VERIZON IPHONE 4 REVIEW

If the original iPhone was the most anticipated cellphone of its time, then the Verizon iPhone 4 has to be the most demanded variant since the first launch back in 2007. A launch rumor that managed to overshadow CES 2011 despite Apple having not a square foot of presence there, for several the Verizon iPhone 4 finally promises the network strength to back up the iOS platform’s abilities. Does the CDMA smartphone live up to expectations? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.

Hardware

The Verizon iPhone 4 could be a new model, but outwardly it’s nearly identical to the AT&T version announced back in June 2010. That means the exact same 4.54 x 2.309 x .37 inch glass and metal chassis, a slimline slither of premium-feel hardware held together with a band of metal that doubles as the smartphone’s antenna (now with four sections rather than the original’s three). Physical controls are limited to a house button, a power/lock button on the top edge next to a 3.5mm headphones socket, a pair of volume buttons on the left hand side, and a ringer mute switch that has shifted down just slightly. On the bottom edge is the typical Apple dock connector.

Up front is Apple’s brilliant Retina Display, a 3.5-inch 960 x 640 IPS TFT LCD panel with a significantly-vaunted 800:1 contrast ratio, covered with oleophobically-treated glass. It remains the highest-resolution panel of its size on US smartphone, with the same crispness of text and clarity of color, as I’m familiar with from the AT&T iPhone 4. In fact, the general hardware experience of this Verizon version is near identical to its sibling: exact same 5-megapixel rear camera with 720p HD video capture, exact same WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, identical choice of 16GB of 32GB of flash storage inside.

The processor, too, is the same: the 1GHz Apple A4 as also found in the iPad, paired with PowerVR SGX 535 graphics. It’s a single-core chip in a marketplace where I’m beginning to see Android devices promise dual-core, but it’s also critical to note that there’s a lot more to performance than how several cores you’ve got on hand. That comes down to iOS, after all.

Verizon CDMA vs AT&T GSM

Demand for the Verizon version of the iPhone normally comes down to 1 thing: dissatisfaction with AT&T’s network. Ever because Apple and AT&T signed their exclusivity agreement, the GSM carrier has struggled with iPhone load. Dropped calls and sluggish information connections have both been blamed on AT&T, marring the overall expertise for a lot of iPhone users. Many of the SlashGear team have abandoned the iPhone and crossed over to rival carriers – and, invariably, Android handsets – out of frustration, and they’re not alone.

To those users, a CDMA iPhone promises access to Verizon’s a lot-vaunted network, with its reputation for reliability and speed. Despite the fact that AT&T argues it has boosted performance across the US – and indeed some GSM iPhone owners have no problems whatsoever with their handsets – the CDMA version is still seen by several as the magic bullet for their coverage woes.

The design of the iPhone 4 indicates there are compromises along with advantages this Verizon version brings, nonetheless. Apple opted not to consist of a 4G modem for use with Verizon’s LTE network because of the size constraints of the 1st-generation chipsets; it seems likely that those identical constraints are the reason that the Verizon iPhone 4 is not a so-referred to as World Phone with both CDMA and GSM connectivity. That means international travelers won’t be able to use the Verizon iPhone 4 in most countries outside of North America, where GSM is the prevalent standard. As a workaround, Verizon offers a loan program for travelers; you get free use of a handset (not, though, an iPhone 4) and only pay for service while abroad, all the time receiving calls on your regular number.

An additional limitation of the CDMA version is its inability to do simultaneous voice calls and cellular data. Like the majority of Verizon’s handsets, receiving a call will automatically shut down an active data connection, meaning you can’t surf over the Verizon network – or check Twitter, or post on Facebook, or anything else that requires a mobile data connection – although you’re on that call. However, the smartphone can maintain a WiFi connection in the course of voice calls.

Finally, for those crossing over from the AT&T iPhone 4, the slightly repositioned ringer mute switch on the Verizon version may mean that tight fitting cases such as “bumpers” no longer fit. Apple’s official bumper has been updated to suit both variants, but if you plan on utilizing your existing instances then you may discover things do not very line up.

Much less clear is how the Verizon model will impact Apple’s upgrade cycle for the iPhone, which has settled into a yearly refresh. It’s still six months away from the predicted “iPhone 5″, assuming Apple keeps to form, but whether or not that will be a GSM-only model (with a CDMA version to follow) or, maybe much more unlikely, a refresh of both the CDMA and GSM handsets simultaneously is unclear. Alternatively, Apple may well delay the cycle altogether, giving the Verizon model far more time to flourish.

As with any mobile device, I’d usually suggest purchasing a handset because it does what you want it to right now, not since of what’s believed to be coming later. It’s the nature of the industry that today’s new handsets are superseded tomorrow; there’s no global “right time” to get a device. If, like many on the SlashGear team – and a lot of thousands of other would-be users – the iPhone 4′s functionality caters to your needs, but the AT&T network doesn’t, then the Verizon version addresses that.

Software

The iPhone 4 originally launched running iOS 4., a significant update to the platform that added multitasking support along with background processes, conversation views in the messaging apps, homescreen folders and other improvements. Incremental updates because than have brought us to iOS 4.2.1 on the GSM version, though the CDMA model will launch with iOS 4.2.6 with some modest UI adjustments and the Personal Hotspot feature in the settings. You still get the AirPlay wireless audio streaming and AirPrint wireless printer functionality of iOS 4.2, along with Game Center access and HDR photography from iOS 4.1.

