As I detailed in my last post, I got a new iPhone today. The one down side was that it took about two hours to restore to the settings of my last phone. I have no idea as to the capabilities of other phones to do this process, but it just seemed to be a bit on the long side for me.
I did not make any calls on the phone tonight, however I sent and received several texts. Things went very well texting. I had always assumed it was poor AT&T service, but it was odd to me that I texted with such ease. No fails yet. We will see how this new phone behaves in the long run, but this is a nice start.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Apple Store Disappoints, Reaffirms My Feelings
As I said in my last post, my problems are not with Apple. Apple told me in February that it would swap my phone for free, which was surprising because my phone was six months out of warranty at that point. I'm not sure if the store rep hooked me up simply because I had dropped so many calls, or if it was my smashing good looks.
All I had to do was go home and back everything up and come back. Well, I delayed this return trip until finally going into the store last week. Of course I forgot the paper given to me in February that quoted the swap as being free. This representative told me he would not swap the phone for free, but I could do it at $199 because I was so far out of warranty. (I was almost six months out of warranty in February and I'm almost ten months out of warranty now.)
I left the store in a salty mood. When I returned home, I picked up the work order and it almost looked like a contract from Apple with the $0.00 price quote. Thing is, I revel in situations like this. I was prepared to get into it with the manager, noting they had virtually gone back on their price quote. What kind of business is that? Then I could mention this blog, that several people come to me to ask about technology purchases, that I myself would be in the market for a computer soon and was considering Mac vs. PC, that I would contact other media.
Turns out I didn't need any of that firepower. It took a few moments for the manager to understand the situation, but he said, "If we said we would do the free swap then we will do the free swap." He was very professional and it was a good experience. Also had a good experience with my representative, who happened to be the same representative I had last week. He also had some advice for me when I told him I would be in the market for a computer soon.
All I had to do was go home and back everything up and come back. Well, I delayed this return trip until finally going into the store last week. Of course I forgot the paper given to me in February that quoted the swap as being free. This representative told me he would not swap the phone for free, but I could do it at $199 because I was so far out of warranty. (I was almost six months out of warranty in February and I'm almost ten months out of warranty now.)
I left the store in a salty mood. When I returned home, I picked up the work order and it almost looked like a contract from Apple with the $0.00 price quote. Thing is, I revel in situations like this. I was prepared to get into it with the manager, noting they had virtually gone back on their price quote. What kind of business is that? Then I could mention this blog, that several people come to me to ask about technology purchases, that I myself would be in the market for a computer soon and was considering Mac vs. PC, that I would contact other media.
Turns out I didn't need any of that firepower. It took a few moments for the manager to understand the situation, but he said, "If we said we would do the free swap then we will do the free swap." He was very professional and it was a good experience. Also had a good experience with my representative, who happened to be the same representative I had last week. He also had some advice for me when I told him I would be in the market for a computer soon.
The Decision
I've made a decision that I'm almost certainly making the move to Verizon after my contract is up in August. I love the iPhone but I'm not going to let it walk all over me when it can't carry out the basic function.
Will I miss it? Yes, I will. However, I am already taking up plans to have an iPod so I can still use all the services of my iPhone on WiFi. But I'm not going to sit around and play the "When will iPhone come to Verizon?" game. It is stupid. Make a decision based on what is going on and stick to it. I love the iPhone but I'm not going to wait with great anticipation for the big announcement. When I can get an iPhone that provides me with good service, I will get it when my phone contract permits. Until then, I'm going to confidently make a decision to go with another phone so that I can begin to enjoy the basic service I have not received since I've had a cell phone.
I suggest others do the same. Think about it. The reason the iPhone/Verizon storyline is so big is because there are so many disgruntled iPhone/AT&T subscribers. The storyline has lasted for years because these same people are addicted to the iPhone and would rather have a picture of fruit on the back of the phone that they use to play Words with Friends instead of valuing the ability to make a phone call over an icon and a game. The more people who make this decision, the more Apple will take notice.
Basically what I'm saying, iPhone... it's not you, it's your mother. I just can't take AT&T as my mother-in-law any longer.
