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I found that reliability of smartphones depends more on the reliability of the service provider, not the hardware itself which is usually more than adequate for most customers.

The fact that I consistently had four bars with a 3G phone with Verizon, but ended up with only two bars with the iPhone, while still using Verizon, tells me that the phone is most likely the culprit. When I went to the Verizon store about the lack of bars on the iPhone, the first thing the guy asked me was did the building I live in have a metal roof? I told him yes, and he told me that I'd never get any connectivity with a metal roof. I immediately asked him then why I always had four bars with my 3G phone in the same building with a metal roof. He had no response.

At home, I always use my wi-fi connection with my iPhone. Spectrum is the same internet provider I've had for the 23 years I've lived here. The problem with smart phones, and possibly with the older iPhone like mine, is that they have a smaller antenna than a regular cell phone. When this one dies, that's it for me. I can't see paying large sums of money for something I basically only make calls on.