Sprint/Pre or AT&T/iPhone

[Thudstaff]

I searched the forum, and though I know there's likely a thread or two or three on the subject, the four character limitation is a problem when searching "Pre".

I'm a current Sprint customer in Chicago using a WinMo device. My contract expires at the end of July. I'm contemplating getting an iPhone 3GS and trying it out for 30 days. If I like it, I'll cancel my Sprint service in August. If I don't, I take the hit on the restocking fee and get a Pre.

I'm hoping the folks here might be able to sway me into going for the iPhone over the Pre. With my employer discount, I can get a somewhat comparable AT&T plan for about $6 more per month than my Sprint plan. I'm primarily an email (Outlook exchange server sync) and texter though a quality phone is important. The rest of the bells & whistles are just that for me...bells & whistles.

 

[cobra302]

i actually held a pre for the first time on sunday, i was not impressed at all. it felt kinda cheaply made. i was really expecting it to have some heft behind it, but that wasnt the case. i think nowadays, most "smart" phones will pretty much handle all of the basic email, texting features that anyone would want. i think the final decision will come down to what you end up thinking when you handle the devices. i was a die hard blackberry user, still am, have my bold in the closet right now. but i really really like my iphone now that i'm using it. each device, including the pre, will have its strong points, and weaker ones. but like i said in the end, its all about that personal preference. i would hate to say that you cant go wrong with either, but i am going to reccomend the iphone. especially with the new 3GS coming out.

 

[Brickman]

Welcome Thudstaff!!

A lot of it, IMHO, boils down to who has the best coverage in your area. Coverage was one of the main reasons that I left Sprint for the iPhone and is a huge reason that I would not get a Pre. I think the Pre is a VERY nice phone but Sprint's coverage in my area stinks! AT&T is much, much better!

Check into the Pre and Exchange before you buy. The Pre's Synergy is very nice but I am not sure how well it plays with Exchange. I just do not know. I have heard the best way to "sync" a Pre is through Gmail. Just be sure to check it out first.

The big deal breaker I also think is the available third party apps for the iPhone. NO ONE beats that. I know you said that those were bells and whistles, but I am willing to bet that once you get an iPhone that you will not be able to put it down.

I had a friend who just get an iPhone, her first smartphone. She got it to do email, text, and a phone. She was going to keep using her TX for PMI. Ever since she discovered how many apps were actually in the App Store, she is not using her TX much anymore.

 

[Thudstaff]

I agree the cell coverage is important; however, I've yet to get a consensus from anyone I've talked to or any research that I've read online. I've had good coverage with Sprint in the Chicago area but have talked with people that haven't. I've heard people say that AT&T is great in our area, and I've heard the opposite.

I'm wondering how long it would actually take me to get a 32GB iPhone. I'm thinking of just going to the AT&T store tomorrow and telling one of the salespeople that if they get an unclaimed unit in to give me a call instead of just ordering one and see what happens.

 

[lazerbyte]

I will say AT&T has great coverage in my area and where my sprint phone couldn't get service my iphone does so that is a real plus.

I really like my iphone and was willing to cancel my contract with Sprint!

 

[jr3153]

Let me see if I can Help

I too was in your shoes back in December of last year. I was a Treo 750 on AT&T user. I mainly used mine for email and scheduling for work. Email is the # 1 important thing to me for my job. My wife had wanted an Iphone, but I was totally against them, mainly because we could not get our work email on it. Well one day in December, a co worker handed me his iphone and asked me if I could get our exchange email on it. Well, after working with it, I was able to, so I began looking at the iphone.

One of the pluses that everybody told me was the internet on the phone. I told myself and everybody else that I wasn't a phone internet user. What I really meant was that my Treo did not provide a good phone internet experience, so I didn't use it. With an iphone, I find myself surfing the web with my iphone more than my computer!

Having used many different smart phones, I will tell you that the iphone is special. It has something that the others don't. It just works.

One other thing that I was concerned about, so you may be as well is the keyboard issue. I was used to having a front keyboard, and was reluctant to change to a screen keyboard. While at first I hated the iphone keyboard, i became real good at it. Learn to trust the auto correct! After using it for a few days, I was just as good at it as I was my Treo.

