Reasons NOT to buy the iPhone 4

If God carries a smartphone, it�s an iPhone 4. Or so you might think with all the breathless hype that seems to have been even more overtorqued around the launch of 4. Maybe it�s the fact that the lost prototype triggered a response typically only seen in certain Central American republics, or that it arrives in an era of smartphone and tablet fever, but whatever the reason, we�re gonna� cut against the grain. Top 5 reasons to pass on the iPhone 4. #5: No 4G. In spite of some numerical similarity, the iPhone 4 does not run on 4G networks. That would be just theoretically important if it weren�t for Sprint�s Evo 4G which does. And Verizon and AT&T will light up their 4G nets and phones in the months ahead. Then the world will be reminded 3G isn�t really broadband, but that�s all you iPhone 4 will do. #4 Goodbye unlimited data. AT&T no longer writes new contracts with unlimited flat rate data. So if you change carriers to buy an iPhone 4 you�ll paying some sort of tiered pricing for data with all the complication and vigilance against overage charges that go with that. #3 Verizon. Yeah, I know, an iPhone on Verizon has been just around the corner as long and Lindsay Lohan�s sobriety. But we really, really think the iPhone is coming to Verizon in less than a year and that�s almost too good to imagine. #2 The flip side of #3: Two more years of AT&T and the new higher $325 early term fee. I know AT&T works fine for many of you, but they didn�t become the butt of all wireless jokes by accident. Sure, maybe AT&T is handling several times more wireless data than anyone else and it still isn�t my problem. Fix the network. But the time for that passed years ago � now it�s time to spend your wireless dollars ethically. Before we get to the #1 reason you can yawn at the Apple fanboys, let�s take a quick peek at the two smartphones CNET thinks are as good better than what they carry: The HTC Droid Incredible on Verizon and the Evo 4G on Sprint. OK, at #1, the top reason you don�t need to rush out and get an iPhone 4: Apple lied. All this �world changing� stuff is just a crock. Most of us who do this for a living came away from the iPhone 4�s rollout asking, is that it? Sure, 2 cameras, lush display, video calling, multitasking, HD video and an A4 CPU are all tasty upgrades, but I�d venture to say at least half of those are playing catch up with competitors, and the rest don�t change the playing field. There are too many other great smartphones out there. So you can relax, let God and the fanboys work out the bugs on iPhone 4 while you wait to see what plays out with 4G networks, whatever HTC and RIM have up their sleeves, and maybe even iPhone on Verizon. And if you want the good news, make sure you check out my other Top 5 here on CNETTV.com: 5 reasons to Rush Out and Get the iPhone 4. I�m B.C., talk to you next time on another CNET Top 5.