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Verizon Finally Unveils Apple iPhone

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the there-ya-go-uriah dept.

Velcroman1 writes "The most asked question in all of technology finally has an answer. When will Verizon get the iPhone? The answer: early next month. Verizon COO Lowell McAdam unveiled a new iPhone Tuesday during a presentation in New York that was short on surprises as most of the tech press already knew what was coming. 'If the press writes about something long enough and hard enough, eventually it comes true,' McAdam joked. Nevertheless, the move clears a major hurdle for Apple as they face increasing competition in smartphones, particularly from devices based on Google Inc.'s Android software which has exploded in popularity. Verizon's Lowell McAdam described the unveiling as a 'great day for wireless customers across the US.'"

7 of 480 comments (clear)

  1. Lame press conference by jandrese · · Score: 4, Informative
    They refused to talk about the data plans? What is this, I don't even.

    Anyway, there were exactly 3 things of interest at the press conference:
    1. Verizon is getting the iPhone
    2. It will be CDMA only (no LTE, no simultaneous voice/data)
    3. It will allow a 5-person WiFi hotspot

    That's it. I would think if they're going to bother holding a press conference like this that they would be willing to talk a bit more about the device first, but no, it's was only the most minimal sip of information they could get away with divulging.

    --

    I read the internet for the articles.
  2. Re:The good and bad... by imamac · · Score: 4, Informative

    Voice calls take priority--any data needs are paused while on a call.

  3. Re:disconnect by renek · · Score: 5, Informative

    What actually happens when a call comes in? Obviously any data streams stop, but if I have a laptop tethered will TCP connections get reset or is it like all of a sudden having dropped packets?

    That's exactly what happens. I travel a great deal for business and given that most hotel's WiFi tends towards the sucktastic side of speeds I tether my Droid constantly. When a phone call comes in the radio kills any data coming through it. The connection doesn't get a reset, the packets just stop coming.

  4. Re:The good and bad... by tlhIngan · · Score: 5, Informative

    When the iphone first launched on at&t it had the same restriction. The problem I had was that when using data (which I do a lot) incoming phone calls would go straight to voicemail. No idea if Verizon works the same way, but it was incredibly annoying at the time.

    That's because GPRS/EDGE baseband doesn't support simultaneous voice+data, because there's only one transceiver. All the UMTS (3G HSDPA/HSUPA/HSPA) ones, in order to get higher speeds use channel bonding and multiple data contexts, which requires additional transceivers on additional channels. When a voice call comes it, it's just a control message to shut down a data context, switch a transceiver to the voice channel, and continue. The only thing that you'll notice is the data comes in a bit slower.

    As for LTE support - LTE rollout isn't everywhere, and LTE at the moment is only guaranteed for data - the voice path has not been fully ratified yet. No doubt you can run VoIP, but I'm sure the carriers are trying to figure a wya to limit the built-in VoIP to their network only in nice high priority while other VoIP services get stuck with regular data services...

  5. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Informative

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  6. Re:Ok by isleshocky77 · · Score: 5, Informative
    Just happened to be reading the FAQ's.

    http://support.vzw.com/faqs/iphone/iphone_faq.html#item12

    5. Do I need to sign up for a 2 year agreement? When purchasing iPhone at the 2 year promotional price a new agreement is required. However, you will also have the option to purchase iPhone at full retail price, which will not require you to sign a long-term agreement.

  7. Wow, if you think that's bad Verizon is worse by tekrat · · Score: 4, Informative

    Verizon is a phone company that doesn't know how to answer a phone, transfer a call, make a three-way call, or anything else involving phones.

    Their billing department plays games, randomly changing your bill by a few extra cents each month, even if you're on a set-amount negotiated by contract. Their CSAs (when and if you get through to one) will *say* they are doing everything to resolve your issues, but nothing happens.

    And then of course, my favorite: Sales guy swears up and down on a stack of bibles that your bill is going to be $89.99, plus a few taxes and fees. He'll tell you "About $114" when all is said and done. And you ask him again. So that's *everything* right? I won't get a huge bill with set-up fees and crap? He says "No. I guarantee your bill won't be over $114". Three weeks later the first bill arrives and it's $250. You then get to spend the next 6 months fighting with them over that bill. You will threaten to take them to court. You will write the Attourney State General, your Senators, your Congressmen. You will speak to every Vice-President Verizon has, wasting over $1000 of your time and theirs. Finally, they will agree to credit your bill. Except that no credit ever appears and you get to start all over again, or give up.

    That's the Verizon I know. I hope you faire better. All I know is that I wouldn't trust them to clean toilets, much less run critical infrastructure.

    --
    If telephones are outlawed, then only outlaws will have telephones.