Atrix vs Bionic, service and cost deciding factor

[dyezak]

HAHAHAHAHA, really? AT&T sells a 4g phone that is consistantly getting slower network access than a regular old iPhone 4. Yup, sounds like the best buy of 2011, and remember...you are signing a contract to committing yourself to using this service! HAHAHA

Even though Sprint and Verizon don't have true 4g, their branded "4g" is getting significant bumps in speed (with multiple real devices in the wild unlike AT&T). Verizon is being independently tested up to 30mbps download speeds by engadget.com while on a fully loaded network at CES! 20mbps is normally being reported in San Fransicso, and here in DFW we are seeing 22-25mbps.

AT&T is getting what? 1.3mbps in NYC by mobileburn and 2.7mbps by PCworld. Heck, a regular 3g iPhone 4 tested in the same spot by mobileburn seems to have gotten 3mbps down!

Yea...go sign that 2y contract committing to using THAT service! Don't even get me started on 300ms latency.... The latency is caused by the link from your phone to the tower, the backhaul update will never fix the latency. That's an inherent flaw of HSPA (and HSPA+). LTE is getting 15-30ms pings and WiMax is getting 30-60ms...

Anyone now want to guess why AT&T is going LTE? It's inherently better for data. Don't know about you, but I'll go get the Atrix's sister phone, the Bionic, on LTE..............

Then you throw in the big Atrix selling point of the laptop dock, well there is $499 for that if you buy the package, minus the cost of the phone ($199) you are getting a dock for $300. But wait, you are forced at that point to commit to 2 years of the above questionable service with a surcharge of $20/mo for owning the dock. That comes out to 24x20 or $480 more for that dock, add it all up.... $780 for the laptop dock.

Fellas you can get a Droid Bionic, on LTE, AND a XOOM for the same price of the Atrix and Laptop dock. Faster network, honeycomb tablet, etc etc.

AT&T must think everyone is a flippin idiot to buy this phone on their "4g" service.

MOBILEBURN:

3G speeds on a "4G" device

AT&T labels its HSPA+ network as 4G and, as such, the ATRIX 4G is expected to deliver speeds that are faster than AT&T's 3G network. That's not the case. It offers the same chipset as the Inspire 4G and its download speeds were topping out around 1,300Kbps in New York City. Sure, we saw some spikes upwards of 2,000Kbps, but that's still not surpassing the 2,500-3,000Kbps we sometimes see on our 3G iPhone 4.

From Pcworld:

"The Atrix 4G runs on AT&T's 3G HSPA+ network. AT&T brands the network and related devices "4G" because, the company says, the network pumps out "4G-like" speeds, including download speeds of up to 6 mbps. With the FCC-approved Ookla tool installed on the Atrix, I tested the network connection of the phone from several locations around San Francisco, and found the download speeds were consistently in the neighborhood of 2.7 mbps. Only in my tests at our offices south of Market Street were the readings lower, averaging around 1.7 mbps.
Upload speeds across all five of my testing locations averaged 0.3 mbps (300 kbps), a very 3G-like result. Of even more concern were the latency times I saw. The Ookla tool consistently measured about 300 milliseconds of network latency--the time it takes for a packet to move from the device to an online server. That's roughly six times the latency seen in Verizon's LTE network and about a third higher than the latency in Sprint's WiMax network. The high latency number combined with the mediocre upload speed could hamper the smooth operation of apps like video chat and mobile gaming."

CNET:

The bad: No 1080p HD video recording or playback at launch. You can't install non-Market third-party apps. We didn't experience great HSPA+ 4G data speeds.

PCMag:

Call quality wasn't great in my tests, but it was good enough to pass. First, the Atrix tends to over-report signal strength; in my weak-signal test, I saw two bars but couldn't connect calls.

The Atrix bills itself as a "4G" phone, but just like the HTC Inspire 4G ($99.99, 4 stars), which uses the same modem, I found the Atrix to run largely at 3G speeds. Testing the handset in Manhattan, I saw speeds mostly in the 1.5Mbps range, with a peak of 3Mbps, which is good 3G, not 4G.

