Consumer Reports, a U.S. monthly influencing purchasing decisions with its reviews and comparisons of consumer products, announced today that it rated AT&T the worst among wireless operators in the United States. In a repeat of last year’s ratings, rival Verizon Wireless ranked highest. The nation’s remaining major wireless carriers – including Sprint (the only carrier offering unlimited data to iPhone customers in the U.S.) and T-Mobile USA – fared “significantly better” than beleaguered Ma Bell.
It feels like 2010, all over again.
The findings are based on the newest satisfaction survey of some 60,000 Consumer Reports online subscribers with both standard and no-contract providers. Readers were polled about their service and customer support experience. Note that 18 percent of their readers, nearly one-fifth, said they don’t yet own a smart phone (but want one).
AT&T users are dissatisfied with their service, customer support and value for money.
So, who’s the happiest with their cell phone service? Surprisingly, it’s subscribers to prepaid services and customers of smaller standard-service providers rather than people with brand spanking new high-end smartphones on pricey plans. The magazine’s electronics editor Paul Reynolds explains:
The magazine recently recommended the new iPhone 4S, saying “it doesn’t suffer the reception problem we found in its predecessor in special tests in our labs”. However, Consumer Reports also ranked several Android phones higher than iPhone 4S – including Samsung’s Galaxy S II and Motorola’s Droid Bionic, based on the ‘features’ such as large four-inch displays, for example. Their justification?
