Time for new cell phones...recommendations?

[NaCl]

I currently have Cingular and it is very poor service in a lot of areas. Was thinking about trying Verizon. Am planning a trip cross country (Arkansas to pick up new BassCat!) and more travel up and down the west coast so I need a company that is not just regional.

Appreciate your help in making this final decision.

.....NaCl

[Brian D.]

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

[Smile_n_Jax]

I also have Cingular/AT&T and it's spotty around Berryessa. In some places it works and in others it doesn't. I've been told the same is true for Verizon. I doubt there's any company that can guarantee service wherever you go.

[Murph]

I've had real good luck with the verizon deal. Havasu gives me more trouble than anywhere and it's minimal. It works just fine in all my travels, even when I went back to Salisaw, OK, to pick up my first Cat. (Mike Whitten's)

[spyongbob]

I've only tried verizon, but get zero reception at pardee and don pedro. Spotty on the delta as well. I'm not impressed.

[TTCal]

Dean,

I've gone through most of the big companies. Here's a quick rundown based on my experience over the last several years:

Sprint - best reception, but very small coverage area

TMobile - very good reception, but also, very small coverage area

Verizon - Good reception, good coverage area, but their phone technology may not last. Most of the carriers are going with GSM to be more globally compatible. Of course, I've heard rumors regarding the demise of Verizon's technology for some time and they're still using it, so take all that with a grain of salt.

ATT/Cingular - I used to dislike Cingular with a passion. Of all the companies I used, they were by far the worst with dropped calls, coverage, and customer service. I cancelled my contract with them before it expired I despised them so much.

ATT had great coverage, but the actual reception was below par. Then they started going digital and then, Cingular acquired them. ATT has since bought Cingular and the mobile side is now referred to as "The New ATT" ... whatever.

The merger/reacquisition has created a good company in terms of reception and coverage. Might be the best network out there in the US next to Verizon and they use GSM phones.

Reception around lakes is always spotty anyway because of the lack of towers, but we were fishing up in the high country last year above Yosemite and Alex was able to get service up there with Cingular. Insane.

So.... hope that helps.

[Sacto John]

I love my Cigular service. I recently drove to AZ and back with no problems and my wife helped her girl friend move to West Virgina last year and they had no problem as well. I have noticed that no matter what service you have the actual phone you own makes a big difference on the quality of calls and amount of calls that are dropped.

Most of the attorneys I work for have switched to Cigular as well. They can choose any service provider they want and with within the firm most providers have been used. A couple still use Verizon but that is because of they have a better data service plan (mobile e-mail /Blackberry)

[TritonBrent]

I went from Nextel to Cingular and have been very happy. Nextel is the worst. I get reception on every lake around here as far as i can tell. I do lose reception when i get up in the canyons of these lakes but seem to always have reception on the mail body. My vote is for Cingular...

[Gator]

Dean -

I have Verizon and have been very happy. Only lake with spotty coverage has been Don Pedro. I use it all across the US, for cell service and Wireless internet.

[Marc]

Dean,

I have had all but Cingular, and I currently have a Nextel for work and Verizon for personal use. After several cross-country trips while using Nextel, ATT, and Verizon, in my experience Verizon had better coverage hands down. When you and I went to TN together I recall you having Cingular while I had Verizon, and I beleive on that trip my Verizon had better coverage as well.

Based on national coverage alone it is my understanding that Verizon has been rated the best hands-down. That having been said, I think all cell companies have a long way to go to make me happy. My work leases cell tower space to all the companies, and the way they conduct business, and change their future direction repeatedly leaves me wondering who will survive in the future.

I'm sticking with Verizon for now, myself, and I like their "In" plan in which I can call my family, friends and relatives who are also on Verizon and I don't get charged air time.

[Andy Giannini]

I don't really have a recommendation, I carry cingular and a nextel.

If one doesn't work the other one probably will.

I think B+W just got a new verizon tower although it could be another company. Think it was verizon.

.02 A.G.

[Colebass]

very happy with the service coverage and the few times I called for other services, they were AWESOME!

I also have Blackberry service throught tem and have been happy with that as well.

[PeteD]

Dean,
I have verizon through my work account which I manage.

First- Do not get a Motorola Q, I have nothing but problems with it.

