TOPIC: AT&T cell phone issues...

My wife and I have had cell phone service with AT&T for 5 years now. Every phone I've had from them has been a Motorola Razr: first a black V3, then a gunmetal V3XX, now a black V9X. I've enjoyed the reliability and reception of every one of them, till this past August. I went to read a text message on my V9X, and none of the buttons except the power button would work. I tried everything, even a reset to default settings, and nothing would make it work again. Finally we called, and after a lot of arguing, got the phone replaced under warranty.

The replacement lasted about 2 weeks before it did exactly the same thing. AT&T tried convincing us that it wasn't their responsibility to replace it, that we'd have to go through Motorola. We finally won that argument as well.

V9X #2 died last night, after about 6 weeks of use. The backlight won't turn off, even if I turn the phone off. From a full charge, with no use, the phone dies in about 2 hours now.

So..., We call AT&T again today. Everything's fine till we get to the part about them actually ordering the phone. At that point, the overseas support operator tells us that I can't have a replacement Motorola phone, and will have to settle for an LG or a Samsung. Neither of the phones they offered was even close to the quality of the Razr, they were just a couple of the current free phones they offer.

Now for a couple of things pertinent to this issue. I've never dropped a cell phone (knock on wood) during the entire time I've had them, and I always carry my phone in a case. When I'm done with a phone it still looks practically new. Right now I'm also eligible for an upgrade. In fact, AT&T tried to force me to use my upgrade on the first phone replacement, even though my Razr was still under warranty. I don't want to use my upgrade, because if the customer service at AT&T continues to suck the way it has for the last year or so, I'll jump ship next year when my contract is up.

I told my wife to tell them I'd be willing to take an iPhone4 as a replacement for my Razr. I know it's not going to happen, it's a completely unreasonable request, but that'll be our starting point. After looking at all the phones at the local AT&T store this evening, the only one that felt right in my hand, and had a solid feel to me, was the HTC Aria. The price on it is just about what I paid for the V9X last year, so maybe they'll go for it. Dinosaurs like me who don't want a smart phone are an endangered species.

I guess now I'll have to buy reading glasses.

When my ATT was up for a new phone, I wanted a decent camera. Not owning a digital camera, or wanting to tote a camera around everywhere, my Sony Ericsson was a good choice for me. No full keyboard is a minor inconvenience, and the zoom is pretty useless, but the lens and flash work well for indoor family photos and outdoor car/boat shows. Its 8.1 mp. Just my $0.02 that you might consider...

The camera is a secondary concern to me, although it's always nice to be able to take decent pics with a cell phone. The Aria is supposed to have a good one.

My wife was talking to a friend of hers yesterday who also has a V9X, and the keyboard on hers dies this week just like my last two did. This morning we went to a pancake breakfast, and the people across the table said their V9X just developed the same backlight issue that my current one has. Apparently Motorola screwed up on the V9X, and the problems are now hitting a lot of users.

AT&T is absolutely refusing to let me have any sort of smart phone as a replacement for my Razr. I've looked at all the non-smart phones available now at my local AT&T stores, and it looks like I'll be requesting an LG VU plus. My wife has the last generation VU, and has loved it till it started having issues with the phone telling her the battery is dead when it's not. I'll get the VU Plus and give it to her, and use my upgrade to get a new Aria.

I hate using my upgrade for anything less than an iPhone, but as much as I like the design, I'm still not convinced they have all the bugs worked out of the iPhone4. That, as well as the fact that I can't use my family plan unlimited texting with the iPhone, is what will keep me from picking up the Apple this time. I don't text much as it is, but I've never thought it was fair to have to pay extra to get a service I'm already paying for.