∞ AT&T ad strikes at Verizon iPhone’s weakness: simultaneous voice and data

And the war to win the hearts and minds of potential iPhone buyers begins. AT&T has started running ads that demonstrate a key difference between the iPhone running on their network and Verizon’s: simultaneous voice and data transmission.

[ad#Google Adsense 300x250 in story]Verizon is gearing up to sell the iPhone to the general public on February 10, 2011, finally offering some competition for AT&T, which has sold the iPhone in the United States exclusively since in debuted in 2007.

AT&T isn’t content to roll over and let Verizon take customers away, however. In a new 30-second ad spot appearing on national television, a busy office worker is show working late as he gets an unexpected call from his wife to remind him it’s their anniversary. He bounds into action, and as he talks to her on the iPhone he scrambles to make dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant.

“Only AT&T’s network lets your iPhone talk and surf at the same time,” announces a narrator.

Verizon’s network currently lacks this feature – iPhones operating on Verizon’s network interrupt their data connections if the user takes a call.

Dan H

I’m surprised nobody is focusing on how this plays out in reverse. If you are surfing the web or retrieving email on a VZ iPhone, one of two not so great things happens when an incoming call arrives. If you are on their faster network, your Internet connection is disrupted. If you are out in the boonies, you’ll never know the call is coming in because it goes straight to voicemail.

To me this is a much bigger flaw and one that even the non-nerds (unlike me) will find very inconvenient.

Peter Cohen

Certainly a competitive disadvantage to keep in mind.
Anonymous

The vast majority of people in the USA rarely venture out in the boonies.

Dan H

“The vast majority of people in the USA rarely venture out in the boonies.”

Not so true when you define “boonies” as areas served by VZ but not by its EVDO network. VZ’s coverage map shows some pretty big blotches of 1x (or even no coverage) in such remote outposts as central MA, for example. Tell the folks in Springfield and Worcester that they are in the boonies and nobody ventures out there and they may look at you a bit oddly.

Of course AT&T has some big holes in its coverage too. All I’m saying is that a VZ iPhone is not the holy grail it’s been hyped as.

Peter Cohen

Dan’s right. Verizon’s network is great if you need to make a phone call, with that I think there’s little dispute or argument. But in terms of data speed and consistency in data connectivity, I firmly believe AT&T may have the edge.

Danielsw

Well, at least there’ll be a lot more iPhones out there with the Verizon version.

Happy Verizon customers who are now that much happier with an iPhone haven’t been able to enjoy simultaneous voice and data, anyway.

I doubt if there’ll be appreciable churn away from AT&T, either.

Continuing strong AT&T iPhone sales speak to substantial satisfaction in general amongst AT&T customers, old and new. The numbers of customers disgruntled enough to switch to Verizon is most likely small, despite a the propaganda to the contrary.

Those disgruntled with AT&T might very well be even MORE disgruntled when they switch to Verizon.

But that simply their lot in life–neither AT&T’s nor Verizon’s fault.

Peter Cohen

“The numbers of customers disgruntled enough to switch to Verizon is most likely small, despite a the propaganda to the contrary.”

I haven’t seen “propaganda.” What I’ve seen are sketchy polls. The Internet echo chamber seems to suggest there will be a lot of churn, but my anecdotal research suggests otherwise. For example, at Macworld Expo last week, during our Angry Mac Bastards session the Macworld Live stage, I asked the audience how many people would switch. Three or four raised their hand in an audience of, I think, about a hundred.

Danielsw

I’m calling it propaganda because of the “echo chamber” effect you mention, as I feel some of those echoes are fomented by vested and/or nefarious interests.

Thanks for your perspective, Peter. I’m giving your impromptu poll some credence.

But the main basis for my own suspicions regarding the validity of these AT&T rants we’ve been hearing is that I’ve been a very satisfied AT&T customer for almost two decades–and that’s a WIRELESS customer.

Gregmills

Since the first iPhone I have never even tried to use Safari while on the iPhone. I guess with a blue tooth ear set it might be possible but what is better not having calls drop all the time or using the phone while on the web?