voice & data simultaneously

[dtran086]

hey everyone,

I need some advice/feedback/opinions. So i'm currently with att and my iphone has unlimited data and I'm going to add another iphone to my account but sadly i can't get unlimited data for that person so my question is, does the "average" person tend to go over 2gb of data?

also, i'm considering moving to sprint to get the unlimited data for everyone, my only concern is that the 3g network speed on sprint tends to be quite slow..or so i heard...can anyone confirm this? (i don't think the HSPA+ on att is gonna be THAT much faster so if it's a minor difference i won't mind switching)

another problem is that on sprint, you can't talk and browse the web at the same time, which is another downside for me BUT since there is almost wi-fi anywhere/everywhere u go, if i'm connected to wifi and talking on the phone at the same time...can i surf the internet/send a text message while on a live call...??

If someone could please clarify these questions/concerns...i would be greatly thankful!

 

[CrimsonRequiem]

Don't they have a data calculator on AT&Ts website? It depends on the person.

 

[lschwarcz]

hey everyone,

I need some advice/feedback/opinions. So i'm currently with att and my iphone has unlimited data and I'm going to add another iphone to my account but sadly i can't get unlimited data for that person so my question is, does the "average" person tend to go over 2gb of data?

also, i'm considering moving to sprint to get the unlimited data for everyone, my only concern is that the 3g network speed on sprint tends to be quite slow..or so i heard...can anyone confirm this? (i don't think the HSPA+ on att is gonna be THAT much faster so if it's a minor difference i won't mind switching)

another problem is that on sprint, you can't talk and browse the web at the same time, which is another downside for me BUT since there is almost wi-fi anywhere/everywhere u go, if i'm connected to wifi and talking on the phone at the same time...can i surf the internet/send a text message while on a live call...??

If someone could please clarify these questions/concerns...i would be greatly thankful!

CrimsonRequiem is probably right that there's a data calculater on the AT&T site somewhere. I've heard that the huge majority of users never exceed 2GB of data but of course that'll depend on how you use your phone. If you stream a lot of movies and do a lot of downloads over the cellular network you could easily blow past that.

The talk/surf issue is touted a lot by AT&T and it is an advantage. But, for me (and where I live in the SF/Bay Area) AT&T is a very poor choice. There are areas where reception is acceptable but overall the service here is horrible for AT&T (especially here in the San Jose area). I've been with Verizon since way back when they were called, "GTE MobilNet" and have always felt their voice quality and reception was better than the other carriers around here. But, yes, I cannot talk and surf the web at the same time.

I've heard a lot of rumors over the past couple of years that the CDMA Development Group has been working on updating the standard to allow this but I haven't heard much about this lately.

Personally I don't think this'll be a big issue to me but it sure would be nice to have the option!

In my opinion I would choose your carrier more on receiption and service than for the ability to multitask. Switching to Sprint or Verizon may be a good move for you depending on cell coverage where you live.

Good luck!
Larry.

 

[dtran086]

^^^ Thanks Larry for your input! I know it's hard to say how much the "average" user is because i know everyone is different....All the services have pretty good coverage in my area so i'm not worried about switching carriers...I just don't want to be stuck paying any overages because of the data limitations...

thanks again for your input...

 

[osxx]

HSPA+ is supposed to go to 14.4 Mbps.
Real 4G is supposed to go to 22 Mbps
With that said I haver never seen either of this speeds on various phones or providers
but have seen 7 to 8 so get a hands on before purchase.
Don't forget roll over minutes that AT&T offers in a family plan this can help.

 

[lschwarcz]

HSPA+ is supposed to go to 14.4 Mbps.
Real 4G is supposed to go to 22 Mbps
With that said I haver never seen either of this speeds on various phones or providers
but have seen 7 to 8 so get a hands on before purchase.
Don't forget roll over minutes that AT&T offers in a family plan this can help.

Don't quote me on this but I heard a while ago (Walt Mossberg?) that real 4G is closer to 100Mbps which is why none of the providers here in the US actually provide 4G service.

Larry.

 

[chas_m]

Couple of things:

1. The "average user" uses LESS than 500MB of 3G data per month. I've written PLENTY of stories on this, take my word for it. The average is slowly creeping up and varies by region and by network, but the overall average is very, very low. Whether that's due to fear of overages or the ubiquitousness of wi-fi, I could not say.

2. There is NO SUCH THING as "true 4G" yet. The term "4G" is purely a marketing term that currently covers three completely incompatible-with-each-other types of networks that promise varying speeds. Ischwarcz has it correct, "true" 4G when it arrives will offer 100mbps but that's a few years off at least. In the meantime, ALWAYS treat the words "4G" with *extreme* scepticism and assume it just means "somewhat faster than 3G."

PS. Phones are the worst about this -- some of them have 4G in their *name* and when you ask the company *cough*HTC*cough* they'll say it means that the phone will *continue to work* on a 4G network.

 

[dmccloud]

CDMA as a whole cannot do voice and data at the same time (this affects both Verizon and Sprint). LTE is supposed to remedy that issue. As far as the 2GB a month cap goes, the most I've used in a month is about 1.8GB, and I'd consider myself on the higher end. I also use wifi whenever possible, so that's definitely a factor.