Will I miss it? Yes, I will. However, I am already taking up plans to have an iPod so I can still use all the services of my iPhone on WiFi. But I'm not going to sit around and play the "When will iPhone come to Verizon?" game. It is stupid. Make a decision based on what is going on and stick to it. I love the iPhone but I'm not going to wait with great anticipation for the big announcement. When I can get an iPhone that provides me with good service, I will get it when my phone contract permits. Until then, I'm going to confidently make a decision to go with another phone so that I can begin to enjoy the basic service I have not received since I've had a cell phone.
I suggest others do the same. Think about it. The reason the iPhone/Verizon storyline is so big is because there are so many disgruntled iPhone/AT&T subscribers. The storyline has lasted for years because these same people are addicted to the iPhone and would rather have a picture of fruit on the back of the phone that they use to play Words with Friends instead of valuing the ability to make a phone call over an icon and a game. The more people who make this decision, the more Apple will take notice.
Basically what I'm saying, iPhone... it's not you, it's your mother. I just can't take AT&T as my mother-in-law any longer.
Monthly Fails #16-26, Cumulative Fails #141-151
-Visited New Orleans. Was there for 5 days and dropped 2 texts. It's not limited to Columbus.
-Upon returning to Columbus, I was waiting by the baggage claim and I dropped 2 more texts while waiting. Welcome back right?
-I was home for a few days and I dropped 2 calls and 3 texts. Also an instance of failed 3G service.
-I did a house sitting job in Westerville for 8 days and service was much better there. A nice break...
-Had a voicemail show up without a missed call yesterday.
-Upon returning to Columbus, I was waiting by the baggage claim and I dropped 2 more texts while waiting. Welcome back right?
-I was home for a few days and I dropped 2 calls and 3 texts. Also an instance of failed 3G service.
-I did a house sitting job in Westerville for 8 days and service was much better there. A nice break...
-Had a voicemail show up without a missed call yesterday.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Monthly Fails #13-15, Cumulative Fails #138-140
Lots of posts from me lately, but it only happens with lots of fails...
-Failed text. Went through the second time.
-Dropped phone call.
-Voicemail appeared out of nowhere.
(All tonight at home)
-Failed text. Went through the second time.
-Dropped phone call.
-Voicemail appeared out of nowhere.
(All tonight at home)
Monthly Fails #9-12, Cumulative Fails #134-137
-Dropped a call at home last night.
-Failed to complete a call on several attempts this afternoon at home.
-Dropped a call about an hour ago at home.
-Dropped a call just moments ago at home.
Just no luck on any voice connection while I'm at home for about three weeks now.
-Failed to complete a call on several attempts this afternoon at home.
-Dropped a call about an hour ago at home.
-Dropped a call just moments ago at home.
Just no luck on any voice connection while I'm at home for about three weeks now.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
iPhone to Verizon? Not Until 2012
Found this article on CNN that says the AT&T/iPhone exclusivity goes through 2012. And that will be the clincher for me. Two more years of this service? I think not. I'll honor my contract until August and then I'm gone. Besides, I still need to visit an AT&T store to get my peace. (I feel sorry for whoever waits on me that day.)
Monthly Fails #1-8, Cumulative Fails #126-133
Starting the May cycle that begins May 8:
-4 dropped calls
-2 phantom voicemails
-2 failed texts
-4 dropped calls
-2 phantom voicemails
-2 failed texts
Monthly Fails #40-53, Cumulative Fails #112-125
To finish out my month of April:
-8 dropped calls. The service overall got really lousy in that last week of April and things have continued since. The most infuriating experience I had was when I conscientiously waited to return a call until I left my house, since that's when most of the problems occur. I was out on High St, the most notable street in Columbus, not more than seven or eight miles from downtown, and I dropped the call. I called back and it dropped again. I returned it once more to tell the guy that I would have to call him later on. He said even that call was breaking up. This incident will count as four fails, one for each of the dropped calls, one for the call that was breaking up and on its way to being dropped and one because I couldn't have a conversation with a guy when I needed to when clearly I should be in a coverage zone. I find it disgusting that AT&T's commercials note they cover 97% of Americans, but I couldn't have a conversation with someone while I was outdoors in the metropolis of the 16th largest city in the U.S.
-4 voicemails showed up out of nowhere - and two of these showed up while I was outside of my house. As I have noted, most of my problems with this phone arise from being inside my house. But since that last month of April, the problems are much more widespread than that.
-2 failed texts.
