Sprint, Verizon, or AT & T.. Which of these 3 cell phones are good?? (Vanity)

05/09/10 | Kevin Davis

[KevinDavis]

Here is the story..

I'm looking to get a decent cell phone provider that is good, have excellent phones, and be used in overseas. Right now I have a pay go phone (I used to have trash mobile but long story) and I can't use it globally..

I did ask companies like Boost and Cricket and they can't be used overseas. Out of the 3 which of would you recommend??

[IllumiNaughtyByNature]

Depends on the country you are going and where you live. Check coverage maps. VZW and ATT have largest roaming agreements worldwide. It doesn’t matter what device you carry without coverage.

[xjcsa]

AT&T is best for international use; their phones are GSM-based, which is the typical standard in the rest of the world. Verizon and Sprint phones typically operate with incompatible technology.

[Jackson Brown]

If you travel a lot there is only one good network — Verizon. I've been through them all (we travel all the time) and Verizon is the only one that works nearly every where we go — including very rural areas.

Yes there phones can be used overseas....but check with Verizon on what you need to have.

[clintonh8r]

Unlike many AT&T customers I’m very happy with the service, both domestic and overseas. What I don’t like is their lack of really outstanding new generation devices. They put all their apples in the iPhone basket, and Sprint and Verizon are getting better hardware, in my opinion.

[KevinDavis]

How good is Verizon in the UK??

[Hang'emAll]

Well, off hand I’ve had Sprint for many years. It has always worked for me.

Starting from scratch you need to consider first what phone you need.

What data, video, voice and applications you are going to be using and how often.

In other words if you going with an I-phone, windows phone or other data phone.

I have the Samsung 30 instinct it is an other data phone. It is ok for me as I only check email, Freerepublic and do no video or other applications other than Poker.

If you are going to use a lot of applications and video then do some research on the I phone and window phones with their associated apps.

Chose your phone then your provider, considering you want fixed price for voice, data, video, text etc. I have unlimited voice, data and text for a fixed price at Sprint but I do not believe they have a windows phone.

[saganite]

At&T because they have the I-phone. Everyone I work with has them and loves them. They are superior to any other smart phone. I don’t know what AT&t’s International data plan is but it’s expensive I’m sure. You can use WiFi though so you can get by with the domestic plan if you can find WiFi access.

[devane617]

AT&T service SUCKS! There is an article in the news last week stating how much calls are dropped with AT&T service. Of course they deny it, but I have AT&T and know for a fact if you can make a call without being dropped for more than a brief few minutes it is a miracle.

[raybbr]

One thing I do know is the with VZW you can sign up on part time basis for their overseas coverage and then switch back. You have to call them to do it and find out if where you are going is covered.

As for customer service VZW sucks although I have heard no better about anyone else. My wife called them to find out if she could call from Aruba and they said "Sure, no problem" without warning her about the cost or offering the overseas temporary package.

[festusbanjo]

Agreed. AT&T has more dead zones than a cemetary. I gave up my reliable TMobile last year for an IPhone and AT&T and wish that I could get out of the contract. I routinely get text messages and voicemails a day late and still regularly get “network busy” messages.

[Cacique]

I use T-Mobile which is owned by deutsche telefon. After Vodaphone is the second largest provider in the world. I have had them since it was Omnipoint and later became voicestream when DT bought them. It is a GSM network that happens to be far better abroad than it is here. If you are travelling to the UK and Ireland ATT will do as well since that is Vodaphone terrain, while T-mobile has the continent and the middle east. Anyway, here in NY T-mobile is as good as ATT and in some spots better. I also have roaming on my plan so I can practically use it anywhere.

[Jemian]

Go with AT&T. I bought my Nokia 72e in Indonesia and used it with the Telkom company there. It is on the 3G network. When I came to the states, not only w/the Telkom SIM card did I receive calls from Indonesia (that is the power of the 3G network, but I was easily able to switch SIM cards to get service via At&T.

It basically depends upon how long you’re going to be out of the country. If as long as 3 months or longer, I would get an UNLOCKED phone such as AT&T provides, and do the SIM switch. If a short time, just get a phone that is 3G and has a generous roaming policy.

