The Verizon iPhone vs. iPhone 5

Photo credit: http://www.tipb.com/verizon-iphone/

On January 8, 2007, thousands lined up outside of Apple stores around the globe in the hope of purchasing the first iPhone. The highly anticipated mini-computer was easily the most exciting development in modern technology since the iPod. Today, a little more than four years from that cold winter morning, Americans anxiously await the unveiling of the newest addition to the iPhone dynasty: the Verizon iPhone 4. Although not yet available for purchase, the Verizon iPhone will be available for pre-order on February 3 to AT&T iPhone owners, and released on February 10th, 2011.

While every iPhone comes with standard features such as Wifi and 3G connectivity, a video and still frame camera, a portable media player, and the ability to make a call and surf the web at the same time, the Verizon iPhone comes with a few features unique to it. Just a few are a high definition video camera, a message indicator light, a longer battery life, a unified email storage system, built-in GPS, and iChat. Plus you get the benefit of better coverage, at least in the Northeast region of the United States, including Baltimore. One of the biggest complaints about AT&T’s coverage in this region is the iPhone tends to drop calls after only a few minutes. Unfortunately, an owner of the Verizon iPhone will not be able to use the iPhone overseas, and he won’t be able to use the web and make a call at the same time. He’ll also have to deal with Verizon’s notoriously less friendly customer service center if he has problems.

Overall, Verizon thinks it’s ready to handle the addition of the iPhone on its network. When AT&T began to cover the iPhone, the network became slow and congested due to call volume, but Verizon has learned from AT&T’s mistakes and adapted.  The price is $199 for the 16GB version and $299 for the 32GB. The actual data plans prices vary, and some AT&T customers looking to switch to Verizon may have to pay early-termination fees. But no matter what the price, the Verizon iPhone is sure to make a tidal wave in the technology pool.

Don’t expect Apple and AT&T to just roll over and cede the field to Verizon. In July 2011 the AT&T network is going to launch the iPhone 5, which is the most feature-stacked version yet, including the Verizon iPhone 4. The iPhone 5 will have new additions such as face-recognition security features, video chat, and custom SMS tones, in addition to its new physical appearance with a slim 9.3 mm width and scratch-proof, shatter-proof screen.  The camera, video recorder, and audio will all be in high definition, and the battery will last for 7 hours of talk time on the 4G network. The biggest turn-off for this device is the AT&T network attachment, but in this case, the features might outweigh the occasional dropped call, especially if the user is more prone to texting than talking.

With the constant flow of new Android and “smart phones” on the market today, the biggest fish is now in civil war against itself. Hopefully the other fish, such as the HTC Evo and the Blackberry Torch, have enough force behind them to stay in the water.