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Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?

By | January 11, 2011, 8:44am PST

Summary: It’s official. iPhone comes to Verizon - but in 3G, not 4G LTE.

The dust hasn’t even settled at the Verizon iPhone event in New York City and I can already hear the groans from techies across the country: What? No LTE for the Verizon iPhone?

It appears to be true, folks. The iPhone is finally coming to Verizon Wireless - and just days after Verizon Wireless made a huge splash at CES over the wonders of a blazing fast LTE 4G network, it appears that the world’s most popular smartphone won’t be running on it.

Here are the details you need to know: The CDMA iPhone for Verizon Wireless will be available on Feb. 10, though existing customers can pre-order beginning Feb. 3. Pricing is set at $200 for a 16 GB model and $300 for the 32 GB device and you’ll have to sign a two-year contract.

They call it the iPhone 4 - just like what’s available on the AT&T network now. But I’m already seeing tweets from people calling it iPhone 4G. Let’s not confuse the two, folks. This is a 3G device.

More reports:

Sigh. I’m feeling very “Day Late and Dollar Short” on this one. Maybe if Verizon hadn’t been talking up LTE so much during CES, I might be a bit more pumped up about this. Interestingly enough, when asked about why the device isn’t 4G, Apple’s Tim Cook says that Verizon customers have been saying that they want iPhone now, not later.

But Verizon customers have been saying that for years. Suddenly, they’re listening? Now? When we’re on the cusp of a major shift in mobile broadband networks? Could the timing be any worse?

Certainly, Apple and Verizon will sell millions of these devices and people will brave winter blizzards to be the first in line to get one a month from now. Cook didn’t say much about the product roadmap - such as when iPhone 5 with 4G LTE technology might become available. And that just might be enough to keep some folks from jumping ship - whether that’s a jump from AT&T or a jump from Android - in the early days.

While I’ve already declared that I will stay faithful to Android - and am already looking forward to the Thunderbolt on LTE - this pretty much drives the final nail into any hesitation that might surfaced with today’s news announcement.

Still, it’s time for iPhone-envious Verizon customers and AT&T-hating iPhone owners across the land to rejoice. You got what you’ve been asking for. It’s too bad that what you wanted has actually changed since you first started asking.

Poll

Is a Verizon iPhone without 4G a dealbreaker?

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Topics

Apple iPhone, 4G, Verizon Communications Inc., Verizon Wireless, Smart Phones, Cellular Phones, Wireless And Mobility, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Sam Diaz

Sam has been a technology and business blogger for more than 18 years.

Disclosure

Sam Diaz

Sam Diaz has nothing to disclose.

Biography

Sam Diaz

Sam has been a technology and business blogger, reporter and editor at ZDNet, the Washington Post, San Jose Mercury News and Fresno Bee for more than 18 years. He's a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and a graduate of California State University, Fresno.

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Unfortunately it'll be marketing not technical prowess
zdnet@... 28th Jan 2011
that determines the choices people make. If it suits most of the people, most of the time, and it does what they were "expecting", then they'll be happy. I think most buyers get an iPhone for the ecosystem (apps, music, syncing, style) rather than the technical specs. It's easy to operate and it works as expected.
View in thread
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For a tiny percentage, sure
John Zern 11th Jan 2011
for most people, not at all.
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Given the Bionic was very flakey at CES.
Bruizer 11th Jan 2011
@John Zern

Waiting is a good idea. Make sure all the bugs are gone, code and HW are solid. Battery performance is well understood.

For most, it is a non-issue since CDMA is fairly fast (not HSPA but good enough for most).
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No argument. I'm just basing it on
John Zern 11th Jan 2011
the amount of people who will buy it just to "have an iPhone" whether it's the best choice or not for what they're looking for, as many don't understand or really consider the purchase from a technical aspect.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Free Webapps Updated - 11th Jan 2011
@Bruizer
Yep, waiting is the key here. Considering that apple has been working on this deal with Verizon fro about a year or so now, 4G LTE wasn't on the table as and option. If it were, it would have been 4G ready.

