Any new phones coming from AT&T in Atlanta???

No one's developing any new "killer" TDMA phones because nearly all TDMA carriers are moving to GSM or CDMA.

Right now, IMO, the best phones for AT&T TDMA are the Nokia 6360 and the Mot v60i.

I don't recommend AT&T GSM in Atlanta because of reportedly weak coverage (worse than TDMA, which is good but not great, except around Druid Hills/Fernbank/Emory and parts of Midtown and Dunwoody where it's just plain bad -- the Midtown and Dunwoody problem areas are also bad with Nextel, and are part of the reason I went back to VZW), and the fact AT&T GSM doesn't support analog roaming (meaning no coverage in much of rural south GA, TN, and the Carolinas; AL/MS/LA and most of all KY have far more rural TDMA.)

-SC

 

Really, it depends on what states you need coverage in. Who's better based on coverage quality and availability of digital service:

North GA (outside metro ATL) - either is fine
South GA - VZW
Carolinas - VZW
Northern AL, and US 231 corridor in southern AL - VZW
Southern AL away from US 231 corridor - AT&T
FL Panhandle - VZW
Rest of FL - either is fine; AT&T is still slightly better (VZW is MUCH, MUCH better in FL than they used to be)
TN - either is fine, but VZW has more digital in rural areas (even in some very isolated areas such as Mountain City [via ALLTEL] and the Copper Basin)
VA - VZW
MS/LA - either is fine; for coverage in rural MS you may actually be best off with Cingular for cost reasons (this is one of the few instances I recommend Cingular!)
KY - AT&T (don't even think about VZW unless you're willing to pay for National SingleRate or only go to western KY and/or Louisville via Nashville)

-SC

 

The phone question:

VZW's best phones reception-wise right now appear to be the Motorola v60i and the Kyoceras, and to a lesser extent the Audiovoxes. (The old StarTAC 7868/Timeport 8767 and Samsung T300 are even better, but VZW no longer sells them; you can find them on ebay, though ) The Nokia 3285 is OK. Do NOT get the Mot v120c or 720, the LGs, or the current Samsungs...

-SC

 

good luck, ATT is investing in the older TDMA version of phones. GSM is the network that all the money is going to and where all the good phones are.

 

If your looking into someone other than ATT i would look into Tmobile, i have family and a few friends that are very satisfied with there service...My dad lives in a rural area near Douglasville and ATT,Sprint,Nextel and cingular will not work but Tmobile did, thats not saying it will work where your going but have heard good things bout them, coverage is a bit limited though, as far as new TDMA phones with ATT yeah most everything is going GSM..nokia 7210, new panasonic flip with the camera too, they will have a few more tdma models but dont expect much as far as features and style

 

FWIW...there are quite a few parts of southern Douglas County (Capps Ferry Rd area and far southern end of Post Rd to name two) where the only carrier with decent, or any, coverage is VZW... AT&T TDMA and SPCS can roam on VZW (usually free with the former, for a rather high price on the latter), AT&T GSM and Cingular (and of course T-Mo, Metro PCS, and Nextel) can't.

-SC

 

Been using Cingular and have activated an ATT account because I was given an old 8260 (not that old 2 yrs?) but am now going around with both because ATT does seem more spotty. In talking to my wife who has used ATT I always assumed it was one of our phones that hit the rough spot. Now I'm starting to think its more an att problem. And I pretty much stay inside or within 7 miles of I-285 on the north side. Granted my Cingular phone is the old base nokia with the external antenna

I'll figure it out before the 30 day cancel period is over. May just have to see if I can sell the 8260 if ATT is in fact spotty in atlanta.

 

I work for att and know there are a few dead spots with us loke with everyone, with cingular every time i cross the intersection ptree ind and holcolmbridge rd my call drops.....Remember your using a old 8260 that to me reception wise are junk..try a more updated model first.....ive used Cingular, ATT,Nextel,Sprint and Tmobile in Atlanta and everyone has coverage issues somewhere....i would say Tmobile works very well here too

 

I would tend to think the problem may be your 8260...

 

Me too you might want to try a Nokia 8265 or 6360 as they have better internal antenna's.

 

Roamer1 - why did you say not to get the 720? I have heard nothing but good about this phone from people who use it and the test ratings I have seen as well???