RMstudents Technology meets medical education

It's here! Finally. The iPhone lands on Verizon. Now read on and learn why you should not purchase a Verizon iPhone, at least not right away.

I will preface this with the following:

• I get no money from Verizon, AT&T, Google or Apple. I will happily accept though.
• I use an Android phone (Nexus One) on AT&T, and I have been very happy with AT&T's 3G speed, coverage and overall reliability here in Chicago.
• I admire Apple for their innovation, but despise them for their closed off nature. That is their strength and, in my opinion, their weakness. This post is neutral with regards to Apple though .. I realize people love the iPhone, love Apple, and I only hope to increase your love and save you from falling for any Apple/Verizon tricks.

My thesis, my hope, is that you will wait for the iPhone 5 most likely due out in June. Wait for the iPhone 5 on Verizon. I will also touch on what Verizon or Apple might do to incentivize picking up an iPhone 4 on Verizon now, and why you should not fall for those incentives.

When is the Best Time to buy an iPhone?

Without question, the best time to buy any iPhone is the summer (just after Apple's June unveilment of the newest model).

It makes absolutely no sense to buy an iPhone anytime between Jan-May unless you ABSOLUTELY need a new phone and can't make do with what you have right now. You will pay $200 for a phone that will be surpassed in just half a year. When you buy in June/July you're buying a phone that will be top of the line in its class for at least 1 year.

Verizon vs AT&T

• I will not comment on this. I am going to presume that if you're reading this, you're interested in the iPhone on Verizon so there is no point in debating which is the better network. What I do want to do, however, is explain a fundamental difference in their technology because this will be important for my major point (i.e., waiting for the iPhone 5).
• at&t uses GSM, a technology that
  1. uses SIM cards
  2. allows simultaneous voice + data
  3. is present world-wide (click for link to PDF of map, or search for country).
• Verizon uses CDMA, a tech that is 
  1. reliable with calls (it will degrade sound quality if a network gets congested, as opposed to simply drop it)
  2. but is not used in as many countries as GSM 
  3. and cannot do voice + data together.

What does this mean for you if I buy a Verizon iPhone 4? Currently with an iPhone 4 on Verizon, if you often go on vacation to non-CDMA countries (check specific country here), you will need to take a second GSM-enabled phone with you. This may change with the iPhone 5 (more info below).

What will not change with an iPhone 5 on Verizon? Even with an iPhone 5 on Verizon, Apple cannot get you around the lack of simultaneous voice + data transmission on Verizon, this is a limitation of the Verizon network.

iPhone 4 vs the next-gen "iPhone 5"

The iPhone 4 has arguably the best screen and the best camera. The iPhone 5 will be better. Here's why:

• Unified design -- this is Apple, the company that likes to simplify products for their customers. As of Feb 2011 there are 2 distinct iPhone 4 models (Verizon's and AT&T) that look almost exactly the same but very different cellular technology inside. I'm sure this keeps Steve Jobs up at night. I doubt this is something Apple likes but it was probably unavoidable. Most rumors pin the iPhone 5 to use a new chipset that will have both GSM/CDMA technology inside it so that Apple can mass produce one model (but different storage sizes of course) that they can ship to Verizon or AT&T. This is HUGE. This is something Android does not have (as far as I know). Imagine: you're not happy with the service Verizon is providing? Threaten to go to AT&T .. yes you may need to pay extra to break contract or "unlock" the phone so you can use it on the other network, but it does provide you with some negotiating power. This also solves the issue current Verizon iPhone 4 owners would have re: traveling around the world .. you can buy the iPhone 5 on Verizon but still use SIM cards if you're overseas.
• since this is a new model, and since most likely it will use a new chipset that supports GSM/CDMA, I think it is highly likely the next iPhone will have a better antenna design -- I don't think the current design has hurt iPhone 4's calls, but the design can only get better
• dual core graphics/cpu -- faster performance of apps, webpage loading, maps, video editing, etc. I can't emphasize the performance advantage enough, the CPU can also influence how quickly your phone can manage a signal lock.
• NFC chips built-in .. Near Field Communication is something the new Android Nexus S phone already has and if it catches on (and I'll be honest, if Apple pushes it there is a good chance it will) will allow you to replace your credit cards with your phone. Or if you're standing by a restaurant you can bring the phone close to a "tag" hanging on the window and it will pull up the menu, reviews, etc.
• *expected improvement in battery life*

How Verizon/Apple will try to get you to switch now

• "limited time unlimited data plan" -- don't fall for this trick, unless you're planning on streaming Netflix, or watch Football or TV shows or use the $20/month hotspot feature extensively all over Verizon's 3G network on a daily basis, few people need unlimited data. The reason is most of us have access to WiFi someway or another.
  • If you have a Wi-Fi connection at home, and where you work (or go to school, or whatever you might do) then simply make sure your phone is using Wifi and not your 3G connection. (Wifi is faster, and uses less battery than 3G when actively using internet). As you may or may not know, the "data" that counts against your plan is only the 3G data .. not WiFi from your home or work.
  • By the way WiFi at Starbucks is free, and most independent coffee houses give you free access if you purchase while patronizing.
  • I currently have the AT&T $30/month unlimited data but I only use 150Mb-250Mb a month. AT&T wasn't kidding when they said the large majority of their users use far less. When I'm at home, I have Wifi, when I'm at RUMC, I'm using RUMC-Wireless or the free Wifi.
• price drop - even after iPhone 5 is released, the iPhone 4 will be sold (albeit cheaper) -- for the reasons mentioned above it's worth paying extra money for the new iPhone
• other price incentives like waiving activation fee -- activation fees suck, but they are one time costs, if you have to eat this for a better phone you're going to use for possibly 2 years, it's worth the $18 or $36 or whatever it is
• "white iPhone, we have it first" -- it's possible that to be more distinct and to help Verizon, Apple will magically debut the white iPhone 4 exclusively for Verizon first .. but it's just a color, you still have the same "old" June 2010 innards

That's all that comes to mind off the top of my head. Feel free to leave comments w/ any questions, comments or corrections.

As a side note: I'll edit/update when I get comments from anyone reading this about things I missed. I'm very happy with my Nexus One and my next phone will also most likely be a Nexus phone. However I cannot ignore the popularity nor the simplicity of the iPhone model.