Wait until iPhone 5 (the true iPhone 4g phone) for at&t hits when on at&t's 4g LTE network goes live as early as March and as late as August of 2011. at&t has been advertising 4g lately on TV.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
dave@... 11th Jan 2011
@Free Webapps AT&T's "4G" ads are initially for their HSPA+ network, which, as everyone knows, is last-generation 3G, not the pre-4G of LTE or WiMax.

That could easily bite them, too... particularly given that the HSPA+ devices aren't necessarily LTE compatible, yet, folks are going to be tricked into buying "4G" for the next two years, without actually getting that.
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Correct: iPhone's *much* better screen and battery life is the dealmaker
DeRSSS Updated - 11th Jan 2011
@John Zern: also, iPhone 4 still has the best camera aside of specilized cameraphones, and the widest choice of applications, and the widest media library, and AirPlay possibility.

Also outer construction of antenna, according to AnandTech testing, is 6.7 times (8 dB) more sensitive than regular internal antenna.

With presence of Wi-Fi spots everywhere, spottiness and expensiveness of LTE for the coming couple of years, iPhone 4 is by far more reasonable choice than that huge Bionic with worse screen, worse battery life, worse photos, worse antenna sensitivity, less polished OS, less choice of applications, much lesser media library, no Airplay possiblity.

And yes, double cores now are just marketing stunt since there is no software for that to be useful. When/if Apple releases double-core iPhone 5 this summer, then only major software developers will actually care to produce serious applications for that power.
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denisrs, you left out the part where an outer construction
John Zern 11th Jan 2011
antenna is also way more sensitive to distortion and signal interfearence/loss when touched, which is the primary flaw with the iphone 4 design.
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Yes, iPhone 4 antenna has pluses and minuses
DeRSSS Updated - 11th Jan 2011
@johnzern: you are right. Still, in common case ability to keep lower signal is more important than occasional death-grip -- if registered ( people will less sweaty hands like David Pogue may not see the death grip effect no matter how much they try) -- which can be immediately avoided just by readjusting the way one holds the phone.
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wifi hotspot use may be more complicated
dbgreen53 11th Jan 2011
@denisrs
My iphone automatically connects to most wifi hotspots (starbucks, mcD's, many hotels and other wayport locations) without any interaction because those are at&t controlled. Wife's VZW smartphone has to negotiate on the splash page for acceptable use, etc and often gets refused without a paid ID. Folks switching from att to vzw might not realize that.
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That could be true, but iOS support non-annoying Wi-Fi tracking
DeRSSS 11th Jan 2011
@dbgreen53: lets see how it will go.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Rama.NET Updated - 11th Jan 2011
@denisrs
The phone in Samsung Focus is better over iPhone. I have iPhone 4, EVO 4G and Focus and Focus camera experience and quality is much better than iPhone 4.
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Impossible, since Focu's sensor is not backslide illuminated
DeRSSS 11th Jan 2011
@Rama.NET: (megapixels quantity is the same)
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Not as sensitive as you might think
vulpine@... 11th Jan 2011
@John Zern: I purchased an iPhone 4 only two weeks ago and have actively tried to cause it to fail while I waited for a protective cover on order. At worst, I was able to make it lose one single signal bar out of three where I live and outside of traveling to one of several dead spots I know, have not managed to lose a single call since purchase.

Before you say I'm buying the cover to 'hide' the antenna, let me correct you now. I prefer to add protection from drops and dirt that my phones naturally collect when riding in my shirt pockets. I also happen to like the more secure grip I get with the rubbery latex around the edges. Besides, it also helps me individualize my phone when you consider my wife and I each have one and it's harder to confuse with other people's phones. If you think I buy an iPhone for the 'status symbol' it supposedly offers, the cover I use mostly hides the Apple logo, so the only way someone will know for sure is if they look at it closely.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
dave@... 11th Jan 2011
@denisrs There's no way the external iPhone antenna is more sensitive than most internal antennas... not to mention that most high-end cellphones have multiple diversity or MIMO antennas -- a single antenna of any sensitivity fails if you have your hand over it.

