So after a week of using the EVO...

[sniffs]

I've really fallen for the huge display.. the device feels great in the hands, it's a little heavy but that doesnt bother me, it feels manly.

The thing that bothers me is Sprint. Sprint's data network is slower than Verizon's for SURE and there's no 4G yet in Southern California, and I seem to roam ALOT. I mean going in elevators I roam, in some buildings I roam.. I dont get it. My Verizon Droid Incredible, I never roam, the device just works perfectly and the data is fast.

With the release of the Droid X on Verizon, I'll be getting that device since it's very similar spec'd as the EVO.

I wish the EVO was on Verizon.. =(

 

[tomh1102]

Unfortunately the quality of your service provider is decided by your location, here where I am at my sprint phones get better reception than my girlfriends verizon. She does not get any service at her house and I get 3 bars, I get service every where in MD and could not tell you when the last time I saw my phone go into roaming around here but I did not get a lick of service in lake anna, VA but friends with verizon and att did not get any service either.

 

[ap3604]

My Verizon Droid Incredible, I never roam, the device just works perfectly and the data is fast.

With the release of the Droid X on Verizon, I'll be getting that device since it's very similar spec'd as the EVO.

Must be nice to be so rich!

Wish I could buy an Incredible then buy a Droid X a few months later ;-)

 

[sniffs]

Unfortunately the quality of your service provider is decided by your location, here where I am at my sprint phones get better reception than my girlfriends verizon. She does not get any service at her house and I get 3 bars, I get service every where in MD and could not tell you when the last time I saw my phone go into roaming around here but I did not get a lick of service in lake anna, VA but friends with verizon and att did not get any service either.

I'm in Southern California.. Irvine, CA where the carriers bring their A game and blanket coverage. However, based on speed tests from both devices, Verizon fares better in 9 outta 10 tests.

 

[sniffs]

Must be nice to be so rich!

Wish I could buy an Incredible then buy a Droid X a few months later ;-)

I'm not rich.. the company I work for provides me these devices because I'm the carrier admin for the company.

 

[Robbie317]

I'm in Southern California.. Irvine, CA where the carriers bring their A game and blanket coverage. However, based on speed tests from both devices, Verizon fares better in 9 outta 10 tests.

I live in Nashville, TN and a friend of my has the Droid Incredible, Another friend has an iPhone and I have the EVO. Doing speed test and even pulling up the same web pages at the same time it all depends on what part of town we are in... Where we physically live (Murfreesboro, TN 25 miles southeast of Nashville) my EVO is always faster than both with the iPhone lagging behind. Downtown it's pretty close but typically the Droid and iPhone are slightly faster but it's typically pretty close.. Eastern, Nashville/Mount Juliet area again the EVO runs faster speeds....

I also didn't realize that Irvine, CA was ground zero for the battle of smart phone signals? Maybe 30 - 40 miles up the road in Los Angeles would be a more fair battle ground area vs Irvine..... Or New York City? Chicago? San Fransisco seems to be a hot bed for all the big tech companies and seems like a lot of reviews come from that area.....

 

[dpg]

Sprint has actually been a lot better for me than ATT and Verizon except when it comes to coverage in my house. thats where ATT won out. But thanks to Sprint they are sending me a free Airave thing with no monthly charge. so that should help my poor reception at home.

 

[Robbie317]

I'm in Southern California.. Irvine, CA where the carriers bring their A game and blanket coverage. However, based on speed tests from both devices, Verizon fares better in 9 outta 10 tests.

You should also pull Sprint and Verizon's coverage maps... I just did and it looks like in Irvine, CA Sprint is a little spotty and yes Verizon's coverage should be a lot better... Verizon appears (at least from their maps) to blanket your area while Sprint goes between "Good" and "Fair" coverage....

 

[sniffs]

I live in Nashville, TN and a friend of my has the Droid Incredible, Another friend has an iPhone and I have the EVO. Doing speed test and even pulling up the same web pages at the same time it all depends on what part of town we are in... Where we physically live (Murfreesboro, TN 25 miles southeast of Nashville) my EVO is always faster than both with the iPhone lagging behind. Downtown it's pretty close but typically the Droid and iPhone are slightly faster but it's typically pretty close.. Eastern, Nashville/Mount Juliet area again the EVO runs faster speeds....

I also didn't realize that Irvine, CA was ground zero for the battle of smart phone signals? Maybe 30 - 40 miles up the road in Los Angeles would be a more fair battle ground area vs Irvine..... Or New York City? Chicago? San Fransisco seems to be a hot bed for all the big tech companies and seems like a lot of reviews come from that area.....

It's not "ground zero" but Southern California is.. It's a HUGE market for carriers. I mean look at the population and business/growth/opertunity. It's pretty shocking that 4G isn't here yet.. I get invited to alot of the carrier tech demos and they all claim to "bring their A game" to the SoCal market so that's why I mentioned it.

