Verizon iPhone - Miss the simultaneous voice/data?

[ReallyBigFeet]

I moved from an AT&T iPhone to a Verizon iPhone 4 when it was released earlier this year. At first, I really didn't find myself missing the simultaneous voice/data feature I had at AT&T. That is primarily because, at least where I live in Chicago, AT&T voice quality was horrible and I couldn't talk on the phone for more than 20 minutes at a time without dropping the call entirely.
Voice quality on Verizon is outstanding and I've not dropped a call one time since getting the 4.

What I've found lacking, however, has been the ability to do simultaneous voice/data in ONE very specific instance. I can't look up an address when on a phone call - This is a very common occurrence when I'm out and about in a city I'm unfamiliar with. I'll call the receptionist of the place I'm supposed to be visiting and ask for their address. I have to go into Notepad, write it down there, then copy/paste that into Maps when I hang up to route myself. Can't access Maps when on a call without WiFi.

Now I usually carry a MiFi in my briefcase that is running all day long. I have an external battery for it so always have a wifi bubble around me. I've gotten around this limitation via that WiFi signal but when in some places I travel, that MiFi doesn't always work so well. I get dead spots even along the train lines in Chicago, for example.

I guess what I'm asking is....how many other people have switched to Verizon but regret the loss of simultaneous voice/data you enjoyed on AT&T? I still won't go back to AT&T due to the constant call dropping. But I would like my cake and ability to eat it too....

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Since I tether through my iPhone, AT&T is a must for me. If I lost simultaneous voice/data through the phone alone I probably wouldn't notice.

You might try one of the GPS apps that does not require data, I use Garmin USA and love it. Theoretically it won't need any data connection to route to an address.

 

[sviato]

How exactly does it work on verizon? Like for example, if you're using data to stream music you can't get a phone call or will the call come through and data will disconnect only if you take the call?

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Why wouldn't you add their address to a contact, then just click on the address to bring up maps when the call ends?

Then if the contact is a dud just delete it.

Seems easier than notepad, but I also am not the type to head out without the address of where I'm going either.

I have very few instances where I'd need data and voice at the same time, so it hasn't impacted me at all.

 

[Bluehinder]

Oh hell no.

 

[oiuh151]

I'm almost always in range of a Wi-fi signal whether it be at work or at home so the majority of the time I do need it I'm able to use voice and data at the same time regardless of my network.

 

[Thadon]

I have never ran into a time when I needed to use the internet and talk on the phone at the same time.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Since I tether through my iPhone, AT&T is a must for me. If I lost simultaneous voice/data through the phone alone I probably wouldn't notice.

You might try one of the GPS apps that does not require data, I use Garmin USA and love it. Theoretically it won't need any data connection to route to an address.

Hmmm, I do have a topo-map GPS app I use when hiking. It works well without any data signal. I hadn't thought about that.

Thanks for the tip...maybe I'll look around on the App store and try a different mapping app. If I pre-loaded cities I'm visiting ahead of time, that would likely serve my needs.

The only other time I've missed simultaneous voice/data is the ubiquitous "I just sent you a revised file...take a look at it and lets discuss now?" In that situation, I have to hang up the call, retrieve the email with revised attachment, open it and then call the sender back.

I will say that I pay attention more during conference calls now whereas I used to get distracted surfing the web while talking.

Why wouldn't you add their address to a contact, then just click on the address to bring up maps when the call ends?

Then if the contact is a dud just delete it.

Seems easier than notepad, but I also am not the type to head out without the address of where I'm going either.

I have very few instances where I'd need data and voice at the same time, so it hasn't impacted me at all.

Better idea, thanks.

My days aren't as structured. I always know what town/city I'll be visiting but many of my appointments are opportunistic so I don't always have the day that planned.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

How exactly does it work on verizon? Like for example, if you're using data to stream music you can't get a phone call or will the call come through and data will disconnect only if you take the call?

Call comes through, it pauses Pandora.

 

[IJBrekke]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

It really isn't a big deal to hang up, find an address, and call them back.

 

[wordoflife]

I'm on AT&T, and I have to say that I probably wouldn't miss the simultaneous voice and data. That being said, I still appreciate having that feature available.

 

[MrXiro]

Anyone aware if Verizon (or Sprint) will be implementing SVDO (or something like it) with iPhone 4S to permit simultaneous voice and data over 3G? I'm assuming not and that we'll just have to wait for LTE - but if they've enabled it somehow, I might make the jump away from AT&T...

Well if they didn't in the last year or two when they got all of those Android phones they probably won't even bother now that LTE is on the horizon.

 

[zflauaus]

I've never had anything but Verizon so I don't have anything to miss. I honestly don't mind it. If I'm on the phone, I'm usually trying to focus on them. If they want me to look something up, I'll hang up and look it up because it could take 10 seconds or 10 minutes to find it. Don't want to keep them hanging.

 

[eyespii]

Can't say that I missed the feature. Actually, that's probably because I don't spend much time talking on the phone, and when I do, I'm usually near wifi (at home or work).

 

[SoIsays]

I hardly ever used it when I was on ATT. The only times I remember using internet while on speakerphone is when I'm at home or in a hotel and each time there was wifi involved.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

It's never going to be possible with the current Verizon-model iPhone. The CDMA technology used by Verizon doesn't allow it. If you want global roaming and simultaneous voice and data, you need a GSM iPhone (which in the US is the AT&T version).

You are correct on the simultaneous voice/data. But the Verizon 4s is a Global Phone. They will even unlock the microsim for you so you can purchase a local SIM card.

 

[auxsend]

I would miss it. I use it a lot for whatever reason.

 

[Obscurelight]

I thought that it was a great feature at first when i was with AT&T but then realized I use simultaneous data and voice maybe once in a blue moon. Now that I'm with Verizon im still not using my phone any differently.