Verizon iPhone 5 Will Not Offer Simultaneous Voice and Data [Update: It Was A Hardware Decision]

[sclawis300]

How can you know if you never had the feature to start with

Just because you dont have something doesn't mean you can't have an opinion about needing it. This is not a case of people not knowing that feature even exists. I have thought that it would be nice like 2 times in that last 2 years, but what do I know, I have never had the feature.

 

[janderson0719]

I am switching to Verizon, even though I use this feature all the time on AT&T.

Reason for switch: Bay Area data on AT&T is unusable at times, and my Verizon iPad 3 works great.

Solution to the Voice/Data issue: I always have my iPad, so I will just have my iPhone connect via WiFi to it, problem solved. Since all the data will be shared on my plan, it is only an extra $10/month to add the iPad.

But I totally understand for many users, this could be a deal breaker. For me, not having reliable data on AT&T was the bigger deal breaker.

Word.

 

[avanpelt]

Does anyone think there's any chance that GPS/turn-by-turn nav will still work while on a call on the Verizon iPhone 5? I guess the Apple Maps app would have to be smart enough to cache the map data within, say, a 50-mile radius of where you are at all times since it won't be able to download map data while on a call.

Is this just wishful thinking?

 

[ConCat]

You got it totally wrong. Nobody is crippling iPhone but Apple. To have simultaneous voice and data on Verizon Apple would need to use two chips. Instead they decided to save battery life and make a phone thinner so they went with a single chip and crippled the phone. iPhone 5 - slim but crippled.

No... Apple would have had to add an antenna for CDMA networks because it uses the same antenna for LTE and 3G. On GSM networks, 3G supports data and voice. On CDMA networks, it would have to use LTE and 3G simultaneously, a feat which is impossible without adding another antenna. Apple didn't want to add an antenna just for a handful of CDMA networks out there. Although, you couldn't use LTE while doing voice, even on a GSM network, so I suppose it could have a use.

 

[dhy8386]

I was wrong I think.

Apple is one of first to use Qualcomms MDM9615. This chip is great in that it supports voice over LTE, CDMA, GPS, etc all in one chip. Lower power consumption. However, the sign chip design also uses one antenna and is not capable of simultaneous 4G LTE data and 3G voice. And since Verizon is not yet supporting VoLTE (voice over LTE which this chip supports) and since Apple chose the one chip, one antenna design from the tear down i just saw, you will not get simultaneous voice and data.

 

[Kwill]

Talk or download. Pick one please.

If I'm going to pay two gajillion dollars for a phone, it darn well better do two things at once.

 

[pragmatous]

Name me 3 occasions where you absolutely need voice and data that you simply can't look up after the phone call? Do we have ADD so bad to a point where while talking to someone we need to browse the web and check facebook?

It's the end of the world as we know it ...

You got it totally wrong. Nobody is crippling iPhone but Apple. To have simultaneous voice and data on Verizon Apple would need to use two chips. Instead they decided to save battery life and make a phone thinner so they went with a single chip and crippled the phone. iPhone 5 - slim but crippled.

 

[2IS]

Does anyone think there's any chance that GPS/turn-by-turn nav will still work while on a call on the Verizon iPhone 5? I guess the Apple Maps app would have to be smart enough to cache the map data within, say, a 50-mile radius of where you are at all times since it won't be able to download map data while on a call.

Is this just wishful thinking?

I'd have to say yes... To the wishful thinking part.

 

[Casey55]

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.

Poor decision on Apple's part. I wanted to switch to Verizon for better coverage. Maybe I'll have a look at the Galaxy S III.

 

[KPOM]

Why is this? On my Verizon Galaxy Nexus, when I have a 4G LTE connection, I can access the internet and be in a call with the CDMA radio at the same time. How does the iPhone 5 not work like that as well?

If you read the article, Anand Lal Shimpi explains it well. It was a design decision by Apple not to add a third antenna.

 

[mattyv123]

VoLTE

Hopefully VoLTE is only a software update away when VZ implements it on their network.

However, the trend will likely follow what Apple has done in the past: provide a new reason to buy a new handset instead of providing an option to revive an existing phone model.

 

[saud0488]

It blows my mind that there are still CDMA networks in the United States.

 

[2IS]

Name me 3 occasions where you absolutely need voice and data that you simply can't look up after the phone call? Do we have ADD so bad to a point where while talking to someone we need to browse the web and check facebook?

It's the end of the world as we know it ...

