Will an Apple iPhone Work on Verizon Wireless Network?
- Apple announced the release of the iPhone in January of 2007, but the product wasn't actually released until June, due to the wait for FCC filing and approval. The iPhone is called a smart phone because it allows users to do much more than make phone calls: they can surf the Web, send emails, type memos, take pictures, play games and watch videos --- essentially anything they could do on a small computer. The 3.5-inch display screen of an iPhone is touch sensitive, so users touch the icon of the program they want to open and type on a virtual keyboard. The phone comes with a standard set of basic apps, or programs, but users can download many more from the iTunes Store.
- To develop the iPhone, Apple made an exclusive contract with AT&T, which was then called Cingular. In exchange for its development money, Apple agreed to give AT&T exclusive rights as a carrier for the iPhone for five years, as well as 10 percent of iPhone sales in AT&T stores and a percentage of Apple's iTunes revenue. Apple also got to take complete control of the development and marketing process, and it implemented some incredibly nontraditional approaches to the design of the phone itself and the way customers purchased it. The negotiations for these terms took place over a year and a half of secret meetings.
- Apple began to enter nonexclusive contracts with carriers in countries outside the United States beginning in 2008, but it wasn't until Verizon's announcement in January of 2011 that Americans had an alternative iPhone carrier. Verizon customers could preorder phones on February 3, but all other consumers had to wait until February 10.
Although AT&T uses a GSM mobile network, Verizon uses CDMA technology. To accommodate these differences, Apple had to create a slightly different iPhone model. Thus, users can't simply switch their AT&T phones over to Verizon; they have to obtain a physically different model. - Many consumers wonder which carrier provides better iPhone service. Although the phones look practically identical, there are some key differences, as of 2011. For one, the antenna inside the Verizon phone is compatible with Verizon's 3G EV-DO network, while AT&T's is compatible with UMTS. Since UMTS allows faster downloads, this means that the AT&T phone is theoretically faster. However, depending on volume of users and signal strength, this isn't always the case. In addition, the Verizon network does not allow users to talk on the phone and browse the Internet at the same time. International travelers find it harder to use a Verizon iPhone overseas, but Verizon does let its phone become a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to five devices, of which AT&T can't boast.
