So for all of you USA users, anyone tempted to switch to Verizon now that they have the iPhone 4, I say do not do it. I purchased a verizon iphone and did some speed tests here in Oregon. At least in my region, AT&T was 10-20 times faster than verizon consistently in 3g data transfer rates.
Here are some tests:
| Test # | AT&T Ping | AT&T K Down | AT&T K Up | Verizon Ping | Verizon K Down | Verizon K Up |
| 1 | 579 | 775 | 24 | 733 | 58 | 8 |
| 2 | 215 | 626 | 222 | 279 | 200 | 228 |
| 3 | 245 | 1676 | 1304 | 258 | 257 | 372 |
| 4 | 206 | 1642 | 1063 | 279 | 366 | 24 |
| 5 | 244 | 3348 | 1695 | 266 | 242 | 253 |
Then I repeated the test with AT&T on EDGE. That’s right. I disabled 3g and used EDGE. I left Verizon on 3g, since that is the only way their CDMA works:
| Test # | AT&T E Ping | AT&T E K Down | AT&T E K Up | Verizon Ping | Verizon K Down | Verizon K Up |
| 1 | 618 | 162 | 89 | 279 | 125 | 170 |
Ping – lower is better. For k down and k up, higher is better (this is your actual transfer rate). My tests were all performed with speedtest’s appstore app. I tested them at different times of the day on different days to see performance changes. Both devices seem to be running on about 3 bars in my location. I drove around town to different locations. The results are all above in the charts.
Summary, Verizon’s marketing insists on the best 3g network available. “Can you hear me now”. Service everywhere. But comparing it to our AT&T, at least here, AT&T just kills it.
BigBoss Authors: Mark Bruce & Kory Lee
February 17th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
I have AT&T and live just outside of the Atlanta area and I can get download speeds of nearly 4.0Mbps which is faster than Verizon’s MAX 3G speeds. Upload is usually pretty consistent around 1.2Mbps.
AT&T may drop more calls, but I rarely talk to anyone on the phone so that hardly ever affects me. Data speed is what I’m more interested in.
February 17th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I would love to know if you can get it unlocked for use on Sprint. As of right now the Verizon iPhone has a significantly lower resale value than the GSM version because it is kinõf stuck on Verizon.
February 17th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
wudnt hold my breathe for unlocked verizon iphone
February 17th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Why don’t YOU call Sprint and ask them? Then tell us what they said.
February 18th, 2011 at 12:07 am
For me, outside Philly, Verizon is 20 X faster than ATT.
I could barely get 0.1mbs on ATT
Verizon yields 2.0mbs reliably
ATT, constant dropped calls, constant data drops on the drive home.
Verizon, Not a dropped call nor data outtage yet.
February 18th, 2011 at 2:05 am
“Can you hear me now” and data speeds are completely different things. Apples and oranges!
February 19th, 2011 at 2:45 am
At least the data AND the phone calls are reliable on Verizon.
February 19th, 2011 at 8:41 am
For you tech junkies out there, you’ll already know this… But for those of you who aren’t, you should know that it’s not the provider thats limiting the iPhone’s capabilities. It’s the network type.
Verizon uses a 1xEVDO network for all data and a 1xRTT network for voice. These are usually referred to as CDMA. The 1xEVDO network was designed for (and don’t quote me, cause I’m not sure I’d its correct…) 2 Mbps download while stationary, and 200-300 Kbps while in motion. Yes, it’s not much, but like almost all parts of the CDMA network, it’s quite redundant and it will provide you with trouble free data access.
AT&T on the other hand, uses UMTS for voice, and HSPA for data (or rather, they should use it). It can do 42 Mbps download with the latest revision installed, and 12 Mbps up. By design, this type of network isnt quite as redundant (in some ways), which allows for more speed. This, in a very small nutshell, is why AT&T’s iPhone is faster.
