I Pledge Allegiance To Apple And The iPhone, Not AT&T
July 18th, 2009
I’m going to do my small part and link to MG Siegler’s rant at TechCrunch about not getting voice messages from AT&T, and also voice an opinion that Apple should, if possible, let their exclusivity contract expire come 2010 and sign up with another carrier, any carrier.
I’ve written previously about how AT&T is really dropping the ball on the iPhone service. My biggest bitch about AT&T coverage is I basically get none or a very weak signal in my freaking place in San Mateo. It’s pretty pathetic to have to go outside of one’s own home to use the phone. My wife has had both Verizon and TMobile and both services have coverage here, so it’s definitely AT&T. We don’t live in a fallout shelter.
I’ve also experienced the crappy 3G download speeds or complete drop outs in various places around the Bay Area, specifically San Francisco at work. Lastly, delay of MMS and tethering since WWDC is yet another annoyance piled upon the previous ones. I’m already positive when tethering is announced, it will cost a ridiculous amount - already expecting the worst from the carrier.
At this juncture, here’s the bottom line. I’m not an AT&T cellular customer because I love AT&T. The only reason why I signed up is the iPhone. I will drop AT&T in a heartbeat and go with whatever other carrier offers the iPhone. It is Apple I love – I only use AT&T out of association.
No company should ever assume that a regular, paying customer actually likes and enjoys using your product. In AT&T’s case, I’m only a customer because I have no other choice.
With millions of iPhones sold in the US alone, there’s enough of a block of users that Apple can refer to us en masse. AT&T has to get its act together, or we walk. Many of us already halfway out the door.
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Posted In: Apple
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Oddly enough, I hear all of these people complaining about AT&T, and I've never had a problem. Not once in 6 years. I have also moved around quite a bit during those 6 years. :/
Just wait. I'm a 9 year AT&T / Cingular / AT&T member. If you ever have a complaint (and you will) it seems that AT&T puts you on the sh#t list or something. I called about not receiving text messages 3 years ago and the service has sucked since. All of the sudden places that I had reception before I don't get anymore. And if I try to call for anything anymore I get latifa answering saying that I don't have a text messaging plan when I clearly
had a family text plan. I think they rout numbers that have complained before to a different service and definitely customer service. I know it sounds kinda conspiracy theory “ish” but heck I don't know what else to think and oh ya it's not the phone. I've gotten a new iPhone every year and have tried other brand new phones. It's not a problem everyday but when I need AT&T to be there, they say screw you. So as soon as iPhone is available for anything besides them, I'm gone.
Yeah that is odd
Yeah that sounds totally conspiratorial and unlikely, but the fact
that I read your comment and even entertain the slim possibility it
could be true, shows how bummed I sometimes am with the service.
This is one instance where I really hope the government gets involved
and makes Apple break the exclusivity with AT&T and others. The cell
industry as a whole is overdue for a shakeup. I hope they get to the 2
year contract stuff, too.
http://consumerist.com/5309630/
Interesting extremes in the comments.
First we have somebody who either has owned an iPhone since 2003, or somehow doesn't get the fact that such a device actually means people *use* AT&T's network.
Then we from somebody who honestly believes that AT&T cares about individuals to the point of “blacklisting” people!
Reality is most likely somewhere in between. Maybe someplace where AT&T doesn't care about individuals to the point that they, well, just want business as usual. And someplace where the only US network worth a damn (read: has a backbone that can handle the traffic) – Verizon – didn't believe in Apple back in 2006.
Exclusive carriers are something everyone will look back on in 2019 and say “WTF!” about.
I understand that there were only three television networks back in the day. I hear that news – weather forecasts even! – were only had over these three about 2-3 times a day. Those were the days, right?
Sign this Twitition to force ATT and Apple to get a divorce:
http://twitition.com/ca49r
Im the only vote so far, hehe.