The oft rumored Verizon iPhone has finally made its debut to the public to the delight of many frustrated AT&T users.
While the iPhone’s are practically identical save for the different radio chips (as Verizon uses CDMA), AT&T’s nemesis is promising one feature that may convince users to ditch Ma’Bell for Big Red.
The Verizon iPhone 4 will launch on February 3 exclusively first for current Verizon customers. It will launch on February 10 for everyone else. It will be the same $199.99 price for the 16 GB model and $299.99 for the 32 GB model. One key difference from the AT&T version is that will be able able to be used as a personal hotspot. (via TechCrunch)
Currently AT&T customers can only tether their iPhone to a laptop through a wire unless if they want to use it as a personal modem.
The fact that Verizon is allowing users to use the device as a hotspot means that users will potentially be able to connect more than one device to the iPhone as well as give them one less item to carry around with them.
While users can create a hotspot with an AT&T iPhone, they have to jailbreak (or hack) the device in order to utilize it.
Verizon’s iPhone page is already live, and it will be interesting to see if AT&T offers customers the ability to create hotspots in the future (as simply reducing iPhone prices may not convince many users to stay).
Update: Just talked to a Verizon representative, and it looks like FaceTime is unfortunately not available over Verizon’s network.
Originally posted on January 11, 2011 @ 12:50 pm