Right now I have the Motorola V60 series phone under the Alltel network. It’s a good phone on a fantastic network. I’ve had the phone for a little over two years now and it’s served me great but as time continues, phones of course get better.
The new phone of my desire is the Treo 650 from palmOne. It’s has everything a technophile could want and more.
The Treo 650 smartphone from palmOne makes it easier than ever to stay connected. It simplifies your life by combining a compact mobile phone with email, an organizer, messaging, and web access. There’s also Bluetooth technology so you can connect wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices. Not to mention an MP3 player, a digital camera that captures video, and a vibrant color screen that brings everything to life - all in a device that’s still small enough to fit in your pocket. Seems like Treo smartphones just keep getting smarter.
I haven’t always liked devices like the Treo. I’ve been overly skeptical toward all-in-one devices for years now. Do they really live up to their claim of “offering a simpler life”? Most of the time these devises don’t. Whereas they have a lot of features - they don’t do any of them well.
From what I’ve seen in this case is that the Treo 650 does simplify your life. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time researching and testing the phone out. Dave from Macatawa Technologies got one the other day and let me play around with it at the last g33ks event. The thing is sweet.
The Problem
The problem is that the Treo 650 isn’t available under the Alltel network. It is however available under the Sprint network. I’m ok with switching networks as long as I’m not switching to a worse service.
As said earlier, Alltel is the best network I’ve seen so far but I thought I would at least look into what Sprint offers. So I do… (pause for hours of research) … and it sucks.
Sprint has nothing even close to what Alltel is offering. Don’t take my word - look for yourself.
The Solution?
I don’t have a solution yet. It seems obvious to stay with the Alltel network but the Treo 650 is such a cool frigg’in phone. Sprint does have really good business rates and the options they offer for roaming charges (both digital & analog) are interesting as well.
So far it’s looking like I’ll be staying with Alltel but it’s worth me doing the math to see how much coverage West Michigan really has, how much I need, and the difference in costs if I do go outside my calling area verses what I’m paying right now to Alltel (which is a bit more monthly).
What’s your experience?
If you have any experience with Sprint, please let me know what you think of the service. If you work for Alltel, figure out how to offer the Treo 650.
posted on April 23, 2005 | 2:34 PM EST
Add to the discussion.
My brother had Sprint… and he was never satisfied. Besides customer service being horrible, the reception was never good, especially at our home. We like our Verizon in the family, everyone but mom has switched to it.
p.s. Why does my personal info never acually save, even though I check “Remember presonal info?”
So Verizon seems to work well for you guys? What’s been your experience with them overall? How’s the reception?
I should really look into them as well.
I’ll have to look at the “Remember me” stuff. My guess is that you clear out your cookies which removes the ability for me to remember ya.
Verizon has the Treo 600…
I just noticed that - looks like the 650 is offered by Cingular. Now I’ll have to do a follow up report on what I find out about Verizon & Cingular. If anyone has either of these plans - I’d like to hear your experiences as well.
Sprint is great as long as you use it in a metropolitan area or stay on a major highway.
I have maybe a bar Northeast of Zeeland and when I travel to Podunk, Illinois I’m roaming all the time. Iv’e heard good things about Verzon and after I use up the obligatory 2 years I’ll be switching.
Every time I change plans to add a phone or modify service they add on the “free” extras and I have to call to get them removed.
DON’T GET SPRINT!!! The pin drops on your foot, OUCH!
i have been very happy with my verizon service. i have nation wide service with unlimited night and weekends, with unlimited “in” calling. I can take my phone all over and it always works. Verizon also has good customer service, at least i’ve been happy when i’ve needed to talk to someone about my bill or new phone etc. i would recommend checking them out too!
Sprint, in my opinion, is terrible. It only gets reception in major metropolitan areas and highways, and in west michigan, is the weakest of cellular services, next to T-mobile.
As for verizon verses Alltell, Alltell wins this category for west michigan. Alltell has better coverage between Allegan, and Ottawa county because a county is only allowed to have so many providers in conjunction with the countys population, and in Allegan, Alltell and some Allegan proivder owns the cell towers, which limits the abilities of Verizon and other providers to adequiatly provide service in that region. Even at my house with verizon, I’m not on full service, we’re extended network. With Alltell, I would be getting full service.
So, once you get south of 32nd street in Holland, verizons service switches Extended Network.
One last thing about sprint, my friend and I both had the same phone through sprint and drove around holland one time marking down how strong of service we had. It wasn’t much maybe an average of 1-2 bars out of four.
Hope this helps.
From a customer perspective, Verizon and Alltel are run like old phone companies. High rates, longer contracts, and charging extra for long distance and roaming. What do you get in return? Service in places most people don’t go very often.
The other big 3, Cingular, Sprint, and T-Mobile are run like modern companies. They understand that roaming is dumb, and long distance should be free. They have concentrated their networks where people go everyday, and they are growing.
From a technical standpoint, I really like the GSM providers (T-Mobile & Cingular). GSM phones have a SIM card that you can pop out at any time and put in another phone - instantly making it your phone! GSM is also huge in every other country, especially Europe.
Sprint’s network (proprietary version of CDMA, if I remember correctly) is pretty solid, but because it’s proprietary, you can possibly get limited. For example, both Cingular and T-Mobile have partnered with a company in Northern Michigan to provide seamless roaming, free, for their customers. Sprint needs their own towers. I have also had good coverage in Canada with my T-mobile phone.
Alltel and Verizon base a lot of their coverage on older towers. The older networks make it harder for them to support cool phones like the Treo. Also, I don’t believe their coverage maps… they tend to be a bit overstated.
If possible, borrow a phone for a day and check coverage. I’ll bet you’d be happy with anyone. Good luck!
I have SPRINT and don’t recommend it. I live in Zeeland Township and might have one bar at home if I stand in the living room by the window on one leg with my elbow in the air.
At work, in downtown Holland, I have NO bars. That’s what I get for working in a cement block building.
So, for me my SPRINT service is good if I’m in my car. BTW…I don’t use my phone in the car. So, I guess it is good if I get in an accident and I’m not too hurt to call for help.
I wish I didn’t have a 2-year contract. Only 19 months left.
I just got a verizon phone and it is the only service up here in Northeastern Minnesota. Since I seem to spend most of my time between podunk towns it is good for me. Also I don’t have any roaming charges.
I talked to this verizon guy, trevor, the other day when I had a dumb question about how my phone works and he was super helpful and easy to get ahold of.
Yeah Technology. Pave them wagon trails.
I’m developing a love hate relationship with my cell phone. It is the same with television. It is so nice and convient, but when we think deeply about it we can easily see how these devices are abused. They really take the fun out of being a human.
Paul Says:
My brother had Sprint… and he was never satisfied. Besides customer service being horrible, the reception was never good, especially at our home. We like our Verizon in the family, everyone but mom has switched to it.
p.s. Why does my personal info never acually save, even though I check “Remember presonal info?”