Digital vs Triband on Verizon - Must Decide Tonight!

Welcome to WA! Given your time constraint, your best bet is going to be to check with friends/coworkers who travel the same roads (physically and metaphorically) as you do. Chances are in SoCal they've probably never hit an analog signal - and the chances of hitting an analog signal elsewhere decrease with every passing day.

Worse comes to worst, get the E815, and save ALL the packaging. You've got 14 days to try it out and make sure it works where you need it to work.

 

I don't think it's a mistake to get an all-digital handset as long as you try it out, like Critic says. In most areas you will probably have adequate to very good reception, it is only on the fringe areas where having AMPS would benefit you so if you don't do a whole lot of travelling in Podunk, Nowhere, USA and the phone works at your home, your work and any other place you need it to work, you should be good. Just try it in as many places as you can during the trial period and you should be fine.

 

Go to
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?requesttype=NEWREQUEST
and click to view coverage on America's Choice/No Roam Plans initiated after February. Punch in the cities/places you travel to frequently to check if there is digital or analog.
In Southern California, though, you should be fine with an all-digital phone. There are a few areas in CA(like Yosemite) that analog would do good, but if you never go there, the E815 will do great.