iPhone Coming to Verizon... Next Year?

[Mykbibby]

Check this out. 9 to 5 Mac reports that they received word that the iPhone will officially be available on EVDO carriers (that means Verizon) starting next year. I know I would switch in a heartbeat to Verizon!

[deimos256]

Verizon sucks where I live so I honestly wouldnt care. Also I have found the iphone on 3g with AT&T is much faster than my Voyager on VZWs EVDO network.

[Pooshka]

I'm very curious as to what the data prices will be like.

[arn]

reasons I think this report is false:

AT&T + iPhone exclusivity is not a rumor. It is fact (announced at time of original launch). The exact time-course of the length of that exclusivity may be up for debate, but I doubt it was 1.5 years. And I trust USAToday's and CNN's sources more than anonymous-guy emailing 9to5Mac.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...on-apple_N.htm

2010 is the rumored end of exclusivity:

In exchange for its payout, AT&T got a year extension, into 2010, on its exclusive distribution deal with Apple, people familiar with the matter say. Sources asked to not be named because the terms are confidential.

[JML42691]

As much as I am agreeing more with arn on the validity of this rumor, I do hope that there is some truth to it. There are definitely some parts of this rumor that seem very strong, but I do not see this rumor being more reliable than the sources speculating on the current length of the exclusiveness of Apple and AT&T's deal. If they were to release an iPhone for Verizon, then I do not see it happening until mid-2010 at the absolute earliest.

[cantthinkofone]

ATT is best around here. Verizon wouldn't be good.

I could care less. I think if both networks had it the iphone would double or tripple it's market share.

[NDimichino]

We're going to go through this again?

[Pooshka]

Originally Posted by cantthinkofone

ATT is best around here. Verizon wouldn't be good.

I could care less. I think if both networks had it the iphone would double or tripple it's market share.

That means you do care.

So do you care or do you not?

If not, then you could NOT care (any) less.

[cantthinkofone]

Originally Posted by Pooshka

That means you do care.

So do you care or do you not?

If not, then you could NOT care (any) less.

No...i could care less....like right now. My care factor for this subject just went down...see?

If you care to argue the up river with out a paddle phrase, i am more than willing. I say: "Down river with out a paddle" Because if your up river...you just float back down to where you started from. If your down river, you are screwed, unless you find another boat that wants to pull you back.

[minik]

I feel like Apple should stick with one network provider in the States.

[Mr. Giver '94]

There are like 9,000 threads on this!!!!!!!!!!! And if you would have looked, the answer is NO!!!!! Not that hard to understand people...

[cantthinkofone]

Originally Posted by Mr. Giver '94

There are like 9,000 threads on this!!!!!!!!!!! And if you would have looked, the answer is NO!!!!! Not that hard to understand people...

So you wont be waiting in line with us at the local verizon store for the surprise unavailing?

[SFStateStudent]

Next they'll be selling the 3G iPhone at BestBuy...

[Flhusky]

Originally Posted by SFStateStudent

Next they'll be selling the 3G iPhone at BestBuy...

The EVDO model will be sold @ Wal-Mart for $188.88 or free with the purchase of $300 in groceries.
18 month contract @ $28.88(250mins) + $18.888 data plan.

[Michael CM1]

A lot of speculation right now. Steve Jobs hasn't ruled it out, but they do have a contract with AT&T. They either have to buy out of that or let it expire in...2012 I think. I'm all for it since it would force AT&T to compete with others with their plans. $70 is a little rich for a phone plan if you don't use the data like crazy and can never come close to the 450 minutes. I'd love a $45 or so plan for 200 minutes w/rollover, 200 texts, and some limited data plan.

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by Mr. Giver '94

There are like 9,000 threads on this!!!!!!!!!!! And if you would have looked, the answer is NO!!!!! Not that hard to understand people...

This isn't some idiot trying to put a "Verizon SIM" in the iPhone or someone ripping out the internals because they think they can put CDMA guts in, this is a new topic. If you had actually read the first post, you would see that this is a new rumor about an entirely different hardware base.

But yeah, it's not happening.

[SkippyThorson]

Originally Posted by Flhusky

The EVDO model will be sold @ Wal-Mart for $188.88 or free with the purchase of $300 in groceries.
18 month contract @ $28.88(250mins) + $18.888 data plan.

With my first job being WalMart, I can entirely appreciate that! