By NMT | No Comments
Last updated: Wednesday, February 9, 2011

It’s here. The time has finally come. AT&T is relinquishing its hold over the iPhone, and Verizon is emerging as the iPhone’s second carrier. With the pre-order completely sold out, online sales available as of 3:01 AM EST this morning, and the phones hitting stores at 7 AM tomorrow, it seems that the iPhone’s reign will see new heights. Here’s what the Verizon iPhone has in store: The biggest deal is that the phone will be based on CDMA (code division multiple access) as opposed to GSM (global system for mobile communications) technology. This means that, currently, the Verizon iPhone will only work in 40 countries versus AT&T’s 220, that the phone can only send 160-character texts, and that users cannot surf the web while taking a call. However, there are indications that, while currently dependent on CDMA, the Verizon iPhone chip does contain GSM capabilities that will enable future models to literally harness the best of both worlds and become a truly global phone. The CDMA chip also means that antenna is slightly different, now based on dual-design. This means that it is not as susceptible to the “death grip” issues cited in AT&T’s iPhone 4 (although, not completely flawless either), but also means that the ringer-off button has shifted ever so slightly, so some cases made to fit the AT&T iPhone 4 will not work perfectly with Verizon’s version. Other differences include an oscillating vibrator instead of a rotational electric motor with counterweight vibrator design, ensuring a vibrator that is quiter, has a softer feel, and sounds better on a table. The battery is also slightly modified, and though it looks nearly identical, is lighter than AT&T’s model by 1.3 grams. Finally, the GPS is integrated into the phone’s Qualcomm MDM6600 chip as opposed to being a stand-alone part — a move that has been shown to cut costs but not performance quality. The Verizon iPhone will also act as a Personal Hotspot, enabling the device to tether to up to 5 other devices and eliminate the need for other electronics to rely on WiFi. Even though critics have cited that Verizon’s data speeds are not as fast as AT&T’s, the network is notoriously better for providing more expansive coverage and far fewer dropped calls. However, questions remain as to whether the Verizon iPhones will receive updates in the summer, like AT&T’s, or if it will be a full year until stronger, better, faster models are introduced to Verizon markets. Like AT&T, the Verizon iPhone will be released in 16GB models for $199 and 32 GB models for $299,  but unlike AT&T, Verizon has the tantalizing offer of unlimited data for $30/month. These puppies are hot on the market and are sure to cause iPhone sales to spike. We can expect to see an incredible increase in the amount of iPhone 4 users which not only means tons more app sales, but a huge market for new apps as FaceTime and related video calling capabilities become more reality than fantasy. How do you think Verizon’s latest addition will change the game?

Read more from the original source: 
Welcome to the iPhone Family, Verizon

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