I recently picked up “the new iPad,” and one of the main reasons was because of the ability to use it as a hotspot. Sure, I could have dropped my pseudo-unlimited data plan on my iPhone and used it for a hotspot (and I suppose I still can in a pinch), but I wanted the better battery life of the iPad – and the better speed of LTE. So I bought a Verizon LTE model rather than the AT&T version, for all the reasons Terry and others have discussed here.
One thing I wanted to bring to your attention, though, if you are like Terry and me – upgrading from an AT&T iPad with an unlimited data plan you want to keep (after all AT&T has claimed they aren’t throttling iPad unlimited plans). As Terry has related, all you need to do is pull out the Verizon SIM card and put in your AT&T card, and you will get your 3G plan. But if you are one of those folks who turn the plan off and on again at different times of the year, you better have access to an AT&T iPad. Because if you try and and access your account on your iPad to turn it on or off, you’ll be greeted by this:
Rethink Possible indeed.
I guess AT&T wouldn’t be keen to support a Verizon model – but why not? Isn’t it a chance for more revenue? Just like the fact that you can’t get tethering with AT&T, and their LTE coverage is pitiful compared to Verizon’s,they just couldn’t get it right.
If I want to turn this off (and I might at times) I will pop it back in my old iPad2 (that I have passed on to my wife). But what if I didn’t have that? I guess a call to AT&T is in order, as the iPad provisioning web page doesn’t seem to have a way to turn it off.
So why am I keeping it anyway? Sometimes I want to stream a lot of data, and 3G speed is good enough. Plus, it gives me options – if I am out of range of Verizon, I can always fall back to AT&T.
When I talk with my friends that don't have iPhones (and want them), the usual answer I get these days is "I'm just waiting for it to come to Verizon." There seems to be a lot of "I hate AT&T" sentiments out there. For the record, and I'll say it again – I don't have a problem with AT&T and even if the iPhone were offered on Verizon tomorrow I'd probably stay right where I am. First off I live in Michigan and although I travel the world for work, my AT&T service in my area has actually been quite good. I get 4 bars in my basement. I don't drop a lot of calls and the only time I do have issues is when I travel to known problem areas (such as Times Square NYC and the Tampa Bay FL area). So no I'm not an AT&T hater. I don't love them or hate them. They provide a service that has worked out for me. When I travel outside the US I need a GSM based phone and at that point I'm roaming on the local carriers anyway. Nonetheless, AT&T doesn't have a good reputation and certainly the Apple/AT&T relationship has been a bumpy one at times. Only Apple and Verizon know for sure when they will join hands and release an iPhone on the much praised Verizon network (everyone now says 2011 – keep in mind that these were the same people that swore it would be 2010 and 2009 before that), but I had a thought about Apple & Verizon…
What if Apple Bought Verizon?
Apple is all about "control." They like to control every aspect of their products and services. Certainly not being able to deliver data tethering and MMS for so long was a pain for them as well as other things that had to wait for AT&T's network to get up to speed. So that got me to thinking that a Verizon buyout by Apple would probably be a good thing (at least for Apple). They would be buying a popular network and then be able to completely control the user experience on the iPhone. While I'm sure this would piss off not only AT&T, but the whole industry (especially Droid handset makers), it's an interesting thought. It's also not the first time that Apple would have pissed off the whole industry 
While we'll probably never see such an acquisition take place, I bet the thought has crossed Steve's mind at least once. In any case I anxiously await the iPhone adding additional US carriers for a few reasons:
- With the iPhone on more than one carrier it will force AT&T to be more competitive (a win for us all). Right now they are the only iPhone game in town and therefore they can do things like charge a $25 (just because we can) tethering fee on top of your data plan without adding any more data.
- A multi-carrier iPhone would relieve some of the stress on having everything iPhone fall on one carrier (AT&T). Honestly, I'm not sure that Verizon would have done much better if they suddenly had an influx of millions of data hungry users. We'll never know, but it's easy to say your network is the best when you don't have the same volume of traffic.
- Lastly it will shut people up I get a little tired at times of Verizon users telling me how they never ever drop a call ever and how Verizon bows down to their every wish. Keep in mind that I do have a Verizon data card and I know for a fact that just like any other carrier their service is great in some areas and not so great in others. However, I don't argue. I just smile, because I really don't care one way or the other. I'm fine with my service and you're fine with yours, great! It's phone service, not a religion.
Understanding that you would probably wait till your contract was up if you have one, but what would you do…
This is not the typical "I hate AT&T" rant you're probably thinking of based on the headline. I'm actually one of those iPhone users who does NOT hate AT&T. I don't love them either. They provide a service that for the most part I haven't had any major problems with. Have I had dropped calls? Yep! Have I been in low coverage areas? Yep! Have I experienced an overloaded data network (think Macworld Expo) first hand? Yep! These are all the typical reasons why people HATE AT&T. However, I don't really see this as being very different from any other network. I used to be a Sprint customer and I have a Verizon data card.
I have yet to see or use any network with 100 % great reception in all areas and zero dropped calls. The way I see it is that it's easy to say Verizon (or any other carrier) has GREAT service when they aren't under the same load. Don't get me wrong, I seriously think AT&T needs to improve their network. I also think that if the iPhone had been exclusive to Verizon from the start and saw an influx of millions of data hungry users all at once, we would have seen similar problems with their network too! They may have responded more quickly. They may not have had as many problems. They may have handled the growth better and they may not have. The problem is we'll never know. Lastly let's not forget that it was AT&T that was willing to take a chance on the iPhone back in 2007 when Verizon (reportedly) rejected the iPhone deal.
I want the iPhone to go to Verizon for two other reasons
Even if Apple announced that the iPhone was NOW AVAILABLE on Verizon TODAY, I would not move off of AT&T. The reason is, I need a GSM based phone that can operate in any country in the world as my job requires worldwide travel. Like it or not, the rest of the world is GSM based and CDMA networks are primarily a US thing. Even if Apple had worked things out with Verizon first, they would have still needed to build a GSM version of the iPhone to sell in other countries. Why do I anxiously await a Verizon iPhone?
The first reason is to relieve the strain on AT&T! If Verizon offered the iPhone it's estimated that AT&T would lose about 30% of it's current iPhone base over to Verizon. That means about 30% less strain on the network for the rest of us who are staying. Less strain in theory would mean faster data and less data outages for the remaining customers.
The second and perhaps bigger reason is that it would force AT&T to be more competitive. I find the latest pricing tactics to be a bit "monopolistic inspired." First they remove the unlimited data plans about a month after the iPad shipped, which removed the flexibility of switching back and forth between unlimited and limited data plans as needed. Then they added a $20/month charge for iPhone tethering that just doesn't make sense as there is no technical reason to justify a higher charge. If you're already on a LIMITED Data Pro plan, which maxes out at 2GB/month, why do you have to pay an additional $20/month to use that same data via a laptop? In essence it's a "just because we can" charge. So perhaps if iOS devices were also available on Verizon there would be more of a price war going on between the two that would make it better for all of us.
So whether you hate AT&T or love AT&T, having the iPhone on multiple US carriers is a good thing for everyone.
Assuming your contract was up or you weren't under any current obligation to stick with your provider:
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