Verizon has just announced the
iPhone 4 at a press event, revealing the first details of the contracts and capabilities Apple's phone will come with when it breaks North American exclusivity with AT&T next month. When made available to current Verizon customers on February 3 and new customers on February 10, the iPhone 4 will cost the same amount that it does for AT&T customers -- $200 for the 16GB model and $300 for the 32 GB model, both with a two-year contract.
While current
Verizon phones have $30 monthly unlimited data plans, it is currently unknown whether that price point will be applied to the iPhone. AT&T no longer has an unlimited data plan, currently offering 100MB of data per month for $15 and 2GB for $25 (though many customers who bought an iPhone before the 4 have been grandfathered into the previous $20 monthly plan). The data plans for Verizon will be especially crucial, since the iPhone 4 will come with Verizon's 3G Mobile Hotspot app installed, allowing users to hook up other devices to utilize the iPhone's 3G connection (the Verizon iPhone will not use the company's 4G network).
The Verizon iPhone will have a few utility apps exclusive to its customers, including the aforementioned Mobile Hotspot app and the V Cast media distribution network. While the exclusive apps are currently limited to carrier-specific functionality, it should be interesting to see if the carriers are able to make games specific to their platform. We'll report more about the iPhone 4's multi-carrier changes as we hear more.
