My ATT/iPhone service contract is up soon. Is there a site where I can compare providers?
Thanks,
mangeorge
Consumer Reports had a recent story in which they compared wireless providers in a couple dozen USA metro areas. The same issue (Jan, maybe?) had a big article on cell phones, too.
Yeah, I just looked there. I’ve had CU online for years, and it didn’t enter my mind to look there. :smack:
I’ve read the ratings and they pretty much agree with what others irl have said.
Now I think i’ll read that article.
I still have to find out if my iPhone unlocks at the end of my contract.
Thanks
I just called verizon;
“We can’t do iPhones on the verizon network”.
Actually he first said “Sure, we just have to get you a different phone”. Slick. :rolleyes:
The exclusive contract between ATT and Apple expires next year. So it’s possible that other carriers may be able to offer the iPhone. If that sounds interesting to you, you may want to wait until then to switch.
I may. I do like my iPhone.
How can that be legal, for them to bind someone to a contract betwen ATT and Apple when my ATT contract is fully satisfied, and my financial relationship with Apple no longer exists?
They can’t and don’t. The problem is that AT&T and Verizon’s technology is incompatible. The exclusivity negotiated by AT&T with Apple is that there there isn’t a version of the phone made that works on the Verizon network. You could, for example, take your iPhone to TMobile, but the data part wouldn’t work quite right because that’s incompatible too.
Maybe. There have been extension talks. Anyway, Apple may choose to pass over Verizon until the LTE rollout is ready. Apple may not want to make a CDMA specific iPhone in part because of its impending obsolescence and in part because otherwise they only need to produce on model that works just about everywhere in the world.
The exclusive contract is basically that ATT is the only carrier that gets to sell the iphone, and that Apple only lets the iphone access the ATT network. You probably agreed to that in part of one of the license agreements that came with the phone. If you don’t care about the whole phone thing, you can always use it as a glorified ipod touch. Technically, the iphone uses the GSM network, rather than Verizon’s CDMA, so you could never take it over to Verizon even after the contract expires. Most other carriers use GSM, so it’ll be possible someday.
Looking at the five largest wireless networks in the United States, 2 are GSM (AT&T and T-Mobile) and three are CDMA (Verizon Wireless, Sprint and U.S. Cellular). If you want to eliminate U.S. Cellular because it is not a “major” wireless provider, you are still left with two GSM and two CDMA providers. If you start to consider the regional providers (such as U.S. Cellular and Cellular South) CDMA takes the lead.
However, if you are talking worldwide, you are correct.
Considering that I don’t want buy a Blackberry Storm, it looks like I’m going to have to swallow my ire (bile ;)) and re-up with ATT. For two more years. :mad:
Oh well, I plan to retire in a year and a half or so, so maybe that’ll work out. If my old original model iPhone holds up.
Thanks, all
mangeorge
Does the Iphone require a contract renewal when the old one expires? I bought my Epix direct and can cancel my service any time I please. You should be able to keep your existing plan on a month-to-month basis. Don’t renew the contract unless the carrier gives you something in exchange for your commitment to keep your service with them for another two years.
If your reason for not wanting a Storm involves it’s reputation you might want to look at the Storm 2 which should come out later this summer. Supposedly all of the problems with the gen 1 Storm are taken care of with the gen 2 Storm.
I haven’t talked to ATT yet. “Should be” doesn’t seem to mean much to service providers. 
I already own the iPhone, and it still works fine.
If you’re happy with your plan and phone I wouldn’t bother doing anything. I don’t know about AT&T but when you go out of contract with Verizon nothing changes, except for the fact that you get bombarded with junk mail telling you that they will give you a free phone or $50 credit or something else to entice you to sign a new contract.
I was out of contract with Verizon for 6 months before I dropped them in favor of T-Mobile.
The same thing happened with my ATT phone. I just checked, and I got the phone in June 2005, so the contract expired in June 2007. I’ve kept it since then without signing a new contract or anything.