AT&T Seeks to Contain Verizon Iphone 4

The Verizon Iphone 4 officially launched last night to existing Verizon Wireless customers for pre ordering a good week before everyone else. In a preemptive effort to retain its current customers, AT&T has announced Mobile hotspots, expanded tethering and increased data allowances for its Iphones, according to a company press release. It also sent out mass emails reminding its customers of the key advantage it has over Verizon: Being able to talk while browsing, according to Gear Live.

The ad that AT&T is using shows a woman talking on her Iphone using a hands-free Bluetooth headset, while looking up movie tickets on Fandango. The ad attempts to showcase the advantage of the multitasking ability of the AT&T Iphone over Verizon’s. The company already used this feature as an advertising strategy against Verizon back in 2009 for its 3G network according to Digital Trends.

Through this email, AT&T is reminding its customers of its GSM network that allows features such as talking while browsing the web. Verizon uses CDMA and this just isn’t an option for it as this point. However, Verizon can count on its 94 million customers to come through for it and even take a bite out of the AT&T apple, as demonstrated by a recent ChangeWave survey that showed that 16 percent of current AT&T customers intend to make the switch to Verizon once the Iphone 4 is officially launched.

Verizon will be offering unlimited data storage for $30 a month with a 2 year contract to attract customers according to USA Today. This is generous considering that there will be a lot of data being shared, especially two years from now. Verizon is also not disclosing how long this offer will last, in an attempt to lock in as many customers as possible. AT&T stopped unlimited plans last summer, and the best they are offering now are 2GB for $20 a month. There’s some talk that AT&T has been giving back some customers their unlimited plans to keep them from straying. AT&T would not confirm this information.

“We handle customers and their situations individually, and we’re not going to discuss specifics,” AT&T spokeswoman Amy Grundman said, according to USA Today.

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