“The Verizon iPhone loads Web pages just as fast as AT&T’s version of the phone, even though Verizon’s network has lower data speeds, a phone testing firm reported Monday,” Peter Svensson reports for The Associated Press.
“Verizon uses an older network technology with data speeds lower than AT&T’s. Testing firm Metrico Wireless said data downloads on the Verizon iPhone turned out to be half as fast as those on AT&T’s network,” Svensson reports. “However, because Web pages load just as fast, users may not notice the difference, except when downloading large files.”
Svensson reports, “Metrico tested the Verizon iPhone’s performance with 4,000 calls and 10,000 Web page downloads in New York, Seattle, Washington, Baltimore, Chicago and Dallas, McNally said. In a minor surprise, the Verizon iPhone turned out to be less reliable than the AT&T version when downloading a file in a moving vehicle, McNally said. Its failure rate was 10% higher in that situation. When stationary, the Verizon iPhone had a 10% better success rate for uploads, as compared to the AT&T phone.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
So in other words it’s just about as we expected…Verizon’s data network really isn’t any better or worse overall than ATT’s is.
Exactly.
I wonder if verizon iPhones already have some of the 4.3 updates… They have hotspots that AT&T will get Friday.
But don’t worry, the fanboi’s will find some reason to disagree with the findings.
I wonder if both phones were using the latest iOS.
Verizon: can’t hit a moving target.
I wonder who paid for the study. Do you think Metrico Wireless was somehow paid by VZ?
Just don’t test the Verizon speed while talking on the phone at same time.
Hahaha. ATT rolled out another of the talk and surf commercials. It’s as good as the first one.
hilarious. I’ll stick with AT&T…
I would like to see the data for that “just as fast” downloads. I call BS. I’ve had an iPhone since the very first day. I switched from AT&T to Verizon (both iPhone 4s) and web pages do download slower. Verizon does have much better 3G coverage in my area, but you have to give credit to AT&T. The user experience isn’t that different between the two. Verizon: Better coverage area, no dropped calls, slower 3G. AT&T: Faster 3G speeds, a few dropped calls, smaller coverage area. Once you travel abroad, you realize that all of the US carriers are crap.
Doesn’t matter. Verizon doesn’t work in my house, and their thugs almost kicked my door in trying to sell us Fios. Their customer service, natch, never got back to us regarding our complaints. Meanwhile, my wife just spent a week with her cousins in SF and LA, had no problems whatsoever with their iPhones and iPads using AT & T. My cousin is fine with his AT & T iPhone in NYC, and we already know it works in our house. We’d continue with Sprint, though, if they offered the iPhone.
I currently work in midtown Manhattan and have lived on the upper east side and upper west side – AT & T is abysmal. I don’t know what part of NYC your “cousin” is “fine with”, but I can assure you it isn’t the NYC that most people associate with.
My recently-switched-to Verizon iPhone, however, has been able to access signal consistently in all parts of Manhattan I’ve traveled and some where I couldn’t even get signal with AT & T (subway stops and the NJ Transit tunnel spring to mind). The raw data rate is slower, but for web page browsing, I haven’t noticed. And like the call quality, the performance is consistent. AT & T can brag as much as they want about speed: it means crap when you’re dropping your connection.
My wife and I went to Manhattan last Feb. Stayed at the Roosevelt, a few blocks from Time Square. We had no problems talking to family here in Florida or any problems sending pics of the city.
I has on hold while waiting on a table at the Red Lobster in Time Square trying to confirm our shuttle to the airport for the next day for a good 30 mins (an hour wait just to be seated. Crazy!) and it didn’t drop the call. I was worried cuz of how bad I always read NYC was with AT&T.
Weird how some people have such bad service in a area and some don’t have any at all.
I love mdns spin on this! This came out yesterday and it said at&t is 2x as fast as verizon. The report said pages apear to load as fast but large downloads would really show the difference. This was supposed to be a pro att article, but MDN has to keep their verizon fanboy status.
Whaddaya expect? Unbiased cell provider commentary from MDN? They have obviously had serious issues with AT&T in the past, and MDN holds a grudge!
Everyone is biased in different ways. The trick is to understand those biases and filter their input appropriately.
I’m sorry, but what exactly about this article was MDN spin?
Taken directly from ‘MDN’s spin’
“…data downloads on the Verizon iPhone turned out to be half as fast as those on AT&T’s network,” Svensson reports. “However, because Web pages load just as fast, users may not notice the difference, except when downloading large files.”
And the headline also plainly states that a testing firm loaded *web pages* just as fast as the AT&T phone.
MDN certainly has their political slant and carrier bias…I just don’t see it in this one.
One of my most mission-critical uses of iPhone is maps, so the “moving vehicle” deficit is a deal breaker. Oddly though, as soon as Verizon deal was announced AT&T signal strength seemed to magically improve. One place it was previously impossible to even get a signal without leaving the building now has good service