Verizon vs AT&T......Need Input

[phgreek]

Really depends on your location. I switched to Verizon from T-Mobile because there were markets where I couldn't access my data. It was much less consistent. Haven't had a single problem with Verizon. I'm just covering two lines with 2GB though.

...for the above reasons, I've been Verizon for quite awhile now...I can move from Chicago, to outer BFE, and I get a Verizon signal...I've gotten signals in some places I'd have bet the farm I couldn't...even had my phone go off in the wilderness Elk hunting, which sucks, but good for Verizon.... If you gotta have connectivity, I think the safe bet is Verizon.

 

[GowerND11]

Everyone really is going to have different opinions. It's like when you read a review on Amazon... They are all over the place. It's all personal experience.

My $.02 are this: I worked for RadioShack this past year (Yes somehow it is still open) and had to learn A LOT about the major phone companies sans T Mobile. What I can tell you is, depending on location, Verizon and AT&T have very similar reception. What some people have describes about financing the phones is called Verizon Edge and AT&T Next. Both offer you the ability to finance a brand new model (Like the iPhone 6/plus and Galaxy Note 4) without high up front costs.

Now, the way this really gets you to save is if you have the 10GB data share plan. Normally a smartphone costs $40 a month per phone, and that is before the data package. If you get Edge or Next, while on a 10GB plan, that $40 a month drops to $15 a month. You will have to finance the phone, like I mentioned, which will run you somewhere between $25-$45 a month depending on the phone and it's storage capacity.

The key here is that while your monthly bill MAY be higher (since your financing may be more that the $25 you save for getting Edge or Next) you don't have to pay any upgrade/activation fee ($40 for AT&T), nor do you have to pay that in store price for the phone (usually somewhere between $75 and $300 dollars). Therefore if you went with the 18 month plan (the most cost efficient) you would save yourself abour $100 after those 18 months.

That is the key. In order to reap the benefits you need to upgrade every 18 months, not the normal 24 months on contract. The key is, in order to do so your phone must be inspected and deemed worthy to be traded in (slight scratches and minor cosmetics aren't a big deal here) but that is why they push the insurance. If your phone take a vacation in the toilet, you cannot exchange it, or a replacement when those 18 months are up without it having been covered through the insurance.

Sprint also offers a similar plan, but I know their coverage is only really best around major cities. The reason we didn't deal with T Mobile is because their coverage was basically nonexistant in my area.

My advice is that if you think you need 10GB and would like to upgrade every 18 months, get the Edge or Next programs. They will save you some money. If money is a concern, it may be wiser to use a lower GB plan (you can still do Edge and Next, the savings just won't be as great).

 

[koonja]

Everyone really is going to have different opinions. It's like when you read a review on Amazon... They are all over the place. It's all personal experience.

My $.02 are this: I worked for RadioShack this past year (Yes somehow it is still open) and had to learn A LOT about the major phone companies sans T Mobile. What I can tell you is, depending on location, Verizon and AT&T have very similar reception. What some people have describes about financing the phones is called Verizon Edge and AT&T Next. Both offer you the ability to finance a brand new model (Like the iPhone 6/plus and Galaxy Note 4) without high up front costs.

Now, the way this really gets you to save is if you have the 10GB data share plan. Normally a smartphone costs $40 a month per phone, and that is before the data package. If you get Edge or Next, while on a 10GB plan, that $40 a month drops to $15 a month. You will have to finance the phone, like I mentioned, which will run you somewhere between $25-$45 a month depending on the phone and it's storage capacity.

The key here is that while your monthly bill MAY be higher (since your financing may be more that the $25 you save for getting Edge or Next) you don't have to pay any upgrade/activation fee ($40 for AT&T), nor do you have to pay that in store price for the phone (usually somewhere between $75 and $300 dollars). Therefore if you went with the 18 month plan (the most cost efficient) you would save yourself abour $100 after those 18 months.

That is the key. In order to reap the benefits you need to upgrade every 18 months, not the normal 24 months on contract. The key is, in order to do so your phone must be inspected and deemed worthy to be traded in (slight scratches and minor cosmetics aren't a big deal here) but that is why they push the insurance. If your phone take a vacation in the toilet, you cannot exchange it, or a replacement when those 18 months are up without it having been covered through the insurance.