[Jemian]

I have used Verizon in the past. Their phones have limited usage overseas and they LOCK the phones. That means that if you are abroad for an extended period, you can either pay their high roaming charges or you have to be a new phone. You cannot use a VERIZON phone with another provider. Further, Verizon is rather deceptive and confusing about their plans and it is very easy with them to incur charges accidentally.

I rate them at the bottom of all service providers.

[AlanD]

Sprint has the best phones and plans if you want unlimited Internet access and texting. I only pay $39.99 a month.

I also like their Lotus phone . .it is free with a two year contract. It has online television channels for free as well.

[Parley Baer]

I live in the Los Angeles area and Sprint/Boost works for me. Maybe in a outlying area it might not be the best choice. You would have to check.

[Momto2]

My Sprint phone would not work in China last summer - could receive calls from U.S. but could not call to either the U.S. or any numbers in China. I think the people with me who had the best service there were using AT & T...

[USNBandit]

Is it ever the phone company you like the most? For me it is the one I hate the least. They are all great when you are buying something. Service later is always a problem, because you are on the hook with a contract.

[BigCinBigD]

I have been with T-Mobile for years and just bought a new phone. AT&T is Satan.

[Pappy Smear]

It looks like you live in Illinois. Have you thought about US Cellular? They are a regional carrier, but where they are, they are top notch.

[max americana]

So true. When I went to the Philippines, there are markets where they actually replace the card for both Blackberry and Iphone that makes calling local free without charging the overseas call.

[TC Rider]

They all suck.

That said, ATT is the best for international.

Beware of data usage overseas and Japan has a unique system that will not work with any American phones. If you travel there, rent a phone for the duration of your visit.

http://www.jcrcorp.com/ are good.

FWIW, I’m an IT manager for a VC that travels extensively overseas.

Worth saying again, watch your data usage outside of the US.

[KevinDavis]

To limited also I think they we be brought out by another cell phone company.. I used to work for them many moons ago..

[devane617]

The ONLY reason I keep AT&T is the iPhone. For me, it is a must-have item. My contract expired last year, so I can move on now, but could not make it without the iPhone...I hope the new iPhone 4G will have services other than AT&T...

[max americana]

I also have a Virgin pay as u go Phone here in Hollywood if the need arises, which has top-notch CS. The phones are cheap that if u lose them, it’s only $10...and boy, I;ve lost a lot of cellphones throughout the years.

Metro PCS that my buddy pays for $40 unlimited everything, he swears by it instead of using Boost $60 unlimited.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Sprint stinks. I leave in the burbs south of Cleveland. If I’m at home and the cell rings, I have to walk to the end of my driveway to use it. Fun in the winter.

[BigCinBigD]

“They are superior to any other smart phone.”

The HTC HD2 makes the iphone look like a tin can with a string attached.

[pnh102]

Your best bet is to find out which phone carrier works where you will use it the most. You can’t say that any given cell company works the best everywhere because none do. You can make this determination by trying out their prepaid offerings where you plan to work. You could also invite friends over to your home to let them show you how well their phones work. Once you find which carrier works best, then choose one of their phones that has international roaming capabilities.

[saganite]

Hmm, that’s an AT&T phone isn’t it? I wanted to look at one of those recently but the local AT&T store didn’t have one. What are it’s advantages? I don’t have an I-phone myself but only because I’m told the voice quality is terrible where I live on I-phones. How many apps?

[cynwoody]

Depending on where you are headed, you probably want an unlocked GSM phone. Before you depart, do some research on the in-country carriers and identify the one with the best coverage and the lowest pay-as-you-go rates (for both in-country and back to the US). Then, when you arrive, buy a SIM card set up for pay-go from the local provider and slip it into the phone in place of the US carrier's SIM card.

Do not roam on your US account. You will almost certainly get raped.

A few years ago, we went on a trip to the UK. We had a $90 Nokias. When we got to England, we loaded our phones with £25 SIMs from Orange. The phones worked all over the country, except for one or two remote spots in Wales. Lots of mobile-to-mobile calling and some calls back to the US. I think I reloaded mine once (over the phone, credit card).

