In what appears to be an effort to persuade users to not switch over to Verizon, AT&T is sending out marketing materials elaborating why their network is the perfect match for your beautiful iPhone.. Have the recent estimates that Verizon has snagged 10% of the US iPhone market-share after only a few months gotten AT&T a little bit worried that a lot of users will switch networks once the iPhone 5 comes out? Coupled with their recent gift of 1,000 free rollover minutes to customers, maybe AT&T is finally trying to put forth some legitimate efforts to satisfy their customers after years of complaints. I’ve been an AT&T subscriber since June 29th, 2007 (the day the first iPhone was released). Never once has AT&T decided to send me their seasonal magazine title “AT&T Magazine.” Yet for some reason I was greeted by their 12-page mag when I received my mail today.
The reasons AT&T says you should stay with their network are as follows:
#1: Their Innovative Network (you know, the one that drops my calls literally everyday).
#2: Fastest Mobile Broadband Network
#3: Expansive Network (maybe it’ll be better once they merge with T-Mobile, but for now there are a lot of spots where I have no reception and my Verizon friends have full bars).
#4: Talk & Surf (one of the few things that actually makes me want to stay with AT&T).
#5: iPhone 4 (not sure how this is a reason seems how Verizon has it too).
#6: Coverage in More Than 220 Countries (this was also mentioned under point number three, so it seemed a bit repetitive).
#7: The Clear Wi-Fi Advantage (AT&T has 27,000 Wi-Fi hotspots that you can access for free).
#8: Forward Thinking
#9: Family-Friendly Services
#10: Sustainable Solutions (AT&T is striving to minimize their environmental impact by recycling, using alternative fuel, and power saving).
After reading through the magazine it felt like the only points that had any weight were #2, #4, and maybe #7. None of the other things can really pull me into wanting to stay with AT&T. So what do you guys think? Are you planning on switching from AT&T to Verizon in the future? Let us hear it in the comments.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
92 responses to “Fearing Verizon iPhone, AT&T Sends iPhone Users Magazine On Why AT&T is Best for iPhone”
How is the iPhone 4 a reasone? Verizon has it too… That’s why they had to make this magazine.
With four dropped calls alone this afternoon I’ll leave as soon as my contract expires.
I’m currently with T-Mobile, and the buy out gave a promising look for an iPhone in the coming months/years. While AT&T does have it’s advantages, there’s too much of a disparity between the prices and the benefits of having their network. In the end, Verizon could be more worthwhile as far as overall service is concerned.
It really depends on where you live. I currently reside in NYC right next to Union Square, and frankly this is no exaggeration, I’ve never had a dropped call, I’ve always had service when my Verizon friends did not, and I’m not talking about underground spots either, and our internet speeds are fairly the same. I’ve been with AT&T for about 3 years now starting with the iPhone 3G and now iPhone 4. So I guess it only depends on where you live and maybe faulty hardware because my other friend has AT&T but her phone sometimes doesn’t get internet through 3G while mine does.
I’m happy with the service I’m provided and don’t plan on switching over. Also on a side note, I called Verizon to question something about Fios, and literally I waited for around an hour and this was in the middle of the day. My friends just told me Verizon is like that, but AT&T anytime I have questions about my phone pick up the phone at most 5 minutes
my thoughts exactly
Just as the Verizon iPhone came out AT&T gave me a coupon for a free microcell to improve the lousy reception inside my house. Everyone in our neighborhood has been complaining for years that we are in a mini-dead zone and they also just now happened to address the issue.
I have no issues with ATT and will be staying. Who wants to go with CDMA?
My current least favorite thing about AT&T is the fact that they e-mailed me the same “we see you use a lot of messaging — try our family messaging plan” SEVEN times in the last month. What’s especially grating about it is that, at $30 for unlimited messaging, there has never been a time when my entire family has incurred that much in overages, despite having only 200 per user. So… they’re trying to help me out by having me pay more money on a regular basis? Thanks, AT&T. Breeding loyalty every day.
iPhone 3GS is a good reason, as you can get into it for $50, but the 4? Odd.
I stick with AT&T for the faster network, and the Data+Voice at the same time. The 220 countries would be a plus, if the phone was unlocked. No way in hell am I paying AT&T prices when I travel overseas. I take an unlocked blackberry with me for that.
AT&T has a very odd way of “improving”:
Lose millions of customers to help lighten the load on their network.
Spend millions of dollars in ads telling everyone how great they are.
Lock people into very long contracts.
(Finally) offer people “unlimited calling to other cell phones”. (My carrier already does that.)
Lock people into family plans.
Send out minor discount coupons for extremely overpriced accessories.
Send out millions of email telling everyone that Verizon is “bad”.
Lock people into business plans.
Charge large fees if you decide to leave AT&T.
Give you extra minutes. (Why would I want *MORE* hours of problems?)
Have magazines published telling you how great AT&T is.
Seems like they will try anything *EXCEPT* one thing:
Actually start improving their cell towers and increasing the number of towers.
Duh.
Apparently MILLIONS of people want to “go with CDMA”.
More than 100 *MILLION* Verizon users couldn’t care less about “download during a phone call”.
I wonder if Reason 11 could be EDGE – because that’s all my AT&T iPhone would say.
How is that “addressing the issue”? AT&T forces you to pay *THEM*… and makes you use your own wi-fi Internet connection? (Which you have to pay for *AGAIN*?)
I don’t think you understand “mircocells”. They don’t “improve your reception”.
They *REROUTE* your connection to something that works: A non-AT&T service.
