verizon wireless

Starting July 17 new iPhones or upgraded iPhones will be eligible for AT&T's standard mobile insurance plan.

The company replaced its previous iPhone insurance plan with the regular $4.99 monthly Mobile Insurance program which covers loss, theft, accidental damage and mechanical or electrical failure.

All model iPhones can enroll within 30 days of a new activation or upgrade after July 17.

AT&T's new plan is much cheaper than Verizon Wireless who offers a $10.99 monthly plan for iPhone devices. The Verizon deductible runs $169 for the 16GB model and $199 for the 32GB model. AT&T's non-refundable deductible is only $50 or $125 per approved claim, but only two claims are allowed every 12-months.

Now that the Verizon Wireless iPhone 4 has hit the streets, people have started taking it apart to see what makes the device tick. iFixyouri performed a teardown and reveals that the latest Apple handset is shipping with the Qualcomm Gobi MDM6600 dual-mode 3G modem. Currently the chip is only being used for Verizon's CDMA network, as GSM functionality requires a SIM card.

Rumors were flying ahead of the Verizon iPhone 4 release that Apple would launch a hybrid device capable of operating on a variety of networks. Now analysts expect the iPhone 5 and iPad 2 will also use the Qualcomm chip, designed to work on both AT&T and Verizon 3G networks as well as networks around the globe.

Speculation that Verizon would offer new iPhone owners an unlimited data plan has been confirmed. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Verizon's COO, Lowell McAdam, has confirmed Verizon's plan to offer iPhone customers unlimited data for $30 per month. McAdam stated plainly that he wasn't going to "shoot [himself] in the foot" by putting up a roadblock to customers wanting to switch from AT&T. This was reported a few weeks ago, as well but has only now been officially confirmed by Verizon.

Verizon Wireless leans heavily on its reputation as the most dependable network in the US. The company is betting this reputation that it will flawlessly launch millions of iPhones onto its airwaves without any of the snafus that faced AT&T. Some are starting to wonder if Verizon is really as bulletproof as it seems.

Various reports from around the country have cited network problems of various stripes affecting Verizon for hours, even days in the case of some BlackBerry owners. The company is aware of the problems and is working on correcting them, but the news comes at an awkward time for America's largest cellular carrier.

Here's the scoop from Verizon's special event in NYC: a CDMA-compatible version of the Apple iPhone 4 is coming to Verizon Wireless and Apple stores on February 10, 2011. Pre-ordering for existing customers will commence on February 3, 2011. Subsidized prices with a two-year service agreement will run $199 for the 16GB iPhone 4 and $299 for the 32GB model.

The Verizon iPhone 4 has a redesigned antenna, which is a CDMA optimization. Verizon employees will start getting the iPhone 4 this week, and Verizon has been working on scaling up its systems to prepare for a flood of data demand.