-8 dropped calls. The service overall got really lousy in that last week of April and things have continued since. The most infuriating experience I had was when I conscientiously waited to return a call until I left my house, since that's when most of the problems occur. I was out on High St, the most notable street in Columbus, not more than seven or eight miles from downtown, and I dropped the call. I called back and it dropped again. I returned it once more to tell the guy that I would have to call him later on. He said even that call was breaking up. This incident will count as four fails, one for each of the dropped calls, one for the call that was breaking up and on its way to being dropped and one because I couldn't have a conversation with a guy when I needed to when clearly I should be in a coverage zone. I find it disgusting that AT&T's commercials note they cover 97% of Americans, but I couldn't have a conversation with someone while I was outdoors in the metropolis of the 16th largest city in the U.S.
-4 voicemails showed up out of nowhere - and two of these showed up while I was outside of my house. As I have noted, most of my problems with this phone arise from being inside my house. But since that last month of April, the problems are much more widespread than that.
-2 failed texts.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Record Fail Rate, Monthly Fails 18-39, Cumulative Fails 92-111
Been a horrid week of service. It seems I can't even complete a call indoors right now...
Since we've last spoken:
-6 failed texts
-9 (plus 1) dropped/failed to complete calls. Three of these occurred occurred while I was housesitting in Westerville, an area where I have normally had very good service. I'm also going to add an extra fail because after my phone dropped three calls last night alone and another the night before I gave up on making a phone call I intended to make. The only phone calls I've completed in the last three nights have been when I go outside... and it hasn't exactly been warm out there after the sun goes down.
-3 voicemails appear out of nowhere, including one that happened while on I-71 between Columbus and Cleveland.
-4 instances where I tried to use the internet but there was no service. Two of these occurred while on I-71 today.
Since we've last spoken:
-6 failed texts
-9 (plus 1) dropped/failed to complete calls. Three of these occurred occurred while I was housesitting in Westerville, an area where I have normally had very good service. I'm also going to add an extra fail because after my phone dropped three calls last night alone and another the night before I gave up on making a phone call I intended to make. The only phone calls I've completed in the last three nights have been when I go outside... and it hasn't exactly been warm out there after the sun goes down.
-3 voicemails appear out of nowhere, including one that happened while on I-71 between Columbus and Cleveland.
-4 instances where I tried to use the internet but there was no service. Two of these occurred while on I-71 today.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
April Fails #1-16, Cumulative Fails #75-90
A new month of billing and AT&T is trying to make sure this month will be its worst month of coverage yet for me. And it should be noted I am not using my phone nearly as often as I was in March. This month so far:
-7 failed texts - the most recent of which went to five people and it failed while sending the last one. I tried to send just to who I think was the last recipient (not sure if iPhone sends in the same order in which I load recipients) and that failed again before going through.
-3 outgoing calls that could not be completed
-4 dropped calls (including one while setting up an interview with a potential employer, big thanks on that one AT&T)
-2 moments of no service at all while in a public place. (Again, I don't even count when these moments happen at my house.) The point of this is that I had no Wifi and so I could not use the internet. And again, we're not talking the basement of some warehouse in the country, this is was the first floor of a coffee shop only about three miles from downtown Columbus.
-7 failed texts - the most recent of which went to five people and it failed while sending the last one. I tried to send just to who I think was the last recipient (not sure if iPhone sends in the same order in which I load recipients) and that failed again before going through.
-3 outgoing calls that could not be completed
-4 dropped calls (including one while setting up an interview with a potential employer, big thanks on that one AT&T)
-2 moments of no service at all while in a public place. (Again, I don't even count when these moments happen at my house.) The point of this is that I had no Wifi and so I could not use the internet. And again, we're not talking the basement of some warehouse in the country, this is was the first floor of a coffee shop only about three miles from downtown Columbus.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Monthly Fails #32-37, Cumulative Fails #69-74
More fails over the last few days:
-Failed to send at least three texts
-Two dropped calls, one while setting up a job interview... that last one made for lots of fun!
-Failed to complete a call
I am not proud to announce that a new milestone was set with this past month's billing cycle that ended April 8. Thirty-seven fails in one month, a new record made possible by AT&T.
I admit I sent my into all out oblivion this month and had to take out an unlimited number of texts for the first time. (A cap of 1500 texts was not enough given I was in Vegas and had tons of work to do on the fantasy baseball league I run.) But I'm sure AT&T will strive to make this coming bill cycle even more painful for me.