Sprint also offers a similar plan, but I know their coverage is only really best around major cities. The reason we didn't deal with T Mobile is because their coverage was basically nonexistant in my area.

My advice is that if you think you need 10GB and would like to upgrade every 18 months, get the Edge or Next programs. They will save you some money. If money is a concern, it may be wiser to use a lower GB plan (you can still do Edge and Next, the savings just won't be as great).

This is very good advice. One thing is incorrect - at Verizon you no longer need to be on the 10gb plan to get the monthly $25 credit. It now kicks in at the 6gb mark And up.

Plus, you get thay 25 credit for each line that's on edge.

Verizon plan with the monthly installments of edge beats att, All of this is only My opinion.

 

[Circa]

Ok, I am unaware of this 25$ credit? I use upwards of 20 gigs a month and last year they gave me 1 free gig. I was thinking I had something with that. Would I just need to call them about it?

 

[koonja]

Ok, I am unaware of this 25$ credit? I use upwards of 20 gigs a month and last year they gave me 1 free gig. I was thinking I had something with that. Would I just need to call them about it?

For verizon, you need to be on the edge program, aka paying monthly installmentS. If you bought your device on a 2 year contract you will not be eligible

 

[NCDomer]

People overspend on their cell phones and service generally. If you have internet at home, you can switch over to wifi at home saving you tons of data. My recommendation is to find the cheapest plan with 1GB of data with decent service in your area. Let's face it, is paying Verizon an extra $30+/mo for the every once in a great while you're in the rural area really worth it?

Perhaps I'm just a minimalist.

 

[ThePiombino]

People overspend on their cell phones and service generally. If you have internet at home, you can switch over to wifi at home saving you tons of data. My recommendation is to find the cheapest plan with 1GB of data with decent service in your area. Let's face it, is paying Verizon an extra $30+/mo for the every once in a great while you're in the rural area really worth it?

Perhaps I'm just a minimalist.

It's cheaper to overpay on the plan than to pay on the overage.

 

[GowerND11]

This is very good advice. One thing is incorrect - at v wr izon you no longer need to be on the 10gb plan to get the monthly $25 credit. It now kicks in at the 6gb mark And up.

Plus, you get thay 25 credit for each line that's on edge.

Verizon plan with the monthly installments of edge beats att, All od this is only My opinion.

1st part I wasn't aware of as I left RadioShack in about September.

Yes you get it for each line, which is nice.

Again, I think it is preference. Sometimes one sweetens the deal for a month, and then vice versa.

 

[GowerND11]

People overspend on their cell phones and service generally. If you have internet at home, you can switch over to wifi at home saving you tons of data. My recommendation is to find the cheapest plan with 1GB of data with decent service in your area. Let's face it, is paying Verizon an extra $30+/mo for the every once in a great while you're in the rural area really worth it?

Perhaps I'm just a minimalist.

Very true. Wifi really helps keep our usage down.

It's cheaper to overpay on the plan than to pay on the overage.

But also this ^. Even though we have a 10GB plan for 3 phones, we usually use somewhere between 6-8GB a month. What's nice is we are on the Family Value Plan with AT&T, and with everyone on Next, staying on the 10GB plan ends up being about the same price as the 8GB plan with our savings.

 

[BobD]

Get a bunch of those prepaid terrorist/drug dealer phones, walk around being obviously suspicious while talking, then throw it in a trash can as you're walking by like they do in the movies.

 

[koonja]

I would recommend not getting insurance on your phones. It's usually $10 per month, plus your deductible is at least $100, sometimes even more. I get 50% off on insurance and I still don't use it.

Instead, consider tech armor or something similar depending on how hard you are on your phone. I like this one because it's about $20 and it's protection is great, but still very slim. I would never buy an otterbox because it looks like a damn life boat is around your phone. This, plus a $5 screen protector and your phone is about as safe as it can be. I'm pretty hard on my phone, and it's been great.

http://lghttp.16708.nexcesscdn.net/...eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/5/s5_ta_gun.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/Protector-amF...13&sr=8-2&keywords=galaxy+s5+screen+protector

 

[wizards8507]

Screen protectors and cases kill me! If I pay $700+ for a phone, I'm going to be careful enough with it that it won't end up on the side of the road or in the toilet. It expecially drives me nuts with iPhone 6+ and Note 4, since those bad boys are sexy and way too big to be encumbered with even a slim case.

