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So I'm thinking of going to att
- Thread starter NOMster
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Baldilocks
Android Expert
The Motorola will get slightly better reception. It has been my experience that the GS II is probably one of the best Samsung phones as far as RF goes.
On another note, the Galaxy S II is a better performer.
On another note, the Galaxy S II is a better performer.
FWIW, my co-worker had the S2, took it back for the Atrix 2, and wound up going back to S2 due to reception issues. He also originally took back the S2 for the pattern lock flaw, but even though both phones had similar bars/dBm levels, at work where every carrier gets poor reception, he said the S2 maintained data connection better.
I tend to lean towards Motorola given strong radio/earpiece/speaker performance vs. other mfg., but I was surprised to see that my T-Mobile branded Defy had 8-10 better dBm signal on At&t 3G that the Atrix 2.
Best thing to do is try them both out in the store. The kicker is that my Defy also had 10dBm better signal than the Galaxy Note, despite the note's size advantage over the Defy.
I tend to lean towards Motorola given strong radio/earpiece/speaker performance vs. other mfg., but I was surprised to see that my T-Mobile branded Defy had 8-10 better dBm signal on At&t 3G that the Atrix 2.
Best thing to do is try them both out in the store. The kicker is that my Defy also had 10dBm better signal than the Galaxy Note, despite the note's size advantage over the Defy.
Baldilocks
Android Expert
I'd never go back to Verizon. AT&T gets a lot of bad press, but if it were really THAT bad, then it wouldn't have 100 million subscribers.
I live right in the middle of the DC/Baltimore corridor, right off of I-95. There are (5) Verizon Wireless outlets within a 4mi. radius from my house, and (2) call center/corporate offices within 8mi. My mom's house is 2 miles from me, and we are both within 2 miles from (2) different Verizon stores. My mom's house is "almost" a dead zone, and when I had the Droid 1, my fully charged phone drained to less than 20% in 3.5 hours, where it would struggle to get 1 bar (although I kept -75dBm at my house).
In the few weeks during my "trial period" (hint. hint.) I found that there were (4) additional dead zones around my town, and the phone would regularly switch from 3G to 1x when in the car, or just sitting in my home office. I saw similar reception patterns with my replacement Droid.
Worse case scenario, sign up, visit the places you frequent most, and verify reception. If its not working out with AT&T, just cancel within the trial period.
I don't buy a phone without checking dBm levels, and phones do matter. When I checked out the RAZR, I was also looking at the BIONIC, Thunderbolt, and some LG 3G/4G phone, as they were all next to each other. The RAZR and BIONIC both had -75dBm, the Thunderbolt -77dBm, while the LG only had -93dBm, despite reporting 4 out of 5 bars of signal strength. If
Rico ANDROID
Android Expert
Don't trust the AT&T map 100% . You'll be told one thing especially by local stores just to make a sale. Check with family, friends, co workers and others who already has att in the calling area and see what complaints you hear from them... if it seem that services are ok according to most , then, give it a go, but if you find you dont want att, you got to do the cancellation within 30 days or you're stuck on contract
NOMster
Android Enthusiast
Bought a prepaid att and Verizon phone. Figured it was cheap enough to test the waters since I can return the phones if not the minutes. So far both have been about equal on everything. And both have been able to make and maintain calls in places where its impossible to even get signal with sprint. (Unless roaming but then it drops).
could try checking
OpenSignalMaps - Cell Phone Tower and Signal Heat Maps
it's not perfect, but it uses an app on the android phones to report actually towers/signal strength......i've actually just started using it on my phone
but please note opensignalmaps data is very incomplete, just because it doesn't show service somewhere, doesn't mean it's not there, it just means noones using the APP in that area...........but if it DOES show service, your pretty much guaranteed to have service as the data is strait off users phones
OpenSignalMaps - Cell Phone Tower and Signal Heat Maps
it's not perfect, but it uses an app on the android phones to report actually towers/signal strength......i've actually just started using it on my phone
but please note opensignalmaps data is very incomplete, just because it doesn't show service somewhere, doesn't mean it's not there, it just means noones using the APP in that area...........but if it DOES show service, your pretty much guaranteed to have service as the data is strait off users phones
RoboMonkey
Android Expert
I just went in today and looked at the Skyrocket the screen was totally dim looking, so I went with the Vivid since LTE is in my area. I'm going to ATT for the 1st time leaving Sprint...I'm sick of CDMA.
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Rico ANDROID
Android Expert
Welcome too ATT my fellow att bro. I like my services and support. Keep using AF forums for your att wireless type questions... Ive found more assistence here than on their one-sided forum where all you get for help is "read you contract"...
