Truthfully: I am so fed up that I went to my local VZW store and asked if there's any info whatsoever on upcoming phones, particularly the i760. There was none, of course. So I just blew.

I loudly announced that I am on the verge of leaving VZW, no matter how good the coverage is, because I'm sick of them jerking us around. I have little doubt that VZW hasn't delivered the i760 because it's taking them longer to break it than they'd anticipated. So, I fully anticipate that the i760 will be crippled to an even greater extent than VZW's track record would lead us to expect.

So, who should I be looking at to possibly replace VZW? Decent coverage is my #1 criterion. And it'll be tough for me to convince my family to switch (not to mention the expense, if I go and they stay).

Sheesh!

tracfone is for you

Well, by what you are looking for, I would suggest that you go with Verizon. Not Verizon Wireless, but Verizon. Their landlines have great coverage.

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Pastor Tim Satryan
Communicating the Good News!
Visit my website - WILMINGTON first assembly of God

its comforting to know we can still count on rEEFER mADNESS to swoop in and give us a little of his wisdom when we need it!

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Lou
What is next???

All Cell companies Suck. so, you have to determine which one sucks the Least. and From what i have read VZW sucks the least, then TMO, Then a toss up between Cingular and Sprint.

I agree, the landline has the best coverage and may be for you

Update, sort of.

Today I spent about 30-45 minutes on the phone with "Ethan", helping him compile some information on a company he was going to present to some time next week. I asked about the i760 and he said that Verizon has sent out instructions as of late that essentially demanded that employees be tight lipped about upcoming releases. They are cracking down on information that is being discussed, and removing people from the loop on some of the projects. He said this was partially due to information about devices that Verizon hopes will be iPhone killers (like they can kill that beast called Apple), and the fact that they have seen large amounts of information leaked on devices as of late, including those photos of slide shows mentioning devices. He said that he needed to be even more cryptic and careful on information given out. Much of the information he finds out for me, he asks, and he said that he more or less has asked one too many questions. So he's cooling it for a bit. I asked him to explain some more, and he basically said, "I have been told that I am under a non-disclosure agreement, and that the information they can tell me can't get out." So it seems that for the time being, the faucet is off, not run dry, but off.

He said that as information presents itself in a way that he can relay, he will, but he isn't going to be asking for updates in the near future...

He did say that the time he asked before was still hopeful for a June release, but they are going to test the waters when the iPhone is released, but they still hope for a Q2 release. He said all carriers are looking to postpone releases until some of the iPhone hype dies after the release. He said each date he has been told has been pushed a bit longer, but they still want to release a few devices they have...

So that's everything I have been told.

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-Michael
Need help setting up your i730/i830 or other WM2003/WM5 Phone, as well as the other hacks I have done, check out the MRailing Guides and Links

Thanks for the update. Hopefully there won't be any kind of repercussions for the info he's been able to get to us.

I just don't understand this marketing strategy in the least (and maybe shows I'm more knowledgable in science than business/advertising). It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to wait and react to what happens with the iPhone. The closest thing I can think of to this situation would be with the 360 and the PS3. MS pushed hard to get their product out the door while Sony took their time and came to market a year late. And look how it's faired for Sony so far (and this is coming from a Sony fan). For these carriers to sit tight and wait on the iPhone to undoubtedly siphon off a good deal of Apple loyalists/gadget lovers/interested buyers smacks of a bad business move.

If I was running a wireless carrier, I'd be doing everything I could to lock up what customers I could before the iPhone comes out next month. To wait and react seems way too risky, especially since there doesn't seem to be much in the way of countering such a media-centric device (and I really don't think the Prada or whatever Verizon has "in the mill" will come close).

I'm not saying I agree with any VZW strategy here, but perhaps their marketing mindset is that "John Q. Public" only has the capacity to focus on one new phone release at a time, and they don't want to risk their limited advertising dollars and push becoming washed away amid the sea of advertising undoubtedly coming from Apple with the release of the iPhone. Just perhaps they are thinking, let the iPhone buzz hit hard, then move off the "buzz charts" and then release their new pda phone, after the other hoopla has come and gone.

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Pastor Tim Satryan
Communicating the Good News!
Visit my website - WILMINGTON first assembly of God

Indeed. Seems like backwards logic to me. If the iPhone comes out first I'll go check it out and it'll get first crack at my business. I imagine it won't make it but the important thing is if they release the 760 first they'll have secured my busines and made the iPhone irrelevant.

Color me confused on this one.