Verizon questions

Apple iPhone - Verizon questions

My wife and I are Verizon customers who are (hoping to) upgrade to the iPhone - have wanted to for several years, in fact. My wife's family is rural so AT&T is not an option.

I have two questions relating to "overeager".

1. I ordered two cases from Otterbox as soon as I found that Verizon was getting the iPhone. Now I find that the buttons have moved a bit and the cases may not be compatible.

a. Otterbox does not have any new cases - I am hoping that this means they have seen the Verizon iPhone and it means that their cases will work anyway. The cases are coming from Amazon - I can always write "Refused - Return to Sender" on the package. Thoughts?

b. The volume buttons are the problem - I do and my wife should, keep the volume turned up anyway. Also, in 'those' situations, we tend to turn our phones off. Thoughts?

2. Eligibility Huh? My wife and I bought new phones last June - why wouldn't they want our money? Although it would not be horrible to wait until after this interim model is gone and the CDMA/CSM phones (iPhone 5) are out. (sour grapes) If the equipment in our area is not ready to accept the iPhone, I will be more understanding. Thoughts?

PS: I have checked the Verizon website on this last issue and I cannot log in.

I am working on all these issues in other contexts but I want to vent NOW. Thanks!

iPhone Verizon
You're still "working off" the discount you got when you bought your phones last June. In other words, they don't have your money yet that they fronted you on the purchase.

You don't know, nobody but Apple knows, it's only rumors, anything the iPhone 5 may have that the iPhone 4 doesn't.

You'll have to check around *your* area about how the iPhone works there. Ask around!

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Well, that gives me guidance because I ordered some cases from Amazon that may or may not work. So, when the come I'll just refuse them or just switch to AT&T.

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> My wife and I are Verizon customers who are (hoping to) upgrade to the iPhone - have wanted to for several years, in fact. My wife's family is rural so AT&T is not an option.

Not true. Where you want to use it *does* matter, but simply being rural does not necessarily mean you don't have AT&T coverage. I live in farm country - dairy farms, horse farms, cornfields - and have no problems with AT&T coverage.

> Otterbox does not have any new cases - I am hoping that this means they have seen the Verizon iPhone and it means that their cases will work anyway. The cases are coming from Amazon - I can always write "Refused - Return to Sender" on the package. Thoughts?

Telephone Otterbox and ask them if the cases you are getting will fit the Verizon iPhone 4.

> 2. Eligibility Huh? My wife and I bought new phones last June - why wouldn't they want our money?

You presumably bought a subsidized phone at that time. If you haven't reached the "cheap upgrade" time period, you will pay extra simply because they have not gotten enough money out of you yet to satisfy them that they have recovered the subsidy.

> Although it would not be horrible to wait until after this interim model is gone and the CDMA/CSM phones (iPhone 5) are out.

Who told you that the next iteration of the iPhone will have both CDMA and GSM? Apple has not stated that. And there is good reason to think there won't be a "common iPhone" until LTE is mostly rolled out.

> (sour grapes) If the equipment in our area is not ready to accept the iPhone, I will be more understanding. Thoughts?

What "equipment"?

> I am working on all these issues in other contexts but I want to vent NOW. Thanks!

Venting is likely to get you hostile responses rather than cogent answers.

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I'm conflicted about the decision 2 change carriers on the 1 hand I've really wanted the mobile hotspot feature 4 a long time and I work underground a lot of the time & my co-workers with Verizon get reception in many spots while my AT&T & other carriers didn't but with at&t my wife, 2 daughters, & mom have AT&T so my mobile 2 mobile to them are free & I've got around 8,000 rollover minutes racked up so I would lose out on that also paying out a early termination fee isn't appealing either any advice on the suitation?

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My advise is stick with AT&T.

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AT&T iPhones will also get the hot spot:

According to a Boy Genius source, and as reported yesterday, iOS 4.3 will definitely be coming to all iPhones and include the Hotspot feature which we saw at the Verizon event yesterday.

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And just like with tethering, it will be up to the carrier to decide if they will support the feature, and if they do, how much they will charge you for it. Given AT&T's history with aforementioned tethering, I wouldn't hold your breath... But hey, with competition may come additional pressure to be competitive. (emphasis on 'may')

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It will cost AT&T less to implement (and charge for) "hotspotting" than it would to NOT allow the feature and lose customers to their chief rival, who will have it....

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It won't cost AT&T anything it is in the new 4.3 beta which I am running right now and works great ;-).

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You've got the grandfathered unlimited plan too, right? I guess AT&T isn't flagging you as if it were tethered? That would really give us unlimited holdouts a bonus. Wonder how long that lasts after the official release hits market?

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Beta works good huh?

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Yeah, worked last night once I plugged in iTunes pushed a carrier update from AT&T that turned it off - is where "Tethering" is in 4.1/4.2 but now has "Hotspot" and when you turn it on says you are not subscribed to this feature, call AT&T or visit the Web Site so it will be the same thing as Tethering is now just changing it from Bluetooth / USB to WiFi/Bluetooth/USB - I'll post some screen shots later.

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Again could someone tell us exactly what hotspot is? Thanks!

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It's like a wifi router. You can now connect other devices like a laptop or iPad to the Internet.

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Well, we don't *know* yet what VZ will be offering in the way of data plans, tethering, etc.

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And that is absolutely the best part of Verizon getting the iPhone; giving AT&T competition it's not yet had to deal with.