the onda

As we all get barraged by the fight that is shaking out in the media between Verizon and AT&T, there is only one thing that I think should matter to folks that really make use of their 3G smartphone as an all-purpose portable computer:

On the Verizon (or Sprint) EVDO networks, you can not talk on the phone AND use data services at the same time. I'm not sure if this is due to the EVDO implementations that the US carriers have chosen, or something more specific to EVDO technology as opposed to HSDPA (what AT&T uses), but either way, if you are on the phone, your new-fangled smartphone is reduced to an adult-sized portable gaming machine. That is: no network access for you.

I know people hate the AT&T network and that Verizon is supposed to have more coverage. I know AT&T customer service sucks and that customers feel nickel-and-dimed all the time. But to me (a formerly loyal Verizon customer), no data and voice at the same time is an absolute deal killer. And what is more, I suspect that this is increasingly true for everyone who is really aggressively using their smartphones.

How could all of the advertising and compare wars be missing this?