VZW iPhone 4: "I'll Call You Right Back"

ByMike Moffit

Looking up a restaurant location when your friend is on the line? Do they need directions really quickly and don’t want to hang up while you map it out? What if your friend is on ‘Who Wants To Be a Millionaire’ and uses you as a lifeline? Are you going to have to call Regis back after you Google the answer? If you decide to go with Verizon for the iPhone 4, plan to hang up in each of these scenarios.

Verizon’s CDMA network does not currently support network multitasking. This is the ability to process data simultaneously with a phone call. If you are in the middle of loading data, whether it is from Safari or any other Internet-based app, and you receive a phone call, the data is stopped. If you are already on a phone call and need access to said data, you must end the call first. This may not break the iPhone experience for Verizon customers, but it is certainly a luxury that AT&T users can enjoy.

This is not to say there aren’t any benefits to the Verizon version of the iPhone 4 though. If you aren’t grandfathered into unlimited data from AT&T the data package from Verizon may seem tempting. One way Verizon is staying competitive is by offering what AT&T once did—unlimited data. Although their data processing isn’t quite as fast yet, so far, the Verizon iPhone has been reviewed as having a better connection during phone calls. However, depending on your location you may or may not notice a difference between the two. Besides, who uses their phone for phone calls anyway?

Only time will which carrier has better success with the iPhone, but it’s safe to say that either way, Apple wins.

Is the lack of network multitasking a deal breaker for you? Comment below and let us know!

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