Please help me make an informed decision whether to keep my Incredible

[kpereyra]

I know this might be an explosive topic on an Android forum but hopefully some of you can help me decide whether I should stick with my Incredible.

First, my house gets little to no coverage from any carrier. For the past two years I've been using a Blackberry Curve on TMobile using UMA over my Wifi router. This has served me well at home but unfortunately TMobile coverage in my area is spotty and the Blackberry just can't compare to the iPhone or Inc for useability.

So I bought an Incredible thinking it would work at my house since my sister gets decent coverage with her Verizon BB Curve. Not the case. I've had to buy a Verizon Network Extender to get a decent signal at the house. This has bumped my signal from -105dbm to mid -90s.

So here is my dilemma, do I keep the Inc and Verizon Extender or do I wait for the iPhone 4G and the 3GMicroCell from AT&T. I like the Inc but the call quality with the Extender still is limited and not the best. It looks like the AT&T Microcell is more like UMA which goes out over the broadband connection and then out to the wireless network. Does Verizon's do this or is it just boosting my signal? Will I get a better connection with the Microcell?

I'd like some honest opinions of benefits of an iPhone vs an Inc and vice versa. I have no experience with the iPhone so I really don't know what I'd be gaining or giving up by switching from my Inc.

Thanks in Advance.

 

[sontaikle]

I don't have any experience with an iPhone—but I do have a lot of experience with the iPhone OS as I have had an iPod Touch for about a year now. The OS on the phone is great—and simple! There's not really much digging you have to do in order to get it up and running some apps. I love connecting the device and just letting it sync with iTunes, knowing everything is backed up and a replacement device is just a plug in away from being my old one. It's simple and wonderful—great for people that don't have the time or desire to start fiddling with things like you'd have to with android.

Despite the apple fan that I might be (typing this on a MacBook here), I went with an Incredible android phone because it offers so much more than the iPhone. Android has surpassed the iPhone's OS at this point as far as I'm concerned (OS 4.0 hasn't really wowed me in any way) and I believe offers users an overall better phone. However, if you're looking for simplicity, android isn't for you. If you want a closed system that really "just works" you're better off with an iPhone. It really depends on your needs/wants. My father, for example, loves the simplicity of the iPhone and is looking to toss his blackberry out the window because he'd rather have an iPhone. On the other hand, I've converted my boyfriend from his desire for an iPhone because he played with my Incredible and loved the android OS and how open it is.

In the case of call quality—it's been a complaint with the Incredible. Have you tried swapping it out for a new device? It might be worth doing that first before dropping VZW altogether and waiting it out for AT&T. I never show full bars on my phone, but I get wonderful call quality—better than my old phone—leading me to believe it might be a software issue.

 

[nnatic]

my experience with the vzw network extender is that it creates its own signal (not rebroadcasting the vzw one it may or may not have) and then sends it out through your router.

I have had great success with it at one of our offices which had verizon signal issues.

 

[douger]

Do you like it? Keep

Don't like it? Don't keep.

It pretty much comes down to that.

 

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Exactly. That's what I'm doing right now. I'm an iPhone 3GS owner trying out the Incredible. The Incredible is a nice Android phone, but it's probably going back. It has features I really like, and features I don't. It's my personal preference and nothing personal. I like your advice.

 

[MrToilet]

Long version:

Personally I'd stick with the Incredible. Generally speaking Verizon has significantly better coverage than AT&T, especially in rural areas. If you're comparing phone to phone, it really comes down to personal preference - how it feels in your hand, how well you like the interface, etc. Apple has done a phenomenal job with the OS, there's no doubt about that. They've set a standard for every other smartphone manufacturer to live up to, and it's awesome that there are so many compelling choices right now for smartphones.

That being said, Android is so much more customizable, it is an open platform, and in a side-by-side comparison there really isn't a difference. Both operating systems are pretty polished, there are great apps available for both, you really can't go wrong with either...I personally like the Incredible/Android because of the widgets, and the ability to customize ANYTHING you want on the phone (yeah I'm a little particular, lol).

Short version: what sontaikle said.

 

[douger]

Exactly. That's what I'm doing right now. I'm an iPhone 3GS owner trying out the Incredible. The Incredible is a nice Android phone, but it's probably going back. It has features I really like, and features I don't. It's my personal preference and nothing personal. I like your advice.

Since I have no way of knowing what it is you or anyone else is looking for a phone to do, it comes down to an emotional and personal decision more than anything else.

 

[Phydeaux]

It sounds like this isn't an Incredible vs iphone question but more about which carrier has the best signal for you.
Do you know if AT&T will give you a better signal at your home? If not, then you'll still be stuck.

Another option is to use a VoIP service such as Skype at your home. This allows you to use your internet connection to connect calls rather than your cellular service.

 

[kpereyra]

It sounds like this isn't an Incredible vs iphone question but more about which carrier has the best signal for you.
Do you know if AT&T will give you a better signal at your home? If not, then you'll still be stuck.

Another option is to use a VoIP service such as Skype at your home. This allows you to use your internet connection to connect calls rather than your cellular service.

Either way, I'll need to use some sort of Extender to get service at my house. Doesn't Skype require a different phone number? I don't know much about it.

 

[kpereyra]

In the case of call quality

 

[gnahce]

It sounds like this isn't an Incredible vs iphone question but more about which carrier has the best signal for you.
Do you know if AT&T will give you a better signal at your home? If not, then you'll still be stuck.

That's the real crux of the argument. At this point in time there's no way to know if the AT&T Femtocell will give you any better signal than what you currently have. I'd try to test out the combination before making a decision.

 

[cdd543]

It's all about coverage..if you have very little then your setting yourself up for a frustrating experience.

 

[bjanow]

That's the real crux of the argument. At this point in time there's no way to know if the AT&T Femtocell will give you any better signal than what you currently have. I'd try to test out the combination before making a decision.

+1. This is the decision you need to make, not whether you get an iPhone or DI. Basically, they are the same experience, it seems to me, from playing with my brother's phone. (no flames here, just a quick observation) You really need to test ATT coverage in short order. Either way, good luck.

 

[CatsTide]

i say if you felt the need to make a thread like this...get rid of it

 

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

He does have a right to make this thread, right?

 

[CatsTide]

He does have a right to make this thread, right?

absolutely...all i'm saying is it's kinda like saying,"should i marry this girl"? if you have to ask...the answer is most likely no.

 

[Kappen]

I would find out which carrier works best for you and get a android for that carrier. There are great android phones on each provider with the Evo coming to Sprint soon.

If your that in love with the incredible have you tried using google voice with wifi for home use?

The iphone is a good phone I just came from it when I got my Incredible. I just got tired of apples crap about deciding what it was I could or couldn't do and what the developers could or couldn't do. The big underlying thing with apples designs are they only want you to be able to do something one way. This makes it simple but also takes some of the fun out of learning and modding the device.

At the end of the day you can have the best phone in the world but if the carrier sucks for you it just doesn't matter, find the best carrier for you and pick the phone that way. Also try not to invest money into a device that enhances the carriers network and they charger you for thats a bunch of crap.

 

[kpereyra]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the insight. I think I'm going to keep it. While I need decent reception at home for when I'm working from home, it's not my primary location so the extender should provide enough coverage for my needs. Having good coverage everywhere else is definately important. Being an IT guy, I also like the idea of an open system.