And that's also not what any of the AnandTech articles suggested.. their comparisons were limited, and produced mixed results. Sometimes the iPhone 4 did better, sometimes it didn't. And they didn't carefully document 850MHz vs. 1900MHz performance, an issue for AT&T, not for the Nexus One on T-Mobile (the one non-Apple phone analyzed in their first two articles).

Not to mention how antennas actually work... if you really have that much gain in antenna (impossible given their geometries, but let's pretend), you're adding directionality. A pure omnidirectional antenna has 0dBi gain... the sensitivity looks like a perfect sphere. You can bend and stretch that sphere in any direction, but you can't change the volume... gain in one direction means loss in another. That's a great idea for a fixed antenna... you can find 20+dBi Yagi antennas. But for a moving cellphone, you don't want any extra gain... unless there's more than one antenna. Otherwise, you'll have just as much loss, if the orientation of the antenna is wrong.

As for dual-core...well, sure, every other high-end smart phone is going dual core now. Expect Apple to release a new iPad in the later Winter/early Spring, and the new iPhone may well have that SOC.... probably another stripped-down version of whatever Samsung's putting in their own phones, just as the "A4" was.

Also realize that, all things being equal, LTE will give you better battery life, not worse, than 3G protocols. All of the 3G protocols use OFDM modulation, which has a very high creating factor on the RF signal. In simple terms, this means that, for example, if the average signal is 27dBm out (1/2W), the peak may well be 35dBm or more (depending on the exact protocol)... several watts. The power amplifier design has to suffice for the power peaks, regardless of the average... any signal compression will kill the link.

Older "4G" (well, close) protocols like WiMax still use OFDM, and as many Sprint customers can attest, the power drain on the mobile devices go up when you go to 4G. This is also the case jumping from HSPA to HSPA+... the higher speed protocols add multiple carriers. Modern OFDM protocols can have well over 1000 carriers in a single signal. The cresting factor issues come when they all line up.

LTE solves this used SC-FDMA... a single carrier protocol, which works like a linear precoded OFDM scheme, for uplink. The PAPR (peak to average power requirement) is much lower, thus, dramatic savings in the power needed for the portable unit's power amplifier.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
i2fun@... Updated - 13th Jan 2011
@denisrs You're an idiot if you actually believe the hogwash you're spouting. Single core or dual core or even Quad core Soc does Not require any more work for developers or present apps to run on them. That's already in kernel of the OS and it's API's and how they interact with hardware fool. I don't need a completely different OS to take advantage of multi-cores, when Android and Linux already multitask without the phony excuse for multitasking iOS4 employs.

Go read up on the projections for Android on both phones and slates. It will still kill CrApple's call dropping glass breaking junk!!! wink .....oh and Samsung alone is in the #2 spot now. Only Nokia to beat now with their devices going on all US carriers with your choice of devices and Operating Systems. Eat your heart out you CrApplenoid suckers!!!
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Masari.Jones Updated - 11th Jan 2011
Wow... CNET Editors have been whining for years about not having the iPhone on Verizon, now that it's hear you're gonna whine about LTE? Really?

Of course they are not going to have 4G on the first Verizon iPhone. Millions of people will buy it for the next six months and will not care or want to wait any longer.

For those who must have the latest and greatest technology, they'll wait and presumably this summer Apple will release the next iPhone (iPhone 4G or iPhone 5) this summer which will hopefully be LTE and then millions more will but it.

Sounds like a good marketing strategy.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
nakedtaco 11th Jan 2011
@Masari.Jones I think it could be a marketing/money thing too. If they release the iPhone 4 now with 3G then people rush out and get it. How many of those will feel the need to rush out and get the new one with 4G when they release it? Also, if they throw it out there before the 2 year contract is up, people will have to pay the full price. So I have a feeling that's at least part of it.