Migrating from an AT&T iPhone 4 to the Verizon version was as straightforward as upgrading from a 3GS had been. I plugged the CDMA iPhone into iTunes and all our music, videos, apps and other information was automatically carried across. From there it was iOS as usual, and whilst the iPhone 4 may not have a dual-core processor, it’s tough finding a place to fault the smoothness of the overall expertise. Apple’s multitasking approaches – which freeze a snapshot of every running app, leaving only specific core APIs still running – still prompt arguments over regardless of whether it’s “true multitasking” or otherwise, but the end result is a system that seldom feels sluggish and makes it possible for you to speedily pick up where you left off moving between apps.

The only considerable difference in software is the Personal Hotspot feature, which enables users to turn the iPhone 4 into a MiFi-style mobile hotspot. Up to five WiFi-connected clients can access the smartphone’s EVDO Rev.A data connection at any 1 time, though it’s worth noting that Verizon will charge extra for tethering use. To save battery power, the Personal Hotspot automatically powers down after five minutes of inactivity or no connections.

Performance

All the changes and the migration polish would be for nothing if the user expertise of the Verizon iPhone 4 underwhelmed, but happily I’ve been extremely impressed with the CDMA smartphone’s performance. In the week I’ve been testing the phone I’ve not experienced a single dropped call, and voice high quality has been remarkable both for me and those on the other end of the call.

Information speeds are solid, though not the finest I’ve seen; having experienced what Verizon’s LTE network is capable of I do locate myself wishing Apple had found some way to fit in the essential chipset. Still, the carrier’s 4G network is still quite much a work-in-progress, and most would-be Verizon iPhone 4 users aren’t in areas with 4G coverage anyway. I’ve experienced higher on AT&T’s iPhone 4, but what the GSM experience lacks is Verizon’s consistency: the AT&T version has multiple high and low peaks of data performance, depending on your location, whereas my numerous Speedtests in different locations have shown that the EVDO Rev.A is far a lot more stable.

As for the voice/data switchover, I discovered the iPhone 4 instantly picked up its 3G information connection after the voice call was completed. Individual experiences could vary, but I discovered the limitation didn’t especially impinge on my every day use. The 1 exception was with the mobile hotspot functionality, where an unexpected call can momentarily stop the information pipe you’re sharing with a laptop or tablet. Reconnection is automatic, but if you’ve been making use of it to upload a file then it can be frustrating to have to start the process again. I’d like to see Apple add some sort of automatic call rejection toggle in the settings to prioritize the information link.

Battery life for the CDMA model is quoted as the identical as the GSM model: up to 7hrs talktime, up to 300hrs standby, 6hrs of cellular browsing or 10hrs of WiFi browsing. In practice, with push e-mail turned on I managed a day’s use out of the Verizon iPhone; that fell, unsurprisingly, when I also ran a push-based IM client and made more use of the browser over 3G. There are a lot of external battery options for the iPhone, though as with bumper cases it’s worth checking to see if they’re designed to suit the slightly moved ringer switch.

Pricing

Verizon will be charging the identical as AT&T for new iPhone 4 agreements, with the 16GB version coming in at $ 199 and the 32GB version at $ 299, every with a two-year contract and mandatory voice and data plans. Existing subscribers will get the initial chance to acquire, from Thursday February three, with general sales from February 10, one week later.

3 voice plans will be obtainable, at $ 39.99/mo for 450 minutes, $ 59.99/mo for 900 minutes (and unlimited calls to five people on any network), and $ 69.99/mo for nationwide unlimited calls. Meanwhile two data plans are provided, $ 29.99/mo for unlimited data or $ 49.99/mo for adding in 2GB of mobile hotspot information; every additional GB of mobile hotspot data is charged at $ 20.

Finally there are four messaging plans, either pay-per-use (at 20 cents a text or 25 cents for a picture/video message), 250 messages for $ 5/mo, 500 for $ 10/mo (and unlimited to other Verizon buyers), or totally unlimited for $ 20. Verizon has previously suggested that unlimited data will be a promotion rather than the norm, though I do not know how lengthy it may be prior to on-device information caps are introduced.

In contrast, AT&T has two data plans, both less expensive than Verizon’s but neither offering unlimited access. Instead, $ 15 gets you 200MB and $ 25 gets you 2GB. Voice and messaging plans are roughly comparable.

Wrap-Up

A device is only as good as its weakest link, and for many iPhone users that link has been AT&T. Though there are plenty of satisfied users obtaining the best from their iPhones on the GSM network, there are other people for whom the iOS expertise has been significantly undermined by connectivity issues. Even if you’re content with AT&T’s coverage, the prospect of iPhone competition for the first time in the US bodes well for pricing.

My own concerns with the iPhone 4 had often been patchy AT&T coverage and the absence of native Google Voice support. With the Verizon model and the arrival of the official Google Voice iOS app back in November 2010, both of those issues have finally been addressed. On the flip side, international use is now considerably curtailed; you can use the Verizon iPhone with Google Voice over WiFi, but for most destinations a cellular connection is out of the question. Frequent international travelers may locate that too limiting a factor.

Attempting to divine Apple’s plans for their true next-gen iPhone is, as speculation over the past four or more years has shown, invariably an exercise in confusion and frustration. What I do know is that, with frequent iOS software upgrades and the capacious App Store, there’s a legitimate effort to bring older models as up to date and stretch as significantly functionality out of them as possible. Whether or not that’s future-proof sufficient will depend on individual subscribers, but it’s clear that the CDMA iPhone addresses an problem quite a lot of the present. Out in the real world, away from the rumors and speculation, the Verizon iPhone 4 performed as you’d want it to: consistent network service to match the consistent software expertise.

Relevant Entries on SlashGear

• Verizon Tweets from Twitter for iPhone
• Verizon provides some buyers a $ 200 gift card for iPhone 4 upgrades
• Sprint iPhone 4 Now Feasible?
• Verizon iPhone 4 Event Q and A [Why no LTE?]
• Verizon iPhone 4 moved buttons indicates AT&T bumpers won’t fit

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