 

[manimsoblack]

Here in Central Florida I get consistent 1-2Mbps downloads even with one bar. Sprint rocks over here.

 

[Robbie317]

It's not "ground zero" but Southern California is.. It's a HUGE market for carriers. I mean look at the population and business/growth/opertunity. It's pretty shocking that 4G isn't here yet.. I get invited to alot of the carrier tech demos and they all claim to "bring their A game" to the SoCal market so that's why I mentioned it.

Well carrier tech demo's are never going to say... "Yeah, we are pretty good but we only bring our B or C game to this area." I picked up a Nexus One with T-Mobile for a couple of months after dumping my iPhone.... T-Mobile talked like they were the $HIT and they didn't even offer 3G coverage in my area.

Steve Jobs is a master at this type of "Sales" he sat back with the iPhone 4 and talked about how great the display was and how it had more pixels per square inch than any display on the market.... Then he turned around and when talking about the 5mp camera said pixels are not that important.... Almost in the same sentence he contradicts himself.... The pixels were important when it was to his advantage and they were not important when he was on the wrong side of the conversation..

Right now the EVO's big push is 4G.... and they only cover 10% of the U.S. population and don't have 4G in Los Angeles and New York, by far the two largest markets in the United States (all though they are working hard at it right now) but every commercial for the EVO says "What will you do with the FIRST 4G phone?"

Well for me I am going to work on their 3G network because I have no choice.. It's marketing & sales 101... You never talk about the negative you talk about the positive... Tell the people WHY your better....

 

[Robbie317]

@Sniffs...

Don't get me wrong.. I am just picking at you a little... You have to find the right network for your area.. I learned the hard way... I went with an iPhone because it was an iPhone and moved away from Sprint that had been very good to me for many years.... I quickly found out AT&T's coverage wasn't all that great where I live and I was kind of stuck... So I road out my two year contract and FINALLY Sprint came out with a serious device.... Verizon has great coverage where I live too..... I went and checked out the Droid Incredible and even though I liked it....... The overall build I didn't like.... It felt cheap to me and I didn't like the back at all.. So I passed (I also passed on the Hero, Pre and Moment over the last year) I was willing to eat the ETF but no other phone really stood out against the iPhone... I don't like slide out keyboards so that killed the Droid when it hit last year...

Look at the maps.. It does clearly look like Verizon is your best option where you live... Also some networks can get bogged down.. Sprint has actually had one of the consistently fastest networks over the last year... Mostly because of the lack of smart phones/users on their network.. AT&T has had iPhone hangover for 3 years now....

 

[DougB541#CB]

NYC Sprint kinda reigns supreme on speed...but depends on the day of course.

 

[whippingboy]

I'm in California= San Fernando Valley. Live in Encino- commute to Glendale- went to the E3 convention in downtown LA (near the Staples Center) where there's 4G signal. I've had no problems. No dropped calls other when i was streaming Stitcher, navigating via Google Nav. and on the phone with a buddy and the phone reset. 3 years earlier I was on Verizon with a Palm Treo and I dropped calls a few times a day. It depends a LOT on the network at the time, where you are- and the phone and it's antenna too. My dad is in Long Beach with a Rumor and drops calls in his own home and he has an airrave! His wife? On an instinct- and now with airrave doesn't drop at all.

Irvine and Long Beach according to coverage maps does have some Sprint coverage holes-but to say ALL OF CALIFORNIA is ignored by Sprint is a misstatement. Sorry the service may not be good for you in Irvine- but from Encino to SantaMonica, to downtown LA to Glendale- I've got no problems with EVO coverage.

Am I tracking download speeds with an incredible on Verizon in the same areas however? No. Do I CARE which is faster? Not really, I save more money with sprint and my screen is bigger. Nuff said.

 

[Edge767]

I've really fallen for the huge display.. the device feels great in the hands, it's a little heavy but that doesnt bother me, it feels manly.

The thing that bothers me is Sprint. Sprint's data network is slower than Verizon's for SURE and there's no 4G yet in Southern California, and I seem to roam ALOT. I mean going in elevators I roam, in some buildings I roam.. I dont get it. My Verizon Droid Incredible, I never roam, the device just works perfectly and the data is fast.

With the release of the Droid X on Verizon, I'll be getting that device since it's very similar spec'd as the EVO.

I wish the EVO was on Verizon.. =(

Sprint and 4G are awesome here in Houston! Love the phone, and love Sprint. I've had nothing but grief from all the other carriers except Sprint.

