So I've come to the realization that 3G doesn't cut it anymore trying to use the web on your phone. Since the iPhone5 isn't going to have 4g, I've been looking at other carriers.

How is the 4g coverage and service in Raleigh with Sprint and Verizon? I used a friends 4g phone in Charlotte recently and it was blazing fast, and Flash actually worked making it a non frustrating experience. Tethering off it was faster than my roadrunner at home. I think we can admit Apple is behind the times, nobody has a better option. Maybe Google will make use of their $12B purchase.

Anyways, how's the 4g coverage near campus and surrounding areas?

8/29/2011 11:50:16 PM

how do you know the iphone 5 won't have 4g? there are rumors it will...

Raleigh's coverage is good. The network isn't as fast as the speeds i got down in Orlando, but it's definitely quicker than the 3g by a WIDE margin.

8/29/2011 11:59:31 PM

apple isn't going to release an iphone that's got a superior implementation on verizon and att lte in 1-2 years off

8/30/2011 7:35:21 AM

Verizon's LTE is insanely fast. Super great in the Raleigh area, but it hasn't spread to the 'burbs in Holly Springs yet. RDU is covered, FWIW.

8/30/2011 7:43:00 AM

on my thunderbolt (verizon 4G LTE), my speedtest just gave me:

89ms ping
6157kbps down
6114kbps up

i could probably get faster in other parts of raleigh, or if i were outside

8/30/2011 7:50:50 AM

Sprints blows...coverage is crap. and it seems like my evo 4g and evo 3d don't auto connect to 4g towers. if it doesn't find one it puts a notification up saying "tap here to re-scan." dont know if it rescans on it's own...ive always left it turned off.

in general, if it's data you're after, i would avoid sprint as there was a definite drop off compared with my data quality on at&t and verizon versus after the move to sprint.

8/30/2011 12:24:20 PM

Quote :

"So I've come to the realization that 3G doesn't cut it anymore trying to use the web on your phone."

I'm curious how you came to this realization. Do you do a lot of tethering, and downloading of files over your phone, or are you simply talking about browsing on your phone's browser?

It's been a couple of years since I've lived in Raleigh, but the 3G was more than adequate for simple browsing when I was there. Has it really fallen off that much lately?

8/30/2011 1:11:36 PM

I'm impressed with Verizon's LTE. Battery life is shit even in standby but at least you can turn it off until you need it and get half decent battery life.

8/30/2011 1:11:45 PM

Well moron, I don't think Apple has any excuse to not release a 4g phone. Although it comes out in a few weeks and the chips being supplied aren't 3g (from what I've read). The problem I find with AT&T 3g is that the service sucks. Trying to use the phone with 1 or 2 bars of 3g is painful. In areas where I have full coverage, yes, the speed does increase and is bearable. But I have yet to find an area like that. Even if Apple releases a 4g phone, AT&T can't handle the current data transfer, let alone 7 or 8 times that. If they do have the 4g phone I'll probably switch to Verizon, but I doubt it.

For some odd reason (myself included), people buy iPhone's when there is much better tech out there. I really hope google uses their $12B purchase in a way to develop a state of the art phone while improving their software.

But probably the thing that pisses me off most with Apple, is that they haven't released a phone in over 400 days, and every "update" F's up the older versions of the phone with no easy way to go back. It's like they purposely want to slow down their old phones, so that the consumer buys a new one, which I understand, but release a new phone, or improve your old ones! /rant

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 6:26 PM. Reason : not to mention they've completly dropped the ball on releasing the iPhone5...?]

8/30/2011 6:26:04 PM

Quote :

"not to mention they've completly dropped the ball on releasing the iPhone5...?"

Huh?

8/30/2011 8:34:50 PM

^Essentially one of the most technologically advanced companies, and the second most valuable company in the US is 4+ months late bringing their best selling product to market. And even when it comes out, if the reliable rumors are true, it'll be a little faster, have a better camera, and have new software features 90% of people will never use or understand, yipee. But people will run out like crazy and buy it because its "Apple" and because their previous phones have become slower than shit and barely functional any longer (like mine). With the delay, 25% more people are elible for the comped upgrade with most holding out for the iPhone5, expanding to Sprint, Verizon and other carriers will put a huge strain on supply - and most likely not getting the phone to 80% of people who want it initially. BUT, I'll still buy it, because there isn't a better option yet.

