Verizon iPhone5 will NOT do Voice/Data simultaneously

[KSXNSX]

Just a heads up to people planning to preorder tonight (as I was):

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/13/verizon-iphone-5-will-not-offer-simultaneous-voice-and-data/

The Verge has confirmed that the Verizon version of the iPhone 5 will not support simultaneous voice and data.

The AT&T iPhone has supported simultaneous talk and data since the iPhone 3G was released because of the GSM network it uses.

Verizon gave this statement to MacRumors:
iPhone 5 was designed to allow simultaneous voice calling on the Verizon Wireless network while browsing the Internet over WiFi. This is no different from the current iPhone 4S.
Sprint has not yet confirmed whether its iPhone 5 will support simultaneous voice and data, but it uses the same physical hardware as the Verizon iPhone. The Verge assumes that it will be behave the same way.

Update: According to The New York Times, it was Apple's choice to prevent Sprint and Verizon phones from using both LTE data and voice on simultaneously. Because the LTE network only supports data and not voice, Apple would have to add a third antenna to the iPhone 5 to allow both LTE data and CDMA voice together.

An Apple spokeswoman told The Times, "It is not yet possible to do simultaneous voice and data on networks that use CDMA for voice and LTE for data in a single radio design."

From the Times:
So why does Verizon’s Samsung Galaxy S III, a 4G LTE phone, juggle calls and data? Samsung added an extra antenna so that it pulls data from the 4G LTE network at the same time that it’s using another antenna to do voice, said Anand Shimpi, editor in chief of AnandTech.

Then why didn’t Apple add another antenna? It actually already has two antennas in an effort to improve reception, and it would have had to add a third antenna just for Verizon and Sprint phones to give them simultaneous data and calls, Mr. Shimpi explained. Leaving that third antenna out allows Apple to simplify its manufacturing process of the iPhone for multiple carriers. Plus, in the next two years the 4G LTE network is supposed to evolve to support voice calls, which would render another antenna unnecessary later.

Apologize for creating a separate thread, but I thought this news was important and deserved separate attention as many people are planning to preorder tonight.

I was planning on switching back from my Galaxy Nexus, but at this point I would be losing the following features:

Free Wireless Tether
Simultaneous Voice/Data
Swappable battery
Widgets
Quick settings
Larger screen
Google Maps/Navigation

All for that intangible joy of using the iphone.

I might still order it and try it out for 2 weeks to see if it wins me over.

 

[NetViper]

I posted that in another thread and didn't know why. Thanks for the info and apples reason is crap. I would be pissed if I was actually getting one.

 

[Arshad]

Wow. That's going to turn a lot of people off. Bad move on Apple's part.

 

[KSXNSX]

Wow. That's going to turn a lot of people off. Bad move on Apple's part.

Yeah, it will turn people like me (techie) off, but I don't think it will touch their target demo. I doubt most people will even know, and I've already seen the typical cult followers defending Apple by saying things like "when will you ever use it." It's crazy.

It is sad that they chose form over function.

 

[Hugh]

4G LTE only supports data, not voice. So when you're making a phone call with your smartphone you roll back to the carrier's earlier network. Since both Verizon and Sprint roll back to CDMA, simultaneous data and voice is impossible. AT&T rolls back to 3G or 2G HSPA making it possible.

 

[KSXNSX]

4G LTE only supports data, not voice. So when you're making a phone call with your smartphone you roll back to the carrier's earlier network. Since both Verizon and Sprint roll back to CDMA, simultaneous data and voice is impossible. AT&T rolls back to 3G or 2G HSPA making it possible.

It's possible with many Android phones. Just not possible with the iPhone 5 due to an antenna decision.

 

[NetViper]

It's possible with many Android phones. Just not possible with the iPhone 5 due to an antenna decision.

A very bad decision IMO. I wonder if they did it to get back at Verizon for pushing droid so hard.

 

[Sylvan]

This shouldn't be a surprise. It's the same on the current crop of Verizon iPhones.

 

[NetViper]

This shouldn't be a surprise. It's the same on the current crop of Verizon iPhones.

Actually, it should be a surprise. You would think the latest and greatest iphone would be able to do what year old android phones can do.

 

[KSXNSX]

This shouldn't be a surprise. It's the same on the current crop of Verizon iPhones.

It's a surprise because Verizon phones with LTE generally can do voice/data simultaneously (e.g. my Verizon Galaxy Nexus does it fine, so does the SIII I believe).

Apple chose not to add or use another antenna in such a way to implement this feature. Probably to make the phone thinner.

 

[Miner]

Pardon my ignorance, but isn't all voice just data in the 4G specification?

Isn't that really the case with 3G (or even 2.5G Edge)?

My ATT spec blackberry could do it when I had them, doesn't do it with t-mobile.

Miner

 

[Sylvan]

Actually, it should be a surprise. You would think the latest and greatest iphone would be able to do what year old android phones can do.

I guess what I meant was, I was surprised when the iPhone 4 couldn't do simultaneous phone / data on Verizon, so when I heard it again this time around I was used to the idea. Hence I wasn't surprised this time. It was one reason I stayed with AT&T when I got my iPhone 4S last year because I like having access to data while I am on the phone.

 

[KSXNSX]

Pardon my ignorance, but isn't all voice just data in the 4G specification?

Isn't that really the case with 3G (or even 2.5G Edge)?

My ATT spec blackberry could do it when I had them, doesn't do it with t-mobile.

Miner

Not sure what you mean by specification, but read the articles for an explanation of the technology underlying the limitations.

I guess what I meant was, I was surprised when the iPhone 4 couldn't do simultaneous phone / data on Verizon, so when I heard it again this time around I was used to the idea. Hence I wasn't surprised this time. It was one reason I stayed with AT&T when I got my iPhone 4S last year because I like having access to data while I am on the phone.

Right. Before LTE, Verizon could not handle voice + data at the same time because it used CDMA chips by Qualcomm, which carried that limitation inherently. (same for Sprint and any other CDMA companies)

ATT on the other hand used GSM technology, which didn't have the limitation and could handle both simultaneously.

However, with the introduction of LTE, that limitation was supposedly overcome. Many Android phones were able to do it, and thus why I was surprised this time.

So you were right. Just missed the part that other LTE phones could do it since you switched.