Techno Chunky

Nearly four years of endless gossip, analysts 'forecasts', and so-called leaks, Verizon iPhone is a reality. We are very excited to be honest, mainly because we never write the story again another rumor. And, of course, we are also pleased to U.S. iPhone owners have a genuine choice of carriers.

If you've been longing for this moment for years, we feel joy. But before you rush to the store, there are some important points to consider. First, the four Verizon iPhone is almost identical to its counterpart at AT & T. It differs from a couple of ways, but is largely the same device with most of the same advantages and disadvantages. And like its predecessor, the iPhone 4 Verizon has some serious give and take by the user. You get this warm and pleasant, for example, but the Big Red CDMA and remove functionality.

The performance may also challenge some of their expectations, which we know are huge. We note that Verizon's network offers significant improvements in AT & T. Data rates much faster in most cases, we have had more success with calls placed in problem areas and quickly connect calls. The changes, however, life changes and are not fully supported. Thus, while better in some respects, can not beat AT & T on all fronts.

Verizon will coincide with a price of C & T, which is $ 199 for the 16GB model and $ 299 for the 32GB version. Can be achieved only in black for now, if the elusive white model is due this spring. Verizon will offer a set of data $ 30 unlimited plan to start, but this may take several levels of data plans in the near future.

Design

Honestly, we can not say much in this part, because Verizon and AT & T phones are so similar. There are a couple of cosmetic differences, which will be discussed, but the Verizon iPhone brings all the familiar style of Apple's trademarks. It 'the same size and weight (4.5 inches long 2.3 inches wide and 0.37 inches deep, 4.8 ounces), is almost identical in appearance outside, and you find that beautiful screen Retina. We still do not have sharp edges and the fans behind the glass, but there is no doubt that the iPhone is activated the device 4.

From the front, the two handsets look exactly alike.

Turn the handset on its pages and you'll notice some slight modifications. In response to the CDMA antenna, the ringer mute button on the left side has been moved slightly closer to the volume control. It makes no difference in terms of ease of use, but the change means that most of the current iPhone 4 cases, including the bumpers that Apple has distributed free last summer, does not work properly. Especially the right side, has a SIM card slot is gone, because the handset works on CDMA.

Apple moved the Verizon iPhone's ringer mute switch closer to the volume controls. In its place is the antenna gap that's on the top side of the AT&T phone.

In another change, the gap is located next to the headphone connector on the GSM version moved to the left side just above the switch ring. Apple would not discuss the details with CNET, not to confirm which parts of the antenna which functions are used (on AT & T phone, part of the antenna was for the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and is the antenna powered cellular call). We are not inclined to conspiracy theories, but it would not surprise us if Apple changed the design of the antenna after last summer's "Antennagate" drama. But more on that later.

A feature you gain

Within the Verizon phone has some differences, both good and bad. Big Red before winning the AT & T offers a personal hot spot function, which can support up to five devices. To create a connection cable and a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB and use all three methods simultaneously. Even if AT & T has received the functionality of hot-spots IOS 4.3, a limited number of carrier equipment, which can make a wireless connection to only three.

Before you can use the Hot Spot, however, you must enable the option for Verizon. This feature will pay an extra $ 20 per month, which is cheaper than $ 29 fee per month for Sprint, but more expensive $ 14.99 share of T-Mobile. For this price, it was limited to 2 GB per month, after which you pay $ 20 for each additional GB. Overall, these taxes are not outrageous for what you get.

Once you have set with the carrier, the solution hot-spot appears in the Settings menu. So after setting a password and select the connection options you want, you can get started. We tried to connect a variety of devices including a laptop, IPAD, iPhone AT & T 4, an LG Optimus S, a RIM BlackBerry Torch, a Huawei Ideos X5, and a myTouch 3G T-Mobile.

For most devices, the process of connecting via Wi-Fi fast and painless. The myTouch 3G was able to find the hot spot, but for some reason he could stay connected for only five seconds before releasing. Watching video tapes, meanwhile, were unable to find the iPhone, even when they were side by side.

Even though hiccups have not been encouraging, could be a problem with other phones. What's more, when you threw them aside, the hot spots were very successful even when fully loaded. Web browsing on a laptop, for example, had only a few seconds slower than what we normally experience in the fixed network of CNET. Facebook Photo Upload lasted about 10 seconds (compared to the usual 5 seconds), and we were able to download several graphic heavy websites without problems. We had a similar experience when the USB cable to your PC, it was a bit 'slower than usual, but nothing drastic.

Browse the IPAD and telephones were satisfactory as well. As the computer, it took a little longer to complete tasks when we were linked with CNET Wi-Fi, but the speeds were not injured. Connection via Bluetooth has been difficult and we were not always able to establish a connection and then keep it when we had. Battery life on the hot spot was respectable. During the broadcast of movies Netflix, the iPhone has 5.2 hours before he died. It's just a little more than T-Mobile myTouch 4G running the same test.

The Verizon iPhone tracks how many devices are connected through the hot spot

Even with those few issues, the hot spot is user-friendly and it makes the Verizon iPhone an even better mobile-computing device. You don't get individual notifications when you connect a new device, and you can't see what is connected at a given time, but a status bar at the top of the display conveniently tracks how many gadgets are linked up. Yet, as with so many other things on the iPhone, the hot spot isn't the first or the best we've seen of its kind. It may do things differently, but it's not better. Remember that some handsets, like Sprint's HTC Evo 4G can support up to eight devices.

Features you keep

Outside the hot spot, you can expect the usual goodies iPhone. You get the 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, front facing VGA camera, Bluetooth, digital compass, e-mail and messaging, iPod player, voice control, voice memo recorder, assisted GPS and Google Maps, Safari Web browser, access to applications and media through iTunes, and FaceTime via Wi-Fi.

The Verizon iPhone has the same camera features as the AT&T version.

Polished user interface is also the same, even though the iPhone is currently IOS 4.2.6 Verizon, AT & T, the iPhone works IOS 4.2.1. Apple said that the version 4.2.6 is unique to Verizon phone, and that the only changes are the support for CDMA and function of hot spots.

Although the phone is impressive, the smartphone market is a thousand times more mature than it was in 2007 when it produced the original iPhone, and even in 2010 when the first iPhone went on sale 4. We have no doubt that the Verizon iPhone will succeed, but faces strong competition from rival companies and even within the limits of the Verizon. Some offer features that the iPhone can not touch, and many people are interested in buying the Apple device. The iPhone is a new medium, but only one player in a highly competitive field.