Verizon iPhone
If you're a Verizon customer longing for an iPhone, or, like many AT&T iPhone owners, you are unhappy with your AT&T Wireless service, relief is on its way. On February 10, 2011, Verizon Wireless will launch its Verizon iPhone. Existing Verizon Wireless customers can pre-order the iPhone starting February 3. Learn more about the Verizon iPhone, and what it means to AT&T customers who have iPhones… |
Switching to Verizon iPhone
The rumors that have been circulating for years have finally come true -- the iPhone is coming to Verizon on February 10, 2011. The 16 GB version of the Verizon iPhone 4 will cost $199.99 and the 32 GB model will be $100 more. You will be able to buy it through thousands of Verizon stores, Apple stores, and on the Apple iPhone Web site. Both offers will require a two-year service contract for which pricing is to be announced.
Unlike AT&T iPhones, the Verizon iPhone can act as a 3G WiFi personal hotspot allowing up to five other WiFi devices to connect to the Internet through it. That's a big incentive for mobile users! Of course using this feature will cost extra, but my sources say it will be less than the cost of using a MiFi device, which provides the same feature. One minor downside of the Verizon iPhone is that you won't be able to surf the web while you talk on the phone. That's because Verizon phones run on a CDMA network, which routes voice and Internet data over separate channels.
Reliable service is another big incentive. The Apple/AT&T exclusivity deal has been a customer service disaster for customers and both companies. Millions of data-intensive iPhones are just too many for one carrier, resulting in frequently dropped calls, abysmal data throughput, and inability to connect in even the most heavily covered areas. The Verizon iPhone deal signals that Apple is finally facing up to this fact, so expect other carriers to offer iPhones in the future, too.
Switching From AT&T to Verizon?
Some details are still sketchy, but many AT&T customers don't care; they just want out of their contracts now, with as little financial loss as possible. In a humorous spin on how unhappy some AT&T iPhone customers have been, see The Daily Show's Jon Stewart hailing the arrival of the iPhone for Verizon.
AT&T iPhone customers are calculating how to get out of their contracts as cheaply as possible, and how to dispose of their locked AT&T iPhones most profitably. Here are some tips:
Sell your AT&T iPhone on eBay, and list it on some European eBay sites. Foreign buyers want iPhones and they can remove the SIM card to substitute one that works with their carriers.
Check your AT&T contract to see what it will cost to terminate it early. Early-termination penalties increased in 2009 when the 3G AT&T iPhone was released, so the penalty may be less than you think if you signed up before then. Also, the termination cost is pro-rated depending on how long you've been a customer. You may want to wait a few more months before switching to the Verizon iPhone for other reasons, too.
The first few months of the Verizon iPhone's availability are likely to be marred by inevitable network "issues" and all the other pains of sudden change. There will be bugs in the Verizon iPhone, just as there have been in AT&T's and every other hot new product. You may want to wait for the wrinkles to be ironed out. And you really don't want to camp overnight outside of an Apple or Verizon store just to be "first," do you?
Second, the first Verizon iPhone will be 3G, same as AT&T's. Verizon is busy building out its 4G network and will, undoubtedly, release a 4G iPhone some time later this year. Historically, Apple releases new iPhone products in July. You may want to wait until that 4G Verizon iPhone hits the streets.
Based on this announcement, are you planning to switch from AT&T to Verizon? Will you switch from an Android phone to the iPhone? Post your comment or question below...
This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 13 Jan 2011
| For Fun: Buy Bob a Snickers. |
 |
Prev Article: What is Digital Forensics? |
The Top Twenty |
Next Article: Online Backup or Local Backup? |
 |
Post your Comments, Questions or Suggestions
|
Free Tech Support -- Ask Bob Rankin Subscribe to AskBobRankin Updates: Free Newsletter Copyright © 2005 - Bob Rankin - All Rights Reserved About Us Privacy Policy RSS/XML |
Article information: AskBobRankin -- Verizon iPhone (Posted: 13 Jan 2011)
Source: https://askbobrankin.com/verizon_iphone.html
Copyright © 2005 - Bob Rankin - All Rights Reserved
Most recent comments on "Verizon iPhone"
Posted by:
Carol
14 Jan 2011
Will you be able to use an unlocked I-phone with Verizon now?
