Did you know the Verizon iPhone is lighter than the AT&T iPhone? How about that one uses an oscillating vibrator and the other uses a rotational motor? Obviously they have different antennas, but what does that mean for the “death grip”?
We waited years for the Verizon iPhone. We poured over rumor after rumor, and now it’s finally out…but there’s a catch: the iPhone 5 will probably hit stores in early summer. Both carriers will surely get it, and that leads to lots of questions. Before you give your hard-earned money and trust to a carrier, there’s an awful lot you need to know about their plans, their coverage, and your future phone.
Ultimately, we think the best choice is waiting a few months for the iPhone 5, but whether you can’t bear that delay or you’re ready to understand the differences between the two carriers in preparation for Apple’s next smartphone, this definitive guide will help you understand the GSM, CDMA, 4G LTE, the various plans, and lots, lots more.
Remember when cell phones just made calls, and the question of which one to buy boiled down to your preference for either a flip- or candy-bar-style phone? Today, buying a smartphone means investing in a micro-computer platform that can cost you over $100 a month. That’s a lot of pressure. To make life easier, this guide covers the basics of the tech and terminology you need to know before making the trip to your local Verizon or AT&T store.
FaceTime works on all iPhone 4s, regardless of network.
Okay, I get that AT&T and Verizon have different networks, but what do GSM and CDMA actually mean to me?
In a nutshell, AT&T’s GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) network offers faster 3G data transfer and simultaneous voice and data so you can surf the web while pretending to pay attention to your in-laws. Verizon’s CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) network gets you a larger coverage area in the U.S. at the expense of slower data and the inability to talk and surf at the same time. CDMA is mainly used in America and parts of Asia, while GSM, as you might expect from the name, is more widely used throughout the world, making global roaming generally easier. But the most important distinction comes down to which network has the best coverage in the areas you’ll be using your iPhone.
What about using my iPhone 4 abroad? Is one network better than the other?
Not necessarily. Both AT&T and Verizon will be happy to sell you international voice and data roaming plans that use other carriers’ networks to help you keep in touch with friends and family back home. Availability and specific details are subject to where in the world you’re going, so it’s a good idea to check with both carriers to see who offers the best deal for your destination. No matter which carrier you choose, you can always put your iPhone in Airplane Mode to cut off all of its wireless communications to avoid roaming charges while traveling.
The AT&T iPhone 4 has a SIM card, right? What is that, and should I care that Verizon’s iPhone 4 doesn’t have one?
A SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is a memory card used by GSM phones to store data identifying you to the cellular network. In some countries, iPhone users can take their account to another compatible network by swapping the card to a new phone. But in the U.S., removing the SIM card is chiefly done to suspend cell service and safeguard your account data before sending an iPhone to Apple for repair. Verizon’s CDMA network doesn’t use SIM cards, but you can perform a similar data-protecting suspension of service through Verizon’s website.
I’m not crazy about AT&T or Verizon. Can I use the Verizon iPhone 4 on Sprint’s CDMA network?
“The Sprint iPhone” has a nice ring to it.
Sorry, no dice. Because of differences in how the Verizon and Sprint CDMA networks operate, only a Sprint-sanctioned device will talk to its towers.
What are LTE and HSPA+? Are they part of this 4G network I’ve been hearing about?
Is an LTE iPhone coming? Only time (and leaked documents) will tell.
You’ve done your homework! Today’s high-speed 3G networks are conglomerations of networking technology that vary from carrier to carrier—some are even different implementations of one technology, like Sprint and Verizon’s CDMA networks. Together, they all add up to roughly the same thing: mobile download speeds between 1.4 and 3Mbps and uploads from 0.5 to 1Mbps. Similarly, 4G devices will use different approaches to deliver new definitions of “whoa” to mobile subscribers. Verizon is betting its 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network will be up to 10x faster than what it currently offers. Meanwhile AT&T has upgraded its network with HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access) and will start rolling out its own implementation of LTE later this year. Combined, these technologies promise speeds
up to 4x faster than AT&T’s 3G transfers.
Wait, if the iPhone 4 is so great, why isn’t it 4G?
Apple tends to be of two minds about bleeding-edge technology. Sometimes it jumps in with both feet well ahead of the tech world, the way it did back in the ’90s with USB. Other times, as with Blu-ray, it waits and sees what happens in the market. So far, Cupertino has played it safe with the iPhone. The original model allowed only poky EDGE cellular data speeds despite the availability of faster 3G networking, and a similar story seems to be playing out with 4G. After all, it’s still early days for the next-gen networking standard. Apple may want to wait until 4G breaks out of major cities and airports before it starts producing phones that can access the faster networks.
Should I just wait for the iPhone 5?
That’s the million-dollar question. There’s no question the iPhone 5 is coming—as soon as this summer, if history is any guide—and it will undoubtedly sport improvements over any iPhone you can buy today. But how dramatic those improvements will be (like 4G networking, for instance, or an even sexier Retina Display screen) is something only a select few folks at Apple know for sure. And they’re not telling. Still, Mac|Life’s official recommendation is to wait for the iPhone 5 if at all possible (turn to p26 for the details).
I’ve already spent a bundle on apps for my iPod touch while waiting for this Verizon/AT&T thing to shake out. Will all my apps work on whichever iPhone 4 I end up choosing?
Angry Birds has no allegiance to carriers. Except to carrier pigeons, maybe.
Don’t sweat it. Angry Birds, Facebook, iBooks, and all your other favorites will work just fine no matter which carrier you pick, and both iPhone models will let you download new apps to your phone from the App Store.
When the iPhone 4 came out on AT&T, I heard it had “death grip” antenna problems. Did Apple fix that for the Verizon iPhone?
Side to side, it’s hard to tell the iPhones apart, but that’s the AT&T model on top.
Reports suggest the signal loss that famously plagued some iPhones in areas with spotty coverage isn’t an issue with the redesigned-for-CDMA antenna of the Verizon iPhone 4. That said, the human hand is very good at interfering with cell-phone signals, and many phones suffer similar problems when held a certain way. Apple can’t fight physics, but it seems to have delivered a more robust iPhone 4 for Verizon.
Why can’t I get the Verizon or AT&T iPhone 4 in white?
Our guess: we won’t see another white iPhone until the iPhone 5.
The white iPhone 4 has become something of a white whale for Cupertino’s engineers. Whether the ongoing delay is the result of light leaks interfering with the camera or a white Home button that doesn’t match the faceplate (both are popular internet rumors), it seems that not even mighty Verizon can get its hands on one. The last official word from Apple was that the white iPhone was delayed until spring, so it may only be a matter of time before it hits store shelves. Until then you can have an iPhone in any color you want, as long as it’s black.
