This has now been confirmed by the Verge. If you go out and buy the iPhone 5 from Verizon, assuming that you can find stock, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that the iDevice comes fully unlocked right out of the box. What this means is that you can go ahead and replace that Verizon nanoSIM with one from AT&T or T-Mobile and have it work too. This is particularly useful if you are traveling internationally, because it means that you can pick up a prepaid SIM at your destination and avoid those nasty roaming charges. Of course, many carriers don’t have prepaid nanoSIMs yet, so you may have to break out the scissors and carefully snip the regular SIM or microSIM down to nano-sized proportions.

The good news is that the Verizon iPhone 5 should be fully compatible with the 3G network from AT&T. The bad news is that it won’t work with AT&T’s 4G LTE, since it uses different bands that Verizon. This also means that you’re likely stuck with 2G/EDGE if you pop in a SIM from T-Mobile, though Old Magenta is reportedly rolling out some iPhone-happy 4G HSPA+ coverage in cities like Seattle, Las Vegas and New York.

[Source]

The post No Jailbreak Needed: Verizon iPhone 5 Ships Factory Unlocked for GSM Carriers appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Ahead of the launch of the new iPad 2, Apple has officially pushed out iOS 4.3. The new iOS update will be supported by the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, newer iPod Touch devices, iPad, and iPad 2. That’s the good news.

The bad news is that if you happen to have the Verizon version of the iPhone 4, you’re still going to be out of luck for the time being. Now, why would Apple be leaving Big Red out in the cold? Well, one of the main features accompanying iOS 4.3 is support of a WiFi hotspot (without having to jailbreak and all that); the Verizon iPhone 4 already has an updated version of iOS 4.2 that includes that feature.

With the wireless hotspot function, you can share your 3G network connection with up to five devices. Strangely enough, only three of those can be over Wi-Fi. The other two leechers will have to make do with USB or Bluetooth. That’s kind of odd, don’t you think? The new iOS 4.3 also comes with “improved support for AirPlay media streaming.”

Rounding out the updates are an improved Safari with faster JavaScript loading, iTunes Home Sharing, and iPad side switch switching… you can make that side switch lock the screen rotation or mute the volume, something that was taken away and now given back to you. See, there is one more thing and it’s the funnest feature ever. Everything has changed, again?

[Apple]

The post Apple iOS 4.3 Released (But Not For Verizon) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Prior to this day it was only available in limited supply (aren’t most Apple products seemingly in “short supply” when they first come out?) to VZW customers. A 16GB Verizon iPhone 4 will cost you $200, and $300 for a 32GB. You can grab one at Verizon Wireless stores, Apple or Best Buy anytime you please. If you’re very eager to get off AT&T and on to Verizon, don’t forget that CDMA will not allow data and voice multitasking.

The post Verizon iPhone now available to everyone appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

“It’s a feature of CDMA,” says Apple’s Natalie Harrison. “You can’t do voice and data simultaneously. Every CDMA phone is like that.”

That’s right. So when we received a press release from Toktumi Inc. saying their Line2 service “fixes the Verizon iPhone’s inability to multitask” and that “the upcoming Verizon iPhone will only support a voice OR data connection, not BOTH simultaneously over Verizon’s CDMA network,” I was shocked.

Line2 basically combines VoIP and cellular calling under a single phone number, it won first place in the Mobile Apps Showdown at this year’s CES and might be the best app out there to handle this. Giving you voice capabilities over data while still being able to use data and saving you heaps of money in calling fees. Check the PR below for full details.

The post Line2 brings voice and data multitasking to Verizon’s iPhone appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

According to Wall Street Journal, Verizon Chief Operating Officer Lowell McAdam said the unlimited plan would be temporary and switch to tiered pricing in the not too distant future. How long? We don’t know, it could be as little as 3 months, or closer to 6 months.

The post Verizon teases with limited-time $30 unlimited iPhone 4 data plan appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

“To our millions of customers who never stopped believing this day would come… thank you.”

It’s like Christ has returned to save us from the AT&T apocalypse. Let the countdown begin, shipping February 10, 2011.

The post Verizon iPhone commercial released on YouTube appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Well, for the most part the answer is yes. With Verizon’s iPhone 4 you still get the same retina display and the same “rounded rectangle” form factor that the AT&T version of the iPhone 4 is rocking. There are some critical differences, however, like the lack of a death grip occurring, for starters. This is thanks in part to an altered top antenna bar, as well as the increased robustness of the Verizon network.  As you can see in the image, the external antenna bands are broken up in different places.

