This guy gives a comparison between the ATT and Verizon iPhones, from today's USA Today: thathurts
Adding the iPhone 4 to the Verizon Wireless smartphone lineup brings to mind LeBron James teaming up with fellow hoops icon Dwyane Wade. In my judgment, the iPhone 4 is the biggest of all the smartphone superstars. And plenty of people also believe Verizon's wireless network is the cream of the crop.
But just as James and Wade's Miami Heat has struggled at times while still posting one of the NBA's best records, it's reasonable to question whether the Verizon/Apple juggernaut can live up to near-impossible expectations once buyers can finally get their hands on the Verizon iPhone on (or, in some instances, before) Feb. 10. Current Verizon Wireless customers can pre-order the phones online now for delivery.
A winning outcome is a slam-dunk as far as I'm concerned, at least based on my six days of testing a Verizon iPhone in New York City and Northern New Jersey. Though not every call was crystal clear — this is a cellphone, after all — I haven't experienced any of the dropped calls, so far anyway, or other frustrating hiccups during my tests that have been driving some owners of the
AT&T iPhone bonkers during the 3½ years that the carrier has had iPhone exclusivity in the U.S.
TV: Watch Baig on ABC's 'America This Morning' Fridays 4:30 a.m. ET or check local listings
Apple has sold more than 80 million iPhones overall since its 2007 launch, 16.2 million in the last quarter alone.
There are only subtle differences in the design of Verizon's iPhone 4 compared with the
AT&T version that has been selling like gangbusters since June. Both can shoot high-definition video. Both have rear- and front-facing cameras that permit the cool FaceTime video-calling feature over Wi-Fi. Both have identical supercrisp Retina Displays, fast A4 chips and attractively thin glass-and-stainless-steel bodies. And both can tap into a downloadable apps reservoir that exceeds 300,000, about triple the total number of apps for rival Android smartphones.
Customers will recognize the new device for its Apple pedigree, not Verizon. Apple's iTunes is front and center, not Verizon's V Cast. There's also no VZ Navigator navigation app option, though Verizon says both V Cast and VZ Navigator apps are in the works.
Shortcomings of the two smartphones are the same. The battery can't be removed. There's no support for Flash video on the Web.
Of course, it's the network performance that distinguishes the two devices, a point punctuated in my Midtown Manhattan office the other day when I was able to surf the Web and check e-mail on the Verizon iPhone but couldn't connect for a time from the same spot on my
AT&T phone.
Important disclaimer: It's impossible to judge network quality based on a relatively short testing period and in a confined, albeit major, geographic market. Not to mention what happens if throngs of new iPhone buyers suddenly pile onto Verizon's network. But Verizon publicly stated that it has been bracing for the expected blitz of iPhone customers for a while and is confident its network will handle the demand.
As with the
AT&T iPhone, consumers who sign a two-year contract with Verizon pay $199.99 for a 16-gigabyte version and $299.99 for 32 GB. Without a contract, the phone is $649.99 or $749.99. Talk plans start at $39.99 for 450 minutes. Talk and text plans start at $59.99 for 450 minutes of talk and unlimited text. Data plans are $29.99 for unlimited data, but the unlimited part is temporary.
TALKING TECH VIDEO: Baig on the new Verizon iPhone4
Verizon plans to move to usage-based pricing (as
AT&T did) later in the year, but no timetable has been given. Verizon says such a change will affect only customers who sign up after tiered pricing goes into effect. Customers who sign up for an unlimited plan before then can keep that plan for the life of the contract.
Some differences
The only obvious clue that you're holding one carrier's iPhone vs. the other is the Verizon or
AT&T name that appears in the upper left corner of the screen. Slits for the wireless antennas that communicate with the various networks reside in different locations on the top and side of the respective devices.
Buttons on the Verizon device are in a slightly different position as well, which means that optional protective bumpers that Apple temporarily gave away in the wake of the antenna controversy on
AT&T don't fit the new iPhone. Apple will sell new universal $29 bumpers that fit either iPhone 4.
Whatever pent-up demand there is for the Verizon iPhone, I wouldn't advise
AT&T iPhone owners to bail immediately (if at all), unless your coverage is untenable and unless you're willing to fork over an early-termination fee of $325, less $10 for every month that you are into your two-year contract. In my experience, using a number of phones through the years, Verizon often outperforms
AT&T, but not everywhere. In an area of South Beach, Fla., that I frequently visit, for example,
AT&T has
superior coverage.
And, all things being equal, the
AT&T GSM network is actually faster than Verizon's CDMA network, though a number of factors contribute to network speeds and rarely will you experience anything close to the theoretical maximum. My own speed tests in the New York area were inconclusive.
