Verizon is getting the iPhone on Feb. 10 and AT&T is nervous as hell. In a desperate attempt to make itself look good, the wireless carrier is shooting out e-mails to its existing customers, reminding them of the one known advantage AT&T has over Verizon: talking while using data. The ad (seen above) shows a woman talking on the phone while searching for movie tickets on Fandango, reports Gear Live. The woman is using Bluetooth, since having a headset (or using the speakerphone) is the only scenario where you could feasibly attempt such a multitask on any network. AT&T began this line of attack ads in late 2009, when it and Verizon were trading blows over 3G coverage. Luke Wilson starred in the original commercials.
The claim is still relevant, but talking and browsing simultaneously isn’t an activity that people do very often. AT&T customers who are switching to Verizon are likely doing so because AT&T’s service is spotty and inconsistent in their town or home. From the anecdotal evidence we’ve gathered, Verizon’s CDMA network excels at having coverage in areas where AT&T’s GSM performance suffers.
However, entering the 4G era, this argument is irrelevant. Both Verizon and AT&T are implementing and launching 4G networks using LTE technology, and both will be capable of browsing and talking at the same time.
Is browsing while talking a feature that means something to you?
