of $800, unsubsidized, so I was expecting the Droid to be a bit higher. #verizonwireless
@Nathan Obbards: LOL. Except I doubt you'd be able to resell the phone at full price and from what I hear activating it on another CDMA provider would be rather difficult. Plus I have no idea if they waive the activation fee if you don't get a contract so that would eat up more than the $10 right there. #verizonwireless
@FigNinja: I was being facetious, but, you know, someone, somewhere probably is thinking it's a good way to save some money and rip off Verizon and laughing all the way to the bank as they pay $60 more activating it on another network. #verizonwireless
@tomsomething: I think it does decrease but not at the rate it should. According to the aritcle above, you'd still be at a $110 ETF in the 23rd month so this isn't exactly fair to the consumer as you say. #verizonwireless
@met2art: Actually I was thinking in terms of the Misfit Toys on their island representing the characters from Lost. The iphone is Locke. Charlie-In-The-Box is Jack. Misfit Dolly is Kate. Spotted Elephant is Hurley. King Moonracer is Ben. Cowboy on an Ostrich is Sawyer. Squirt-Gun is Sayid.
@met2art: Now that would be cool. Charlie is the Plane (since he got the bags of heroin from the statuettes) & Michael is the Boat (since he was building the raft) in case anyone wants to jump on this..
I honestly think this is more of a power play by Verizon to lure Apple away from renewing their deal with AT&T. "We have the better network, and your users have valid complaints about the phone network..." #3g
@Lite: Seriously. Do people really care about the coverage across the country? They're going to get iPhone regardless and still bitch about connection. #3g
@ripfire: Yes, for those pople who leave their city. I travel all over and i love that, unless I am in BFE, my navigation and other data services work well thanks to Sprint's prolific EVDOrA network.
Now if everything non-network on Sprint didnt suck so hard I would be keeping them in 2010. #3g
@redfalcon: You mean except for disabling tethering on certain carriers, or allowing it to act as a mobile wifi point. Both of which it is capable of doing...
We don't know how much the droid is/is not crippled, because it's not being sold anywhere else in the world right now. #3g
@archercc: I left Sprint for AT&T... Don't do it.
@Lite : It's a pretty good indicator that it's not crippled when the OS (compared to v1.5 w/wo Sense UI and v1.6) still has essentially all of the capabilities intact. Verizon even kept the crapware off of it. I'd be majorly surprised if the Droid showed up overseas with a ton of abilities that were disabled on Verizon. But then again they say the Milestone has multitouch.
We'll see when the Milestone hits Europe in a few weeks.
I have to admit, they're cute. What's really got Verizon execs losing sleep at night is how, AT&T being the shitty carrier that they are, they manage to grab 3 million New iphone customers in just 1 quarter. #3g
Verizon uses EV-DO Rev A for data, which is the 3rd generation of CDMA. It's not even a true 3g technology, 3g is defined as wcdma, or UMTS. It allows download speeds of 600 kbit/s to 1.4 Mbit/s and uploading speeds of 500-800 kbit/s.
AT&T uses UMTS, a.k.a. WCDMA, and allows download speeds of 7.2 Mbit/s, with theoritical speeds of 21mbits/s. This is the network shown on the ad's in question and is in most major metro area's right now and still growing.
If you do not have a 3G connection with AT&T you're on the EDGE network. The EDGE network allows download speeds of 400kbit/s to 1.0 mbit/s which is available in over 1.75 million square miles and reaches 256 million people in the united states.
So, in short:
Verizon: 600kb to 1.4mb almost everywhere in the US
AT&T: 400kb to 1.0 mb almost everywhere in the US and 7.2mb UMTS HSPDA 3G in most major cities. And, with AT&T you can simultaneously do data and voice while in 3g coverage. With Verizon you cannot.
So Verizon is slamming AT&T trying to compare a "3G technology" to AT&T's "3G Network" when Verizon's "3G" data rate speeds is only 200kb to 400kb faster than AT&T's "2G" network?"
interestingly enough, i've been using a first gen (2g) iphone since it came out and i've been browsing the web and using the cell connectivity to be productive online. but all of a sudden it's 3g or nothing? screw you verizon, i'll take 2g coverage over your customer service, gouging prices, and excessive bloatware and branding. and most importantly, i'll be using the device i want to use instead of some half-assed ripoff just because your misleading ads about coverage tried to scare me away from at&t.
@alek2407: 3G has nothing to do with 7+Mbps or not.
A. Thats just one form of HSDPA. Its all a 3G technology. By that logic T-mobile must be rolling out 4G with their 21Mbps coverage.
B. Find me in the real world where you're actually getting the theoretical limits. EV-DO Rev. A tops out (theoretically) at 3.1 which is the same as 3.1's theoretical max. BGR did a (decisively non-scientific) study a while back and found that most aren't getting anywhere near the theoretical limits. VZW's EV-DO rev A. hit 701kbps and AT&T got 933. A difference but not really a major one. #3g
@tande04: With that logic you could say edge counts as '3g' as it officially is ([en.wikipedia.org]). This would be like att calling edge 3g, as it technically is. Verizon's evdo is as '3g' as edge which commonly is considered 2g because of it's slow speed not technology.