Since I had this phone (I.E. Smart Phone) I have had my data service blocked, its a money maker for Ver. nothing is compatable with it.

Second - I have had very poor customer service with verizon.
Im thinking about going with Sprint /nextel for my next service.

My reception with verizon is getting allot more dropped calls.

Good luck, and have a safe trip.
_________
Pete Puma

[MIKE TREMONT]

I use Veizon as well. Their customer service is tops in my opinion. I recently lost a phone (the bottom of Folsom I think), they went out of thier way to make it as painless as possible.

In the past I was forced to make a collect call on CL as the coverage wasn't there at the time. A stinkin 3 minute call cost me over $20 from that pay phone a Red Bud. They reimbursed without even asking.

[Hipster]

Well Dean,

What about reality?? HAR HAR use that roseville surewest phone company call me at 361-4551 and I will get you over to Mike and C&C. We can clear your head, put you in a new Ranger and travel around the corner!!! No cell coverage needed!!!

[DeltaDan]

Have Verizon as well -- and have been on the same service contract for the last 6+ years of only 300 peak minuets per month shared between my wifes and my phone. For $59 for two phones and unlimited calling after 2000 till 0600 with free weekends-- I can't top it as they have increased their "free" minuets till 2101 making our contact virtually useless for family talk.


I can get service on the Delta from mine and also from the mountin peeks in the Mokulmee Wilderness area from 6k' to 9k' depending on what mountain/valley top from. -- I do loose a signal on the coast north of Jenner till till Sea Ranch still.

But for the most coverage -- Make sure you have/are gona purchase a Tri-Mode cell. They work on Analog as well as Digital. When in non-digital mosde they do suck the battery power aslmost 10-fold. I turn mine off when not on a 12v charging system or carry spare batteries.

Verison the last time I was in there to replace my phone that went into the drink only carried two models of Tri-Mode phones ... And neither had the extendable antenna of those models. --The one I have does wook fairly well while on the delta East of Franks by some 12 miles when first powered up. When hunting season comes- I will try mine durring scouting and if it does not get a signal- I will switch to my older phones that have the extendable antennas. (How long the battery will last on them.... I have no idea- But they will only be powered when in use or on a external charge.


What ever phone service..... You want a phone that can get both Digital AND Analog service for when you are using it in the field of romote places.

[BassCatPuma]

Dean,

My verizon envey is an awsome phone and the service is great. It worked all the way to the Bass Cat plant and then to Decatur AL. and back last year.

Tim

[350V RGR]

This is funny, NOT!!

I to have Cingular/AT&T or is it the NEW AT&T, Anyway I was happy as a shcool girl on cupcake day. When this months bill came in and I saw a $175. difference.

First I thought "sweet does AT&T have Ranger Cup?" Then I noticed that I owed the $175 W/ the reg plan and wrote a check for $220. (there goes a Dobyns 805 glass rod)

So I started looking for another company. It was between Sprint & Verizon. Looks like Verizon is getting the most "gold stars"

I would like to have a Cell/ Wireless internet, with the same CO. Verizon looks like it will be culling AT&T

[drrakruz]

I agree with the fact that most services are spotty around any canyon lake. I switched from Verizon to Cingular and it was a MAJOR improvement. They just came out with a faster SIM card today. nothing but headaches with Verizon. Came REAL close to paying the early termination fee but decided that $250 is a lot of GAS! When you decide to buy, go to BEST BUY. The rebates are instant and you don't have to wait in line out the door. The phone stores may have the same rebates, but you have to wait almost 2 months to get them, if you get them. I've heard stories that if you fill out ANY part of the rebate form wrong, you will not get your rebate!!!

As for phone model, I went with the iZar Gold V3xx. This is Cingular's latest version of the Razor. iPhones are going to be about $500 when they hit the market. I'm an Apple Geek, and would not even consider buying one till the hype wears off and the price comes down. If you already have an iPod, you're set. Of course, I recommend that you get a Bluetooth headset. They are great. Talking in speaker phone mode gets old and drains the battery fast. It will be a must come Summer.

Good luck.

[Fishin' Dave]

You can get Analog service on Don Pedro with Verizon/Golden State.

