The Verizon iPhone. We’ve all heard rumors of it. We’ve all fantasized about having it. And now it’s finally here.
The rumors of the Verizon iPhone have been in circulation for as long as I can remember, but now all of the dreams of Verizon customers stuck with Android phones have come true. Sure, it’s great that it runs on Verizon, but how is it different than the AT&T version? Well, there’s a few added features that might make Verizon customer’s mouth’s water. First off, the antenna of the Verizon iPhone is in a different configuration than the AT&T version. Apple claims that this was just because CDMA phones need different antenna configurations, but it also conveniently solves the problem created by “The Grip of Death“. The new antenna design results in the volume and mute buttons being moved slightly up, making iPhone cases for the AT&T version incompatible with the Verizon iPhone. The phone, which runs iOS 4.2.5, also comes with a “personal hotspot” feature, which allows your phone to become a mobile hotspot for up to 5 devices at a time. This feature has been available to iPhone users who jailbroke their iPhone and downloaded MyWi, but now is available without the large price (19.99 through Cydia) or the risks of jailbreaking your device. This feature may not become available to AT&T customers, as the company has made statements in the past saying they will not allow Wi-Fi tethering. The Verizon iPhone will not run on Verizon’s newly unveiled 4G LTE network for now, so we will have to wait for the iPhone 5 for an iPhone that runs on a 4G network.
The Verizon iPhone can be pre-ordered by current Verizon companies February 3rd, and becomes available February 10th. It will cost $200 for the 16GB model on a 2 year contract, and $300 for the 32GB.