Can A Verizon Iphone Be Used On At&t

Full review of the Verizon iPhone 4: Apple's showtime CDMA telephone

Verizon iPhone 4 Review

The Verizon iPhone is 1 of the about predictable smartphones in recent memory, made fifty-fifty more and so past the endless rumors and years of waiting those who wanted it had to endure. Now it'south here and while the radio has inverse information technology's still pretty much the same iPhone 4 Apple shipped on AT&T dorsum in June 2010. A vii month former phone on a brand new network is not something iPhone users take had to consider in the past. Is information technology worth the wait? Is Verizon really a improve network? Does CDMA accept important shortcomings you need to be aware of? Volition the entire thing be rendered moot when Apple announces an iPhone 5 in June?

Figuring out the answers to these questions and more than have kept all of us at TiPb extremely busy over the past couple of weeks. And so hit the bound and on for our full Verizon iPhone review!

Since the Verizon iPhone iv is however an iPhone 4 we're only going to look at and compare the differences between the Verizon model and the AT&T/GSM model hither. If you oasis't already, cheque out our original iPhone 4 review to run across all the features that are similar including FaceTime video calls, Retina Display screen, 5mp camera and HD video recording, etc.

In the box

verizon and at&t iphone 4 boxes

Yous'll go the standard Apple headphones, the wall adapter, a sync cable, and your manuals. The just difference is actually the phone and the back of the box.

The back of the box but specifies the carrier. Other than that, everything should be the aforementioned. Oh let's not forget that you won't become a handy bang-up micro-SIM removal tool, since CDMA phones don't use them.

Hardware differences

The Verizon iPhone has dissimilar breaks in the antenna band than its AT&T/GSM sibling. Even though the antenna ring was redesigned for CDMA, I don't see whatsoever comeback when it comes to the "death grip" issue (see our explanation of "death affect" vs. "death grip" for more on this). If anything, I experience it more than I do on my AT&T iPhone 4. I'k not sure if attenuation on the Verizon version is worse because of a difference betwixt CDMA and GSM or if information technology's something else. I feel the upshot on my AT&T iPhone but it seems that the signal doesn't driblet as quick and when it does, it goes up quicker when I'yard not touching the interruption in the ring. The Verizon version seems to lose bars a lot quicker and it takes a chip longer for them to come back.

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As most people have already figured out, putting a bumper or a case on your phone will solve the death grip trouble.

Other than the breaks in the antenna bands, the mute switch and volume buttons are moved downwards almost 2mm on the Verizon iPhone 4. This is because of the interruption in the antenna at the top left of the phone. For users coming from an AT&T iPhone 4, this can be annoying as many current iPhone 4 cases volition not piece of work as the silent switch and volume buttons are positioned differently.

verizon and at&t iphone 4 bumper comparrison

The only other departure I have found is that the Verizon iPhone 4 doesn't accept the FCC and other clearance marks on the back the way the AT&T/GSM version does.

Software differences

The AT&T/GSM iPhone 4 is currently running iOS 4.two.one. The Verizon iPhone 4 launched with iOS iv.2.6. The simply major feature four.2.6 adds is personal hotspot capabilities (called mobile hotspot on other devices). AT&T has announced that they will offer mobile hotspot as well only no dates have been given still, and it will crave an iOS four.3 update. Currently AT&T offers net tethering for iPhone users but you are express to Bluetooth and USB tethering.

The Verizon version supports wifi tethering for up to 5 devices. This is extremely nice if yous're somewhere without wifi and need to admission the internet from a wifi only device (similar a wifi iPad). Yous tin can just enable the mobile hotspot characteristic and it'll show up as a wireless network on your other device. You can also choose to add together a countersign if you lot'd like. We'll embrace that below.

Syncing information

If your'e coming from an AT&T iPhone, y'all'll feel right at abode. Actually, if you've ever used an iPod of any kind or an iPad, you'll already know what to practice. The Verizon iPhone is no different than its AT&T brother. Plug into iTunes, sync your content, and you're good to go. Verizon also offers a contact transfer app for electric current customers that'll easily bring down all your contacts wirelessly for you (given you employ Verizon's contact backup service). If you demand more assist:

How to transfer data from your erstwhile AT&T iPhone to your new Verizon iPhone
How to transfer information from your old Blackberry or Droid/Android to your new Verizon iPhone

There's really zip new hither, both iPhones will sync and store data in the aforementioned fashion.

