Perhaps ironically, I had better backcountry reception with my last analog phone than with my subsequence fancypants digiphones. I could frequently climb and ridge or peak and snag a signal. Today, in the central and northern Sierra Nevada, Verizon digital coverage is poor. ATT is much worse, but that's a little like comparing a sock with seventeen holes in it to no sock at all.

Places I do get coverage seem to be within line of sight of either the Tahoe basin or the I-80 corridor. Anywhere else requires some sort of act of god, and must be celebrated with hosannahs and a burnt offering--a sketchy proposition during fire restrictions.

i.e., smartphones are fine for the smarty features but as communication devices with civilization, are pretty much dead weight. And bigger smartphones are a surprising amount of weight.

Cheers,