Sure, Verizon is killing AT&T in terms of 4G LTE deployment and with the number of devices but if you ask AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega, AT&T 4G LTE phones will be better than what the competition is offering.
In the interview with CNET, AT&T Wireless’ leader described the major differences between the networks’ 4G LTE plans.
The phones will use a technology that de la Vega refers to as circuit-switch fallback. It allows the phone to run on the 4G network and fall back to the traditional circuit switch-based 3G network when it’s out of the coverage area. That’s different than the 4G LTE phones offered by Verizon Wireless, which use separate 4G and 3G radios that each require their own power source, fueling the need for a larger body.
I’ve played with every single Verizon 4G LTE phone out there and it’s true that most have a somewhat bulky body and the battery life isn’t what you’d want it to be. If AT&T can actually provide phones on its 4G LTE network which can pull down speeds as well as what I’ve seen with Verizon but in a thinner, more power-efficient frame, then I’d be really interested in that.
For all the complaints about Verizon 4G LTE devices, at least there are multiple handsets in the market which really do have game-changing data connections. AT&T can talk tough all it wants but until I see these devices actually doing what AT&T says it will, I’ll stick with Verizon 4G LTE for now.
[Via CNET]