For those of us in the US who like to game on the iPhone, we just got a second choice for who to use as our mobile phone provider.
Verizon this morning said that they will begin carrying Apple’s game-friendly iPhone starting on February. The provider’s website lists the launch date as February. 10. “Qualified” Verizon customers get a crack at the phone starting Feb. 3.
The website lists the phone starting at $US199.99 for the 16GB model and $US300 for the 32GB mode, both with a two year contract and required data pack. No word on whether that will be an unlimited or limited plan. The Verizon website says the price for data plans have not yet been announced, leaving me to believe they could be different than the ones currently offered by the provider.
iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless will also include new Personal Hotspot capabilities allowing customers to use iPhone 4 to connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices, according to the provider. The Verizon iPhone will come with an app called the 3G Mobile Hotspot pre-installed. Verizon says that it will also have other apps available “in the market” including VZ Navigator and V Cast Media Manager.
If you’re a bitter, resentful AT&T iPhone owner, like myself, and want to switch over to Verizon, you’re sort of out of luck. The provider’s iPhone will be a CDMA phone, so AT&T phone’s can’t be “converted”. Sounds like another reason to wait until this summer and the inevitable iPhone 5 to switch over.
The good news? Competition is usually pretty great for consumers, though I’m sure Apple will figure out a way to make that not the case.
The bad news? No more playing the “Hello? Hello? Are you still there?” game on your AT&T-backed iPhone anymore. Who knows, maybe McWhertor and I will be able to complete a single call about game reviews without three to four dropped calls now.
Of course it’s important to remember, all of you Verizon customers champing at the bit for an iPhone, that a new model will most likely be announced this summer. So hold off on buying.
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