For those suffering with an iPhone tied to
an AT&T contract, switching to Verizon on
February 10th seems like a no-brainer, but
here's why you should look before you
leap.
After returning from the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas last week, where
communication was key and AT&T voice and
data service was virtually non-existent, I'm more
ready than ever to toss my AT&T iPhone. No
matter what it costs me. Despite loving the actual
phone, three years of data dead zones, more
dropped calls than I could ever count, and flat-out
false signal strength indicators, I'm very bitter.
Verizon iPhone? Yes, please. NOW.
Finally, after years of wondering when it would
happen, the iPhone has arrived on Verizon. The
CDMA iPhone goes on sale on February 10 at
Apple and Verizon stores at $199.99 for 16GB and
$299.99 for 32GB. Yippee.
Here's my plan: I sell my iPhone on eBay; I bet
there are plenty of overseas users who would
love to score a bargain on a gently used iPhone
3GS with a SIM card slot, which could easily be
unlocked for use on a foreign carrier. Also, since I
signed my contract back in 2009 when the 3GS
was released, before AT&T upped its termination
fees, I'll only have to pay about $75 to get out of
that dreaded contract. What I'd get at auction for
the old iPhone will surely cover that.
I could have a new iPhone 4 (which is an
upgrade for me)—one that works in my
apartment, all along the West Side Highway in
Manhattan, and at a convention in Las Vegas —in
my hot little hands in a month's time. As
tempting as this prospect is, I realize it might not
make sense for me, or anyone else in the
washed-up AT&T iPhone boat, to jump over to
Verizon right away. Here's why:
It has a new carrier, but this isn't a new
iPhone. The CDMA iPhone that Verizon
announced yesterday is the same iPhone 4 that
was released on AT&T back in July. Sure it's on
Verizon's 3G network, which can look like the
promised land if you're used to AT&T's often-
subpar 3G coverage in a lot of places. But Verizon
is hard at work on building out its 4G network,
and could easily announce an LTE (4G) version of
the iPhone soon. History has shown us that
every year in early summer, Apple announces a
new iPhone and it goes on sale in early July. So
there's no reason to believe that will change this
year, or that the new handset won't be available
on both AT&T and Verizon around the same
time.
July will be here before you know it. And the
longer you wait, the less you have to pay to
break your AT&T contract; the fee is prorated,
based on how many months you've fulfilled.
Hey Verizon, how much are the plans? One
of the most obvious reasons to wait: Verizon
hasn't announced its service plans for the iPhone.
It's been rumored that the carrier will roll out a
$30 per month unlimited iPhone data plan, but at
the press event, Verizon's CEO, Dan Mead,
wouldn't utter a peep about plan prices. And
there was no indication as to when they would
be disclosed. Verizon also announced that you
could use its iPhone as a mobile hotspot to get
other devices online. Cool. That's something
AT&T doesn't offer, but we have no idea how
much the privilege will cost.
Also, give AT&T some time to respond. Maybe
the carrier will shower you with bonuses to keep
you as a customer. Then again, bonuses don't
mean much if you can't use your phone to call
your friends to tell them of your good fortune.
Let Verizon iron out the network kinks
before you get there. No one knows how
many people will buy Verizon iPhones next
month, but a large influx of new subscribers
could mean a compromise in network quality in
some areas. Hey, it happened with AT&T. Then
again it might also be fine, but why not let the
early adopters find out? Plus, if a massive
number of AT&T iPhone users jump ship, you
might wind up with better AT&T service.
AT&T and Verizon may not be your only
choices. Now that the AT&T stranglehold has
been broken, it's possible that Sprint or T-Mobile
might pick up the iPhone later this year. More
carriers mean more plans, more one-upping on
features, and more overall choices.
The Android army just keeps getting
stronger. I know. I know. If you're like me,
you're a diehard iPhone user who wouldn't even
consider switching from Apple's beloved
overflowing-with-apps smartphone. Still, even I'll
admit that there were some really interesting
Android handsets unveiled at CES this year.
Verizon's massive Motorola Droid Bionic, for
example, is packed to the gills with features, and
it's an LTE phone. The 2011 smartphone
landscape is going to be hotter than ever.
Innovation abounds, so you owe it to yourself to
at least take a look at what's out there before you
leap.
