“It has some downsides and limitations—most important, the overwhelmed AT&T network in the U.S., which, in my tests, the new phone handled sometimes better and, unfortunately, sometimes worse than its predecessor. But, overall, Apple has delivered a big, well-designed update that, in my view, keeps it in the lead in the smartphone wars,” Mossberg reports.
“The most important downside of the iPhone 4 is that, in the U.S., it’s shackled to AT&T, which not only still operates a network that has trouble connecting and maintaining calls in many cities, but now has abandoned unlimited, flat-rate data plans,” Mossberg reports. “Apple needs a second network.”
MacDailyNews Take: Hear, hear!
Mossberg continues, “However, on at least six occasions during my tests, the new iPhone was either reporting ‘no service’ or searching for a network while the old one, held in my other hand, was showing at least a couple of bars. Neither Apple nor AT&T could explain this. The iPhone 4 quickly recovered in these situations, showing service after a few seconds, but it was still troubling.”
“Just as with its predecessors, I can’t recommend this new iPhone for voice calling for people who experience poor AT&T reception, unless they are willing to carry a second phone on a network that works better for them,” Mossberg reports. “For everyone else, however, I’d say that Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class.”
Full review here.
MacDailyNews Take: The AT&T millstone around Apple’s neck pollutes what should be a wonderful review. Read it and weep, Mr. Jobs. Then wise up – unless you continue to want your beautiful products to be obscured and marred by inept, greedy third-parties whose exclusive deals outlived their usefulness at least a year ago.
Couldn’t agree more with the MDN take.
Not everyone lives in NYC and SF. I’ve had an iPhone since day one three years ago and find it just as good, if not better, than any other mobile phone I’ve had phone wise…here in Central Texas.
I know AT&T;has had clogged ‘tubes’ in places, but where I live, everything’s fine.
Well, I live I. St. Louis, Missouri, and my iPhone is the worst cell phone I’ve ever owned for making calls. I get dropped half the time. My secondary phone doesn’t drop at all, and it’s AT&T;as well. At some point, I’m going to have to start blaming the iPhone and not AT&T;.
MDN, I sense you’re holding back. C’mon, tell us how you REALLY feel.
AT&T;provides good service in my neck of the woods, Verizon doesn’t. I take my iPhone to Europe and Asia with some frequency. International data plans aren’t cheap but at least they work. I’ll be back to Northern California in August so I’ll give a shout-out if connectivity for me just stinks.
State-side competition will be good when/if it occurs in 2011. Until then, I won’t complain much. My “unlimited” data plan with AT&T;seems to be grandfathered. We’ll see. New iPhone should arrive sometime tomorrow.
MDN needs to shut the f#*k up about At&T;. Apple entered into a “contract” with At&T;and they are honoring that contract. Steve is not a fool, as MDN is hinting at in their take, and I would assume he has a plan to get away from At&T;as soon as thecontract will allow. Yes, At&T;’s network sucks… get over it. This is how it is gong to be up until Steve has a chance to bolt from them.
once again, I have had excellent performance from ATT for the three years i have had my iPhones. no complaints and each one of them has been the best phone i have ever owned. Still have the Verizon blackberry, and it drops calls constantly with slow data. so, in my neck of the woods at least, i have had the reverse of the common wisdom.
GSM “the world standard” is holding the iPhone back as there is NO overall reliable GSM carrier in the US. To cover the US reliably Apple NEEDS to get a CDMA version to market ASAP!
I’m changing from o2 to Vodafone when I get my iPhone 4, just because I’ve been on o2 since 2005. It’s time for a change…
Partners of Apple tend to get better. Since Verizon has its own set of problems, I’d be nice if AT&T;continues to improve.
Otherwise, people should somehow convince AT&T;to compete/backstab Apple, would would cause its eventual demise. (see Dell, MS, Adobe…)
Not to worry iPhone lovers in poor reception areas, the reason that AT&T;is giving early renewals is because they know that their exclusive contract in near its end. As in the next six months.
If there really is a 5-year exclusivity contract with ATT, what do you propose Apple do about it? Just unilaterally break the contract, and get sued by ATT?
I live in eastern pa between phila and Baltimore have had an iPhone from the first model .dropped calls less than 1% over 3 years .if you don’t live in ny or sf and I have visited those places several times with very few problems ,I think the service is the same as my verizon buddies.bottom line it makes a phone call just fine. I can’t wait till it’s on verizon or whoever and then see hoe their networks handle it!
I’ve had all the iPhone models and I have never had a problem with AT&T;here in Miami. Lucky me I guess.
Q for MDN: Please tell us the exact day and time you abandoned your long held position that lord Jobs was omnipotent.
This is bigger news than some announcement that a new version of his phone is going on sale. Thank you very much.
Gone is the Uncle Walt entry in the address book of Steve Jobs. Steve was already just barely suffering Walt because of his pesky questions that seemed to suggest that Steve may not be the most revolutionary, magical, amazing and smartest person on the planet.
Or, even more frustrating to Steve, that Walt would hold those opinions about any of the revolutionary Apple gear.
Time to get everyone off AT&T so I can have it all to myself.
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I have both AT&T;and verizon pomes, also a mifi with verizon. I travel the country as a truck driver. From my experiences with both phones side by side, I get more 3 g coverage throughout the US. I am a very heavy data user since I use ootunes radio app on iPhone to listen to sports radio back home. I use about 2 gig on AT&T;& 7- 11 gigs on verizon per month. Another problem I have with AT&T;, is that I have more dropped calls in larger cities like Dallas, Texas of all places. Would prefer iPhone on Sprint and T-Mobile instead of Verizon. They are the greediest bastards. They will probably try to force apple to sell apps for each device, just to make more money.
A T & T is the KING of dropped calls. So is the iPhone. Amazing review here. The iPhone is great product! As long as you have another phone around to make calls! Incredible!
I have had an iPhone from day 1. I have never had an issue with AT&T;coverage in metro west Boston. I just traveled to Hilton Head SC and had NO 3G coverage anywhere and no cell service in many areas. WTF
This is one of the wealthiest places in the US and there is no coverage. Come on!
It’s funny, at D8 Jobs commented that one of the things that really pissed him off about Flash is how they kept saying they were going to turn things around and improve/fix things soon. AT&T;has been singing this for 3 years now, making promises they have not kept, and yet they are still the only provider. I personally do not have that many problems with it. Do I drop a call every now and then? Sure. But not to the point where it turns my iPhone into an iPod. I call back and its fine. However, I hope they open up to everyone soon, to take pressure/load off one carrier, and squash other phones who keep holding on to the carrier-advantage. Lets hope they add all sorts of providers as soon as they can, because at this point that is the only upgrade/modification that matters.
Conclusion: it all depends on where you live.
bizlaw,
Yes, and where most people live, and most importantly for Apple, where most reviewers live, AT&T sucks.
Stop expecting a second carrier. At the initial debut of iPhone jobs said he signed a five year exclusive contract with AT&T;that he would absolutely honor. Then he thanked them for trusting him and his team.
Five years. When that’s done you can expect a second carrier.
I still love AT&T;and under no circumstances would I ever switch away from them.
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