The Verizon iPhone is No Thicker or Heavier than the AT&T model.
Apple told me and my examination proves that these phones are like twins more identical than fraternal. Both iPhones are 9.3 millimeters thick still among the thinnest smart phones on the market.
The Antenna Design is Different for a Reason.
It's no accident that the AT&T iPhone 4 and Verizon iPhone 4 antenna bands around the phones do not look exactly the same. The differences are hard to notice unless you hold the two phones side by-side as I did. The Verizon iPhone uses a CDMA network antenna. In fact, it uses two CDMA antennas (a necessary redundancy for the CDMA network. As a result, there are identical antenna band bar breaks on either side of the phone. By the way Apple told me that unlike GSM the CDMA network actually works to give you a few more seconds of connectivity before the call breaks off completely. In other words, even on the worst connections, you may still be able to recover the call.
Death Grip is Hard to Find
It has a Personal Hot Spot
There aren a lot of differences between the AT&T iPhone and the Verizon model but this is a biggie. You can turn the phone into a WiFi hub for up to five devices. In my tests, the connection was strong and held on for at least 25 feet.One of my tests involved leaving the iPhone on a Windowsill and connecting through my Blackberry Torch from a room upstairs and on the other side of my home. Data throughput performance on the iPhone itself does diminish a bit when it's sharing.
Data Will Cost You
As much as I love the personal hot spot and I really do love it will cost an additional $20 a month with, for now unlimited data for an additional $30 a month. That's pretty pricey when you consider you'll also be paying a monthly service plan fee. However if you consider what you pay for a separate EVDO modem and the monthly data costs.
You Can't Do Voice and Data at the Same Time
This is probably the single biggest limitation of the Verizon iPhone and could turn into its most popular complaint. You can make a call and you can get your data connection, but do not try and do it at the same time. For most people, this will not be a problem (how often are you calling and browsing the Web at the same time. In fact, if you receive a call while using the Personal Hot spot on a 3G connection, the Verizon phone will prioritize the call.
AT&T and Verizon offer Virtually the Same Voice Plans
If you're trying to decide between a Verizon iPhone 4 and the AT&T model don't base the decision on the calling plans. Both have $69.99 unlimited calling rates and at the lower end. offer 450 minutes a month for $39.99.
No SIM card
Another physical difference between the AT&T phone and the Verizon iPhone is that the latter lacks a SIM card slot. CDMA phones don't use SIM cards, instead relying on a cloud-based set of serial numbers to authenticate network phones. So you won't be transferring this Verizon iPhone to another CDMA network unless that network perhaps Sprint—decides to start authenticating Verizon's CDMA iPhones.
General Availability Comes on Feb 10th
By now you've probably heard that verizon sold out of pre order inventory of Verizon iPhones. Apple did tell me that the phone would only be available in "limited quantities" to existing Verizon customers. It's unclear what supplies will be like on the 10th. Also unknown is when, exactly, Verizon will start shipping those phones.
Verizon and AT&T 3G Are Both Fast
There's no question that AT&T's 3G network, once America's fastest mobile network is faster as verizon 3G faster when you can get it. Verizon is fast, too, and I doubt most people will notice the difference even when both networks are operating for you at peak speeds. I certainly didn't. What it comes down to is coverage. I had better coverage overall with the Verizon iPhone, which means that even if there were moments when my mobile data networK.
Your Old Bumper Won't Work
If you bought a bumper for your AT&T iPhone you may want to throw it out or leave it on the AT&T model when you pass it along to your nephew. Apple moved the volume buttons a few millimeters and the hold button a bit more. The new Universal Bumper will work on your new Verizon iPhone and the old AT&T model.
Don't Wait for iPhone 5
While there's no guarantee Apple will introduce this now much talked about vapor-phone, it's a safe bet it'll arrive this summer. That said, when it does arrive, it will be in short supply. There is also no guarantee that the iPhone 5 will launch on multiple carriers most smart phones do not. What if Apple starts.