It’s finally here. Verizon Wireless announced yesterday that they will carry the iPhone 4 as of February 10. It will cost consumers $199 for the 16 GB version and $299 for the 32 GB version. It will be available from the Apple store as well as at Verizon Wireless locations.
No real surprises there. However, there were a few surprises when it came to the announcement. For one, Verizon’s CEO, Dan Mead, made no mention of how much plans for the fancy new phone would be. The press conference was basically a confirmation of what everyone already knew, with no real hard and fast information. And while they have a few weeks before their launch date to hash all that out, people want the facts man. No one is going to jump AT&T’s ship until they know what it’ll cost ‘em. Some people have speculated that an iPhone plane with Verizon could cost up to $120 before taxes. Taken out of context that doesn’t really mean a whole lot, because it could cost that much with AT&T if you had a lot of minutes, but the average iPhone user probably isn’t going to want to pay that much to use their phone.
Something else that should make you seriously consider getting Verizon’s iPhone on its debut date is the fact that Apple has historically released a new version of the iPhone over the summer. With the roll out of Verizon’s new LTE or 4G network, it’s only natural to assume that the iPhone 5 will be compatible with this faster network. A move like that could be fatal to AT&T’s iPhone that runs on a 3G network. While certainly AT&T will offer the iPhone 5, it may not be the same as Verizon’s – especially if AT&T doesn’t get their own 4G network up and running, rapidly.
Another reason to wait is the influx of customers to Verizon’s network. It could cause problems with network speed and reliability. You might consider letting Verizon iron out all the issues before jumping on the bandwagon. It’s like buying a first run car. It’s going to have issues, and it’s not a very smart move if you want a car that’s going to last you 200,000 miles. You have no idea how the engine will perform, how reliable the safety features are, or even how long the paint job will last. If you let others discover the problems with Verizon’s iPhone you’ll save yourself some time and money in the long run.
Additionally, the Android market is constantly expanding. Motorola is slated to release several fascinating new phones that have the functionality of a laptop computer and more. So, is that tired old iPhone 4 really what you want? Additionally, the Android marketplace is a lot less regulated than Apple’s iTunes, so there are arguably more free apps, and there are apps being added all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I have an iPhone and I love it. I won’t be switching to an Android any time soon, nor will I be switching to Verizon’s network, however for all you PC people out there, the iPhone may turn out to be all hype.
Although Verizon’s announcement is big when it comes to mobile communications, I would wait to join their network specifically for the iPhone if I were you.
January 12, 2011
Verizon Gets iPhone, Should You?
It’s finally here. Verizon Wireless announced yesterday that they will carry the iPhone 4 as of February 10. It will cost consumers $199 for the 16 GB version and $299 for the 32 GB version. It will be available from the Apple store as well as at Verizon Wireless locations.
No real surprises there. However, there were a few surprises when it came to the announcement. For one, Verizon’s CEO, Dan Mead, made no mention of how much plans for the fancy new phone would be. The press conference was basically a confirmation of what everyone already knew, with no real hard and fast information. And while they have a few weeks before their launch date to hash all that out, people want the facts man. No one is going to jump AT&T’s ship until they know what it’ll cost ‘em. Some people have speculated that an iPhone plane with Verizon could cost up to $120 before taxes. Taken out of context that doesn’t really mean a whole lot, because it could cost that much with AT&T if you had a lot of minutes, but the average iPhone user probably isn’t going to want to pay that much to use their phone.
Something else that should make you seriously consider getting Verizon’s iPhone on its debut date is the fact that Apple has historically released a new version of the iPhone over the summer. With the roll out of Verizon’s new LTE or 4G network, it’s only natural to assume that the iPhone 5 will be compatible with this faster network. A move like that could be fatal to AT&T’s iPhone that runs on a 3G network. While certainly AT&T will offer the iPhone 5, it may not be the same as Verizon’s – especially if AT&T doesn’t get their own 4G network up and running, rapidly.
Another reason to wait is the influx of customers to Verizon’s network. It could cause problems with network speed and reliability. You might consider letting Verizon iron out all the issues before jumping on the bandwagon. It’s like buying a first run car. It’s going to have issues, and it’s not a very smart move if you want a car that’s going to last you 200,000 miles. You have no idea how the engine will perform, how reliable the safety features are, or even how long the paint job will last. If you let others discover the problems with Verizon’s iPhone you’ll save yourself some time and money in the long run.
Additionally, the Android market is constantly expanding. Motorola is slated to release several fascinating new phones that have the functionality of a laptop computer and more. So, is that tired old iPhone 4 really what you want? Additionally, the Android marketplace is a lot less regulated than Apple’s iTunes, so there are arguably more free apps, and there are apps being added all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I have an iPhone and I love it. I won’t be switching to an Android any time soon, nor will I be switching to Verizon’s network, however for all you PC people out there, the iPhone may turn out to be all hype.
Although Verizon’s announcement is big when it comes to mobile communications, I would wait to join their network specifically for the iPhone if I were you.
January 12, 2011