Also, unlike the AT&T version, the Verizon version will come pre-loaded with a 3G Mobile Hotspot application. This will work like a standard mobile hotspot, translating your 3G (no LTE yet) wireless connection into a Wi-Fi hotspot for sharing with laptops, iPads, and whatever else. You can connect up to five devices to this hotspot.

And that’s about it. If you’re already familiar with the iPhone 4 via AT&T, you’ll feel right at home with Verizon’s take. In fact, you could be pleasantly surprised by the lack of dropped calls and the inclusion of a native hotspot app.

The post The difference between the Verizon iPhone 4 and AT&T iPhone 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Well, they say it’s because of the change in design. First-generation LTE chips require certain design compromises and the Cupertino crew didn’t want to do that for their first foray into the CDMA world. This isn’t to say that LTE won’t come to a version of the iPhone eventually, but they are “not commenting on unannounced products.”

Realistically, this strategy follows Apple’s typical modus operandi. When the original iPhone first appeared on AT&T, people asked why it only did EDGE and not 3G. Apple has always taken a more cautious approach to new technology and, given its experience with 3G on AT&T, it makes sense that they’d be just as cautious about LTE on Verizon. Wait for the network infrastructure to expand and mature, then release an iPhone 4G.

In the same Q&A session, some other interesting tidbits arose. First, the CDMA iPhone is not exclusive to Verizon. In this way, it’s very possible that a Sprint version is in the works. Second, the CDMA iPhone works like “all other CDMA devices,” meaning you won’t get simultaneous voice and data multi-tasking. They’re not discussing price, but the “personal hotspot” for tethering is mentioned.

The post Q&A: Why there’s no LTE 4G with the CDMA Verizon iPhone 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Well, that’s one way to solve antennagate: go to another carrier. As you might recall, the iPhone 4 was plagued with all sorts of “death grip” concerns when it first launched with AT&T. People said they were losing bars and dropping calls when they held the smartphone a certain way. Not so, apparently, with Verizon’s version.

Obviously, Apple had to swap out the GSM radios for ones of the CDMA variety for Verizon, but it seems that the slightly altered antenna design might have been enough to prevent the death grip problem. In a hands-on test, the crew at Slashgear held the Verizon iPhone 4 in precisely the death grip position. And the result?

When they first started the test, they got four bars (out of five) for reception. Maintaining the “death grip” position, it was only after a full minute that they saw a single bar drop away. This could be due to
just regular fluctuations, but it’s certainly not equivalent to the death grip on AT&T’s GSM take on the iPhone 4.

So, now you can have the world’s most popular smartphone on America’s (reportedly) most reliable network? Looks like Verizon could be cannibalizing some of its Android sales now.

The post No death grip problem for the Verizon iPhone 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Today marks a day in Apple’s history. The Big Red carrier, Verizon Wireless, has after talks dating back to 2008, landed the worlds most popular smartphone on their network, the iPhone 4. A version that is described as being identical to AT&T’s, besides the CDMA sans-4G connection, will go up for sale on February 10th starting at $200.

We had hopes that an LTE (4G) iPhone version would be released so we could take advantage of that new lightning fast network, but those dreams were put to rest this morning at the press conference. That doesn’t rule out an iPhone 4G on Verizon in June, but that’s still months away. The official handset is simply CDMA, leaving much of the desired LTE features — like simultaneously keeping a data and voice connection — wont be available.

Some design differences noted on the Verizion iPhone 4 is that it has four notches punched out of the external antenna array, while the AT&T iPhone just has three; Tim Cook confirmed that it is needed to make the CDMA network connection work, which who knows, could really mean some type of unspoken antenna-gate fix from the days of yesteryear. But that’s all conspiracy right now.  Because of this the buttons have slightly moved, which may or may not require a new case design.  It’s not certain at this point.

And wow. A 3G mobile Hotspot can be made with the CDMA iPhone 4. What has been done on Droids forever has now come to the iPhone 4 by way of a customized version of iOS 4.2.5 for CDMA that will allow you to share a WiFi network to five devices; laptops, tablets, iPods and whatever else grabs an internet connection. Who knew our WiFi iPads would get such freedom.

Now don’t go and get too excited about this news, ok, you can. But anyone trapped on AT&T who has been kicking and screaming for it will have to pay nearly a fortune to switch. But those contractless, up and coming renewable, smartphone shoppers who never got trapped in a term, we’ll you’re the one in for a treat. February 10th is the day you can get hooked up with the 16GB model for $199.99 and 32GB for $299.99. If you are a Verizon Wireless customer now, a special stockpile has been set aside for you to snap one up on February 3rd.

Are you going to make the switch?

[Verizon iPhone 4]

The post It’s here: The Verizon iPhone 4 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.