Verizon iPhone Could Require Modified Apps – We Don’t Think So

The Verizon iPhone wasn’t expected till February 10 although some devices already started to arrive to customers as early as yesterday. Along with that early arrival, some very interesting information has been found out about apps for the Verizon iPhone. What ZDNet found out was that some apps might require some changes to be compatible with the new iPhone 4 on Verizon. The difference isn’t due to changes with the telco, but instead, it appears that differences with the CDMA chip inside has caused a problem (or has it?).

The first app that needed to be modified was the Telenav Navigator app. The company who create it has not specifically said what hardware caused the change to be made, but ZDNet speculates that it’s the GSM to CDMA switch. When looking in to this more though, it’s nothing at all to do with the hardware of the device.

What is actually happening here is that Telenav call the AT&T version of the app the AT&T Navigator. To put this version on the Verizon iPhone wouldn’t work as it’s basically branded incorrectly. Also, from our understanding the AT&T version requires users to pay AT&T to use the app on a monthly subscription basis.

So, rather than the CDMA/GSM chipset being the problem, it’s actually branding and how users pay to use the app. Verizon will work out its own billing and to run “AT&T Navigator” on a Verizon iPhone, it just seems like not the correct name to call it, hence the Verizon version is called TeleNav GPS.

On the plus side, the subscription model looks to be a lot cheaper for Verizon users which gives you guys another reason to make the switch, albeit a small reason.

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