And is 4G a battery hog? Sure, it may be, but every device I've seen lets you toggle it off to preserve battery life... so why is that even an issue?
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@nakedtaco: Exactly right, Apple is doing this one right for them
NonZealot 11th Jan 2011
If they release the iPhone 4 now with 3G then people rush out and get it. How many of those will feel the need to rush out and get the new one with 4G when they release it?

Part of Apple's business strategy is to ensure that Apple consumers upgrade far more frequently than other consumers. Apple makes far more money if you upgrade once a year instead of once every 2 or 3 years.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
dave@... 11th Jan 2011
@Masari.Jones Sprint's WiMax "4G" is definitely a battery hog, and always will be. T-Mobile and AT&T's last-generation 3G, HSPA+ (which is being marketed as "4G" or at "4G speeds"), similarly, uses more power than previous protocols.

LTE, on the other, will be substantially lower in power. We many not see this at first, or not in every LTE phone at least, since there's going to be a need for more signal processing power. But that gets lower in power fast.

The big thing you can't get rid of in any wireless protocol is uplink power... you need a power amplifier, at up to a Watt or so (depending on the phone), to link back to a cell tower. If you've always used your smart phone in a city with very good cell coverage, you may not notice this being a big deal. That's because it's actually the cell tower that directs the PA output level on your phone. But take your phone to a fringe area, and even the cell ping (the phone has to ping the cell every so often to tell the cell it's still there) will wear down your phone's battery fast.

LTE's uplink protocol actually allows a much lower power PA than HSPA, HSPA+, EvDO, WiMax, or other 3G+ protocols. That's the big reason WiMax did have much success (it's only Sprint/Clear/Comcast -- they're all the same network -- in the USA on any scale), and LTE is being adopted, in time anyway, by everyone else.
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poll
webdevtj 11th Jan 2011
@John Zern there needs to be a fourth option. 4g is important to me and i'm going to stick with my current phone until the 4g iPhone become available.. just saying
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
jeremychappell 11th Jan 2011
@John Zern Are today's batteries ready for 4G? (Hint: "No") You want to know why Apple didn't put 4G into the iPhone 4? The battery, pure and simple.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
michael@... 11th Jan 2011
I live in North Dakota and the LTE system will not be up and running for at a minimum 18 months more likely 2 years, so it does not matter which phone I get, I'll be 3G for quite a while. So a iPhone 4 will work just fine for anyone in a rule area. We then can upgrade to the iphone 5 LTE when it comes out, and our contract is up.
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lte
banned from zdnet 11th Jan 2011
lte is unproven, has very small coverage (a few "test" areas) and is a battery hog. i would argue that having "4g" would be a dealbreaker for most customers.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Jkirk3279 11th Jan 2011
@banned from zdnet

A good point. With the technology limited to a few cities it won't be an issue for most people.
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1.. lack of LTE at this point in the game is a feature..
doctorSpoc Updated - 11th Jan 2011
@banned from zdnet.. as they did with 3G Apple is waiting for the 2nd gen 4G chips to come out.. they simply are too battery hungry at this time..

Sam you only stated half of what Cook had to say about 4G.. the other point was that there were too many compromises with these 1st gen chips.. like having to double the thickness of the device to get acceptable battery life..

plus the network are just not ready yet.. you pay a premium price for a spotty at best service.. and you need to sign up for 4G with a 4G phone whether you get 4G in your area or not.. and your battery does a head plant under 4G... get at 3G phone, ebay it... and get a 4G phone in a year or so when the service and the chips are more solid..
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
dave.berent@... Updated - 11th Jan 2011
@doctorSpoc

100% agreed!
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
THavoc 11th Jan 2011
@banned from zdnet
I thought I had read somewhere that LTE is in 38 cities??
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Contributr
RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
sldiaz 11th Jan 2011
@THavoc
yes. at CES, verizon wireless said it has LTE in 38 cities today, adding 140 more by end of year and expect to cover the country in three years.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/ces-get-ready-for-4g-lte-verizon-unveils-10-consumer-devices/43361
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unproven?
otaddy 11th Jan 2011
@banned from zdnet

