Verizon's iPhone is beset by the same reception problems suffered by AT&T's model last year, according to the highly-influential watchdog Consumer Reports, who also left the device out of its list of recommended smartphones.
call reception flaws that plague its AT&T counterpart. Tests by the magazine's engineers discovered that reception problems can occur by holding the iPhone "in a specific but quite natural way in which a gap in the phone's external casing is covered."
Verizon's iPhone also suffers from dropped calls, or is unable to place calls when signals are weak, according to the publication.
"The only phones in which the finger content caused any meaningful decline in performance was the iPhone 4, the sides of which compose a metal band broken by several thin gaps," the magazine said. As a result, it said it would not include the Verizon iPhone in its list of recommended smartphones.
Consumer Reports also tested the iPhone against five other Verizon smartphones -- the Samsung Fascinate, Motorola Droid 2 Global, HTC Droid Incredible, LG Ally and the Motorola Droid X.
Its criticism of the Verizon iPhone echo similar ones it made when AT&T's model released last summer. AT&T's version suffered from various antenna and reception problems, leading to huge public outcry in July.
Apple ended up being sued by a number of consumers, before acknowledging the problem and giving away free cases to avoid blocking the antenna.
Verizon rejected claims that users were having major problems, saying that any calls dropped were a tiny percentage -- less than one-half of one percent.
"Verizon iPhone 4 customers are experiencing stellar network performance," the company said in a statement.
The Basking Ridge, N.J.-based company, which so far has avoided the same media outcry that AT&T faced, is suffering from reports of poor sales for the iPhone. The carrier recently rejected those claims, saying that most of its sales were generated online, and that it is on pace to sell 11 million units in 2011.
Earlier this month, a teardown of the Verizon iPhone revealed a redesigned antenna, which split the functions of the reception, and new separated wire for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
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