Does At&t really hate Android?

[thindery]

My wife bought her iPhone 4 last week, although I tried to reason with her that it is already behind Android. She wouldn't hear it. We are checking out at att and the guy asks me if I'm going to get one, I told him I was waiting for them to get an android device that was better than the Aria(because I don't like the idea of anything less than 1ghz processor and want atleast a 4" screen.)

He then begins to lecture me how the processor speed doesn't make a difference. He proceeded to imply that even with a 1ghz processor, the Captivate would probably not run as smoothly as an iPhone simply because of the "operating system design." He said he thought the iPhone was running at 800mhz but would run smoother just because of the iOS.

I was furious! Does at&t train their puppets to defend everything iPhone and talk down on android? Are they just throwing out android phones now to make it appear that they have the "option" yet that would prefer you get an iPhone!?

 

[lordmaxx]

perhaps he was a fanboi who wishes he could be working at the apple store as a genius (which they really arent)

But anecdotal evidence aside I think their release practice has shown a certain prejudice against android for the short term. I'm sure that when/if apple jumps ship and reaches out to other carriers then AT&T will be on the big android bandwagon.

 

[Regalicious]

Well... TECHNICALLY and on a very general level, he's right ... Android (Eclair, at least) really isn't as smooth as iOS is yet -- that's the biggest knee-jerk reaction you'll get from people who aren't tech-savvy or that into smartphones who try both. By smooth, I don't mean "fast" or "snappy" -- I mean, for lack of a better term, high-fps-seeming (non-choppy) scrolling, zooming, animations, etc. The Galaxy S phones are probably the smoothest Android phones I've seen so far but they're still just a liiiitle perceivably less smooth than iPhones =/ ... Froyo and Gingerbread (the latter especially) should begin to push android towards smoothness-parity, though.

As far as AT&T rep prejudice against Android ... I had the strangest experience recently in which I inquired about a Captivate and the rep insisted that the Aria was better and I should get it. I also went to a T-Mobile store and the rep grilled me (interrogated me) on why I was interested in the Vibrant and insisted that the myTouch 3G Slide was a better phone. Maybe they're just prejuduced against Samsung

 

[thindery]

@lordmaxx
I do believe that if/when iphone is announced for verizon att will be more supportive of android. there adding of 5 android devices kinda leads me to believe they are hedging because no one really knows what apple is going to do next.

@Regalicious
I know what you mean. I just got the sense from him that he was generalizing it as "the phone will work"(iphone) or "the phone won't work"(android).

 

[Kelmar]

Last time I was in an AT&T store they tried that stuff with me (granted it was 2 years ago).... Didn't last very long as the sales guy was QUICKLY put in his place. That stuff may work on the average Joe but I wasn't about to put up with it.

They are trying to get a sale and commission. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[lordmaxx]

I dont know Regalicious. I'm certainly not an aficionado when it comes to touchscreens, but I've messed with the ipad and Iphone 4 and some of the newer offerings the Evo and this Captivate do a pretty fair job.

Guess we need those people who had that robot drawing lines on special program to show us how well it does....

 

[lordmaxx]

@lordmaxx
I do believe that if/when iphone is announced for verizon att will be more supportive of android. there adding of 5 android devices kinda leads me to believe they are hedging because no one really knows what apple is going to do next.
.

It is their failed attempt at actually fielding 5 phones that has solidified peoples view that they are against android...when the deadline came they had 2 of the 5 that is 40% thats a failing grade in most societies.

 

[Regalicious]

The Captivate's (and the entire Galaxy S series') touchscreen is awesome but it's not so much the screen responsiveness as the drawing of the animations that's stuttery in Android -- it responds right away and does what you want but it's not fluid. It's like playing a game at 30fps rather than 60fps (whereas unresponsive would mean the game runs at 60fps when not frozen but freezes every few seconds)

 

[linuxdood]

Not anymore

 

[ardyer]

When I preorderd the captivate, both the reps in the store were very pro-android. They did put an iphone 4 sell on my wife, but that was only after they found out she was still using a 3g. And even then they told her that she should play with the captivate first, because she'd probably like it better!

Maybe I found the holy grail of AT&T stores though.

 

[toebee97]

As far as AT&T rep prejudice against Android ... I had the strangest experience recently in which I inquired about a Captivate and the rep insisted that the Aria was better and I should get it. I also went to a T-Mobile store and the rep grilled me (interrogated me) on why I was interested in the Vibrant and insisted that the myTouch 3G Slide was a better phone. Maybe they're just prejuduced against Samsung

Because the Captivate and Vibrant aren't out yet. They can't make commision from an inquiry. They don't care what phone you want, they just want you to leave the store with a new expensive phone, i.e. the Aria and MT3Gslide, so they'll say what they have to to make you purchase something.

They're just as bad as used car salesman, almost like sharks. As soon as they see you walk in the door they'll be on your nuts tryin to get you to spend money. If you're really into smartphones, then just do your research, and make your decision before you go to the store, and be assertive with them, or they'll talk your ear off all day about the damn iTurd. I speak from experience. And I must say that it's very fulfilling to make the salespeople look like idiots because I know more about their phones than they do.