If AT&T isn’t providing you with the service you pay for… they have already broken your contract. Switch now… and demand NO CANCEL FEE. You don’t have to continue to pay them for another 1-2 *YEARS* of bad service.
i think markmac was saying that after they gave him a free microcell they then decided to fix the deadzone that their neighborhood had been complaining about.
my iphone broadcasts searching most of the time while at work. they should put that on their magazine.
You mean 1,000 minutes NOT 10,000 minutes. Right?
My AT&T works fine. I have a microcell at home so I am good to go.
I’m switching the secong the 5 comes out. I have a 3GS in the New York area and the service is brutal. I’ll miss the talk and surf. I use it all the tie. But to not drop calls? I’ll give it up.
With att iphone i can sell my phone after i upgrade it. Unlike with verizon after you upgrade to a newer one your old iphone has no use already, coz its a cdma, no sim card and u canot use it anymore. GSM network i think is the best and practical.
I agree!
Correct! cdma phones short for disposable phones.
i cant agree, my friend tried in vain 6 times to make a call and all 6 times all he got was “all circuits are busy please try again”. this was a bb on att. the 7th time it went through crazy static. in frustration he grabbed my verizon iphone. the first time crystal clear call. now in the month and half that i had my iphone, dropped calls=0 his bb on att=19 dropped calls.
this is besides the calls not going through.
this was all in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
you can sell it to someone who uses verizon or someone who uses sprint. or someone on the many myriad regional carriers that use cdma
yes. typo. thanks
As long as AT&T doesn’t charge me a early upgrade fee when the iPhone 5 comes out I’m a happy camper.
Verizon Wireless and Verizon other are different. I relaly like Verizon Wireless’s Customer Support but despise support for other products like DSL. It seems like they have thrown all their money towards wireless to the detriment of other products.
Do you take your Microcell with you when you leave the house?
With AT&T, GSM means Generally Sucks More.
I used to have good AT&T service at home but in the last year, I constantly have dropped calls.
If the iPhone 5 has dual mode then I’ll be switching to Verizon as AT&T doesn’t work at around 20% of the customers I travel to.
“#1: Their Innovative Network”
What does this even mean?
“#6: Coverage in More Than 220 Countries”
Depending on who you ask there are between 192 and 195 countries on Earth. Then you ask AT&T and there are suddenly more than 220!
#8: Forward Thinking
What does this even mean?
#10: Sustainable Solutions (AT&T is striving to minimize their environmental impact by recycling, using alternative fuel, and power saving).
And sending out magazine’s no one asked for.
“”#6: Coverage in More Than 220 Countries”
Depending on who you ask there are between 192 and 195 countries on Earth. Then you ask AT&T and there are suddenly more than 220!”
Maybe they miss-typed and meant “220 Counties”.
Wireless companies are evil regardless of who you go with, I had verizion and switch to ATT just because my employer offers a 30% discount. I didn’t mind verizon too much, but their constant changes in pricing bothered me. you will be locked in to a long contract no matter who you go with.
And how is this different from every other cell phone company?
I’ve had generally good service from Verizon FiOS. DSL is dead really…
Totally unrelated to this..Elizabeth Taylor passed away today. May she rest in peace..She was a humanitarian as well as a smart and classy lady. End of an era. She’ll always be eternal.
demanding “no cancel fee” and getting it are very different things…
iphones are junk and people just want them because its the new thing trust me the phone regardless of the network is a piece of crud i have a blackberry and never had an issue with it
Verizon wireless is technically a completely different company than Verizon in almost every aspect but name. They even get paid out of different funds than the rest of Verizon.
Furthermore all of the good DSL techs we’re tested and trained for FiOS and offered to change jobs. So your DSL experience simply has the leftovers that couldn’t hack it. Get yourself FiOS and any future iPhone running LTE and you’ll have the best Verizon can offer.
well goodie for you skeltor..don’t knock the iphone til you’ve tried it..noticed how since the iphone came out with the app store everybody’s quick to copy it?? Including that crap of phone called blackberry.
Verizon communications (landlines, dsl, etc) and Verizon wireless are different companies . Verizon communications does partially own verizon wireless but the other part is owned by Vodafone. So different call centers and everything
im staying with AT&T, I have no problems with them From my point of view when they merge with T=mobile things will just get better.
There is no doubt I’m leaving AT&t when my current contract expires in May. I’m tired of paying a premium price for a phone that rarely ever shows more than on bar on the antenna graph. All of my Verizon friends have four or five bars showing on their phones in the exact same location. I’m not even going to discuss their sorry home dsl service, but I’m dropping it too!
Hi,
Thanks for your article, which carrier do you think is better AT&T or Verizon?
http://www.themcphersonconnection.com
Yup – just received one for their “Northern California” edition filled with lies and half-truths including a Questions & Lies section. It’s a deceitful publication written in vague terms and double meanings.
Bottomline is all the millions or billions spent on “improving” their network are either lies, true but poorly executed or simply pissed away because the facts and user experiences is still crappy filled with dropped calls, no coverage, slow data speed and overall unreliability.
Nice article, but why not talk about the spring 2011 issue of AT&T Magazine? Has no one else noticed the iPhone on page three? It’s not an image of any released device, and so far the only place talking about it is my blog.
http://rantingsfroma24yearoldn…
Nice article, but why not talk about the spring 2011 issue of AT&T Magazine? Has no one else noticed the iPhone on page three? It’s not an image of any released device, and so far the only place talking about it is my blog.
http://rantingsfroma24yearoldn…