At the launch event for the Verizon version of the phone, carrier execs made a pretty big deal not only about the larger and more reliable network, but the fact that they were "ready" for the onslaught of new iPhone users and customers switching from AT&T. The indication is that Big Red has every intention of not getting caught in the same mess their competition has found itself in.
So, does the phone exhibit more favorable behavior in regards to dropped / failed calls? The answer is yes -- with a caveat. We had many, many perfectly connected and sustained calls while on the Verizon iPhone (many times during testing we actually had to switch from our AT&T device to the Verizon device just to complete the call). After a couple of days of use, the fear that normally sets in about five minutes into a connected call with an AT&T iPhone all but disappeared, and we found ourselves wanting to have longer talks and not worrying so much about the potential for dropped and interrupted calls.
But on to that caveat. While the phone did connect much more reliably and consistently, it wasn't impervious to broken connections and sound quality issues. In areas where we had a weak signal, or when moving around, we experienced call interference (our callers noted this as well), and in two instances, we did drop a call when moving from one place to another (clearly an area with less Verizon juice).
Let's be clear here, however. Calls were consistently connected and uninterrupted, far more often than our AT&T calls in the same time period in similar locations. There were sound quality issues (it seemed to be happening more on our outgoing audio than incoming), but they were few and far between according to our friends and family. Overall, our level of confidence in the phone's ability to handle one of its main tasks went way, way up during our testing. If you've been looking for relief from your woes of dropped or failed calls -- right now the Verizon iPhone is making a very serious case for itself. Keep in mind, however, that this network has yet to be hit with the traffic of millions of new iPhones, but given that Verizon is already pushing tons of Android devices into the market, we're not so sure that it's going to be the kind of mess it's been for AT&T.
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