Verizon Wireless iPhone

Starting today (July 18), CNN and HLN (made famous by Casey Anthony) will be the first news networks to stream 24-hours live on iOS devices and online. The online service and CNN app for the iPhone, iPod and iPad are available to cable subscribers with AT&T, Comcast, Cox, DISH Network, Suddenlink or Verizon.

Online viewers can go to the CNN video page and access the stream by selecting the "Live" tab. Apple users can download the iPad app or the iPhone/iPod app to add CNN Live to their devices.

Verizon spokeswoman Debra Lewis told Apple Insider that new smartphone customers will no longer be offered unlimited data plans starting Thursday, July 7.

New mobile customers will be able to enroll in Verizon's "usage-based" billing program. Current Verizon customers will not be affected by the change, and upgrade-eligible customers will be able to move to a new mobile device while retaining their plans.

"We have lots of different ways for customers who may not be accustomed to this kind of stuff to check their usage in terms of data alerts, online tools, data calculators, things like that to help people decide what is the right plan for them," Lewis said.

Apple Insider reports that new customers, or current customers without a data plan, will have four options for "different capped monthly data plans: $10 for 75MB, $30 for 2GB, $50 for 5GB, and $80 for 10GB." Customers who exceed their capped plan will be charged $10 per gigabyte or $10 per 75MB on the entry-level plan.

According to a report by TechnoBuffalo Apple and Verizon were very careful to make sure that the iPhone 4 launch stayed under wraps until the announcement. A source close to the process claims the device was codenamed Acme and employees were privy to information only on a need-to-know basis. Some were testing Verizon connectivity at Apple stores up to six months in advance of the February release.

Some Verizon employees received iPhone 4 units two weeks prior to the official launch. This privilege required the signing of a four-page non-disclosure agreement (NDA) from Apple before they could get their hands on the device. The CDMA iPhone 4 itself had unique security features to ensure that a device wouldn't go missing as happened in 2010 with a prototype GSM iPhone 4.

Despite the rampant rumors surrounding the next generation iPhone, thanks to Verizon Wireless at least two points of speculation have been cleared up. Thanks to an interview of the Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo by Reuters, hardware and data plan details for the iPhone 5 have been divulged. First the hardware: it's widely known that the Verizon iPhone 4 already has a hybrid wireless modem installed, making it possible to connect to GSM or CDMA networks.

Currently the chip is locked into CDMA mode for the Verizon network and can't be used on GSM networks in the US or overseas. In contrast, the AT&T model iPhone 4 has only a GSM modem. Shammo explained that Apple's next hardware release would take place on both carriers simultaneously, indicating that the hybrid chip would be installed and activated for use on both network technologies.

Well it was nice while it lasted. Just like AT&T dropped unlimited data plans in June 2010 for its iPhone customers, Verizon will cap data in the coming months. The switch to tiered data plan offerings is expected to happen this summer, in advance of the iPhone 5 launch.

Verizon CFO Fran Shammo announced the plan to move ahead with tiered data plans on the iPhone during an investor conference. Shammo also explained that consumers might not be thrilled when they're stuck with an iPhone 4 contract after the next generation device is launched by Apple.

Yes, the Verizon CDMA iPhone 4 can be jailbroken using the same tools as the AT&T GSM iPhone 4. The Verizon iPhone shipped with iOS 4.2.6 installed.

You can jailbreak your iPhone with PwnageTool from the iPhone Dev-Team or GreenPois0n which was released by Chronic Dev Team. Using either one of these jailbreak solutions results in an untethered, jailbroken Verizon iPhone 4.

According to the Wall Street Journal, short lines and quiet Verizon Wireless retail stores are misleading when it comes to iPhone 4 sales. Verizon CEO Daniel Mead responded to allegations that the iPhone 4 launch was a flop, explaining that it has outsold any other device release in Verizon Wireless history.

Staggering the pre-order dates, a strong online sales focus, and wide availability at third party retailers such as Best Buy helped contribute to the small lines. Official sales numbers have not been released, but analysts put the figure of CDMA iPhone 4 units sold in the first pre-order round at half a million. Verizon's next quarterly report will include updates on actual sales quantities.

The independent magazine Consumer Reports is warning Verizon customers to "mind the gap" on the left side of their iPhone 4. They have tested the device and determined that the Verizon model iPhone 4 is prone to the same reception issues and dropped calls as the AT&T version they tested last summer. The problem occurs in areas with weak signals when the phone is held a certain way.

Gripping the left side of the iPhone 4 and bridging the black antenna gap on the lower left side of the device lowers performance and can drop calls in these weak signal areas due to signal attenuation. The problem was widely reported on the AT&T network and Apple offered free Bumper cases to affected users. Consumer Reports, reporting on their Electronics Blog, stated that an Apple Bumper case alleviated the problem.

Apple has released detailed support information explaining the differences between iPhone calling features on the AT&T and Verizon networks. Because AT&T Mobility uses GSM technology and Verizon Wireless has a CDMA network, each iPhone 4 has different calling capabilities. Recently it was revealed that Verizon's network suffers from conference calling limitations, but there are other differences as well. The table below was released by Apple to illustrate the details.

Several differences between the Verizon and AT&T iPhone 4 have already been revealed, including changes in the antenna design and other components. What might surprise some people are actual differences in calling capabilities between the two devices. It's not clear whether or not these differences in functionality are due to Verizon's network technology or some other reason, however business users will especially be interested in these calling limitations.

Unlike the AT&T iPhone 4 pictured at left, the Verizon iPhone 4 doesn't allow users to swap between calls on hold when adding calls to a conference. In fact, both calls pictured here are simultaneously connected and must be hung up together on the Verizon iPhone. In contrast, the AT&T user can switch between calls or join them together to create a conference call.