A big part of it is the misperception of cost. You treat a phone much differently when you pay for it outright rather than finance or enter a two year contract. It's a $700 phone either way, but only paying upfront makes it FEEL like a $700 phone.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using Tapatalk.

 

[GowerND11]

Screen protectors and cases kill me! If I pay $700+ for a phone, I'm going to be careful enough with it that it won't end up on the side of the road or in the toilet. It expecially drives me nuts with iPhone 6+ and Note 4, since those bad boys are sexy and way too big to be encumbered with even a slim case.

A big part of it is the misperception of cost. You treat a phone much differently when you pay for it outright rather than finance or enter a two year contract. It's a $700 phone either way, but only paying upfront makes it FEEL like a $700 phone.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using Tapatalk.

This case just came in the mail today or me. I have the 6+:

Not bulky at all.

 

[koonja]

Screen protectors and cases kill me! If I pay $700+ for a phone, I'm going to be careful enough with it that it won't end up on the side of the road or in the toilet. It expecially drives me nuts with iPhone 6+ and Note 4, since those bad boys are sexy and way too big to be encumbered with even a slim case.

A big part of it is the misperception of cost. You treat a phone much differently when you pay for it outright rather than finance or enter a two year contract. It's a $700 phone either way, but only paying upfront makes it FEEL like a $700 phone.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using Tapatalk.

You're overestimating how slimming some of the new covers are. And I'm no advocate of having phone insurance, but if You have a note 4 or Something of that value and don't have a case or even insurance, you better live in a bubble.

Then again, you're on the t-mobile network, so if your phone isn't looking pretty, it's basically worthless .

 

[BobD]

2 Galaxy S5' s in Otter boxes. 1 mine and 1 for work. I wish they made an S5 that could have 2 SIM cards so I could just carry one phone.The Otter boxes make the phones damned near indestructible.

 

[GoldenToTheGrave]

Screen protectors and cases kill me! If I pay $700+ for a phone, I'm going to be careful enough with it that it won't end up on the side of the road or in the toilet. It expecially drives me nuts with iPhone 6+ and Note 4, since those bad boys are sexy and way too big to be encumbered with even a slim case.

A big part of it is the misperception of cost. You treat a phone much differently when you pay for it outright rather than finance or enter a two year contract. It's a $700 phone either way, but only paying upfront makes it FEEL like a $700 phone.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using Tapatalk.

Get the ZAG screen protectors. They feel nice, are virtually indestructable (the material was designed to protect helicopter blades), and made in the USA to boot. Definitely on the high end but worth every penny.

ZAGG InvisibleShield | Ultimate Screen and Device Protection

 

[ThePiombino]

Tempered glass screen protectors are the best protection for any phone with a non-curved screen.

 

[GowerND11]

Get the ZAG screen protectors. They feel nice, are virtually indestructable (the material was designed to protect helicopter blades), and made in the USA to boot. Definitely on the high end but worth every penny.

ZAGG InvisibleShield | Ultimate Screen and Device Protection

YES! We sold them at RadioShack, and we'd even put them on free of charge. You should go there now and get one before it finally goes under. (I keep sounding like a walking advertisement for the place haha)

Tempered glass screen protectors are the best protection for any phone with a non-curved screen.

Those are very nice too, I got to put one on while working. Looked great.

 

[koonja]

Verizon doesn't compromise on price because they offer a superior network and quality.

Most recent 3rd study from this week, and Verizon showed up like a clydesdale working against a bunch of barn donkeys:

The RootMetrics 2nd Half 2014 US Mobile Network Performance Review | RootMetrics

 

[Irish#1]

2 Galaxy S5' s in Otter boxes. 1 mine and 1 for work. I wish they made an S5 that could have 2 SIM cards so I could just carry one phone.The Otter boxes make the phones damned near indestructible.

Otter boxes hold up. I have a friend who rides a motorcycle. He's bounced his off the highway going 70mph a couple of times. Phone was undamaged. I prefer a slim case that doesn't make the phone too bulky.