 

[sniffs]

I'm in California= San Fernando Valley. Live in Encino- commute to Glendale- went to the E3 convention in downtown LA (near the Staples Center) where there's 4G signal. I've had no problems. No dropped calls other when i was streaming Stitcher, navigating via Google Nav. and on the phone with a buddy and the phone reset. 3 years earlier I was on Verizon with a Palm Treo and I dropped calls a few times a day. It depends a LOT on the network at the time, where you are- and the phone and it's antenna too. My dad is in Long Beach with a Rumor and drops calls in his own home and he has an airrave! His wife? On an instinct- and now with airrave doesn't drop at all.

Irvine and Long Beach according to coverage maps does have some Sprint coverage holes-but to say ALL OF CALIFORNIA is ignored by Sprint is a misstatement. Sorry the service may not be good for you in Irvine- but from Encino to SantaMonica, to downtown LA to Glendale- I've got no problems with EVO coverage.

Am I tracking download speeds with an incredible on Verizon in the same areas however? No. Do I CARE which is faster? Not really, I save more money with sprint and my screen is bigger. Nuff said.

I didn't mention anything about coverage. I'm referring to their download speeds. On Verizon I can hit eastily over 200KB/s in some areas. In Sprint, I average 40-60KB/s and lower in just about everywhere I go.. It's not the end of the world, but when I start up youtube (my Incredible has the HQ player from the EVO), the videos start up sooner on my Inc. and never buffer as much as they do on my EVO.

I too was at E3 last week.. signal was good.. didn't notice the 4G was up and running but I also had the 4G chip turned off.

Also, how are you saving money? The EVO has a $10 dollar premium!

 

[Robbie317]

I didn't mention anything about coverage. I'm referring to their download speeds. On Verizon I can hit eastily over 200KB/s in some areas. In Sprint, I average 40-60KB/s and lower in just about everywhere I go.. It's not the end of the world, but when I start up youtube (my Incredible has the HQ player from the EVO), the videos start up sooner on my Inc. and never buffer as much as they do on my EVO.

I too was at E3 last week.. signal was good.. didn't notice the 4G was up and running but I also had the 4G chip turned off.

Also, how are you saving money? The EVO has a $10 dollar premium!

Do you not even look at the service plans between the phones? Ignore the $10 premium... With Sprint and the EVO your either $79.99 or $109.99 per month depending on if you can live with 450 land line and unlimited mobile to mobile minutes or you need unlimited every thing minutes....

Verizon 450 talk and unlimited text is $59.99 and then you have to add $30 per month for data so your at $90 per month vs $80 on Sprint.. Or you can go the unlimited talk and text for $89.99 plus $30 for data so your $120 on Verizon and $110.00 on Sprint... and that is WITH the $10 EVO tax.....

 

[gman eb#AC]

My Sprint plan is cheaper than Verizon?s equivalent, even with the $10 4G add on. I just got the EVO on Saturday and I am disappointed in the coverage. 1-3 bars in my house and at work, 3-4 outside, never see it on full strength. The phone roams in parts of town. I live in CT and looking at the maps, Verizon?s 3G is pretty much everywhere here and throughout the Northeast, whereas Sprint is at about 60% less than Verizon.

Other than that I am falling in love with the phone. I have 30 days to try it out, see how it works and check the coverage out. With the Incredible and soon to be announced Droid I may just jump ship and go back to Verizon.

 

[whippingboy]

Sprint was a sponsor at E3- not sure if 4G is always INSIDE the convention center- but you had full bars 4G in just about every corner of the convention halls.

As far as speed is concerned, I thought I saw on Engadget some testing by carrier results... Sprint was indeed the slowest of the bunch there. If you're getting 200KB over 3g pretty consistently, I'd stick with Verizon too.

I'll admit the EVO tax coupled with Verizon and ATT's recent slashing of their unlimited plans definitely closes the gap on Sprint these days for INDIVIDUALS. Saving $20-$30 per month per line is a lot more compelling than the $10 savings these days.

But start adding lines and you're saving serious money:
Including the EVO tax per line for 2 phones data,text,1400verizon or 1500sprint shared minutes:
Sprint 2 lines: $150
Verizon 2 lines: $190
($480 savings per year!)

Sprint 3 lines: $180
Verizon 3 lines: $230
($600 savings per year!)

When you see those numbers- I'll take sprint, and if they really piss me off, I can still take all my phones (or just a few lines) off network and the SAVINGS per year will pay for my early termination fees easily.

 

[lembowski]

Sprint and Verizon in San Diego are pretty much equal. I have a VZW Blackberry Tour and my Sprint EVO. They both pull similar numbers, nothing near the difference you are seeing. Sprint is my personal plan and VZW is my work phone. I would have both on Sprint if I were paying for both. I go up to our Costa Mesa office often (Once a week) and over to our El Segundo office the same day normally and I've never had issues with super slow speeds on either phone.