Laptopmag.com:

Using just the Atrix in our midtown Manhattan office, with 4 bars of HSPA+ service, we measured average download speeds of 1.37 Mbps and upload speeds of 0.29 Mbps using speedtest.net. These slow rates were confirmed when we tried loading ESPN.com, Laptopmag.com, and NYTimes.com; all took more than a minute to fully load. Out in Queens, speeds were a bit better. We measured Speedtest.net average download and upload speeds of 3.83 Mbps and 0.35 Mbps, respectively. We also saw markedly faster load times of 13 seconds (ESPN), 13.2 seconds (Laptopmag), and 9.83 seconds (NYTimes).

Businessinsider.com:

The Atrix is one of AT&T's first "4G" phones. More specifically, it runs on the HSPA+ network. Even though our demo unit said we were connected to HSPA+, we experienced speeds similar to 3G.

 

[Jp77]

I was definitely getting the ATRIX until the reviews started coming out. Now I am seriously considering switching back to Verizon for the Bionic soley because of the terrible "4G" speeds being reported by reviewers of the ATRIX. However, until Verizon announces pricing for LTE I'm unsure. I would love the LTE experience but I dont want to pay a ridiculous sum of money every month to enjoy it.

 

[mrvirginia]

some reviewers have reported 3mbps download. personally, i'm okay with 1mbps, no matter what kind of "G" is being claimed.

as an Evo owner, i can honestly say i've never used the "4G" service. why? well one major reason is because it KILLS the battery and WiMax doesn't have great penetration. second major reason...i've never been in a situation where i need blazing fast speeds. the few exceptions being when i was home, in bed, and didn't want to go all the way back out to the living room to see something on youtube. and guess what? i was on wifi.

i'd rather have a better performing phone, than faster "4G" speed. most places have wifi all over now as well.

there's always a different point of view

also "fully loaded network" is incorrect. that was CES, which means a small group of people guys. the true test of Verizon's LTE network won't come until at least two handsets have been released that are LTE capable

edit: also, the network will get improved. it's a little early to critize them

 

[Willy Willy]

HAHAHAHAHA, really? AT&T sells a 4g phone that is consistantly getting slower network access than a regular old iPhone 4. Yup, sounds like the best buy of 2011, and remember...you are signing a contract to committing yourself to using this service! HAHAHA

Even though Sprint and Verizon don't have true 4g, their branded "4g" is getting significant bumps in speed (with multiple real devices in the wild unlike AT&T). Verizon is being independently tested up to 30mbps download speeds by engadget.com while on a fully loaded network at CES! 20mbps is normally being reported in San Fransicso, and here in DFW we are seeing 22-25mbps.

AT&T is getting what? 1.3mbps in NYC by mobileburn and 2.7mbps by PCworld. Heck, a regular 3g iPhone 4 tested in the same spot by mobileburn seems to have gotten 3mbps down!

Yea...go sign that 2y contract committing to using THAT service! Don't even get me started on 300ms latency.... The latency is caused by the link from your phone to the tower, the backhaul update will never fix the latency. That's an inherent flaw of HSPA (and HSPA+). LTE is getting 15-30ms pings and WiMax is getting 30-60ms...

Anyone now want to guess why AT&T is going LTE? It's inherently better for data. Don't know about you, but I'll go get the Atrix's sister phone, the Bionic, on LTE..............

Then you throw in the big Atrix selling point of the laptop dock, well there is $499 for that if you buy the package, minus the cost of the phone ($199) you are getting a dock for $300. But wait, you are forced at that point to commit to 2 years of the above questionable service with a surcharge of $20/mo for owning the dock. That comes out to 24x20 or $480 more for that dock, add it all up.... $780 for the laptop dock.

Fellas you can get a Droid Bionic, on LTE, AND a XOOM for the same price of the Atrix and Laptop dock. Faster network, honeycomb tablet, etc etc.

AT&T must think everyone is a flippin idiot to buy this phone on their "4g" service.

