The 4g's and why I think AT&T is the best

I believe AT&T is the nations best wireless provider.   Some people flame me for this, but here is why.

The answer is in wireless data speeds.

The iPhone 4 and soon to come iPhone 5 are strictly 3g devices.   The data connection is manageable and gets the job done, but to view HD video its too slow.   Data speeds top out around 2500 mbps (dont worry about what this means, it just is)

All the new, high end android devices are HSPA+, or what I call 3g+.   They can stream HD videos, movies, load web pages and download apps in seconds.   In my opinion this is all a mobile phone NEEDS, unless your running a bit-torrent server through your phone.  Data speeds here cap out around 7000 mbps ( i did pull 14000 on t mobile a couple times).  AT&T has HSPA+ but Verizon does not.

Verizon has an awesome LTE network (AT&T will soon, but they are 18 months behind Verizon).   The connection speeds on LTE peak around 25000 mbps.   There are a number of high end android phones on Verizon that are capable of this, and Verizon has some 140 cities around the county with this technology.  Portland is one of them, and their LTE network goes from Wilsonville to Vancouver and Hillsboro to Gresham.   The downside here is that LTE EATS your battery for lunch.    These data speeds are faster than my fiber optic line running to my house and it just isn't necessary for a 3.5" to 4.5" screen.
  When Verizon released the thunderbolt (first LTE phone), you could charge it to 100%, set it on your desk and never use it, and the battery would die within 6 hours.

This is why AT&T will be the best.


  Verizon will only have a 3g(too slow) and an LTE(way more than necessary) network.  They have no middle ground.   Users will toggle LTE on when they want to download a bunch of data, then off when they are done.   Any user that leaves LTE on will have worse battery life.  When LTE is off, 3g data will be too slow.

AT&T has the middle ground, HSPA+.   The data speed is fast enough for anything you would want to run on your phone, but doesn't eat your battery  

My opinion is that LTE speeds are not needed unless your tethering your device to a laptop.

Here is why the iPhone 5 will not be a 4g device


1) LTE chip sets are too big for Apple to incorporate into their design.   This is the first no-no.  LTE android phones are rather large, but customers can CHOOSE THEM if they want.


2) Apple would never allow AT&T and Verizon to have two different speeds.   A consumer could think "do i want an HSPA+ on AT&T or 3g on Verizon.   Apple is not about choice, so they aren't going to give it to you.

*Note that second generation LTE chipsets are being released in Q12012.   These will consume less power and be smaller than the current generation chipsets.   However, they will still consume MORE power than HSPA+.   AT&T phones will always have much better battery life.

The comparison is similar to EDGE and 3g today.   If you put your phone on an EDGE data connection, the battery life is significantly better.