And even better news to report: No Verizon + iPhone mentioned in the most recent geek conference. However, I maintain that since a contract between Apple and AT&T likely lasts for a certain number of years and since the iPhone was introduced in June three years ago, the contract will not end until June of 20XX. The question is just what numbers XX represents.
-Failed to send at least three texts
-Two dropped calls, one while setting up a job interview... that last one made for lots of fun!
-Failed to complete a call
I am not proud to announce that a new milestone was set with this past month's billing cycle that ended April 8. Thirty-seven fails in one month, a new record made possible by AT&T.
I admit I sent my into all out oblivion this month and had to take out an unlimited number of texts for the first time. (A cap of 1500 texts was not enough given I was in Vegas and had tons of work to do on the fantasy baseball league I run.) But I'm sure AT&T will strive to make this coming bill cycle even more painful for me.
And even better news to report: No Verizon + iPhone mentioned in the most recent geek conference. However, I maintain that since a contract between Apple and AT&T likely lasts for a certain number of years and since the iPhone was introduced in June three years ago, the contract will not end until June of 20XX. The question is just what numbers XX represents.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Monthly Fail #29-30, Overall Fail #66-67
Wednesday night, March 31:
-Failed to send a text
-Received four texts from the previous half hour or so all at once
-Failed to send a text
-Received four texts from the previous half hour or so all at once
Monthly Fail #26-28, Overall Fail #63-65
Tuesday night, March 30:
-Failed to send a text
-Failed to send another text
-Received a voicemail despite no missed call
-Failed to send a text
-Failed to send another text
-Received a voicemail despite no missed call
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Monthly Fail #24-25, Overall Fail #61-62
Forgot about two fails:
-March 24: Received about seven texts all at once from various people. They had been sent throughout the previous half hour but all came late. (Should count this as multiple fails but I will give AT&T the benefit.)
-March 25: Received a text about 25 minutes after it was sent.
-March 24: Received about seven texts all at once from various people. They had been sent throughout the previous half hour but all came late. (Should count this as multiple fails but I will give AT&T the benefit.)
-March 25: Received a text about 25 minutes after it was sent.
A word about lack of service...
No doubt you have seen how bad my service is. I want to take a moment to note what my service is like on a routine basis, because these are not being documented as fails so far.
My phone frequently says I have service at home, or elsewhere. It is usually 3G service, but not always. Whatever the case, I am almost always in populous destinations in Columbus. Here are some things I have to do:
-No internet or slow internet... It is rare when I have internet access at home on 3G. My phone is supposed to connect to my wireless internet, but it logs off after I send the phone to sleep mode. That means if I don't touch it for about 15 seconds I have lost wireless.
-I have probably held my phone up to a window about 15 times this year to send a text
-When I have a phone call, I talk outside if the temperature is OK or I try to stay near a window.
-When I have very few bars or no bars I shut the phone completely off and then turn it back on in hopes it will pick up a signal better.
This stuff just doesn't get documented but it should.
My phone frequently says I have service at home, or elsewhere. It is usually 3G service, but not always. Whatever the case, I am almost always in populous destinations in Columbus. Here are some things I have to do:
-No internet or slow internet... It is rare when I have internet access at home on 3G. My phone is supposed to connect to my wireless internet, but it logs off after I send the phone to sleep mode. That means if I don't touch it for about 15 seconds I have lost wireless.
-I have probably held my phone up to a window about 15 times this year to send a text
-When I have a phone call, I talk outside if the temperature is OK or I try to stay near a window.
-When I have very few bars or no bars I shut the phone completely off and then turn it back on in hopes it will pick up a signal better.
This stuff just doesn't get documented but it should.
Monthly Fails #1-23, Annual Fails #38-60
I started a new billing cycle so here is a new post to bring it all present:
March 9: Dropped call on I-71 inside of I-270 in Columbus during the afternoon. Really no excuse for this.
March 9: Failed in three attempts to send a text to a friend. It finally went through on the fourth try.
March 11: Dropped call
March 12: Watched a basketball game at a bar downtown. Failed to send a text. Service goes in and out all the time while at this bar. In order to send a text at one point I went over to the door and held the phone up to the door's window. I can't believe I'm doing this...