[USNBandit]

Something is going to have to happen with 4G networks. Part of that service is going into a part of the spectrum prevously used by emergency services. When the FCC pulled those frequencies, they mandated a 15mhz drop in 800mhz radio traffic. Unfortunately, a lot of agencies don’t have the money to reband their radios.

[bboop]

We are just back from Europe — Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany. My husband took his iPhone. We had International Roaming but NOT International Data Roaming. He said it cost about $50 extra. He also turned off ‘a bunch of things.’ Can provide details if you want.

[bboop]

PS — Husband used his iPhone with AT&T — I forgot to add that. It was excellent service and we had no problems. International Data Roaming can cost thousands, I have heard, for things we take for granted here in the US.

[BigCinBigD]

No. It's T-Mobile. I just bought a HTC Touchpro 2 and love it.

[tophat9000]

AT&T is a GSM network and that is common in the world... Verizon and Sprint are CDMA network less common but Verizon and Sprint have phones that work on both CDMA and GSM network so geting a "World phone" from Verizon and Sprint is not a problem...

I'm on a Sprint SERO plan for 500 min a month plus unlimited Internet and text for $30 a month (grandfathered in) and have a HTC Touch 2 "World phone" that does both CDMA and GSM

[Cyber Liberty]

Heh. That’s what you get for asking......

[KevinDavis]

True... Looks like AT&T is the way to go.. Funny thing happened to me.. I went to the UK on a business trip and I thought my prepay phone will work.. Nope. I was without a cellphone for a week!!! Luckily everything went smooth..

[saganite]

AT&T just got them apparently. Here’s a review and the AT&T version has the windows 6.5 software.

http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/HTC-Tilt-2-Review-review-r_2297.html

[papageo]

Stay away from Sprint. We travel quite extensively. Go 5 miles out of town and forget service.

[devere]

Verizon is CDMA, which is not used many places but the USA. But Verizon gives their customers a GSM phone for foreign trips for only a nominal shipping fee. We used that service on our Italy trip last year, and aside from no phone-rental charge, the per-minute and text-message prices were competitive.

I believe that unless you travel overseas frequently, it is is best to shop for phone service for each foreign trip individually. Depending on your destination, there may be bargains to be had. Some years ago I got a very cheap phone rental for a trip to Israel.

[papageo]

Friends I travel with has much better service even low lying areas ATT&T ot Verizon. Both seem to work well. When we really need to make a call, we use their’s. 9 Years on the road should say something.

[BigCinBigD]

That is not the HD 2.

[conservativesister]

AT&T is probably the most expensive, that being said it has been the best for business.
Strongest signal, best coverage (in my area) and works great as a modem tethering my cell phone to my laptop (a 2 in 1) use.

[papageo]

Oh, by the way. The only reason we keep it, our son has push to talk (Business phone), calls all day long, plus we have an old plan, free incoming calls, nationwide long distance and unlimited calling after 7PM and WE’s. When we have signal.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

I spend 6 months abroad, usually 4-6 weeks at a time, and it's mainly in Asia (China, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan) with occasional (1-2 times a year) forays to Europe (Germany and the UK). I use this phone from Verizon:

The HTC Touch Pro 2. Lots of features, the UI is great (I use SPB Mobile Shell though, mainly because I've been using it for a few years and don't want to change), the phone charges with ANY micro-USB cable (from any USB source - laptop, wall wart, car charger, etc), bright and big screen (bigger, higher resolution, and brighter than an iPhone), and really reliable. Full keyboard is nice, too...

It has CDMA here in the US, but takes SIM cards so I can use my China Mobile, 12Call (Thailand), etc SIM cards in foreign lands. All my contacts, calendar items, notes, important files, unified texting, 3G capability (if you buy a SIM card with 3G Internet overseas - very cheap), great speakerphone, very good camera, an 8 GB microSD card for movies, music, and books for entertainment when on the plane, etc. It syncs my 8 e-mail accounts, contains a great GPS core (very fast acquisition) that, when combined with Google Maps, gives me highly accurate directions AND maps, even overseas (including Bangkok, Shanghai, Hong Kong, etc), and many other nice features.

