When That Call Comes In, an iPhone Hotspot Is Not So Hot

Don’t get me wrong–the addition of a mobile hotspot feature on the Verizon iPhone is a notable benefit.

However, those ready to throw away their MiFi should remember that there’s an important caveat: Because the CDMA network doesn’t handle voice and data at the same time, the hotspot works only when you aren’t talking on your iPhone.

If a call comes in while people are connected to the iPhone-created hotspot, data access ends until the call is done.

Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that Boy Genius Report says that the hotspot may not remain a Verizon exclusive. The enthusiast site says that the next version of the iPhone operating system will add support for the hotspot feature. However, to actually be used in such a manner, hotspot capability will also have to be enabled by one’s wireless carrier.

AT&T iPhone customers will certainly remember that the iPhone supported tethering to a computer well before the company enabled the feature for its customers.

An AT&T representative said the company is “exploring” the possibility of such a feature but declined to comment further.