Making an eleventh-hour disclosure just before pre-orders start, Verizon and Sprint have confirmed that their CDMA version of the iPhone 5 will not be able to use cellular data services while making telephone calls—a limitation that previously existed for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but was believed to have been remedied for the iPhone 5. According to reports, an additional antenna would have been needed to support simultaneous phone calling and data for Verizon’s and Sprint’s CDMA networks, but was not included in the new iPhone.
As was the case before, AT&T users will still be able to access cellular data and calling functionality simultaneously with the iPhone 5. However, the iPhone 5 will fall back to HSPA+ (“4G”) speeds for data during phone calls. Despite the cellular data limitations, all versions of the iPhone 5 will be able to access available Wi-Fi networks for data during cellular phone calls. [via The Verge]