You can also stop at a pay phone and make a call too. But that's inconvenient. How about limiting your data to edge speeds? That should also be ok by your standards, it will just take a little longer. Or are these limitations only deemed acceptable when they appear as a negative mark on the company you're a fan of?

 

[KPOM]

Poor decision on Apple's part. I wanted to switch to Verizon for better coverage. Maybe I'll have a look at the Galaxy S III.

It's no different from the current situation, though I agree it does give Samsung a selling point. I'm likely to stick with AT&T.

 

[JasonR]

Poor decision on Apple's part. I wanted to switch to Verizon for better coverage. Maybe I'll have a look at the Galaxy S III.

Agreed. I love the iPhone - but it would be a nice feature to do Voice and Data at the same time, although I don't use that feature much currently with my iPhone 4S...but it also doesn't have 4G/LTE.

 

[travishill]

Like others have mentioned- it seems that this could be solved by Verizon adding Voice Over LTE, which the iPhone 5 chipset supports. I think I've read about them testing it, but rollout isn't projected until next year...

 

[WakeUpDrunk]

Name me 3 occasions where you absolutely need voice and data that you simply can't look up after the phone call? Do we have ADD so bad to a point where while talking to someone we need to browse the web and check facebook?

It's the end of the world as we know it ...

1. On phone with girlfriend, checking flixster to decide which movie to meet up for
2. On phone while en route trying to find directions to meet said person on phone
3. To show off to Verizon customers that you can do that and they can't

I'm switching to verizon from AT&T due to signal issues but this really is a let down.

 

[Steveorevo]

Not a verizon issue anymore, this time its an apple issue. Only the iphone 5 doesnt support this. Every other LTE phone allows you to do this.

For every LTE phone *not running LTE for voice* is a carrier problem, not an LTE problem.

 

[macloverz]

Finally

Its about time.

 

[phinsup]

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.

HA, yea ok. So I have yet to have a smart phone for more then two years. Let's say I keep it 3, it's not going to ruin my day to have an unused antenna for the last year.

 

[KevinN206]

simultaneous voice and data is about as overrated as using a case for your phone. If I'm talking to someone on the phone, then why would I need to surf the net, at least show the guy on the other end some respect. I have maybe needed to use both ONCE in 2 years

I sometimes get calls from friends and families asking for directions or other information that REQUIRE internet. What do I do? Simple, I put the phone into speaker mode and launch the browser while searching and talking at the same time. It works pretty well because I can then get real-time clarification rather than saying "hey, I have to hang-up because I can't use data while talking to you." And then only to call back again, "Sorry, I think you misspelled something. Can you spell it again to me? Got it!." "Hey, I have to hang-up again to make this search." etc... I find that use-case rather disruptive and inconvenient and frankly archaic considering current phones today can do that on Verizon an Sprint. Might as well get rid of phone duplexing...

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

That statement by their PR department is laughable. Just answer the question in a straight-forward manner. No need to twist it around.

I agree with you, but that's their job as a PR dept: to obfuscate the facts when they hurt the company.

 

[madKIR]

My 2 cents...
Even hough I'm getting one tonight I cannot help thinking that everything about the iPhone 5 seems limited, restricted or has an excuse.
For the first time in my life I've been considering Samsung Galaxy S3, which is unbelievable for me. Apparently it's not happening due to my reliance on the Apple ecosystem.
From what I've heard from random people that I know I can say this iPhone was not met enthusiastically, moreover, some of them think it's a failure.
If Apple stick with this design for the next rendition and add up just minor features, it will be disappointing. I think this year it has become really obvious that Apple will have to work hard if they want to be where they were a couple of years ago in terms of their dominance on the mobile market.

 

[KPOM]

So what happens if you're tethering? Or navigating with the new turn-by-turn navigation in maps? Does the call go to voicemail or is the data connection interrupted to allow the call through?

The data connection is interrupted. Likely the biggest impact is on taking a phone call while using the phone as a GPS navigator. It is a curious decision by Apple, to say the least. It could be a function of the Qualcomm chip used, but there could have been a workaround using a third antenna.

On a side note, it's interesting that the NY Times brought this up. Anand doesn't even have this prominent on his website. The Gray Lady tends to write negative pieces about Apple right around product launches and earnings releases. Someone there must not like Apple.

 

[Avenged110]

Ya know its kinda funny reading all the comments questioning why this is when the entire bottom half of the article explains exactly that...smh