Verizon iPhone 4 is finally official

Well, guys, who would have thought it – one of the most-discussed rumors in the wireless industry ever has just come true! Ever since Apple announced and released the iPhone on AT&T's network, we've been treated to constant leaks and rumors about a possible Verizon version of the phone. However, until now, none of them has come true. Well, except for these most recent ones, that is. :) If you are hungry for all the Verizon iPhone soap opera through the year, see our article "The Verizon iPhone: win-win for Big Red and Apple".

Now let's turn our attention to the Apple iPhone for Verizon! Obviously, the handset is as spectacular as ever and it won't disappoint any fan of Apple's revolutionary device. The handset was quickly introduced in about 15 minutes by Verizon President Lowell McAdam and Apple COO Tim Cook. In short, the Apple iPhone 4 is almost completely identical to AT&T's smartphone, with the only differences being the CDMA radio and ability to do Mobile Hotspot for up to 5 devices. All loved features such as iTunes, App Store, FaceTime and the 640x960 Retina Display will of course be onboard.

Yep, folks, you heard that right - the Verizon iPhone 4 will operate on Verizon's 3G network and will not take advantage of its newly-launched LTE one. Why so? According to Apple COO Tim Cook (Steve Jobs wasn't there), the first-gen LTE chipsets would have required some more or less significant compromises, which the company didn't want to make. But we guess it won't be long before Apple updates the model to add LTE connectivity. However, this also means that the Verizon iPhone 4 will also be a strict CDMA device, with no global roaming capabilities. Sad, but true. At least there's Skype to kill some of the pain. On a side note, Verizon seems to be pretty certain that its network is ready to withhold the enormous data load that's on the horizon. Let's hope that it will indeed stay the reliable network it is today.

You probably want to know exactly why the antenna design has been changed, right? Well, you might be thinking that it's because of the infamous Antennagate issue, but no. The change has been needed because of the CDMA nature of the design. That's all. But the officials on stage did say that they see absolutely no problem with the signal reception on their product, so we'd believe them.

And here are the deal details: Verizon's current customers will be happy to know that they'll be able to take advantage of a special offer - a chance to pre-order the Verizon iPhone 4 online as soon as February 3. The handset will be ready to ship on February 10 for all. Pricing for the 16GB model will be... $199, while the 32GB one will cost $299, as usual. And by the way, Tim Cook has announced that Apple has signed a multi-year, non-exclusive deal with Big Red, which, in theory, should mean the other carriers will also be able to carry the phone. What would you say – is it time for a looong series of Sprint or T-Mobile iPhone rumors? We hear you, guys, we won't press our luck here.

Now that many of you are probably starting to consider purchasing the Verizon iPhone 4, we'd like to take this opportunity to present you with our incredibly detailed Apple iPhone 4 Review... for AT&T. ;)

So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and say what you think about the Verizon iPhone 4 (read: Are you so getting it?) in the comments below!

via: Engadget

*UPDATE: And here come the first reports, saying that the death-grip cannot be replicated on the Verizon iPhone 4. Apparently, the change in the design of the antenna has had its positive effects on signal reception too!