Verizon data limitations not unique to iPhone

There's a video up at 9to5 Mac that demonstrates how iPhones on Verizon and AT&T handle conference calling differently. Specifically, the CDMA-based Verizon phone is unable to jump between calls like the AT&T iPhone can.

The user began by placing a call on both phones. Once connected, a second call was initiated. The AT&T phone let the user move between calls easily, placing the non-active call on hold. Finally, each call could be terminated individually.

Meanwhile, the Verizon phone did not let the user jump between calls, and pressing the End button terminated both calls at once. We noticed that the user in the video didn't hit the Merge Calls button on either phone, even though it was available on both.

This is not a "limitation in the software" as 9to5 guessed, but a limitation of CDMA. The AT&T phone uses Cellular Radio and the GSM Data Radio to put each call on a unique channel. Since CDMA can't handle voice and data simultaneously, you're out of luck. The issue isn't unique to the iPhone, but the technology behind the Verizon flavor. In fact, here's how Apple summarizes the issue:

"On a CDMA model, you can't switch between calls if the second call was outgoing, but you can merge the calls. If you end the second call or the merged call, both calls are terminated."

Many home users won't be troubled by the limitation, but business users might be. Enterprise customers considering a purchase will want to keep this in mind.

Watch the video after the break.