Switching iPhone 4s from ATT to Verizon in Santa Fe, NM

Question

Hi All,
From the subject line: I am currently living in Washington DC and ATT service is reasonably good.  In Santa Fe, NM where I am moving, ATT has awful service and Verizon has a much better reputation.  I am considering switching upon my move.  What are the significant differences between ATT and Verizon on the iPhone?  I understand that data network access and phone calls cannot happen simultaneously. Not a situation I usually encounter.   Are there any other significant differences that I should know about?
Thanks.....

Answer 1

Matthew Palm wrote:
At some point will I be asked to set up the phone as a Verizon device (I am porting my number from AT&T)? Or does iTunes/Apple read the serial number of my phone and "know" it is a Verizon unit tied to my specific number? How exactly does this step work?
The phone will come with activation instructions. The activation servers will "know" what carrier the phone belongs to. You will probably have to call an 800 number to finish accepting the contract.
Did you specify in the ordering process that you wanted to port over your AT&T number? If yes, the phone will be activated with your number. The port process usually takes about 5-30 minutes. During that time, you can make outgoing calls from either phone but only your AT&T phone will ring. Once the port process is complete, you'll get a text on your Verizon phone. At that point, the AT&T phone will no longer be connected to your number. 
If you didn't request the port, you'll need to call customer service.
Yes, you MUST leave your AT&T account active until the port process is complete or you will lose your number.
Best of luck.