People with iPhones in the U.S. universally loathe AT&T for its terrible network capacity (count yours truly among them). IIf I could have my iPhone on the Verizon network, I'd switch in a heartbeat.

Or would I?

As this David Pogue column notes, Verizon has its despicable and shady practices for gouging customers also. They make it almost impossible to avoid incurring inadvertent $1.99 data download charges, and they charge exorbitant early termination fees for smartphones.

The net of it is that cell phone companies, like cable companies, are just universally despised by consumers, and for good reason. The brands stand for profit and unresponsive customer service, and changing that mentality through a massive company is so difficult once it has contaminated the company culture.