Source: Http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375584,00.asp
an AT&T contract, switching to Verizon on
February 10th seems like a no-brainer, but
here's why you should look before you
leap.
After returning from the Consumer Electronics
Show in Las Vegas last week, where
communication was key and AT&T voice and
data service was virtually non-existent, I'm more
ready than ever to toss my AT&T iPhone. No
matter what it costs me. Despite loving the actual
phone, three years of data dead zones, more
dropped calls than I could ever count, and flat-out
false signal strength indicators, I'm very bitter.
Verizon iPhone? Yes, please. NOW.
Finally, after years of wondering when it would
happen, the iPhone has arrived on Verizon. The
CDMA iPhone goes on sale on February 10 at
Apple and Verizon stores at $199.99 for 16GB and
$299.99 for 32GB. Yippee.
Here's my plan: I sell my iPhone on eBay; I bet
there are plenty of overseas users who would
love to score a bargain on a gently used iPhone
3GS with a SIM card slot, which could easily be
unlocked for use on a foreign carrier. Also, since I
signed my contract back in 2009 when the 3GS
was released, before AT&T upped its termination
fees, I'll only have to pay about $75 to get out of
that dreaded contract. What I'd get at auction for
the old iPhone will surely cover that.
I could have a new iPhone 4 (which is an
upgrade for me)—one that works in my
apartment, all along the West Side Highway in
Manhattan, and at a convention in Las Vegas —in
my hot little hands in a month's time. As
tempting as this prospect is, I realize it might not
make sense for me, or anyone else in the
washed-up AT&T iPhone boat, to jump over to
Verizon right away. Here's why:
It has a new carrier, but this isn't a new
iPhone. The CDMA iPhone that Verizon
announced yesterday is the same iPhone 4 that
was released on AT&T back in July. Sure it's on
Verizon's 3G network, which can look like the
promised land if you're used to AT&T's often-
subpar 3G coverage in a lot of places. But Verizon
is hard at work on building out its 4G network,
and could easily announce an LTE (4G) version of
the iPhone soon. History has shown us that
every year in early summer, Apple announces a
new iPhone and it goes on sale in early July. So
there's no reason to believe that will change this
year, or that the new handset won't be available
on both AT&T and Verizon around the same
time.
July will be here before you know it. And the
longer you wait, the less you have to pay to
break your AT&T contract; the fee is prorated,
based on how many months you've fulfilled.
Hey Verizon, how much are the plans? One
of the most obvious reasons to wait: Verizon
hasn't announced its service plans for the iPhone.
It's been rumored that the carrier will roll out a
$30 per month unlimited iPhone data plan, but at
the press event, Verizon's CEO, Dan Mead,
wouldn't utter a peep about plan prices. And
there was no indication as to when they would
be disclosed. Verizon also announced that you
could use its iPhone as a mobile hotspot to get
other devices online. Cool. That's something
AT&T doesn't offer, but we have no idea how
much the privilege will cost.
Also, give AT&T some time to respond. Maybe
the carrier will shower you with bonuses to keep
you as a customer. Then again, bonuses don't
mean much if you can't use your phone to call
your friends to tell them of your good fortune.
Let Verizon iron out the network kinks
before you get there. No one knows how
many people will buy Verizon iPhones next
month, but a large influx of new subscribers
could mean a compromise in network quality in
some areas. Hey, it happened with AT&T. Then
again it might also be fine, but why not let the
early adopters find out? Plus, if a massive
number of AT&T iPhone users jump ship, you
might wind up with better AT&T service.
AT&T and Verizon may not be your only
choices. Now that the AT&T stranglehold has
been broken, it's possible that Sprint or T-Mobile
might pick up the iPhone later this year. More
carriers mean more plans, more one-upping on
features, and more overall choices.
The Android army just keeps getting
stronger. I know. I know. If you're like me,
you're a diehard iPhone user who wouldn't even
consider switching from Apple's beloved
overflowing-with-apps smartphone. Still, even I'll
admit that there were some really interesting
Android handsets unveiled at CES this year.
Verizon's massive Motorola Droid Bionic, for
example, is packed to the gills with features, and
it's an LTE phone. The 2011 smartphone
landscape is going to be hotter than ever.
Innovation abounds, so you owe it to yourself to
at least take a look at what's out there before you
leap.
Source: Http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375584,00.asp
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