The VZW analog network has been overlapped with digital in 99% of our network. A trimode phone is digital plus analog. This means your phone may switch to analog if better signal exists. The problem, analog is not backwards compatible with digital so your phone may switch to analog during a call but can't switch back unless you end your call and retry. Also features like text messaging, get-it-now, web etc will not work in analog. Enough of the network has digital already that analog is sometimes a nuissance.

I've read that Verizon is supposed to become all-Digital in 2006. Until then, a tri-mode phone gives you more options and coverage. I've read too many reports of all-digital phones (dual band) dropping calls that a tri-mode phone can keep.