Verizon's iPhone news: Is it a dealbreaker without 4G?
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:
- Gallery: Verizon's newest prize: Its own iPhone
- Verizon Wireless gets official with iPhone 4 availability
- Live Blog: iPhone comes to Verizon
- AT&T: Five reasons the sky won't fall when iPhone goes to Verizon
- Four reasons to not get the Verizon iPhone
- Browse all iPhone coverage
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.
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