So I am glad you came to a phone forum and vented about SERVICE.
No body said this is the fastest Internet in the world. Now I could really care less as long as it's over 2 I am cool.... It's a phone why in the world do you need more than 2 you don't. 2nd yea LTE is fast however you WILL be paying a premium for it. When's the bionic come out... Oh yea you have no idea yet for that matter the thunderbolt is being pushed back( because of verizon not HTC)

 

[Jp77]

2nd yea LTE is fast however you WILL be paying a premium for it.

Thats what I thought. I dont use the phone for much more than messaging and emails. I've had a Bold 9000 but want to check out this whole Android thing. I have an ipad so I'm not interested in an iphone. I'm thinking Im going to pull the trigger on the ATRIX.

 

[sarstube]

btw are we 99% sure that att won't $10 upcharge for "4g"?

also, i'm won't be in a "4g" area next year so i could care less about about 4g speeds. att has the best 3g data in that area.

 

[mrvirginia]

btw are we 99% sure that att won't $10 upcharge for "4g"?

also, i'm won't be in a "4g" area next year so i could care less about about 4g speeds. att has the best 3g data in that area.

this close to launch, it would be bad business to announce such a fee.
i won't rule it out, though.

on top of that, it's not even "4G" that's comparable to WiMax/LTE, it's HSPA+. also, it's not even near fully functioning. knowing that, it would be ludicrous to charge. they would lose a lot of potential customers, including myself. they can't afford that considering part of the push for this device is to help with subscriber loss to Verizon for the iPhone 4.

yea LTE is fast however you WILL be paying a premium for it. When's the bionic come out... Oh yea you have no idea yet for that matter the thunderbolt is being pushed back( because of verizon not HTC)

i'm personally glad it's not LTE for the very reason of the premium. i don't use it on my Evo as it is so i don't want another device where i'm paying for something i don't use. if i get the Atrix, i'll hold onto it for as long as i can to keep from having to get another "4G" LTE/WiMax device and pay a premium for something i don't really want

 

[Jp77]

btw are we 99% sure that att won't $10 upcharge for "4g"?

Considering the phone is releasing in 2 weeks I'm pretty sure ATT would have to disclose any changes in the cost of plans prior to release.

That being said, the phone still has 2 weeks before it is released

 

[Willy Willy]

However te inspire releases in 3 days on "4g" so they would have announced it already!

 

[Jp77]

However te inspire releases in 3 days on "4g" so they would have announced it already!

Good point.

 

[mrvirginia]

the whole "4G" thing is killing me haha.
if it weren't HSPA+, i'd be more willing to accept this term.

i think the plan is to confuse unknowing customers

 

[dyezak]

Considering the phone *relies* on it's service, without the service it's just a fancy paper weight, the service is key to me. I have AT&T now (along with Sprint and Verizon). I can say their current 3g service stinks, and now their "4g" service is laughable. And I live in the middle of a metro area that AT&T claims is one of their "Mobile Broadband" enabled areas. BWAHAHA, seriously.

Now, taking that Atrix over to T-Mobile sounds a little better. But I have never had 1st hand experience with T-Mobile so I don't know. 2 of my friends have them and are happy... Perhaps that would be the best way to sport an Atrix....

 

[youareme7]

Now, taking that Atrix over to T-Mobile sounds a little better. But I have never had 1st hand experience with T-Mobile so I don't know. 2 of my friends have them and are happy... Perhaps that would be the best way to sport an Atrix....

The Atrix won't be capable of 3g (or 4g) speeds on t-mobile, they use different hspa networks.

 

[Willy Willy]

3G service stinks???? That's laughable it is the fastest 3G out.... you can even look at the iPhone side by side speed test(verizon and ATT) the verizon iPhone is left in the dust. But whatever if you don't like the phone just leave the forum as it is an ATRIX forum

 

[dyezak]

3G service stinks???? That's laughable it is the fastest 3G out.... you can even look at the iPhone side by side speed test(verizon and ATT) the verizon iPhone is left in the dust. But whatever if you don't like the phone just leave the forum as it is an ATRIX forum

Love the phone, hate AT&T.

 

[MosIncredible]

Love the phone, hate AT&T.