Driving from South Carolina to Stockton there was one small patch in the Texas Panhandle where my Verizon phone didn't work.

What ever service you get, make sure to buy a good phone!!

[Ralph Harkins]

Dean
Go to www.cellularsolutions.com
I have one of them and am thinking of putting one on my boat

[Topwater All Day]

Dean,
I have been a T-Mobile customer since '03, and I am still satisfied with their service and coverage. They have excellent customer service and they give you the most minutes for your dollar. T-mobile has been very good to us as returning customers. When there is a problem, they fix it and make things right. We just signed on for another 2 years and got all new phones and free bluetooth headsets back in November.

Whatever you do, stay away from Motorola phones. I have gone through 2 and my Wife now has a Razr...what a piece of crap! A lot of hype about how great this phone was supposed to be! My Nokia works great all over the place while her Razr is extremely spotty. We are both on the same plan. The actual phone does make a difference.

Anyway, when you are ready to buy, check out www.letstalk.com, they have great service and you will get the best deal on whatever company you go with. Trust me that I have been down this road more than once, and you won't be dissappointed with LetsTalk.com!

Rob

[drrakruz]

Agreed, the original Razor was a piece. That's why Motorola came out with the iZar. Any time any new product comes out, there will always be pos/negs about that particular product. Motorola is a top-notch company. They recognized the problem and fixed it. Same way Mercury Outboards encountered problems with the introduction of the OptiMax outboard line. They recognized that the motor had issues and they dealt with them. Good companies solve problems; bad ones walk away with your money.

[Fishin' Dave]

I've been loyal to Motorola with any wireless tech.

My Motorola phone SUCKS! I sit in the car with people who have the same network and their Nokias and LGs get service while I do not.

What I do not understand is why don't they make a top quality cell phone with out all the cameras, TVs, music players, karokie machines, pizza makers, and what ever other gimmick that distracts you from the fact that the service sucks?? How about using all that space for more stuff that makes it work??

[drrakruz]

What model Motorola do you have?

[Cooch]

I had the oiginal AT&T, bought by Cingular, now AT&T again and have been very happy with the coverage I get. Most of my problem tends to be using cheaper phones. My latest LG, is a lot better than the Motorola I had, which smoked the Nokias. My job and fishing has taken me to all 50 states, Burmuda, Canada and Mexico, and my phone has always worked. Sure, there are dead spots, all of em have em. No long distance fees, National roaming plan and roll over minutes, $34.90 a month, works fer me.

Only one disappointment, 3 phones dropped in the River in 2 years, they won't sell me the insurance anymore! HAR! HAR! HAR!

[Hardshell]

We have had Cingular - ATT for a long time. I've been almost every-where(Havasu, Pleasent, Mead, Elephant Butte, Pine Flat & Millerton, The Motherload, Delta, CL, Shasta and Oroville) when it comes to fishing here on the west coast. Been to Mexico, South America, Austraila, New Zealand, Hawaii, the Carribean and have never had a problem, even at sea when close to land. There are areas of some lakes deep in the canyons that no phone works but my fishin' partner has another service and mine is always better than his (he uses mine a lot). We pay about $60.00 a month or so for 500 minutes shared + unlimited off-peak, I think the international package is only $10 when we go out of the country. From what I understand you can take your number with you if you go from service to service so it's not as bad as it used to be but I always say "If it aint broke, don't fix it". And yes, I've left my share in the lake!

Good Luck
Hardshell

[scott h]

Verizon gets my vote, I am very pleased with the service it works pretty much everywhere, havasu was a little spotty but for the most part its great. The new G z one phone is execellent, water proof and shock resistant two pluses for me considering my last two phones ended up with water damage!!

[BassTraveler]

I use Dewayne Verizon. Dewayne for short. It works great.
If I lose a call...I chew out Dewayne.
In the year I've had it...I've only had to do it once to Dewayne.

[Topwater All Day]

How about both my Wife's and my Motorola V600 crapping out??? She actually went through 2 of them as T-Mobile replaced the first one after it just completely fried itself and nearly melted!!! The 2nd one lasted about 6 months before having intermittant problems. She just stopped using it and went back to her old cheapo freebie Nokia from the previous contract!