Don't mean to rant, I guess I'm just frustrated that my current iPhone3g crashes constantly, can barely make calls, battery is shot, buttons broke, and sometimes misses calls because sometimes it can't process my finger sliding across the screen and the incoming call at the same time. I held out for a newer one thinking it was going to come in June - it barely has made it to then, let alone a 4+ month longer delay. But Apple has purposely stopped supporting my phone and slowed it down with software that was too intense for it in hopes that I just buy a new one (that isn't available)

On a side note, I don't know a ton about programming, but is it possible to put the Apple software on another phone, such as the Motorola Atrix (sp?)

8/30/2011 9:55:03 PM

4 months late from what? I must have missed the memo where Apple announced they were going to release the iPhone5 and then the subsequent memo where they said they would miss that deadline by 4 months. None of your infantile rant is making a lick of sense at all. Aside from 4G, you probably can't even name a single thing that the iPhone 5 (or even the iPhone 4) really needs in order to be the best. On one hand, you're claiming they're "late" and on the other, you're saying that the new phone won't even be that much of an improvement on the last model. Would you prefer they put out a new phone every year, just because? Did you maybe stop and think that those extra 4 months might be the difference between 4G and not having it?

You're whining about your current phone, but it's over 3 years old at this point, which is ancient in today's technology. Of course it's not going to work as quickly as a newer phone. You're bitching about a software update that slows it down, but you'd be complaining just as much if you didn't get that update (or I should say have that option, as you really didn't have to choose to update if you didn't want to). It's not Apple's fault that they didn't release a new phone the exact second that you happened to decide you wanted a new one. I get that you might personally be annoyed by Apple not doing what you expected, but I think you're being unreasonable and childish by ranting about it like this. In so many ways, your rant reminds me of this Louis CK bit about not being appreciative of technology.

As far as the whole 4G thing, I really do wonder how many people would legitimately benefit from having it vs 3G. I know it's something I'd like to have, but my life isn't really going to be changed by having my wikipedia searches come back .4 seconds quicker. I think Apple would be at a disadvantage if they didn't include 4G in the next phone, but mostly only from a marketing standpoint (which granted is where they live and breathe) I'd be surprised if more than 10% of the end users could really tell the difference on a day to day basis. All they know is what the advertisements have told them. 4Gs are more than 3Gs and more is always better.

8/30/2011 10:27:51 PM

Quote :

"Trying to use the phone with 1 or 2 bars of 3g is painful."

I know for a fact that the last two Samsung Android phones I've had on Sprint don't even have a "2G" icon, it always says "3G" even when you've definitely dropped back down to 2G data. I wouldn't be surprised if other phones do the same thing.

So yeah, when you've got a poor signal, you're almost certainly on 2G. Real 3G, when you get it, is pretty decent. Maybe not for tethering, but for phone browsing and downloads, it's plenty sufficient.

8/30/2011 10:35:00 PM

Quote :

"Essentially one of the most technologically advanced companies, and the second most valuable company in the US is 4+ months late bringing their best selling product to market. And even when it comes out, if the reliable rumors are true, it'll be a little faster, have a better camera, and have new software features 90% of people will never use or understand, yipee. But people will run out like crazy and buy it because its "Apple" and because their previous phones have become slower than shit and barely functional any longer (like mine). With the delay, 25% more people are elible for the comped upgrade with most holding out for the iPhone5, expanding to Sprint, Verizon and other carriers will put a huge strain on supply - and most likely not getting the phone to 80% of people who want it initially. BUT, I'll still buy it, because there isn't a better option yet. Don't mean to rant, I guess I'm just frustrated that my current iPhone3g crashes constantly, can barely make calls, battery is shot, buttons broke, and sometimes misses calls because sometimes it can't process my finger sliding across the screen and the incoming call at the same time. I held out for a newer one thinking it was going to come in June - it barely has made it to then, let alone a 4+ month longer delay. But Apple has purposely stopped supporting my phone and slowed it down with software that was too intense for it in hopes that I just buy a new one (that isn't available) On a side note, I don't know a ton about programming, but is it possible to put the Apple software on another phone, such as the Motorola Atrix (sp?) "

LOL

not to be a jerk, but you seemed grossly ill-informed.

Your phones battery and buttons are part of normal wear and tear. You can get another 3GS pretty cheap if you want to re-sign your contract.

And Android phones are going to have slower UIs than iPhones.

And the main reason Apple wouldn't put 4G in an iPhone is because the battery life SUCKS on 4G phones now. I have a thunderbolt and 4G is fast, but you can almost watch the battery life dropping while it's on.

If you hate your iPhone, by all means then get an android, but based on your complaints, you're going to be even unhappier with whatever Android phone you get :-/

8/30/2011 10:51:39 PM