The iPhone Excuse
The New York Times
March 26, 2009, 5:40 am
The iPhone Excuse
By Sam Grobart
A couple of weeks ago, my colleague Matt Richtel - a handsome devil if ever there was one - spoke truth to power. He said the thing that no one was saying, yet needed to be said. Here it is in a nutshell:
For all its abilities and powers, the iPhone is a tremendous pocket computer, but a lousy phone.
And he’s absolutely right. I’ve owned an iPhone 3G since Christmas, and I could add my voice to the growing angry chorus. See, before I was with Apple and AT&T, I was a Verizon customer for years. And I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in 212/718, you can’t swing a cat and not hit a big, strapping band of CDMA ...
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March 26, 2009, 5:40 am
The iPhone Excuse
By Sam Grobart
A couple of weeks ago, my colleague Matt Richtel - a handsome devil if ever there was one - spoke truth to power. He said the thing that no one was saying, yet needed to be said. Here it is in a nutshell:
For all its abilities and powers, the iPhone is a tremendous pocket computer, but a lousy phone.
And he’s absolutely right. I’ve owned an iPhone 3G since Christmas, and I could add my voice to the growing angry chorus. See, before I was with Apple and AT&T, I was a Verizon customer for years. And I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in 212/718, you can’t swing a cat and not hit a big, strapping band of CDMA ...
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f38urry said:
I immediately noticed the difference. My office? Don’t even — I get nothing there. At home? Better, but not quite the same. And dead spots all over the place. At any time, I can (and do) lose a call.
We hear this all the time about AT&T. Nothing new, but always fun to read about.
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Funny, I hear the reverse about Verizon with my customers.
Could it be, that your customers are in there precisely because they are having problems with their existing provider?
They wouldn't even be TALKING to you if they were satisfied with their service. It's just plain logic.
You keep posting your troll posts, I'll keep calling you out.
Could it be, that your customers are in there precisely because they are having problems with their existing provider?
They wouldn't even be TALKING to you if they were satisfied with their service. It's just plain logic.
You keep posting your troll posts, I'll keep calling you out.
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actually, I've had a ton of customers who are satisfied with their current provider, but are switching over because they want the storm, just as ATT had a ton of people switch over because they wanted the iphone (or more recently, a customer who was satisfied with verizon but they wanted a blackberry with wifi.)
People switch for all sorts of reasons, and while not being satisfied with their current provider is the primary one, it's not the only one.. especially when you are talking about a high-tech "must have" like the iphone, or the storm, the g1, etc.
People switch for all sorts of reasons, and while not being satisfied with their current provider is the primary one, it's not the only one.. especially when you are talking about a high-tech "must have" like the iphone, or the storm, the g1, etc.
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Menno said:
actually, I've had a ton of customers who are satisfied with their current provider, but are switching over because they want the storm, just as ATT had a ton of people switch over because they wanted the iphone (or more recently, a customer who was satisfied with verizon but they wanted a blackberry with wifi.)
People switch for all sorts of reasons, and while not being satisfied with their current provider is the primary one, it's not the only one.. especially when you are talking about a high-tech "must have" like the iphone, or the storm, the g1, etc.
He never said it was the only reason. He's merely correcting CJ's flawed analysis of why he hears complaints about AT&T. Just pointin ...
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And the article never said that the "cool" factor was the only reason people were switching either... or even the main reason.
Even the review on this site noticed that signal strength on the iphone was much weaker compared to ATT's other offerings.
How does it go? The honeymoon with the "coolness factor" of the iphone is starting to end and it will have to address some very serious issues to remain popular. Apple knows this, which is why they are adding MMS capability, the next iphone will most likely have a signifigantly improved radio as well. Apple's not stupid.
Even the review on this site noticed that signal strength on the iphone was much weaker compared to ATT's other offerings.
How does it go? The honeymoon with the "coolness factor" of the iphone is starting to end and it will have to address some very serious issues to remain popular. Apple knows this, which is why they are adding MMS capability, the next iphone will most likely have a signifigantly improved radio as well. Apple's not stupid.
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actually this is more common than you think. being in sales and seeing it first hand i can't agree more with the article. no major city is excluded... and forget about using an iphone in an edge market. at&t doesn't have 3G in nearly a 10th of the area verizon or sprint does. the article is correct 100% and i know more people that have a similar experience with at&t than can say the opposite.
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honestly i have sold the iphones and had one for years now and i have no problem here on the west coast... just turn off the 3g reciever and it works great
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why should you have to turn off the 3G????? it designed to work that way. at&t just has a sub-par network.
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i get that, i just have no problems with the phone, sure it freezes sometimes or is slow every now and then, but my reception is amazing and i wouldnt trade the jailbroken software in for anything, what competes with the ota appstore? nothin... ppl dont remember the ipaqs or any palm product? how about all the freezing problems and sim disconnects with blackberries?
haters will hate
haters will hate
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I've had a 3g iPhone since the day it came out. I've used it in both 3g areas and non 3g areas, and honestly haven't had a problem with it since day one. I've dropped, maybe 5 calls at the most since I got it. Your statement that "no major city is excluded" is pretty much BS - Have you used the phone in every major city? Have you sold the phone in every major city? Because I travel to major and non major cities all over the country frequently, and have never experienced problems with the phone. Over the last month I have been in Wichita, KS (which just recently switched to 3g, and never had problems with it when it was 2g previously), San Francisco, and Kansas City, and haven't had any problems in any of those cities.
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dromant said:...
I've had a 3g iPhone since the day it came out. I've used it in both 3g areas and non 3g areas, and honestly haven't had a problem with it since day one. I've dropped, maybe 5 calls at the most since I got it. Your statement that "no major city is excluded" is pretty much BS - Have you used the phone in every major city? Have you sold the phone in every major city? Because I travel to major and non major cities all over the country frequently, and have never experienced problems with the phone. Over the last month I have been in Wichita, KS (which just recently switched to 3g, and never had problems with it when it was 2g previously), San Francisco, and Kansas City, and haven't had any problems in any of tho
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I'm in the Wichita KS area. I have the Fuze. got the itch for the I phone. Just wanting to confirm that you have not been receiving drop call and bad data coverage.
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