Mine just stopped getting a signal after about a year. Everything else worked, but no signal. So I started using her old one until it finally gave out completely a few months later. T-mobile said they couldn't support the V600 anymore as Motorola discontinued them 3 months after we bought them!!!

And we paid extra to get the upgraded phones rather than the V300 that were free!!!

Now my Wife's Razr is working ok, but it just does not work as easily or as well as my Nokia. You can say what you want about Motorola being a good company, but I will never own another one of their products! Oh, and none of the Motorola phones were ever abused or damaged. My Daughter has dropped my Wife's old Nokia about a hundred times and it has been beat up pretty good. But guess what? It still freakin' works!!!

Rob

[77sunset]

What will work best for your needs ?

I think that is primarily consideration.
Even coverage area is very personal reference, it cannot be generalize . But good to know many people's network experiences on that location.

Here is a nice web-site.
http://wirelessadvisor.com/


Personally, I want to get Japanese hybrid, one segment cellular phone, like below. So I can watch westernbass.com, or fishing show on TV, same time enjoy fishing on the water.

[Phil]

STAY WITH AT&T , IT WILL ONLY GET BETTER.........IT WORKS AT DON PEDRO IN FLEMING PARKING LOT, ON THE LAKE......AT BLUE OAKS CERTIAN PLACCES...BUT THATS IT UP HERE AT DON PEDRO !! SOME PHONES WORK LOTS BETTER THAN OTHERS ALSO !!! NOT JUST AT^T PROBLEM, ITS THE PHONE ITSELF

[350V RGR]

Just wanted to sneak in here and say thanks for everyones input. I just got my new phone with Verizon as the CO. (Bestbuy, online order)

Got the "chocolate" slide phone? It has a bunch of stuff I'll never use, well the MP3 player might get some play time

This site has come through for me again, Thanks

[nipples]

Personally, I want to get Japanese hybrid, one segment cellular phone, like below. So I can watch westernbass.com, or fishing show on TV, same time enjoy fishing on the water.

Then you will want an Apple iPhone my friend, because it will do exactly what you want. You will be able to download westernbass TV podcasts from itunes (for free) and watch them on the water.

Sorry I didn't get around to responding sooner 350V...


For any of you considering a new service or a new phone read the following:

GET An iPhone !!!! nothing else will do.

Apple has this market cornered and most just don't realize it yet. The screen on the iPhone is the most revolutionary advancement since the Mac (which introduced the mouse and GUI, which Microsoft then stole, but that won't happen again). It's not a normal touch screen and the iphone is not just a phone...

This device is an entire Mac in the palm of your hand. When I worked for Apple, I got a chance to see what that screen is capable of, it's absolutely incredible. Apple own the screen technology and has over 200 patents on it and it still filing more. No one else will have it nor anything close to it.

Unfortunately you will have to go with Cingular for the time being because that is who Apple contracted through as the carrier. I would have preferred to see Apple go through Sprint, but that had to do with poor foresight on Sprints behalf. Verizon was the company that Apple had originally chosen, but they were idiots and lost the deal.

This phone runs Apple's OS X. This device just raised the bar to brand new heights on both cell phones and mp3 players. If you go out and get locked into a contract and throw your money away on a blackjack, or a Helio or (again... sorry 350V) a chocolate, you will definitely regret it.

It's almost impossible to describe everything the iphone does by just writing about it, It's new technology that is almost impossible to grasp without seeing it. I highly recommend going on youtube and apple.com and doing your research and seeing it in use. I will be leaving Sprint (which I love for the simple quality and clarity of their service) and I will be going to ATT/Cingular all because of the iphone.

Here is a link to the Apple Keynote, if you are not familiar with apple (stock option...lol) Take a look. It will open your eyes.

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/mwsf07/

You can watch the entire keynote or just the iphone introduction (both are fairly long, but are well worth watching).

Good Fishing,

-Paul-

[Cesar L]

Well I guess Im kind of bias, I work for Cingular the new AT&T I fish at least 4 times a week from Clear lake to Eastman lake, my phone pretty much works everywhere I go. I have has some issues on Berryessa and Oroville but it works on at least 75% of the lake. Your coverage will be better if your sim card has been updated wich is a free service. We also give 30 days to try the service email me if you have any ?s. cesar.laguna@cingular.com