Posted by:
Barb M
14 Jan 2011
To Ask Bob, I noticed your comment regarding Verizon iPhones: "help is on the way." On Wed night, I heard Dr. Patrick C say that he did not recommend a rush into purchasing the Verizon iPhone immediately, His suggestion was to wait a few months. Do you disagree?
EDITOR'S NOTE: No, in fact I think I gave pretty much the same advice!
Posted by:
Patricia
14 Jan 2011
My contract is up soon with Verizon so I was thinking of getting the Droid X, but now that Verizon will have the I Phone, do you think it's better than the Droid?
Posted by:
trixi
14 Jan 2011
Thank you for this info. I am a Verizon subscriber and as much as I've always wanted an iPhone, I don't plan giving up my Droid. It is so much more flexible and allows me freedom to put my own music on, sync with my computer, drop/load photos etc. to/from my phone/computer. I love the Google OS and maps...and the great apps.
I guess I will always covet the iPhone because it looks so cool, but I will wait for my 4G/Video chat capable Android this summer...
Posted by:
Mike
14 Jan 2011
I have Verizon and recently got an Android based phone (Samsung Fascinate); I find the Android OS clunky, overly complicated and confusing. Previously I had been using an Apple iTouch for contacts and to keep track of appointments; the interface is simple and intuitive. I also occasionally downloaded various apps from the Apple store (usually free ones). I find there are far fewer apps, whether they are free or not, in the Android "Market". I, for one, will change to the iPhone as soon as I can.
Posted by:
AlexK
14 Jan 2011
I've got Motorola 3G DroidX Iphone from Verizon recently. It is expensive but great device. One minus with verizon is that it doesn't roam in Europe like T-moble. It's just local American provider. The other minus is that it is complicated and I didn't find proper guide to use it at least for me newbie in androids. Video conversation through Skype doesn't work. It works with Skype just like phone only.
Posted by:
Glen
14 Jan 2011
I understand that it works well as a toy - my questions is: "How well does it work as a telephone?". My friend has one on AT&T and it constantly drops calls!
Posted by:
sigman
15 Jan 2011
Our Company has both Verizon and AT&T cell phone and I found that AT&T is the better carrier. We have better service, faster downloads and we never have dropped calls that I have been told. And that is my job.
Now Verizon is just unacceptable here. Service sucks and lots of dropped calls. Even our OnStar units in our cars had so many spotty calls we dropped the service and that service was provided by Verizon.
As our contracts expire we are moving all to AT&T
We are in the Detroit Michigan metro area.
Posted by:
McMann
16 Jan 2011
Will the new iphones 4G be unlocked so you can use any provider? Or is it you buy the phone that works with the provider you designate.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Of course they will be tied to the provider. Doing otherwise would be WAY too consumer friendly.
Posted by:
DrDave
19 Jan 2011
I have heard rumors that with the Verizon version of the iphone you will not be able to receive data and talk at the same time (as you can with AT&T). Is that true?
EDITOR'S NOTE: I did mention in the article that you won't be able to surf the web while you talk on the iPhone.
Posted by:
Genki
19 Jan 2011
AT&T problems must vary by region. I've had my iPhone for two years and never experienced a dropped call or slow data rate. (midwest/southwest USA)
One other thing for AT&T customers to consider: As people switch to Verizon, the overloading of AT&T may diminish thus improving the service in congested areas.
Posted by:
RobertDS
19 Jan 2011
I had been an ATT customer about 13-15 years ago. I switched to Verizon because of ATT's apparent poor customer service. Verizon's customer service was even worse, they could not consistently get the automatic payment method right, I often noticed they had not gotten paid a couple months in a row and then blamed me or my bank.
I went back to ATT soon after the original iPhone came out and can say their customer service is much better now. I live in the Tacoma area just outside of ATT's 3g tower range and almost outside their Edge coverage area. Because of the hills and trees, I do suffer from dropped calls but no worse than with Verizon.
My contract with ATT has expired. Will I switch? Not on your life, consistently good customer service is worth an occasional dropped call.