I really wish people would start saying "their service stinks in my area" or "I've had no luck with them" instead of bashing them as a company. AT&T has been nothing but great for me.

 

[Scholar]

Love AT&T. Still have unlimited data. Going to keep it with the Atrix and get the laptop dock separate. Great service all over my area (south suburbs of Chicago). iPhone 4 is the only reason for lack of reception. Looking forward to leaving iOS with the new best smartphone on AT&T's wide spread 3G and soon to be 3.9G network. Extremely happy that the Atrix is HSPA+ and not LTE so I can argue for keeping my unlimited data due to a lack of actual change in the service. Thank you AT&T, now never utter bullshit to justify the gouging that you are doing to me on the laptop dock again.... ever....

 

[Willy Willy]

For real they should say... I am a hick in the boonies and the service sucks here. I agree have had nothing but good things on ATT

 

[sw33ndawg]

looks like im getting the thunderbolt

 

[ap3604]

HAHAHAHAHA

I didn't even bother to read the rest once I saw this from the OP

An obvious troll is obvious...

 

[dyezak]

For real they should say... I am a hick in the boonies and the service sucks here. I agree have had nothing but good things on ATT

Cause DFW Texas is boonies.... Only the 4th largest metro area in the United States.

 

[thabends]

AT&T is much better than Verizon in Richmond, VA too. Why do you need 12mbps downloads anyway? Get a computer; they seem to have caught on.

 

[Willy Willy]

Cause DFW Texas is boonies.... Only the 4th largest metro area in the United States.

Well I don't know what the problem there is cause said he has no problems and loves ATT and he is in Dfw

 

[MosIncredible]

Cause DFW Texas is boonies.... Only the 4th largest metro area in the United States.

Interesting...well I apologize for your experiences. Hopefully that's just the current phone you own and maybe it'll be different with another.

Edit:

I'm not jaded, or a fanboi, I go where the best shit is.......

100% respectable. Long as you aren't one of those people who gathered their opinion of AT&T by only listening to other people complain that aren't even from the same area. Somewhere along the line, it became the "in" thing to say "AT&T sucks" but I now see you aren't one of those people.

 

[dyezak]

Well I don't know what the problem there is cause said he has no problems and loves ATT and he is in Dfw

You know, I was a loyal ATT guy for 12 years. Was even with Cingular before it was ATT. I *loved* ATT. Then I went to work at a new job and they gave me a Verizon blackberry (I had a personal ATT blackberry at the time). OH MY GOD. The call quality, reliability of connection, maintaining of calls on the move, NEVER heard "All circuits are busy right now". While ATT might be faster sometimes, I have noticed far too many times where the connection dies, restarts and other times where it's slow. I pull out my Verizon phone, and no matter what, I have the exact same experience. I can be in the middle of the mall during Christmas shopping season with 5 bars on both ATT and Verizon, but can't make a single call or send a single text on ATT (much less load a webpage). Verizon chuggs along just fine like nothing is happening. I can drive down the road and if I'm on ATT, about 50% of the time I can tell you exactly when I switch cell towers, the call will either get grainy sounding and "hickup"; or it will drop all together. NEVER have that issue with Verizon.

When all I had was ATT I was blissfully unaware and I just thought that's how cell phones acted. Once I was enlightened by Verizon, I realized that cell phones can be just as reliable as a land line. I also have Sprint for a data connect card for my laptop so I get to see their service too.

I travel for my job, somewhere new every week. Miami, New York, Fargo, San Franciso, Huntsville, etc. I use all three all the time (ATT, Verizon, Sprint). This is the way they break down:

ATT - Generally OK in the City, and gets slower/worse in rural areas. Intrinsic issues with the network overall experienced everywhere but worse in some areas than others.

Sprint - Great in the city and OK in the rural areas. Since I only use Sprint data I can't talk about call quality or drops.

Verizon - Great just about everywhere. CDMA not as fast as HSPA, but FAR more reliable and handles my actual phone calls 10x better. Now with LTE for data being 10x faster than HSPA+ Verizon has the 1-2 punch.

I'm not jaded, or a fanboi, I go where the best shit is.......