Now im pretty sure if the T rolls out 21Mbps it will be considered as 4g by most (hell its twice as fast as my computer!!!!) #3g
I have an idea... Use a cell phone for voice and occasional text messages, and better suited devices for web surfing and stop whining about coverage forever? #3g
@nukee: Yeah... never find wi-fi at hotels, airports, fast food joints, coffee shops, book stores, or 1,000's of other places on the road...for free or cheap and reliable. #3g
@grok666: And what about the countless other places that don't have WiFi? You might not have a use for 3G wireless but clearly plenty of other people do.
@nukee: Fair enuf... But if I'm in Bumfuck Egypt I don't expect my cell phone to work either... Not a lot of reasons for a cell company to put a tower in the middle of 200 sq miles of cornfield. #3g
11/12/09
Also, I've been wondering, if Verizon were to get the iPhone, I wouldn't have to pay an ETF if I just bought the phone outright for $600-700, no? And there wouldn't be a contract extension either?
I think that would be the best of both worlds. A good wireless network now, and the posibility of a new phone should Apple get it's act together. Otherwise, it's all LTE next year for me baby! #verizonwireless
11/12/09
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You'll just have the lower, original ETF if you buy it before Sunday. Of course, that's just how it APPEARS to me, I could be totally incorrect. #verizonwireless
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A linear formula that evaluates to $0 at the end of the contract seems right. #verizonwireless
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If it was Lost would the iphone be Jack or Locke? I'm going with Locke.. #3g
11/12/09
@Jrsy Devil's Advocate®: I'm not really sure... but I think it would look like this...
#3g
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[en.wikipedia.org]) #3g
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Now if everything non-network on Sprint didnt suck so hard I would be keeping them in 2010. #3g
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We don't know how much the droid is/is not crippled, because it's not being sold anywhere else in the world right now. #3g
11/12/09
@Lite : It's a pretty good indicator that it's not crippled when the OS (compared to v1.5 w/wo Sense UI and v1.6) still has essentially all of the capabilities intact. Verizon even kept the crapware off of it. I'd be majorly surprised if the Droid showed up overseas with a ton of abilities that were disabled on Verizon. But then again they say the Milestone has multitouch.
We'll see when the Milestone hits Europe in a few weeks.
11/12/09
Id love a really robust android phone (keyboardless) before then so I can switch to that. #3g
11/09/09
All I want is for att to invest some capital into its network, but what's the point, they'll have to come up with something faster in the near future.
11/08/09
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11/08/09
"Here's what that ad does not tell you.
Verizon uses EV-DO Rev A for data, which is the 3rd generation of CDMA. It's not even a true 3g technology, 3g is defined as wcdma, or UMTS. It allows download speeds of 600 kbit/s to 1.4 Mbit/s and uploading speeds of 500-800 kbit/s.
AT&T uses UMTS, a.k.a. WCDMA, and allows download speeds of 7.2 Mbit/s, with theoritical speeds of 21mbits/s. This is the network shown on the ad's in question and is in most major metro area's right now and still growing.
If you do not have a 3G connection with AT&T you're on the EDGE network. The EDGE network allows download speeds of 400kbit/s to 1.0 mbit/s which is available in over 1.75 million square miles and reaches 256 million people in the united states.
So, in short:
Verizon: 600kb to 1.4mb almost everywhere in the US
AT&T: 400kb to 1.0 mb almost everywhere in the US and 7.2mb UMTS HSPDA 3G in most major cities. And, with AT&T you can simultaneously do data and voice while in 3g coverage. With Verizon you cannot.
So Verizon is slamming AT&T trying to compare a "3G technology" to AT&T's "3G Network" when Verizon's "3G" data rate speeds is only 200kb to 400kb faster than AT&T's "2G" network?"
11/08/09
11/08/09
They have pretend 3g, verizon 3g is about as good as the 2g your getting (you get 1Mbps, they get 3Mbps).
Att 2g coverage is about equal to verizon '3g'. While true 3g (at 7+Mbps) is limited as it is very new to america #3g
11/08/09
A. Thats just one form of HSDPA. Its all a 3G technology. By that logic T-mobile must be rolling out 4G with their 21Mbps coverage.
B. Find me in the real world where you're actually getting the theoretical limits. EV-DO Rev. A tops out (theoretically) at 3.1 which is the same as 3.1's theoretical max. BGR did a (decisively non-scientific) study a while back and found that most aren't getting anywhere near the theoretical limits. VZW's EV-DO rev A. hit 701kbps and AT&T got 933. A difference but not really a major one. #3g
11/09/09
Now im pretty sure if the T rolls out 21Mbps it will be considered as 4g by most (hell its twice as fast as my computer!!!!) #3g
11/08/09
Someone in Verizon's Marketing dept. is getting some coal this year. And by coal I mean huge fraking bonus. #3g
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