 

[thx10538]

Well... TECHNICALLY and on a very general level, he's right ... Android (Eclair, at least) really isn't as smooth as iOS is yet -- that's the biggest knee-jerk reaction you'll get from people who aren't tech-savvy or that into smartphones who try both. By smooth, I don't mean "fast" or "snappy" -- I mean, for lack of a better term, high-fps-seeming (non-choppy) scrolling, zooming, animations, etc. The Galaxy S phones are probably the smoothest Android phones I've seen so far but they're still just a liiiitle perceivably less smooth than iPhones =/ ... Froyo and Gingerbread (the latter especially) should begin to push android towards smoothness-parity, though.

As far as AT&T rep prejudice against Android ... I had the strangest experience recently in which I inquired about a Captivate and the rep insisted that the Aria was better and I should get it. I also went to a T-Mobile store and the rep grilled me (interrogated me) on why I was interested in the Vibrant and insisted that the myTouch 3G Slide was a better phone. Maybe they're just prejuduced against Samsung

I bet if you asked about the Vibrant tomorrow they'd have a different answer. I imagine that they would steer you away from the Vibrant and the Captivate right now because THEY AREN'T OUT YET and the salespeople are trying to make a sale! There's no way that their manager would want them to say "Why yes, you should wait a few days before buying a different phone! The ones we have here aren't what you need". They are trained to sell what they have and probably avoid complicated questions about their network, their phones, their future phones, or anything that would not let them charge the hell out of you and your family.

I hate the phone companies. Blatant liars

 

[lordmaxx]

When I preorderd the captivate, both the reps in the store were very pro-android. They did put an iphone 4 sell on my wife, but that was only after they found out she was still using a 3g. And even then they told her that she should play with the captivate first, because she'd probably like it better!

Maybe I found the holy grail of AT&T stores though.

More like just a very rare gem.

Unfortunately the 2 very large at&t stores that I visited during my quest for more information hadnt even heard of the captivate even when the 10 day till release announcement was made.

Now I dont judge other peoples work ethic lightly. I know everyone's job can be stressful and hard. But if I worked in that industry I would be doing my best to find out about all cell phone technology so that I could be better informed and able to help my customers.

I work in computer programming and I follow the industry devoutly. I've followed the ups and downs of .net programming up to the new .net 4 even though my organization is not using it yet because that is what you should do. I just find it sad that the almost a dozen different people i've talked to about android in the at&t stores over the past month have been woefully ignorant.

 

[thx10538]

I realize that I basically said what toebee97 said. So I agree with him.

And I do love making people at AT&T or Apple Stores or Bestbuy feel like they don't know as much as I do. Like when my dad bought an iPad I went with him and asked about the camera adapter. He said they were all sold out, and I said that it was because USB Audio and Keyboards work with it. He said that they don't and it is just for Cameras, and I said that, no, the reason they are sold out is because they add the USB functionality to the iPad. And I mentioned that it works especially well if it is jailbroken, to which is basically scoffed and said "well I don't know anything about that"

 

[E_man]

Guess we need those people who had that robot drawing lines on special program to show us how well it does....

I found that pointless, and potentially biased. As soon as my friend with a moto droid (which miserably failed that test) heard about it, he promptly took out his phone, and made several perfectly straight lines. Yet their robot couldn't?

 

[rdfaulkner]

I visited my local AT&T store a few days back inquiring about the captivate and they couldn't tell me anything. One rep was extremely pro AT&T and Iphone while the rep I was dealing with was just trying to answer my questions even though she was ignorant to anything that wasn't officially in their system. I really did appreciate the effort she put into it though. But in all the store was very much pro Iphone, and bad on android. Now fast forward to today, when I walked in to see if they had a Captivate I could tinker with. They basically just smiled really big and handed me the phone. The rep said they had all been playing with it all day and that they all really loved the phone. Another rep started quoting specs and that he was a phone buff and the phone really surprised him. Even the rep that was the most pro-AT&T and Iphone even quipped up to say that he really liked the Captivate.

 

[dsjr2006]

Its possible he was just sharing his own opinions as he is entitled to

 

[Trident]

Moved to AT&T forum..

 

[E_man]

Wait, do all AT&T stores have them already? They aren't even for sale yet!

 

[lunatic59]

knowing a little about sales ... I'd say the 'salespeople' were motivated to sell those phones which make them the most commission or they thought would sell more of to clear inventory or let them reach a quota.

 

[Lostsoul]

Wait, do all AT&T stores have them already? They aren't even for sale yet!

http://androidforums.com/samsung-captivate/122327-go-check-your-local-t-store.html

 

[sremick]

They are trying to get a sale and commission. Nothing more, nothing less.

My friend who's an AT&T rep told me that they don't get a commission on the hardware, only on the sale of the data plans.

So there's no sales incentive for them to sell an iPhone over a Captivate other than the iPhone is available now, and the Captivate isn't.