Unfortunately I switched to NextG. One of the worst decisions I made. I use the phone extensively for work & in regional areas .
I have now tried & tested approx 5 next G Handsets, wow they are bad, great if you want all the gimicks advertising &
foxtel etc etc. but if you want a phone that simply has:
1. A real car kit with direct conection external antenna
2. A phone for making & receiving phone calls
3. A phone for sending & receiving SMS messages
4. Coverage (its far worse than CDMA)
Then stay away from Next G for a while until they get the handset problems sorted out.
Coverage is more limited than CDMA in regional areas and good on ACCC for slapping Telstra on the wrist, because they were definately misleading and Telstra is simply lying about coverage.
For example their coverage maps of the NT are simply copies of the existing CDMA coverage, but in reality NextG coverage is only approx 70-80% of the CDMA coverage.
Basically the problems are:
1. Range is technically more limited than CDMA
2. Less Towers than CDMA (obviously that will change)
3. Crap handsets
4. Designed for Movies, Multimedia & advertising rather than communications and phone usage (or at least those features have been given more development than the basics)
5. Data is Ok, but incredibly expenSive
No phone I have found on NextG comes any where near my old Nokia 6385 CDMA and thats quite a few year old.
I use technology extensively and am happy to change & like to use data & new features - But Next Glitch just does not yet cut the grade.
Even simple things like I pay extra to subscribe to Telstra Memo, when they send me a message I have to press approx 6 keys & "extract data" just to return the call to the phone number in the message!!!! It takes me back to the functionality of the first bricks in late 80's. (yes I have checked that I'm not simply not able to find how to do it more quickly)
Even the finally released Nokia NextG is a very basic phone (at a high price) thats a few years old and just modified for NextG's propriatory network.
My recommendations are :
DO NOT change from CDMA to NextGlitch yet.
Telstra definately will NOT be given the go ahead to switch off the CDMA nextwork soon as NextG is still way behind.
IF (but its not looking good) Telstra realise the business users and travelers need a phone, message & data device (not a wiz bang advertising ridden camera) & get the coverage reasonable and release some decent handsets, it could be good.
I have been fighting Telstra to let me change back (does not matter about the cost of multiple car kits etc. as I simply need a phone that works where my old CDMA did), but apparently they lock you old handset off the nextwork & won't let you go back no matter what. - Ebay here I come for a replacement Nokia 6385.