March 17-22: I went to Vegas and service was absolutely terrible. I was not able to document everything properly. I think I dropped a call or two, but I can tell you I failed to send at least 10 texts during these days. In addition, there were moments where I simply had no service. I am counting this as 15 fails. AT&T is horrendous in Vegas.
March 24: Back in Columbus. Failed to send a text on two separate occasions.
March 25: Failed to send a text.
March 25: Failed to complete a call.
March 9: Dropped call on I-71 inside of I-270 in Columbus during the afternoon. Really no excuse for this.
March 9: Failed in three attempts to send a text to a friend. It finally went through on the fourth try.
March 11: Dropped call
March 12: Watched a basketball game at a bar downtown. Failed to send a text. Service goes in and out all the time while at this bar. In order to send a text at one point I went over to the door and held the phone up to the door's window. I can't believe I'm doing this...
March 17-22: I went to Vegas and service was absolutely terrible. I was not able to document everything properly. I think I dropped a call or two, but I can tell you I failed to send at least 10 texts during these days. In addition, there were moments where I simply had no service. I am counting this as 15 fails. AT&T is horrendous in Vegas.
March 24: Back in Columbus. Failed to send a text on two separate occasions.
March 25: Failed to send a text.
March 25: Failed to complete a call.
Monthly Fail #6-13, Overall Fail #30-37
I failed to update for a long time but I kept a record as best I could of fails. Here's what we have:
Mid-Feb. - Dropped call at the beginning of a conversation. Called back and talked without incident for about 40 minutes.
Mid-Feb. - Failed text
Late-Feb. - Was driving around in Columbus and received no phone calls. One voicemail showed up out of nowhere.
Same day as last one - Exact same situation, same day
Late-Feb. - Dropped two calls with someone who works for Verizon... how ironic.
March 6 - Voicemail with no missed call while in Clintonville
March 6 - Voicemail with no missed call while in another part of Clintonville
March 6 - Missed a call from my sister while I was at home
Mid-Feb. - Dropped call at the beginning of a conversation. Called back and talked without incident for about 40 minutes.
Mid-Feb. - Failed text
Late-Feb. - Was driving around in Columbus and received no phone calls. One voicemail showed up out of nowhere.
Same day as last one - Exact same situation, same day
Late-Feb. - Dropped two calls with someone who works for Verizon... how ironic.
March 6 - Voicemail with no missed call while in Clintonville
March 6 - Voicemail with no missed call while in another part of Clintonville
March 6 - Missed a call from my sister while I was at home
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monthly Fail #5, Overall Fail #29
That previous fail came on Sunday. This fail came Monday. I received a text and responded accordingly, then left the text app on my phone as I often do. But no, I need to oversee the whole process as though I'm some evil warehouse micromanager overseeing some poor commoner on an assembly line. I received a second text from the same person and noticed the red '!' symbol denoting my text did not go through. I resent.
Monthly Fail #4, Overall Fail #28
Had just started a phone call to discuss an exciting matter with a friend when the call was dropped. I called him back and told him I would try him the next day if I was dropped again, but the drop never happened. So that's it... I have to threaten my phone and it will cooperate.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Month Fail #3 - Overall Fail #27
Tried four times in a row to send a text message Monday night and it finally went out on the fifth try.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Monthly Fail #1 - Overall Fail #25
Saturday ended the first month of fail documentation on this blog and we had a total of 24 fails. I will be in contact with AT&T before I pay my next bill and I will post what happens.
With a new month in mind, I will start classifying fails as they happen monthly while still keeping track of overall fails.
Since I averaged almost one fail per day during the first month of documentation, it was only fitting that I got a fail on the first day of the new billing cycle. It came yesterday in the form of a voicemail despite no missed call. Also a website I visited failed to load when I was at a friend's house after the big game. (I won't use the trademark.) However, I can't confirm that the website wasn't overloaded so no room to judge the 3G network based on circumstantial evidence.
With a new month in mind, I will start classifying fails as they happen monthly while still keeping track of overall fails.
Since I averaged almost one fail per day during the first month of documentation, it was only fitting that I got a fail on the first day of the new billing cycle. It came yesterday in the form of a voicemail despite no missed call. Also a website I visited failed to load when I was at a friend's house after the big game. (I won't use the trademark.) However, I can't confirm that the website wasn't overloaded so no room to judge the 3G network based on circumstantial evidence.