I have 4G at my house and all along the way to work and to the airport. It works great.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
EdanAharony 11th Jan 2011
It's about time we waited 4 years for that just to be faced with a dilemma what to do should we buy it now or wait another 4 months for the IPhone 5 with 4G LTE and dual core processor? Edan Aharony
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
rdawson@... 11th Jan 2011
@EdanAharony Rumor has it the CDMA iPhone will be on a different refresh cycle than the GSM version. If that is true it will be 12 months before a CDMA iPhone 5 would be released.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
endorphine44 11th Jan 2011
@rdawson@... I'm betting they release the Iphone 5 in July with GSM/CDMA capabilities just to get everyone back on the same 1 year rotation.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Rama.NET 11th Jan 2011
I don't think average comsumer who wants an iPhone really care about it and funny thing is they are more than the other camp. So to answer your question, no.
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4g or bust
ptcruisergt 11th Jan 2011
.
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The no LTE thing was as predictable as....
MG537 11th Jan 2011
The sun will rise in the East and set in the West.
The only question that remains is, when will the next gen iPhone be announced? This summer? Early next year?
The only thing sure is that a the next major revision of the device will come with 4G capabilities.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Loverock Davidson 11th Jan 2011
ZDnet is way too hung up on 4G and LTE. Only a few cities have it and it costs more to use it. I'm guessing the only people who want 4g are the same ones who are already paying for a full data plan on their smart phone and a data plan for their tablet. In other words, those people who want to burn their money.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
aggiejon04 11th Jan 2011
@Loverock Davidson I've got 4G LTE on a USB Modem (my company provides) and aside from the 5GB cap (which i am nowhere close too since i don't stream or p2p) LTE for me has been awesome. averaging 17mbps down and 7mbps up. granted its unloaded, but smokes any real world numbers from other carriers (sure tmobile claims 20+ but anyone actually getting that?). Nobody has true 4G, but for the Houston area VZ is THE BEST game in town. I can predict drop calls from my friends on AT&T. "Oh you are coming up to this exit? Yeah, call me back when it drop--" happy
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Loverock Davidson 11th Jan 2011
@aggiejon04
I'm sure it is fast, no doubt about that. The problem is the price. You said it yourself that your company is providing you with the connection.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
athaki 11th Jan 2011
@Loverock Davidson

I concur.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
aggiejon04 11th Jan 2011
@Loverock Davidson True true, they pay for it.. $50/month for 5GB is steep truthfully.

Where are our 4G pricing plans for smart phones? 3G Data sticks always had the 5GB cap w/ same pricing, I think to discourage p2p and streaming movies... i am concerned about battery life, but with plenty of charge options for me and my habits not such a deal breaker for me.

Finally VZ has the iPhone. I don't care, I won't use it, but at least the speculation can be put to rest. I think Apple MIGHT have made a bigger dent in Android had this change come a year or two ago, but myself and many many more have found Android to be great/better and won't switch... If anything it brings more competition, and with competition comes more exciting tech.
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Litmus Test?
cyberslammer2 11th Jan 2011
See how many move over to iPhone on Verizon, then come out later with a 4G version?
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
oldpcguy 11th Jan 2011
OK, I work for AT&T but am not involved with Apple or its relationship. My opinoin is that the next iPhone, due this summer, will be available on AT&T, Verizone and maybe other networks. It will be a HSPA+ phone, not true "4G" compatible out of the gate, maybe software upgradable. However, Verizone's users will still have a different user experience when downgrading to 3G vs AT&T's. However, it is interesting to note that AT&T is now selling the 3G iPhone, which effectively operates the same as Verizone's iPhone4 for $49.00.
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no.. AT&T is selling the "iPhone 3GS" for $49
doctorSpoc Updated - 11th Jan 2011
@oldpcguy.. the "iPhone 4" at AT&T (which is a much more powerful device than the 3GS) is $199 & $299 just like at Verizon.. sure they are iPhone 3GS and 4 are both 3G DATA devices but the iPhone 4 is much faster as a mobile computer then the 3GS..

