The Macalope, in Always wait for something better. ALWAYS, discusses the iPhone’s “silly pundit zombie talking points that will not die.” This, of course, includes the hue and cry over the lack of GSM 3G networking.
While I really don’t know what the battery life trade-off would have been to put 3G on the iPhone, I do know I would like something faster. (Note: I don’t have an iPhone, so I’m speaking only in generalities.) I’ve had 1x-RTT from Verizon, and it was seriously not cool. Everyone likes faster networking, right? I’m no exception, I’ll admit it.
But realistically, even thought I’ve seen AT&T issue press releases about how many metro areas are covered by 3G equipment, mine isn’t. My dose of reality came on June 29, when I posted Having an EDGE. I looked again, and although my area is slathered in the orange of ubiquitous AT&T signal, the blue of 3G data networking is conspicuously absent, still. Even if I purchased a 3G-capable phone right now at a local AT&T retail outlet, this tells me I wouldn’t get 3G.
So what kind of advantage is that to me, technology columnists? Do you all live in New York and Los Angeles, or other places that have received their AT&T upgrades?
I live in one of the 100 largest metro areas in the country, home to one of AT&T’s top network engineers (I’ve been in one presentation by him), and don’t get that same advantage. I haven’t looked at the entire U.S. coverage map (because you have to zoom down to the city level or below to see 3G coverage), but it would seem awfully silly of AT&T to have as much coverage as I’ve seen them claim, but then bypass my area — as well as the other main metro areas in my whole state.
So if 2G or 2.5G networking is available an ubiquitous in the locale where I’m going to use it most, and I don’t need to depend on having Wi-Fi at my disposal at all times … eh, I’ll take it. The iPhone matches the AT&T network conditions around me. That’s certainly better than nothing, and I’ll remember that as I consider how to replace my current phone.
I did try out a relative’s Verizon Treo 700p, though, and the speediness of the EVDO connection — even in rural Maryland — was readily apparent. However, it still ran through the Blazer browser I loathed in 2005; I’d choose mobile Safari over that any day.