Fail #24
Failed to send a text message on Saturday. Tried to send again and failed again. Held up to the window like it was the year 2000 and it went through. I finally figured it out... my service is trapped in the year 2000.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Fail #23?
Plenty of fails on Monday, but none since. The last fail may not have failed at all. I sent a text message to two recipients. I am able to tell as each message goes through and it appeared that it went to the first recipient and not the second. The failed text message signal appeared. I decided I didn't need to try to resend. But then the second recipient texted me back. So not sure what happened on this one...
Fail #22
Had another drop on Monday. This was an important, business-like call. I called the person back on a land line a few minutes later. She said she called me back twice and neither call came through. She also left a voicemail on one of the calls and it did not show up on my phone for about a half hour.
Fail #21
Was talking to a buddy on Monday while I was at home. The call was dropped, but we were not sure if it was him or me. Doesn't really matter though since we are both iPhone users.
Fail #20
Disclaimer: Don't judge me for going to Panera more than the average male. I get some good work done there.
Was at Panera last Thursday and dropped another call. But this wasn't any dropped call. Do you ever get one of those drops that it feels like an atomic bomb detonated. They happen rarely, but these are the types of dropped calls I look forward to. There is a loud static-like sound that dimly fades to silence, as opposed to the 'ole AT&T triple beep.
Anyway, that's what happened last week. Seems my buddy was blown up by this bomb. Poor guy.
Was at Panera last Thursday and dropped another call. But this wasn't any dropped call. Do you ever get one of those drops that it feels like an atomic bomb detonated. They happen rarely, but these are the types of dropped calls I look forward to. There is a loud static-like sound that dimly fades to silence, as opposed to the 'ole AT&T triple beep.
Anyway, that's what happened last week. Seems my buddy was blown up by this bomb. Poor guy.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
No Verizon for iPhone... Yet?
Lost amid yesterday's iPad announcement is the disappointment of many iPhone users that there was no announcement about Verizon or any other service carrying the iPhone.
Here's more on that.
While I'm disappointed, I can't say I'm surprised. I guess Verizon operates a different technology than AT&T, but I don't understand the technobabble. It looks like Verizon is rolling out a new technology later this year that will still be different from AT&T. Then we could see Apple dump AT&T as the sole provider.
Another thing I thought of... No matter when the Apple/AT&T contract ends, won't it be in the middle of the year? The iPhone was unveiled in June or July of 2006, right? My guess is that we can assume the contract lasts for X number of years, meaning it will still end in June or July. As for which year it ends your guess is as good as mine. But I wouldn't be surprised that when the announcement comes, it happens as a last minute in June thing and then Verizon is selling the phone two weeks later. Am I on to something here?
Here's more on that.
While I'm disappointed, I can't say I'm surprised. I guess Verizon operates a different technology than AT&T, but I don't understand the technobabble. It looks like Verizon is rolling out a new technology later this year that will still be different from AT&T. Then we could see Apple dump AT&T as the sole provider.
Another thing I thought of... No matter when the Apple/AT&T contract ends, won't it be in the middle of the year? The iPhone was unveiled in June or July of 2006, right? My guess is that we can assume the contract lasts for X number of years, meaning it will still end in June or July. As for which year it ends your guess is as good as mine. But I wouldn't be surprised that when the announcement comes, it happens as a last minute in June thing and then Verizon is selling the phone two weeks later. Am I on to something here?
Fail #19
Got a voicemail yesterday from a friend. He said he called me three times... none of them came through. I got the voicemail a minute or two later. In AT&T's defense, it is possible I was in the basement as he called. I don't know whether or not to expect to have cell phone service in a basement at this point.
Fail #18
Was in Cleveland last weekend. I tried to access internet while using the 3G coverage my phone alleged I had, but web pages took a long time to load. I am wondering if this is what Owen Wilson is talking about when he mentions a better 3G experience?
And now a question to that ad, iPhone users: How often do you feel the need to be on the web while talking on the phone? I've probably done that like twice in a year and a half. Big selling point.
And now a question to that ad, iPhone users: How often do you feel the need to be on the web while talking on the phone? I've probably done that like twice in a year and a half. Big selling point.