For business travelers, it's also worth noting that the GSM wireless standard is more broadly accepted abroad through roaming agreements.
AT&T service is available in more than 220 countries around the world. Verizon's CDMA roaming service is available in about 40 countries, with most of Europe off-limits to the Verizon iPhone.
Another key difference: On
AT&T's network, you can gab on the phone at the same time you're pulling in data or surfing the Web. So you can check e-mail, trace a map route or search the Internet for a restaurant where you and your caller can meet up.
If you try to surf on the Verizon iPhone while on a call, a pop-up message warns, "Cellular data connections are not available during this call." A Verizon iPhone user can continue to surf and talk if using Wi-Fi.
Though much is made of this simultaneous voice/data limitation, it probably won't be a deal-breaker for most Verizon-hungry consumers. There aren't that many occasions where you want to do both things.
If you are using a navigation application when you receive a call, the navigation pauses while you take the call and resumes when you hang up. And when on a call, you can send, receive and read text messages. You can use the iPhone for other purposes while a call is in progress, such as going through your contacts list to pull a phone number.
Verizon iPhone 4 owners, meanwhile, can exploit a personal hot spot feature, not currently available to their
AT&T counterparts, that lets them share an iPhone 4 Internet connection with up to five Wi-Fi-ready devices. (
AT&T says it's adding a hot spot app, but it hasn't said how many devices can connect. The price will be $45 for 4 GB, when bundled with a data plan.)
To help folks keep track, an indicator appears on the phone's screen to let you know how many Wi-Fi devices are connected. If no devices are connected for 1½ minutes, the hot spot turns itself off to preserve battery life. The feature costs $20 a month for up to 2 GB of data, and $20 for each additional GB. You cannot use the hot spot while on a phone call.
Decisions, decisions
Current Verizon customers, who could start pre-ordering the phone at 3 a.m. today,have another decision to make. Verizon is already advertising its speedy 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network that it has started rolling out across the U.S. Verizon says the network isup to 10 times faster than its 3G network. For now, you'll need an Android smartphone to use Verizon's 4G.
The Verizon iPhone, like its
AT&T sibling, operates at 3G speeds, or slower in fringe coverage areas. (You'll see an "E" for the poky Edge network when an
AT&T iPhone can't connect via 3G, or a circle when the Verizon phone is in slower territory.)
Apple resisted the temptation to go to 4G on the iPhone because 4G would have exacted compromises on the size, weight and battery life. It's reasonable to assume there'll be a 4G iPhone at some point, though I'm not banking on it being as soon as the June-July timeframe when Apple and
AT&T have traditionally brought out new models, though anything is possible.
What does seem likely, though, is that there'll indeed be an iPhone 5 — or whatever Apple might call it — in June or July on
AT&T and, perhaps, other carriers since the Verizon deal is non-exclusive. No telling what new features might be included: perhaps next-generation processors and expanded memory. But the truth is, anyone who buys a tech toy is aware that something better might be coming just around the corner.
Meanwhile, having lost iPhone exclusivity,
AT&T is already pushing other devices, including a 4G-capable $99.99 HTC Inspire that goes on sale Feb. 13.
For now, Apple says the battery lives for the
AT&T and Verizon iPhones are equal: up to seven hours of talk time on 3G, up to 300 hours standby; up to six hours of Internet use on 3G and up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi.
In my tests, the Verizon iPhone battery drained a little more quickly at times, though that was probably because I used the personal hot spot for a spell. On a day in which I hammered away on the Verizon device a lot, and used the hot spot some of the time, I reached a 20% low-battery warning toward the end of my workday.
The iPhone 4 is arguably the smartest smartphone. Verizon Wireless is arguably the most solid network in lots of places. Bringing the two together forms a wireless Dream Team that should more than thrill fans of both companies.
E-mail:
ebaig@usatoday.com
THE BOTTOM LINE
iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless
http://www.apple.com; http://www.verizonwireless.com
$199.99 for a 16-gigabyte version, $299.99 for 32 GB, with two-year Verizon Wireless contract
3¾ stars (out of four)
Pro. Best-of-breed smartphone joins what for many is the best wireless network. Can function for a fee as a personal hot spot for up to five Wi-Fi devices. Unlimited data pricing (for now). Retains such top-notch features as FaceTime video calling, high-definition video recording, handsome and thin design, sharp display, good battery life.
Con. No simultaneous voice and data. Fewer places to roam internationally. No support for Flash Web video. Battery isn't removable.
