The questions are relevant but need to be put into the context of the user for more specific consideration:
Traveling Executive
- International coverage (Companies pays bill!)
- Berry like phone features
o Email
o SMS
- Broadband speeds
o Browsing
Road warrior
- Same as above but more price aware
- Possibly just national coverage
Knowledge Worker
- Broadband speeds
- Keyboard
Families and Consumer (price and plans)
- Interactive calling texting lists for families or extended family or friends
Teen / Gen X
- Services
o Messaging
o Groups
o Social networking
- phone features like
o media players
o text messaging [SMS]
o camera
In this context it makes more sense to see how certain people use the phone.
In the past year I have change carriers twice.
Sprint to ATT. becuse of the poor customer service from Sprint ((had problem getting a replacement phone after being with them for over 5 yrs.)and when I moved to At&t customer service was ok, but I spent hundreds of dollars on phones that I could not use at my home also I was paying almost a $100.00 for 1200 min and I was only using 40 min a month because I could not call or receive calls. (poor signal at my residence)and switched to T.Mobile when I was told that they did not guarantee service inside my home.Still waiting for my deposit
Sonofroxie
The number one reason for changing phones would be the area it is available to work, 2nd the rates, 3rd shorter contacts or no contracts at all.
Remember if you picked your #1 reason was rates...i would assume you don't travel much and the rates would of course be your 1st choice.
Features are very important and would be strongly considered...we love our toys don't we!!
What does this iphone do that me Blackberry doesn't...my Blackberry is awesome and i would have a hard time replacing it !!
Being able to keep the same number, it difficult enough rememberinga number without keep changing it
Rattler
I wish that we could switch service providers without changing our phone numbers. theres already talk of that here in India. but over here we dont have any issues with contracts and phones being locked to certain providers.
we can buy any phone and put any sim card of any service provider (provided ur putting a GSM sim in a GSM phone and CDMA sim in CDMA phone)
If you are planning to change carriers, just ask the carrier that you are going to if you can port your number from your old carriers. By law it can be sent to another carrier as long as you are not on suspension or have already canceled your account.
No contracts and having some loyal customer appreciation.
How about one that actually always worked. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!!!!
I get more dropped calls than an ugly sixteen year old asking for a date.
First would be customer service. The carriers in the US have figured out that as long as they can trap you into a 2+ year commitment with a ridiculous term fee, they can treat you like crap every time you call them with an issue. Either way they are going to get money from you.
Coverage is very important, too. But there's more to it than "more bars in more places". Cingular/AT&T claim the least dropped calls. Well; you can drop what you can't make!
And then there's the almost invisible "Market Strangulation". Most guilty: Verizon. But the other US carriers happily assist with this.
Market Strangulation, to me, is when the carrier (or any service provider) uses tactics to gain, or maintain a competitive edge over the competition that hurts the customer. Locking phones to a particular carrier is one of the most obvious ways to do this. But what about using antiquated CDMA phones that can't be transferred to another carrier even if they are unlocked? And that way your competition that is moving forward (slowly) that opts for the better GSM standard can't use your towers to enhance their coverage area.
I have a lot to say about this, but for the short attention span people who are just about to give up reading this, I'll close with one more point.
Connection fees. WHY DO PEOPLE PAY THESE?!?! They want you to sign up to their network so they can charge you a fee every month THAT HAS PROFIT BUILT INTO IT already. If you or I don't sign up, they don't make ANY money. So, how does a connection fee make any sense?? The only way I can see this being tolerable would be if I had terrible credit and was a risk to the carrier. But in that instance, they should just show me the pay-as-you-go phones and call it a day.
You are so right about what a Monopoly they have created! I hate all the companies. I lost a phone and they want to charge me 350. or to extend my contract for another two years...I am tired of the ball and chain and the gov't just winks at all of their misdeeds...Shame.
Coverage is a no brainer because I have regular occasion to travel into areas that are not metropolitan. I pay extra (roaming) in most cases anyway. If you can't get a signal it doesn't matter how cheap the base rate is or how many minutes you have.
Now with kids it's a matter of rate. For those few years where they aren't able to get in a car and drive to Vegas it nice to have a low rate, especially for the girls.
Why pay for extra features if you can't get signal, especially in remote areas when you might really need to contact someone?
The reason I need a MOBILE PHONE is to be abble keep in contact where ever I am.
100% agreement...what good is a great phone with all the bells and whistles if you can't use the darn thing? You're stranded in the middle of God's nowhere, what's more important...getting help or being able to listen to music?
"Dee Dee Dee"
I'm semi-happy with my phone; no company will make the "perfect" phone that has everything I want. I am semi-happy with the rate plan and contract length; I understand that the 2-year contract keeps the monthly cost lower by reducing customer acquisition costs (but WHY do phones come with a 1-year warranty--what happens if the phone craps out in month 14?!?) and I don't understand why voice is cheaper than data since the bandwidth for voice MUST be higher than SMS. Faster connectivity; that's a no brainer-- I want faster, faster, faster...ALWAYS. I chose my current carrier based on coverage and speed; I almost always have voice coverage, even in the base town of Ft. Middle-of-Nowhere (military users know what I mean) and I have 3G at home. As for customer service; well it is a phone company after all...
I personally think theres only a one year warranty because their phone are being made WAY cheaper than they used to be. They know people are going to see the newer and better phones and they run right out to buy them. Why should the phones be made better? Most people don't want them more than a year.
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