iPhone 4 has.. Retina display, front and rear facing camera with facetime video chat, better rear facing camera with a led flash, is thinner, A4 chip (much faster than 3GS), has a gyroscope etc, etc how can you say that the 3GS and 4 are basically the same device? they are not even close.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Rama.NET 11th Jan 2011
@doctorSpoc
I read somewhere that the radio can be upgradable to HSPA+ once it is available on AT&T. But that is just a hearsay no concrete proof.
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"A different user experience"
RationalGuy 11th Jan 2011
@oldpcguy

Verizone's users will still have a different user experience when downgrading to 3G vs AT&T's

I hope to have a different experience when I switch to iPhone on Verizon.

I hope I don't lose my signal when I'm walking around in the largest city in the United States. I hope to get 3G coverage everywhere I go, and not drop into Edge 2G. I hope not to drop every third call.

Verizon can in no way be considered a "downgrade" from AT&T's complete sh-t service.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Rama.NET 11th Jan 2011
@RationalGuy
I have never used Verizon on a mobile device, but I feel it is way expensive. I use AT&T and Sprint and I never had any dropped calls unlike so many claimed on AT&T Network. This calling AT&T service as sh*t is overexaggerated I feel. I have dropped calls on iPhone 4 but not on iPhone 3G and Samsung Focus. So I feel it is issue with iPhone 4 Radio on GSM networks.
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Hmmm. I've never had a dropped call yet,
dbgreen53 12th Jan 2011
I live in Chicago and don't get to NYC or SanFran very often but have never experienced this dropped-call scenario. 4 years ago when I was on VZW I had lots of dropped calls. My sample size sounds the same as yours so I therfore conclude VZW is complete sh-t. (I'm only making a point. I'm pretty sure there was an initial problem when att was swamped with more usage than they anticipated).
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
mgrubb@... 11th Jan 2011
I'm sure people will snap this up, but for the life of me I can't figure out why. I'll be honest, I'm not an apple fan, and I have no intention of buying one for myself, but I may buy one for my tween daughter at the AT&T price of $49 for the 3GS. Anyway, back to this news. Why would anyone buy an iPhone 4 from Verizon and lock into a 2 year deal when an iPhone 4.5 or 5 is on the horizon that will likely support LTE or true 4G? Perhaps some people are just too impatient, but for my money, I wouldn't bother until at least July just to make sure that Apple didn't release the next version. Finally, everyone complains about AT&T, but at least to me it's a serious issue that the verizon network can't do voice and data at the same time. It's one of those things that doesn't seem like such a big deal, UNTIL you can actually do it and have done it, then you don't want to give it up. Good luck Verizon. Personally, I hope you knock the ball out of the park with this, and offer unlimited web, etc, just so that AT&T will review and drop their pricing even more.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
rdawson@... 11th Jan 2011
@mgrubb@... Based on rumors I don't think there will be a new CDMA iPhone for another 12 months. And Apple probably won't have a 4g iPhone until 2012 since they like to wait for new communications tech to mature.
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RE: Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
Loverock Davidson 11th Jan 2011
@mgrubb@...
why? because not everyone wants to pay $50/mo data plan for their phone on top of the cell phone service, home internet service, tv service, utilities, and a whole lot of other bills. I'm guessing you have a lot of money to burn, not everyone else does.
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Unfortunately it'll be marketing not technical prowess
zdnet@... 28th Jan 2011
that determines the choices people make. If it suits most of the people, most of the time, and it does what they were "expecting", then they'll be happy. I think most buyers get an iPhone for the ecosystem (apps, music, syncing, style) rather than the technical specs. It's easy to operate and it works as expected.

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