Verizon Network Might Not Support iPhone 5's Video Chat
Verizon and Apple are still at odds over how Verizon will support FaceTime video chat on its 3G network, according to an industry source.
A trusted source at 9to5Mac has reported that the iPhone 5 is in final testing, also known as the AP testing stage, and that high-level Apple executives are already carrying the new device around. Paired with the lack of an iPhone announcement at the recent WWDC conference, this news supports rumors that Apple will debut the new iPhone 5 this September.
However, Verizon seems to be uncomfortable with supporting FaceTime, Apple's video chat service exclusively for Apple products, on its 3G network, likely because streaming video chat requires so much more data bandwidth than other kinds of smartphone communication.
It seems as though the new over-the-air update feature introduced in iOS 5 is also a problem for Verizon. The source says that Verizon probably won't support over-the-air updates until after fall 2011.
AT&T experienced many problems with insufficient network capacity because a large number of iPhone owners used more data than other AT&T customers. Now that Verizon carries the iPhone, the company may have similar concerns, in addition to the not insignificant load of data users on Android smartphones . While Verizon is quickly rolling out 4G coverage, which will better handle large traffic, the majority of Verizon customers, including many iPhone users, still rely on the company's 3G network.