It should be noted that there is much more to do with why a UMTS network will yield faster transfer speeds than a CDMA network than I can can explain here… Otherwise I might as well start listing page numbers and chapter topics. If you want to know all about it, use Wikipedia and try http://www.howardforums.com. You’ll find some more information there.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
I’ve never had trouble with dropped calls or call quality on AT&T. I use my phone for both calls and data a lot (and I really enjoy being able to do it simultaneously!) so I can’t see any reason to switch to Verizon. This data only gives more reason to stay.
February 19th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Biggest issue for me with ATT is there even any Service? Here in Maine ATT just brought 3G service into 5% of the state. Verizon has 3G service in over 70% of the state. For me I don’t care how fast ATT 3G speed is because 90% of the time ATT doesn’t even have a voice connection much less datea
February 20th, 2011 at 5:34 am
I TOO LIVE IN OREGON AND AT&T IS TERRIBLE! I switched from Verizon to AT&T to get the iphone. I love what I can do with the iphone but am so desatisfied with AT&T. I have terrible reception for both phone and data, many spots around the state are dead zones and calls get dropped! When I had Verizon, I got reception any where at work, even in the elevators AND I got reception up and down the coast as well as when hiking in the mountains!!!!!!!
February 21st, 2011 at 9:26 am
I was with AT&T for years, back when it was Cingular too. I live 35 miles south of Atlanta, and the AT&T service area is sketchy at best. When I visit my parents in southwestern North Carolina (Cherokee County), there is no service with AT&T. I switched to Verizon several years ago out of necessity, but I’ve been nothing but pleased with Verizon.
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Verizon iPhone in Pittsburgh area 2.00Mbps down 1.00 up max , varies a bit 29.99 for unlimited data. Meh, it will do. Wish I could drop the voice plan and use google voice.
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:31 pm
This is sooooooo cool everyone
February 24th, 2011 at 11:00 pm
I am switching to Verizon. After 2 years with Att in the Los Angeles Area beach cities I just can’t tolerate the lack of coverage. Plus since the coverage is soooooooo bad nobody but hardcore apple fans have Att so I don’t get mobile to mobile with anyone.
I just unlocked my phone and switched to simpleMobile which is better at 2g than Att 3G cause if I have no reception who cares how fast it is.
February 27th, 2011 at 6:19 am
NiCe Add
March 2nd, 2011 at 1:56 pm
ditto… midcoast Maine – no ATT service at all – almost no ATT 3g past Portland. Verizon may be slower but it offers excellent service for a very large rural area… be thankful if you have a choice! Also, for most rural areas, especially hilly regions, CDMA is superior. China has historically only offered GSM, but now has a CDMA carrier because it is superior in many geographic areas… btw, there is a report of someone in China unlocking the verizon iphone for use on their cdma system… may be a hoax – hard to tell coming from China.
March 6th, 2011 at 10:06 am
42mb per second? correct me if im wrong but that is nearly fiber optic speed of fios right? i can download with roadrunner at 2mb per second, are you saying your at&t phone can double my download? if so where are you located?
March 6th, 2011 at 10:07 am
sorry, 2MB per second, so you pull 4MB per sec on a dang phone? thats insane!
March 15th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
I have both the AT&T iPhone 4 (work) and the Verizon iPhone 4 (personal). I live in Kansas City, but as a storm chaser travel the entire midwest. I’ve had nothing but pleasing results from my Verizon iPhone 4 vs the horrible travel coverage of the AT&T iPhone 4. This could be just location based, but everyone I personally know has agreed that the Verizon iPhone 4 is better.
I all really depends on what you want your phone to do and where you want it to do it. I’ll gladly give up talking and surfing the web at the same time to not continually drop calls through out Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota.
March 20th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
I live in Tulsa Ok and started back with cingular several years before they took over at&t. I don’t ever remember having a dropped call. Everywhere I go I have great coverage. When I travel to Iowa there are a couple spots we drive through that are poor and the town we stay in I only get edge in. But they only got cable modems after 80% of the rest of the country… I normally get 2-3kbps down and 1 up. no complaints here