Apps

All the apps that run on the current AT&T/GSM iPhone as well run on the Verizon iPhone (with the sole exception of carrier branded apps, like AT&T Navigator.) Apple has hundreds of thousands of apps and games available for the iPhone and Verizon will be releasing some carrier-specific ones as well, hopefully something to tie into their NFL deal. Here are some skilful starting points:

Top 10 best iPhone 4 apps
Meridian 5 iPhone apps for Droid/Android switchers
Top 5 iPhone apps for BlackBerry switchers

Call Clarity

verizon 1xRTT

CDMA is long known to handle calls better than GSM. Only is that really true? When it comes to clarity, certain. Simply you practice lose some features when using a CDMA iPhone. Conference calls are only good for upward to 3 people, including yourself. The mode calls are handled can differ as well. On AT&T, if you initiate a conference call, you can merge the calls, split them off, and hang upwardly separately. On Verizon, hanging upwardly on one will hang upwardly on both. This is likewise a downside of the current version of CDMA Verizon is utilizing.

In most of our Verizon voice tests, call clarity was always on par with AT&T or better.

Personal Hotspot

Personal hotspot is definitely a welcome feature to iOS. It's also merely available for Verizon customers at the moment. AT&T has stated they take plans to release it, presumably with the launch of iOS four.3, but no date has been given yet.

This feature allows you to turn your phone into a wireless hotspot. Upwardly to 5 devices at a time can connect and use your iPhone 4'due south internet connection. Nosotros tested this pretty thoroughly and constitute that it works as promised. I was pretty impressed with the speeds and reliability.

Information Speeds

Verizon is offer their customers unlimited (though potentially throttled) data, while AT&T simply offers 250MB and 2GB data tiers. This is a huge selling point for them. Simply can their network handle the traffic? From our experience, yet information technology tin. Quite well actually. Leanna and I both conducted speed tests. Mine in the Chicago area and hers in the Denver area. While AT&T was much faster for me, in existent globe situations (even tethering), neither of united states had problems with Verizon and it always loaded pages within seconds of our AT&T iPhones. Sometimes information technology even loaded them quicker.

Information speeds and network reliability will, of course, heavily rely on coverage in your particular surface area. AT&T typically handles well in larger populated areas while Verizon has been known to have a strong network in rural areas too. Nosotros conducted several Verizon iPhone 4 speed tests and the results were more respectable.

Verizon iPhone or AT&T iPhone?

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That'southward really a determination each individual person is going to accept to brand. As ever, yous should base it on what the coverage is like where y'all live. For some, AT&T and Verizon may both be stiff players in your surface area. If you're in that situation, take a expect at each carrier and what benefits GSM has over CDMA and vice versa. We also did a Verizon iPhone four vs AT&T iPhone four comparison. We pitted them confronting each other, and both held their own. You'll actually have to weigh out what options are more important to you. Practise you demand simultaneous voice and information or are you more concerned with telephone call clarity? The little differences can cease up being abrasive over time and so it may be worth information technology to weigh your options and choose the carrier that'll best fit your individual needs.

Country of the Verizon Jailbreak

verizon jailbroken

A lot of potential Verizon switchers have been asking if they're able to jailbreak if they switch. The answer to that is a big fat yes! greepois0n supports the Verizon iPhone too. I jailbroke mine on launch day without a hitch. Nosotros've also got a complete guide up on how to jailbreak the Verizon iPhone 4. So if y'all're a jailbreaker (or desire to be), brand sure to requite that a look.

Wrap Upward

We had quite a calendar week playing with the Verizon iPhone 4. We came away feeling that Verizon is definitely capable of delivering a peachy customer experience. I'd take no qualms about using the Verizon iPhone 4 if you lot don't demand simultaneous voice and data or don't heed some of the picayune annoyances that come along with CDMA. The plans on both carriers are roughly similar with the exception of Verizon offering unlimited data while AT&T only offers tiered.

Now that Verizon finally has the iPhone, both businesses are going to take to compete for our business organization. For virtually 4 years, AT&T hasn't had to compete for iPhone acquirement. If you wanted an iPhone, y'all were going to play by their rules. Those days are long gone and nosotros accept a feeling it's going to get pretty interesting from hither on out. Let the carrier wars begin!