It also has video out, and I have used that for PowerPoint Mobile presentations right off my phone. As well as displaying Word and Excel docs when I didn't want to lug my laptop along, and I knew my client had a projector.

I run Skype on it when in 3G mode; I receive Skype calls from my phone numbers (I have two in the US, one in Hong Kong, one in Taipei, one in Bangkok, one in Munich, and one in London) as well as normal cell phone (both US and overseas, depending upon the SIM card installed) calls.

Don't be afraid of buying a SIM card overseas; they are dirt cheap, you get a local number (which you keep, if you return every 3-12 months, depending upon the locale), it's incredibly easy to swap in and out, and you can take advantage of the features overseas (such as in China, where I can use my cell phone to buy food or drink at lots of places - no need to dig out some RMB).

I have a data plan here in the US, and I run the HTC built-in WIFI router software on the phone; in fact, I'm using it right now. It's my only Internet link - 3G to the phone, and the phone operates as a WIFI hot spot when I turn that functionality on. I don't have to carry extra devices, or cables, just a micro USB cable (available about everywhere), the phone and my laptop.

Basically, I wanted a single telecommunications device for ALL my telecom needs: Internet, messaging, all phone numbers. Power to do that, and handle US and Worldwide usage with both CDMA (Verizon rocks here in the US) and GSM via SIM cards.

The fact it's better than an iTouch for music and movies, is a pretty good camera (good enough for vacation and business photos), a map/guide, and a decent eBook reader means that I don't have to carry a ton of toys when I travel. My laptop, my phone, a USB cable, and a set of headphones (I use the Etymotic ER-6i in-ears; very comfortable, EXCELLENT noise blocking - better than noise canceling - and very high fidelity in a tiny package) is all I need for that 20 hour trip from Seattle to Bangkok!

[Doohickey]

If international is a requirement, don’t get Sprint unless by “international” you mean Canada.

[MS from the OC]

You’re going to have to split your purchase. Get a phone from whomever is the best in your area (Check with friends to see who is the least bad). For overseas travel, the only way to go is to get an unlocked GSM phone (6th Avenue electronics, Amazon, and others sell them). You can get a phone that is good for voice and SMS for under $100 and then purchase a prepaid SIM locally.

Then use either Google Voice or Skype to direct US calls to your phone overseas. Truvoice is another option (and they have their own SIMs).

CDMA ( the tech used by Verizon and Sprint) is basically a US only system, no matter what Verizon says. They have some phones that are CDMA and GSM, but they are expensive and locked to VZV’s partners at high rates.

[exPBRrat]

Here in the NE we’ve had Verizon since ‘03. The number of times I couldn’t get reception you could count on one hand and still have fingers left over.

Over time we added high speed and DTV all on 1 bill...it’s convenient that’s for sure. As far as being cost effective...I dunno that’s not my lane.

[PugetSoundSoldier]

CDMA ( the tech used by Verizon and Sprint) is basically a US only system, no matter what Verizon says.

CDMA exists in much of Asia and South America; you have roaming costs to deal with, though, as you cannot "swap identities" of the phone like you can with a SIM card, which is why a dual-technology phone is VERY nice (like most of the newer HTC phones).

They have some phones that are CDMA and GSM, but they are expensive and locked to VZV’s partners at high rates.

Only if you stick with CDMA overseas; to unlock my HTC Touch Pro 2 I simply had to walk in to the local Verizon Wireless store, and tell them I wanted the SIM card (GSM radio) unlocked for overseas travel. Literally 3 minutes later out I walked with a fully-unlocked phone, and it uses my overseas SIM cards seamlessly when traveling. No charge, no cost.

You can do it over the phone, too, if you like... Verizon will give you the unlock code with a 2 minute disclaimer that if you have problems on your foreign/non-Verizon SIM card you're on your own. Other than that, it's about as easy as you can get.

So you can benefit from the MUCH better Verizon network here in the US, and still get the advantage of SIM card swapability overseas if you get a decent phone that runs both technologies.

[saganite]

You said you had the HTC touchpro 2 which is also not the HD 2. Which do you have?