-What's up, Prizefight fans?
I'm Brian Tong and this is a Prizefight that you, the people, have been asking for.
It's a Prizefight punch out between the Verizon iPhone 4 and the AT&T iPhone 4.
Our judges for this fight are our Senior Associate Editor Nicole "Ice Cold" Lee, Senior Associate Editor Jessica "Duke It Out" Dolcourt, and myself, Ring-A-Ling-A-Ding Tong.
Now, we'll take all 3 judges' scores and
average them out to the nearest tenth each round.
The final Prizefight score would be an average of all rounds in the same decimal system.
We aren't going to go over every single feature because the phones are so similar, but instead, we'll focus on the differences.
It's a 5-round throw down showdown.
Round 1 is design.
The iPhone 4 is still the sexiest-looking phone in the planet with its clean design and sharper than sharp Retina display.
The AT&T phone was notorious for its antenna design, so, the Verizon iPhone
changed the location of the seams.
But if you squeeze hard enough, you'll still have similar problems even if it's been way overblown.
We're calling this round even at 4.7.
Next round is controls and user interface.
We can't say it anymore than we already have.
The iPhone is the easiest mobile OS to use.
Swiping, double-tapping, pinch and zooming--it's all here and it just makes sense.
Now, when my 1-1/2-year-old nephew can navigate the apps and YouTube, you know it's a good thing.
Round 2 ends up in another tie with a
perfect 5 from all of our judges, so after averaging 2 rounds, we're even at 4.9.
Next round is features.
Finally, a round where there's differences to compare.
The Verizon iPhone gives you the personal hotspot feature which lets the phone act as a wireless modem for up to 5 devices for $20 a month, and early adopters will get access to their unlimited data plan.
The AT&T iPhone 4 is expected to get the hotspot in the future, but its main differentiator is the ability to use voice and data simultaneously--
something the current Verizon iPhone can't do.
Then there's the calling limitations on the Verizon iPhone.
You can only conference call with up to 2 other people, while AT&T's goes up to 5 of your best friends in the whole wide world.
And the other Verizon bugaboo is that you aren't able to place a call on hold between 2 people.
Plus, AT&T is a GSM phone, which is more friendly internationally, compared to CDMA phones that have limited use overseas.
AT&T takes this round with a 4.7 and Verizon gets a 4.
Next round is web browsing and multimedia.
Whether it's Verizon or AT&T, the iPhone 4 is still hands-down the best multimedia experience on a phone with its topnotch media player and interface.
Movies look amazing on its screen and the iTunes Store gives you access to boatloads of content you won't find anywhere else.
Then, the Safari browser is still one of the best mobile browsers even without Flash support.
It's another tie and a perfect 5 for both phones.
So, after averaging 4 rounds, the AT&T iPhone 4 leads
by two-tenths of a point, but the final round that decides it all is call quality and performance.
We've tested both phones in a variety of locations in San Francisco and outside of the city, and one thing is clear: the Verizon iPhone is better at making phone calls and experiences less dropped calls.
Call quality is pretty solid and very clear for both phones when you have a solid signal.
But, one area where AT&T has an advantage is with data speeds.
Now in San Francisco, Verizon had bested
AT&T in some cases, but in many other areas around the country, it's clear that AT&T data speeds are faster and, in some cases, even twice as fast.
But you know what's the most important part about a phone?
The fact that it makes phone calls.
In the final round, the Verizon iPhone gets a perfect 5 and the AT&T iPhone gets a 3.3.
So, let's average out all 5 rounds and in an epic battle where we were tied 3 times, AT&T wins the round 5 with a lead, but Verizon came back strong with a perfect score, taking this
battle 4.7 to 4.5, and is your Prizefight winner.
You could almost call this a win-win since the iPhone is now on both carriers, but the decision isn't really clear.
If you have solid AT&T coverage, you're a heavy data user that cares about speed, and you travel internationally, there's no need to switch.
But if you want better call reliability, unlimited data, and a wireless hotspot, then the Verizon iPhone is for you.
I'm Brian Tong, thanks for watching, and we'll catch you guys next time on another Prizefight.