You have 30 days to try something, so try the iphone. Most either love it or hate it, so I believe you will figure it out quickly. Good Luck to you!

 

[jhamilton3]

Stay away from the Pre.. Cheap, rushed, and word is Apple can kill it's ability to sync with iTunes at any time.

 

[Christinme7890]

here is the thing with coverage...ATT's service works on a bandwidth. In the morning most people will get very good coverage because the bandwidth being used is small. You will have a very fast 3g connection with full bars. Wait till the afternoon when everyone is using their phone and you will notice that in the same area where you got 3g coverage with full bars you now get edge coverage with 2 bars. I have tried it many times. Sprint is the same way. If you want the best coverage go Verizon though verizon has the worst phones imo.

I too have tried a pre and I agree that there is a feel that if I dropped it, it would fall apart easily. I also found that leaving apps open for a while bogs the system down and even the menus run slow...this coming from a phone with 200mhz more processing speed than an iphone. The iphone has the best app/music store. Not to mention I have dropped my iphone (and have the many scratches to prove it) without a cover and never had a problem. Everything still functions the same as when I first got it. The apps are always clean and the games rock my socks off. Can't wait for the 3gs (and the day I can afford it) so that I can experience the games even faster.

 

[Thudstaff]

Stay away from the Pre.. Cheap, rushed, and word is Apple can kill it's ability to sync with iTunes at any time.

I don't think it's likely any cheaper than an iPhone or any other phone made in China. They're all plastic nowadays. Rushed? Perhaps, but I've been reading about the Pre for well over a year now online. Who knows how long it's been in development. My understanding is the iPhone had similar bumps as the Pre is having now when it was first released. I read about people complaining about the App Store but wasn't it about a year AFTER the iPhone was released that third party apps became available?

I do plan to head out to the AT&T store today and talk with a salesperson. I actually did this last Saturday but was even more undecided then then I am now. I contacted her via email and a follow-up text but never heard back from her. I'm not planning a preorder; I'm just going to ask a salesperson to give me a call when/if they get an unclaimed 32GB unit in. I'll stop by, set everything up, and be on my way. If it happens to be this Saturday, great. If it's two weeks from now, okay.

 

[thinkTwice]

I'm primarily an email (Outlook exchange server sync) and texter though a quality phone is important. The rest of the bells & whistles are just that for me...bells & whistles.

I know this is an iPhone forum, but have you tried a Blackberry? I've never used one, but it might be something to consider.

Have you tried out the iPhone's keyboard? Some love it, some hate it.
The Pre is nice, but I hate the keyboard, just my personal opinion.

As for getting an iPhone this Friday, good luck. From all indications, it seems like this will be another crazy Friday with long lines. AT&T's pre-orders are all sold out.

I'm trying to get one too but didn't pre-order and seems like I can't pre-order. I don't think I'm going to spend all night waiting- part of me wants to do it, but that would just suck to wait that long. I might just go visit my local AT&T and Apple stores 2-3hrs before opening and in the early afternoon (the longshot). If I don't get it, then I'll just sign up for the second batch.

 

[Thudstaff]

I've considered a Blackberry; however, my work's IT department does not support them so I don't see them as a viable option at this time.

I've had the chance to mess with a friend's 3G. The virtual keyboard is fine though I wonder how it would be outside in the sun.

I have no intention of trying to get a phone on Friday; I'm in school all day anyway and can't miss. I'm hoping (maybe grasping here a bit) that somehow they'll get in more than were actually preordered and by some magic won't all be claimed.

 

[aaronwh98]

I might as well throw my 2 cents in: I'm currently using a Blackberry Storm but I've got the iphone 3gs on order. Of course, I've only used my friend's iphones but I was always impressed at how well it worked. That along with a new AT&T tower put up in my area convinced me to move back to AT&T (I hop carriers a lot). Personally I don't think the Pre is rushed (from what I've seen) especially compared to the Storm...now THAT product was rushed. However, the iphone will be an inherently more stable phone than either the Storm or Pre simply because it's been out longer and has had the bugs ironed out. Plus, it's lack of multitasking contributes to its stability. If multitasking is essential then you'll probably want to avoid the iphone. However, you might ask yourself how much you really need multitasking. If the iphone can open and close apps as quickly (or quicker) than you can switch between multiple open apps on another phone does it matter? Consider this in light of how multitasking slows down even the most powerful phones (the Pre has a very similar hardware platform as the iphone 3gs) and contributes to memory leaks. Plus, with the iphone you never have to remember to close an application .

