Reasons to skip Verizon's iPhone 4

It wasn�t long after the iPhone hit on AT&T that the pining began: When can we get one on Verizon? I won�t even re-hash the reasons people wanted it on any network other than AT&T � that bitching is part of the American technology fabric at this point. But now that it�s here, you might not want to avoid it. Here are five reasons that don�t even include masochism or contrarianism: #5: It doesn�t do voice and at the same time. Sad but true, AT&T�s GMS technology has it all over Verizon�s CDMA network in this respect: AT&T iPhones can do data and voice at the same time. Well, that is, if you can get their damned network to function at all. Ahh, I said I wouldn�t do that. Bear in mind that the folks behind the CDMA technology promise a network upgrade to allow dual mode operation late this year, but that�s still iffy. #4: Good luck overseas. Verizon�s CDMA technology is mixed bag for global use. You can roam mostly in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Asia � but not Europe, Russia, Brazil. And that�s roaming, with all those lovely fees that�ll make your eyes water. No chip in a CDMA phone so you can�t just buy a cheapo SIM when you land in country and be up and running. #3: It�s a retool. iPhone 4 on Verizon was sort of a mid-season refresh, with CDMA innards but not designed from the ground up � as far as we know � to be a CDMA phone. I have this nagging feeling there just have to be some shortcomings around that. As we know from Antennagate, nothing�s ever wrong with an Apple product � it�s you that�s broken � so Apple will never let on what�s really going on inside the Verizon 4. #2: Not 4G. And that�s the biggest thing going on in cell phone networks the next 2 years that you�ll be locked in. And you will be sitting there on your 3G iPhone 4, deciding between talking and checking email, watching all your fellow Verizon customers with their hotsie, dual core, 8MP, Android 4G phones thinking that damned Apple � they got me! Another reason you have to rethink the iPhone on Verizon is that you should just plain think twice about the iphone. Check out the list of non-Apple smartphones we love on Verizon, now and coming. You can find them on CNET�s cell phone section. #1: Is Verizon the next AT&T. This is the big question: Will Verizon�s network drag to a crawl as a flood of AT&T defectors and waiting-for-Verizon sideliners hammer their network? AT&T�s 3G network is technically faster, maybe it just needs to lose a few million customers to show it. And Verizon�s going to offer tube-clogging unlimited data to new iPhone customers TFN � something AT&T put the brakes on some time ago. So there you might be on Verizon for 2 years with your single- tasking, not really global, sure as hell not 4G iPhone on Verizon with a potentially bonking network! The smart money says give it 6 months. Our complete comparisons and coverage of both flavors of iPhone is always up to day at CNET�s cell phone section. I am Brian Cooley, Thanks for watching.