Good luck. I hope your reception experience is as good as mine (full bars while on the water in Spring Lake, NJ, and Newport, RI, and pretty much everywhere in the northeast). Just remember, the "phone" plays a big part in reception as well. FWIW, I have yet to see an HTC phone consistently match dBm levels of a Motorola, on either AT&T or T-Mobile.
macgiobuin
Android Enthusiast
You made the correct choice in my opinion. Verizon used to be king, but they sat on their laurels and AT&T has caught up/passed them on almost every front. The Atrix 2 is an excellent Motorola phone and I love mine.
Baldilocks
Android Expert
Well, every front except for the LTE front..... 
NOMster
Android Enthusiast
I got a Att galaxy s2 and a Droid razr to compare Thales phones. Now I have a new dilemma. Verizon gave me unlimited data. Att gave me a 15% discount.
So for 90 bucks with Verizon I get 900 minutes, f+f, unlimited data. (I'd use Google voice for texts)
For 92 with Att I get 450 w/rollover, unlimited messaging w/anymobile and 4 gigs w/tethering.
:ARGH. DECISIONS
So for 90 bucks with Verizon I get 900 minutes, f+f, unlimited data. (I'd use Google voice for texts)
For 92 with Att I get 450 w/rollover, unlimited messaging w/anymobile and 4 gigs w/tethering.
:ARGH. DECISIONS
Rico ANDROID
Android Expert
Go with the unlimited data! I thought verizon asnt offering new customers with unlimited?
with about 2minutes of googling you can find how to get unlimited data for verizon
the only requirement is that you have a 4g phone
for ATT you can get the unlimited data plan, BUT you need to have access to the right phone
att has no requirements other than having a smartphone
Baldilocks
Android Expert
I am using an unbranded Galaxy S II on AT&T. Unlimited data is $10 a month because AT&T only sees it as a dumb phone.
Rico ANDROID
Android Expert
I think I am looking at this wrong... I am thinking "unlimited data" differently from unlimited texting and unlimited calling.
So , even though Verizon and AT&T have removed the Unlimited Data plans from their offers , and, if a customer with a 'grandfathered" plan changes something on their plan that voids the grandfathered plan, all a Verizon customer who lost their unlimited needs to do is buy a 4G phone and they get the unlimited data back?
And for att, you only need a smart phone and you get unlimited data back? Are yiu talking about unlimited texting sms or are you saying att has resumed "unlimited data" that they replaced with their 2Gb 4Gb type data plans?
I have unlimited on my device but 2G on the other two smartphone devices on my account..So, I can get the other two upgraded to unlimited data?
Rico ANDROID
Android Expert
the att requires a bit more work, it requires an original iphone, the iphone 2g only has 1 data plan, unlimited.......so you simply remove sim from current phone, place into iphone, activate through itunes......remove sim card and replace into original phone........call into att, and have them re-activate your IMEI of the original phone, and make sure to remind them to grandfather your unlimited data to the 3g/4g/lte version(as when you activate the iphone it puts you on a 2g unlimited plan, but since you have it on your account you can be grandfathered)
the verizon method just requires to to call and have a rep add the mobile hotspot feature.......that feature forces unlimited data onto your account......after that happens, just remove the hotspot feature, and unlimited data stays.....apparently the hotspot feature with unlimited data is a LTE capable phone only
Rico ANDROID
Android Expert
Yes, ive done my googling thank for asking. but the question is raised here in AF...
Anybody chime in here, please:
According to this unlimited workaround, if I dont currently have a grandfathered unlimited plan, I can get the unlimited data by:
1. Purchase an iphone2 but dont activate the imei on att, but place the sim from another smartphone with a 2Gb tier into the iphone2 then register thru itunes .....and the sim in the iPhone2 will automatically have unlimited internet, streaming, etc, no tiered, thus automatically categorized as a grandfathered plan?
2. Remove the sim and place it back in the "non-iphone" smartphone and have csr "reactivate" the sim back to the original smartphone's IMEI and say dont forget my unlimited and thats it?
So if I buy an iphone that hit only 2g and not 3g or LTE, then I get unlimited browsing, data, etc.
the iphone 2g has only 1 data plan available, so it forces the iphone 2g unlimited data plan onto your account when you activate it
once you have ANY unlimited onto your account, you can be grandfathered
you are making it harder than it seems.......or perhaps thats just how i am reading it
only requirment is that it must be a iphone 2g(first gen), and your sim can't have been used in an iphone 2g(sims are free to exchange)
your googling is rough
, there are threads with over 100 pages on multiple forums about this, any amount of browsing them has every form of whatever question you could ever have answered already- Status