As for networks, at least in my area (central Florida) Verizon is by far the best but AT&T has been quietly, quickly catching up. Sprint is..well...Sprint just sucks. My mom has sprint and has to keep a landline simply because of the bad service. The only reason she hasn't left is because she doesn't want to go through the hassle (some older people have strange ideas about technology).

The iphone has a lot of strengths (not the least of which is the ridiculously large number of apps). But so does the Pre (the Storm...not so much. Sorry, I'm a little bitter) and so it just comes down to the network and what your needs are. Just be prepared, the Pre will have more problems simply by virtue of it being a new phone with a new OS.

Hope this helps!

 

[traylorc]

Stay away from the Pre.. Cheap, rushed, and word is Apple can kill it's ability to sync with iTunes at any time.

Yeah...I saw Apples response to non-authorized products tapping into Itunes. They are essentially telling potential Pre customers that future Itunes updates can prevent them from utilizing itunes. You better believe the next itunes update severs Pre's ability to access itunes.

I actually had a chance to get my hands on a Pre and my overwhelming feeling was that it was cheaply made. I love the ability to have multiple programs running in the background, and the screen looks great. But I kept feeling that if I happened to sneeze while holding this phone it would break in two.

 

[Thudstaff]

I realize any responses would be speculation, but what do you folks think would be a reasonable timeframe for one to expect to find a 3GS in a store without preordering it? Early next week? Two weeks? Three?

 

[Scott R]

I've considered a Blackberry; however, my work's IT department does not support them so I don't see them as a viable option at this time.

Your company doesn't support Blackberry's, but it *will* support an iPhone or Palm pre? That's a new one.

 

[infenit101]

Sprint is cheaper
ATT is expensive

Pre is more business oriented
Iphone is more for casual users


Both are great devices. IT all depends.

 

[Scott R]

I don't get this "Pre is more business oriented" claim, which I've read from several people. I don't think Palm is claiming it, and I know that Apple *is* claiming otherwise. That may have been a valid claim for the Palm Treo's, and would have especially been true a year ago with the Treo's vs the iPhone. But for the pre vs the iPhone, I think the opposite is true. The iPhone has a developer SDK which is mature, documented, and allows for compiled apps. The pre does not. If you're a developer looking to write apps for your company, the iPhone is arguably a better platform to do it with. And if you're a small business owner without an IT department, but just looking for a phone with a lot of business-oriented apps, you'll find plenty for the iPhone, and pretty much nothing for the pre yet.

 

[Thudstaff]

Your company doesn't support Blackberry's, but it *will* support an iPhone or Palm pre? That's a new one.

Microsoft ActivSync is supported by both the iPhone and the Pre. Blackberry is not and requires some stuff that my school (I'm a college teacher) does not have. I don't know exactly what it is, but they will not support it. I know there's a program called AstraSync out there, but our IT guys say that with some of the security settings they use, it is not compatible with our system.

 

[Scott R]

Ah, OK. FYI, I read about some missing bits with the Palm pre's implementation of Microsoft Exchange Server support, so you may want to double-check that your school's implementation doesn't fall into that category. They'll probably address it eventually, but if it was important to me, I'd want to know whether it impacted me and, if so, whether I could work around it (apparently your school's IT team could create an exception for you - but you'd have to see if they were willing to do that for you), and/or an ETA from Palm for when they were planning to roll out a fix for it.

 

[Thudstaff]

Our IT staff have confirmed that they can work with the Pre and the iPhone. Their preference has always been Windows Mobile devices though. I have an HTC Mogul and it's just fine. I'm just ready to try something different. With my employee discount, I can get the AT&T plan at almost the same price as the Sprint plan.