8800 Test drive, RETURNED

[evandt]

I'll keep this short and sweet. In the past, I've hopped back and forth between Verizon and cingular so I could always keep the most current blackberry yet also try to maintain the best service. I've been on Verizon ever since they came out with the 8703e and I've loved every second of it. They have the best service without a doubt. I switched to cingular last week, got a 8800 and have nothing but terrible things to say about the experience. First off, the phone is awesome. The new features(though small improvements) are great. It feels amazing in your hands, looks good, and its easy enough to adjust to the typing. I was even able to get a good feel for the pearl ball in a day. Here's where it gets sour. I dropped 20 or 30 calls on it the first day or two. In regular areas all over los angeles. This is simply unnaceptable, Cingular's service is straight up embarrasing and it's a complete lie to bill this device as anything more than a toy as long as its on cingular.
I've since returned it, switched back to verizon on my 8703 and am sooooo glad I didn't stick it out.

I hope none of you make the same mistake.
Evan

[b00st3d]

all depends on where you live...every carrier sucks in some area...like in new orleans, cingular has better service than verizon...i have more coverage/less issues on my cingular device than my parents do on their verizon phones.

[foner]

It's been said countless times in these forums...
Bangin' service beats cool ass phone every time!

[Liquidlink]

Evandt, I have my personal phone on Verizon and work work is Nextel. I go back and forth with switch my personal phone to Cingular cause I want all the new devices. I have been malling this over for almost 1 year cause Verizon service is Great every place I have been or travelled to. I love my new toys but would rather have old technology with Great Service. For now I am staying with Verizon. IMO, I think no matter who you go with Cingular or Verizon you will have great service, they are the 2 Best and Biggest Carriers, just depends on where you live and travel.

[RoadRider]

I travel to LA a dozen times a year - in fact, all over LA and OC. Never had anything but excellent signal and service. This is with my previous 8700 and current Pearl. Can't imagine why your experience was so bad. Sorry to hear.

[backbeat]

I'll keep this short and sweet. In the past, I've hopped back and forth between Verizon and cingular so I could always keep the most current blackberry yet also try to maintain the best service. I've been on Verizon ever since they came out with the 8703e and I've loved every second of it. They have the best service without a doubt. I switched to cingular last week, got a 8800 and have nothing but terrible things to say about the experience. First off, the phone is awesome. The new features(though small improvements) are great. It feels amazing in your hands, looks good, and its easy enough to adjust to the typing. I was even able to get a good feel for the pearl ball in a day. Here's where it gets sour. I dropped 20 or 30 calls on it the first day or two. In regular areas all over los angeles. This is simply unnaceptable, Cingular's service is straight up embarrasing and it's a complete lie to bill this device as anything more than a toy as long as its on cingular.
I've since returned it, switched back to verizon on my 8703 and am sooooo glad I didn't stick it out.

I hope none of you make the same mistake.
Evan

Are you new to LA?

If not, given your long history with Cingular, you should've known what to expect in service. Otherwise, your point is clearly that the 8800, itself, is responsible for such poor service.

Care to clarify further?

[Sparkomatic]

I work all over So Cal and have had nothing but great service with Cingular. I've tried Verizon and Sprint and dont' stay with them cause they can't keep up with the number of times I switch devices! It's sooo much easier for me to pop out a SIM card and put it in a new device.

[TomN]

My work has Verizon service here in the northern Indiana area and I hate it. There are some days I'd like to find that "Can you hear me now" guy and beat him senseless. Guess it all depends on where you live. I'll stick with Cingular thanks.

[bperkins]

So was this an 8800 review or a carrier review? No one carrier is perfect for everyone.

[VidGameKing]

Man I'm so glad Cingular is the BEST in the San Francisco Bay Area. Best data, best Voice, best everything. Now outside of the Bay Area.... I don't travel too far away from a Fry's(slightly addicted to tech) so, I'm not too sure what it's like out there in the wild, but I hear that Verizon is king!

[takeshi]

This is simply unnaceptable, Cingular's service is straight up embarrasing and it's a complete lie to bill this device as anything more than a toy as long as its on cingular.
I've since returned it, switched back to verizon on my 8703 and am sooooo glad I didn't stick it out.

I hope none of you make the same mistake.
Coverage varies not only from market to market but within markets as well. In other words, just because you experienced bad coverage in your area doesn't mean that Cingular doesn't have adequate or better coverage elsewhere that others can (and do ) use.

[psyct1]

Coverage varies not only from market to market but within markets as well. In other words, just because you experienced bad coverage in your area doesn't mean that Cingular doesn't have adequate or better coverage elsewhere that others can (and do ) use.
couldn't have said it better myself... i've used cingular ever since my return from japan in 2005, and prior to me leaving for japan i used verizon when it was first started, was not happy with their service and this was long before nationwide roaming was a standard contract, verizon refused to change my area of coverage when i switched duty stations from washington state to north carolina because my billing address was not in a location they had service yet, so i got stuck with a monthly contract i could not use... ended up giving the phone to my mother and she used it up in pa where she lived... then i went to sprint their service was much better, but customer service when i went on a 6 month deployment overseas was horrible... now i have cingular and have ZERO complaints... their customer service in my experience has been very pleasant, aside from the occasional "moron" you get on the phone that doesn't even know what features they can add/remove from your bill, they have all been polite... and i have MAYBE one or two dropped calls per billing cycles, and i think it may be from the other person i'm on the phone with...

with me, customer service is what sells me...

[YMark]

The title of this thread is a little misleading. You returned the 8800 for no reason other than the poor service of Cingular. Thread title should be renamed.

[Dr. Jerry]

I had an 8703e and was fine on Verizon. I didn't have a problem until my job had me oversees. If you are thinking about using Verizon anywhere but in the USA...open the plane window and throw it out into the Atlantic. It is completely useless anywhere in Europe. Hence...I use a Cingular Pearl...works like a charm in NYC and in the middle of Finland!