iPhone 4 on Verizon: Buy now, or wait for iPhone 5?

Verizon Wireless will start taking pre-orders for the iPhone 4 running on its CDMA/EV-DO network on Thursday, and it will begin selling the device Feb. 10.

However, judging by the inquiries received at Computerworld, many prospective customers are mulling whether to buy a Verizon iPhone 4 or wait for the enhanced iPhone 5 (or whatever it will be called), which is due this summer.

All the facts about data pricing have been laid out, including Verizon's bait of unlimited data usage for $30 per month with a two-year contract -- a deal AT&T no longer offers. While there are rumors that AT&T might reinstate the unlimited data deal, AT&T had no comment about the matter early Tuesday. Verizon will charge $199.99, the same price as AT&T, for the 16GB version of the device itself for users who sign up for a two-year contract and a data plan.

Even so, Computerworld readers and others are wondering whether they should jump to Verizon, which reportedly offers better service than AT&T, or wait for the iPhone 5 that's sure to come this summer, probably in July?

Will iPhone 5 be worth the wait?

The iPhone 5 reportedly could have several enhancements that might matter to some users -- including support for Near Field Communication, which could enable the device to be used like a mobile payment card for retail purchases.

The list of iPhone 5 upgrades could also include support for video chat over 4G networks and a faster dual-core processor, according to speculation from several sources -- including Computerworld blogger Jonny Evans and the HubPages Web site.

The iPhone 5 could also have dual radio chips, possibly enabling it to run on multiple providers' networks, such as the GSM networks from AT&T and T-Mobile, and the CDMA/EV-DO networks from Verizon and Sprint Nextel.

There is also speculation that support for an iPhone running on faster LTE networks is further off, possibly in a later entry (Version 6?) from Apple, although AT&T says its HSPA+ version of GSM is a faster network that qualifies as 4G, with speeds topping 5Mbit/sec. Both AT&T and Verizon are working toward LTE, with Verizon's effort already underway.