Fail #17
January 22: Called someone and the call was dropped after a few seconds. She called me back and things were fine after that.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Fail #15
My sister's car broke down yesterday in the late afternoon. Usually what this means for me is I go to wherever she is to see if I can understand what is wrong. Upon hearing about AAA towing her car in shame to the mechanic's I asked why she didn't call me before calling them. She said she did - twice. I just didn't get the calls.
*Usually calls that I don't receive are the most difficult thing to track. Luckily over the last two days I have been informed that I did not get calls. If you have trouble getting a hold of me, please let me know so I can document it properly!
*Usually calls that I don't receive are the most difficult thing to track. Luckily over the last two days I have been informed that I did not get calls. If you have trouble getting a hold of me, please let me know so I can document it properly!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Fail #14
I returned a call late this morning and after about 20 seconds my call was dropped. He returned the call but I could not hear anything. We ended up communicating via email since it is easier than using AT&T these days.
Fail #13
I had solid coverage at home for a whole week, but now things have reverted back to the old ways of spotty coverage. Yesterday I answered a call, but heard nothing on the other line. The caller told me he received a hang-up signal.
When I called him back we had coverage go in and out for a few moments. He is also an iPhone user and we can't be sure whether it was him or me that went out. My coverage at my house is notedly bad and he says he goes through a dead zone in the area of Greater Columbus in which he was driving.
During our conversation he received another call and he called me back. He said he called twice and was sent to voicemail after two rings in each call. I never received either of these calls. His third call came through and we wrapped up our embattled conversation.
When I called him back we had coverage go in and out for a few moments. He is also an iPhone user and we can't be sure whether it was him or me that went out. My coverage at my house is notedly bad and he says he goes through a dead zone in the area of Greater Columbus in which he was driving.
During our conversation he received another call and he called me back. He said he called twice and was sent to voicemail after two rings in each call. I never received either of these calls. His third call came through and we wrapped up our embattled conversation.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Fail #11
Attempting to ensure adequate coverage for my last phone call, I went to a local Panera. Also thought I could get some work done. Knowing I had a long wait for my call to get beyond hold, I put on the headphones to listen to elevator music for about 15 minutes. Finally, I got through and was figuring out the next step with this insurance. As I got toward finishing what I needed to do - probably within two minutes of finishing the call - I was dropped. The call totaled 19 minutes. That's 19 minutes wasted... and 15 minutes more of elevator music I get to listen to when I call back... Awesome...
Fail #10
Normally a dropped call is cause for lots of frustration. Say you are in the middle of a 10-minute phone call when your call is dropped after six minutes. You have to reconnect with whomever you were talking to to finish the four minutes of the conversation. The one thing you have going for you is that at least you have the six minutes under your belt.
Made a call about my insurance today and got stuck on the old "All representatives are busy. Your call is important to us and will be answered in the order in which it was received." After about a minute on hold my call was dropped.
These are the worst types of dropped calls because you lost your spot in the hold line. Instead of having made some progress in my call, I have to start all over. If I was destined to spend 10 minutes in a hold wait line and I make it six minutes in before the call drops, I don't get to call back and finish out my four minutes. I have to start over. In this case my saving grace is that it was just one minute and not 10 minutes. Still, it is a complete waste of time rather than simply annoying to call back.
Made a call about my insurance today and got stuck on the old "All representatives are busy. Your call is important to us and will be answered in the order in which it was received." After about a minute on hold my call was dropped.
These are the worst types of dropped calls because you lost your spot in the hold line. Instead of having made some progress in my call, I have to start all over. If I was destined to spend 10 minutes in a hold wait line and I make it six minutes in before the call drops, I don't get to call back and finish out my four minutes. I have to start over. In this case my saving grace is that it was just one minute and not 10 minutes. Still, it is a complete waste of time rather than simply annoying to call back.
Fail #9
Failed to send a text message. Tried again. Failed. Decided to update the blog, which took about five minutes or so. Just tried again and it went through.
Fail #8
Received a voicemail today at 11:00. Usually a voicemail is preceded by a missed call, but not with AT&T. The voicemail originated at 10:15 with no call coming through and 45 minutes for the voicemail to show up.
Fail #7
I had been amazed that my service at home had been much better since I started this blog. Well, that run of good luck is gone.
Failed to send a text on Sunday. It promptly when through when I resent.
