Cingular Mobile Phone Service in Philadelphia

Pros: Coverage, monthly plan pricing, rollover minutes
Cons: Customer service, dead spots (although they're few and far between)

I’ve had Cingular for nearly two years now, in the Philadelphia area. Service is good, and I do not have very many dropped calls, although there are still a couple dead spots along my commute (north from Philly to Plymouth Meeting, along back roads). ...

Pros: Very good company, strong reception, espcecially inside buildings
Cons: Customer Service hours are a little shotty

I think Cingular works great in Philly. I travel a lot, and as a result, I have been able to get a sense of different cities cellular receptions. New York is particularly good in general, regardless of carrier, but this is kind of expected from the ...

Pros: the little orange symbol is kind of cute
Cons: no coverage!

Switched from Verizon to Cingular (now ATT Wireless) about 6 months ago: the telephone service coverage with Cingular is completely pathetic. I have not been able to complete a single telephone conversation (and I am not someone who talks for hours on the phone, I'm talking about a 5 to 10 minute conversation) without the call being dropped, and having to redial, often more than once per call. This is actually not only annoying, but somewhat hazardous, as I have to take my eyes off the road to re-initiate the call. It is shocking that this company is allowed to launch an advertising campaign that claims they have the "fewest dropped calls"!!! Never had problems like this with Verizon.

Pros: can't think of any.
Cons: contract length, reception, phone locked to carrier.

I have been with cingular for a year and a half and I have to say it has been the longest year and half ever. I can't wait until my contract is up.

Reception: Very spotty, a lot of dropped calls when I actually have reception. Granted I travel outside the city very often but my friends that have t-mobile and verizon always have reception when I don't.

Contract: 2 years. Come on! that's ridiculous. I was tantalized by a low rate and substantial minutes but now I find myself trapped. Any alteration to the contract voids the entire contract so there is no flexibility.

Phones: My Motorola flip phone died after 4 months and of course unless you pay for the phone insurance it will not be replaced. What's more, unlike T-mobile any cell phone from cingular is locked, which means if you happen to switch carriers you won't be able to use the phone with any other carrier except cingular. T-mobile will unlock your phone for you which I think is only fair considering you did pay for it.

Pros: Cingular refunded my phone purchase cost.
Cons: Highly undependable signal.

After 8 years of service, I purchased a new phone from Cingular, GSM-type, at their suggestion. My old phone used their older network (TDMA-type) which is being phased out. At first, reception in my home was mediocre, just like before. I live in a standard row-house with masonry walls, just like thousands of other houses here in Phila.
About 6 months later, the signal strength deteriorated to where I had to be by a window for reception. Significant problem: my voice mail indicator would not receive notification of a waiting voice message. I missed a call from a tenant telling me a basement in my rental property was flooding. (5 hours elapsed). I was home and available, with the phone "on" all that time.
Moreover, one Sunday morning, driving from Center City to Chestnut Hill, I did not receive voice mail notification until I had driven across the city (45 minutes delay in notifying me of a voice mail). I had been available, at home, all morning.