What Verizon's network can -- and can't -- give iPhone users

11.01.2011
So now that , what can Verizon iPhone users expect from their network?

First off, it seems unlikely right now that the new iPhone will have 4G LTE connectivity, as the that Verizon will offer iPhone users unlimited data plans, just as it does for all smartphones that operate solely on its 3G network.  ABI Research analyst Phil Solis says it's likely that Apple will want to hold off on releasing an LTE iPhone until LTE services are more widely deployed across the country by both Verizon and AT&T.

COMPETITION:

At first blush, the unlimited 3G data plans sound like a big plus for Verizon since AT&T has enacted data caps for its own 3G iPhone plans.  After all, as Solis notes, "people don't like having to worry about how much data they're using."  But at the same time, Verizon's CDMA-based network has some limitations that AT&T's GSM-based network doesn't.  The most obvious difference is that AT&T users are able to bring their GSM iPhones abroad and still receive service from other GSM networks, while Verizon CDMA iPhone users won't be able to do the same unless Apple builds in dual radios into the device.  Dan Hays, a director with management consultant PRTM, also notes that CDMA networks don't allow for simultaneous voice and data communications as GSM networks do.

"If you're an iPhone user that travels a lot overseas you won't want a CDMA phone," says Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg.

Similarly, that Verizon's CDMA 3G network is on the whole , especially since AT&T started upgrading its 3G network to HSPA+ technology.  So iPhone users who like downloading large files at high speeds might not get the same download speeds on Verizon's network.