The arrival of a Verizon-branded iPhone 4, probably the most discussed and anticipated device in the mobile industry, is finally official. After more than two years of discussions, development and testing, the wireless carrier has announced at its press conference that the smartphone will be available from early next month.
The new Verizon iPhone has the almost identical feature set as the AT&T version. Both offer a 5-megapixel camera, a Retina display, FaceTime, HD video recording and multitasking, among other high-end features. However, the former is built in with a CDMA antenna, which means it does not allow voice and data to be sent over the network simultaneously. On the plus side, Verizon's version includes the "Personal Hotspot" capabilities, which lets you connect the smartphone to up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices and share a 3G connection.
Starting from February 10, the CDMA iPhone 4 will be available for purchase in both Verizon and Apple retail stores. If you are a current Verizon customer, you can pre-order the device a week earlier on February 3. As for the prices, the 16GB and 32GB models will cost $199 and $299 respectively with a 2-year contract, which are pretty much the same as AT&T's deals. Customers will also have the option to purchase one at full retail price, which will not require them to sign a long-term agreement.
However, to some people's disappointment, the new iPhone 4 will not be compatible with Verizon's LTE network. Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook explained the company did not use the first generation of LTE chipsets because they would have caused some "design compromises". Besides, an LTE iPhone would have required much more time to develop, while Verizon customers have clearly voiced that they couldn't wait any longer to get their hands on the device.
On a side note, Verizon's agreement with Apple is "multi-year", but "non-exclusive". That means it is possible for a variant to be released for Sprint's network as well in the future, which will further boost the shipments of the iPhone 4 in the U.S. market for certain.
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