Verizon, AT&T or Sprint for your iPhone?

Q. Hi Kim. I love your radio show! I'm going to buy an iPhone 4S soon if I can get my hands on one. It'll be my first smartphone, and I'm really excited! I'm having trouble deciding between Sprint, AT&T and Verizon, though. Which carrier do you think is best? Thanks! - Matt of Oklahoma City, OK, listens to my national radio show on KOKC 1520 AM

A. That's a great question, Matt, and thanks for listening to the show. You're smart to carefully consider your cellular provider options, because you're locking yourself into a two-year commitment. The cost of changing your mind is dear - all three carriers charge a $350 early termination fee. Yikes! The three networks generally provide good nationwide coverage, but reception can be iffy on the local level because of terrain and tower locations. In addition, some carriers have better data pipelines than voice pipelines. Since you listen to my show, you may have heard me refer to AT&T as having "no bars in more places." There are still areas around in my hometown of Phoenix where my calls just get dropped. Talk about annoying. Fortunately, it is getting better. In Phoenix, Verizon has better call coverage than AT&T. AT&T, on the other hand, offers better data speeds. It may be totally reverse where you live. Ask friends and family about their cellular reception experience in your area. Cell companies also offer coverage maps on their sites. These are good but nothing beats the honest opinion of a trusted friend.  1  2  3  4  5  Next >