Upgrading to a 6

OldGringo · Feb 9, 2015

While I have a cell tower slightly more than a mile from my home, my old 3G iPhone 4 has become useless in my den over the last year for dropping calls due to what I'm guessing to be the new subdivision houses being built between the house and tower obstructing the signal.
Would the better option be a new 6 or perhaps an antenna booster? I don't really have a gripe with the 4 other than the dropped calls at my residence. My carrier is ATT.

scifan57 · Feb 9, 2015

If your cellular signal is being partially blocked by new construction between your house and the cell tower, a new iPhone might not be able to help. You may require that signal booster anyway. If you have any friends or family members who have an iPhone 6, invite them over to see how their cellular connection fares at your house. If it works well, you could get the new phone. If it doesn't, a signal booster is in order.

Also, try the phone in every room in the house to see where you get the strongest signal, it can helps in the placement of the booster antenna.

appleshark · Feb 10, 2015

I think you should have an upgradation to 6. iPhone packs several cool new features compared to 4. The hardware, camera, processor and plenty of other things are better on 6. The camera has optical image stabilization which helps in taking better quality images. Also apple has launched a new feature known as apple pay through which you can make payment of your retail shopping right from your iPhone.

scifan57 · Feb 10, 2015

robertlee993 said:
Does this iOS 6 support SmartIO App, I want to transfer my data to new phone

Do you mean iPhone 6? According to the app description it should work.

scifan57 · Feb 10, 2015

Tom Seiler said:
Amazon.com Netgear WN2000RPT Universal WiFi Range Extender - Refurbished Computers Accessories

I use one of these in my house and it works great. Only $26 and much cheaper than a new phone.

That won't help in making cell phone calls. Also, the OP didn't mention anything about having a problem with WiFi in his house.

bear7962 · Feb 10, 2015

appleshark said:
I think you should have an upgradation to 6. iPhone packs several cool new features compared to 4. The hardware, camera, processor and plenty of other things are better on 6. The camera has optical image stabilization which helps in taking better quality images. Also apple has launched a new feature known as apple pay through which you can make payment of your retail shopping right from your iPhone.

None of which was the concern of the OP.

OldGringo · Feb 10, 2015

Scifann, my wifi is via ATT and works fine. As I live in a two story house cellular works fine upstairs but not in the downstairs den where we spend most of our time. I had also considered checking with friends but none own a 6 in my part of town. I've checked eBay for boosters which will apparently pay the same with what a new 6 with upgrade will cost.
I'll check out your Amazon link this evening

Thanks

scifan57 · Feb 10, 2015

The link in that post was a quote from a member who deleted his original post. I believe it's just for a WiFi signal booster and has nothing to do with enhancing a cellular signal.

OldGringo · Feb 10, 2015

Thanks scifan

OldGringo · Feb 12, 2015

Finally called ATT tech support today with no success. They seemed to be more interested in selling me two new phones than resolving my problem. One would think they would be interested in keeping a customer who has two iPhones, three iPads, high speed internet, uverse, and landline but apparently not..
Guess I'll find out what it will cost to get out of my contract and go back to Verizon?

OldGringo · Mar 8, 2015

Just to close this out, after multiple calls and callbacks with ATT then finally contacting them about closing out all of my devices they finally suggested they would send me a Micro Cell gratis to try. Four days later all of my devices are operating at full signal strength and are working as previously. Why all the grief and runaround when they have known from day one what the fix was? As previously mentioned, I have no problem with the iPhone 4, however their customer tech support sux!

scifan57 · Mar 8, 2015

Thanks for letting us know.
AT&T has been around long enough to know how important good customer service is in retaining and expanding their customer base. That's what makes it so baffling that companies would treat their customers so badly.

bear7962 · Mar 8, 2015

I also don't get it but this particular complaint and remedy is identical to what friends with both AT&T and Verizon. And both companies seem to handle it badly and in the same way. Trying to sell you a signal booster so you can recieve the signal you already paid them for. And only providing the signal booster when you try to leave.

Pinkpoison · Mar 8, 2015

Thanks for putting us in the picture and good to hear it was resolved.
I never understand companies who treat their customers so shabbily.
They don't deserve the custom.