[Veltliner]

Are you using an iPhone on Verizon's network?

Then I'd love to hear about your experience.

Especially when you are here in LA.

How is voice quality? Data download speed? Reliability?

Have you had an iPhone with AT&T before? How does iPhone performance compare on the two networks?

[Veltliner]

A long thread about the Verizon iPhone, but nobody wants to share his experience on that network?

Or was it all talk, and nobody actually bought one?

[ghporter]

Or maybe they're chatting on their iPhones and can't surf over to post too...

Yes, that was a bit catty. I would like to know why we don't get any real performance reports too. Unless it turns out that they really don't do any better on Verizon than on AT&T...

[Atheist]

I'm beginning to suspect that with all the hype the Verizon iPhone is going to turn out to be a major yawnfest.

[Veltliner]

I have a similar impression.

The iPhone at Verizon seems to be the absolute non-event.

[ibook_steve]

Reasons:

Time of year, just after the holidays.

iPhone 5 imminent.

Steve

[ghporter]

...and the fact that Verizon iPhones drop calls just like AT&T iPhones due to (gasp1!!!111!) antenna and grasp problems. Whodathunkit?

[imitchellg5]

Verizon iPhone review -- Engadget

As you'd expect with any Verizon phone, data is slow and voice quality is good.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Verizon iPhone review -- Engadget

As you'd expect with any Verizon phone, data is slow and voice quality is good.

The review says half the data speed of AT&T, but calls more persistent. Voice quality seems to be go down quickly if signal strength declines.

And the cost is $90/month for unlimited data and texting. Add tax and surcharges and you're looking at $120.

For me, a phone has to have great voice quality - looks like the iPhone is not for me.

[turtle777]

I guess everyone is different.

Actual calls make maybe 5% of my iPhone use. I'd much rather sacrifice voice quality over data and general usability.

-t

[ghporter]

Does CDMA use a different D/A technology from GSM? While AT&T's voice quality is hardly "CD-quality" most of the time, I can't detect much difference in voice between full-bars and one-bar signal strength.

[Cold Warrior]

at&t 3G voice quality should be better than Verizon's when you can pull a working GSM 3G signal. The GSM 3G (3GPP) vocoder is audibly much better than CDMA. On non-3G GSM however it should be equal in quality to CDMA. That's the theory anyway, and in practice I've found it to be the case too.

[KittyKatLover1211]

I own a launch day Verizon iPhone 4, compared to my old AT&T iPhone 3G, the call quality is so much better. Verizon's 3G Network is fast, i havent experienced any slow downs, Tethering works great. Im glad I dumped AT&T for Verizon, not only is bill cheaper, but everything is better.

[amazing]

Reception and reliability depend on network coverage where you are. David Pogue did a great article where he rode around in problem cities making calls side-by-side with VZ and ATT iPhones. Here's what he says about reception:

"In San Francisco, the AT&T phone dropped the call four times in 30 minutes of driving; the Verizon phone never did. The Verizon iPhone also held its line in several Manhattan intersections where the AT&T call died. At a Kennedy airport gate, the AT&T phone couldn’t even find a signal; the Verizon dialed with a smug yawn."

"Most impressively, the Verizon iPhone effortlessly made calls in the Cellphone Signal Torture Chamber of Doom: my house."

"The Verizon iPhone did drop one call — in baggage claim at the Los Angeles airport. And, of course, there are regions where AT&T coverage is better than Verizon’s. But in general, my testing matches the conclusions of Consumer Reports and RootMetrics.com: the Verizon iPhone has more bars in more places. (Hey, that might make a good slogan! Oh, wait...) "

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/te...q=pogue&st=cse

So, the real question is how to get reviews of reception in your specific locations...home and work.

[PhilCat]

Originally Posted by KittyKatLover1211 

Verizon iPhone 4, compared to my old AT&T iPhone 3G, the call quality is so much better..

I'm sure that's true.
Friends meet at the cabin 150 miles North of metro area.

It's heavily forested and sits on a lake 30-60 ft below normal terrain.
Verizon users usually have a weak edge in shadow of hill side from beam, where I & the rest have 'no service' on the screen with AT&T and T-Mobile.

It's normal at this distance from metro, If you steer off the freeway at right angle, the signal drops off within 1/4 mile. Final point 8-10 miles off freeway.
Hard to say what Verizon does different.
Taller antenna, boosted signal, or not so linear to the freeway, not sure.

Head across the lake about 1/2 mile, the beam's line of site finally reaches the ground as it comes over hill top behind you.

Back in the shadow of hillside, I experimented with what might gather enough stray
reflected signal to make a call.
In the end, from no service to 2-3 bars, a large old discarded Weber grill top worked the best.
With speaker mode to talk, the cell sits within an inch off the inner surface.