Failed to send a text on Sunday. It promptly when through when I resent.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Fail #6
Another day at the library, another day of fails. I failed to send a text message, but lucked out because I had to run to my car to grab something I forgot. The text went through when I went outside. Now I know how a dog feels when you let him out to use the bathroom... it's just I run outside with the pure joy that my phone might actually work.
As I sent text messages throughout the rest of the day I got up and stood by the window to make sure they were successful going out. I felt like I was in the year 2000. (And speaking of Conan, I am with Coco too.)
Unfortunately, my window method helped me little when receiving texts. Someone sent me a text at 6:48 saying I should leave right then in time to make it somewhere at 7:00, which would have been helpful had I not received the text at 7:30.
And don't even bother to wonder about Words Free... 3G coverage doesn't exist inside the library, but I did get a couple of Words in during that walk to use the bathr-- I mean, my breath of fresh air to use my phone.
As I sent text messages throughout the rest of the day I got up and stood by the window to make sure they were successful going out. I felt like I was in the year 2000. (And speaking of Conan, I am with Coco too.)
Unfortunately, my window method helped me little when receiving texts. Someone sent me a text at 6:48 saying I should leave right then in time to make it somewhere at 7:00, which would have been helpful had I not received the text at 7:30.
And don't even bother to wonder about Words Free... 3G coverage doesn't exist inside the library, but I did get a couple of Words in during that walk to use the bathr-- I mean, my breath of fresh air to use my phone.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Fail #5
At the library on January 13... not even a Friday the 13th and I still couldn't get a full day of service from my carrier. Service was in and out, per the norm when I'm at the library. Tried to send a text but it didn't go through. It went through on the second try. Got a call that I had to decline but the corresponding voicemail didn't show up on my phone until I got home about an hour later.
Fail #4
One of the topics of discussion at the bar in the previous topic was a Vegas trip I hope to go on in March. I wanted to inform our Vegas leader that our friend I met at the bar is probably game for this trip, so I gave him a call on my way home. He didn't answer, but he called me back. I was in a bit of a predicament when he returned the call... I must admit I was on the can. I answered anyway, but my phone failed to connect. My minute counter stayed stuck at zero and I'm not sure if my friend could hear me. I finished my business and tried to call again, but I got the hang-up/busy signal... yes, if you have AT&T that still exists. Tried him again an hour later and got through when the AT&T Gods smiled upon me.
Fail #3
I had a meeting at a bar last night. Yes, it was a real meeting. During the meeting I tried to send a text message to two people, but I got the 'ole Send Message Failure. Afterwards, still bubbling with excitement over my Scrabble app, I wanted to show another friend. Imagine my shock when once again I had no 3G coverage in the bar. At least this time my phone didn't lie to me about having 3G service. It was one of those cases where I had that single service bar. It's like that bar is there to mock you. It's not like you have no service or service that you can just get by. Nope, you have really poor service, the kind where if you try to make a call it will take a minute to try to dial only to drop the call once your friend picks up.
Fail #2
Two nights ago, on the night of January 11, I was minding my own business at a local Chipotle. At 9:30pm, it was a late dinner for me. I had my norm: a chicken burrito with no beans, mild salsa, the slightest bit of medium salsa (they usually add more than I care for), sour cream and cheese. Pretty standard as far as Chipotle is concerned. Over dinner I was discussing an iPhone application with my friend. It's called Words Free, an online version of Scrabble and I have been addicted since I got it a week ago. I was very eager to show my friend the app, but unfortunately for me I could not access the app even though my phone said I had 3G service. I wanted to throw my burrito, but we all know only bad things can happen when you throw your burrito.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Fail #1
Attempted to send text message at 12:25pm in Columbus. Send failed. Attempted a second time and message went through.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Welcome to the Blog
Please see the summary for the blog on the sidebar. We will get started on January 9 since that is the first day of the month for my coverage. That way when the month ends we will have an accurate portrayal of how many calls and texts fail against the ratio of total calls/texts I receive and send.
Hope you enjoy the blog and it helps you make an informed decision on your phone service. Please feel free to share your experiences with AT&T, both good and bad, by commenting on this blog.
Hope you enjoy the blog and it helps you make an informed decision on your phone service. Please feel free to share your experiences with AT&T, both good and bad, by commenting on this blog.
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