The Verizon iPhone 4 is here. It’s been exhaustively reviewed and it’s exactly what we thought it would be. We still think you should wait.
From the reviews, it’s clear that it is the better than the AT&T iPhone 4 in the following ways:
• Clearer (but not perfect) calls, with more reliable reception in more places
• More attractive (we’re suckers for symmetry)
• Wi-Fi hotspot powers (which are probably coming to AT&T, eventually – AT&T says they’re “working” on it, and they’ve gotta be embarassed Verizon has it and they don’t)
Everybody loved it. Even though data speeds are slower, and you can’t talk and use data at the same time.
Other than that, it is the very same iPhone 4. OK, well not technically. But functionally, it’s the same iPhone 4 that was released eight months ago. The same iPhone that will be replaced by a newer, better model in a handful of months.
It takes a certain kind person to predicate their happiness on having the newest, most amazingest gadget at all times. It’s OK, I don’t judge you. But if you’re thinking about getting the Verizon iPhone 4 for that reason, think again. It’s already eight months old. You’ll be much happier when you’re not locked into a two-year contract with an eight-month-old iPhone when the next one is announced. Put another way, you’ve waited four years for the iPhone on Verizon – what’s another few months?
It’s a common counter-adage that if you’re always waiting for the next thing, you’ll never buy anything. That’s true! But it’s also true there are better times to buy technological things than others. I would never tell anybody to buy an eight-month old smartphone, iPhone or no. And when it comes to new iPhones, it’s the summer. If you absolutely need a phone on Verizon right now, the iPhone 4 is probably the best thing you can buy. I just hope you won’t feel your gut drop when the next iPhone is announced.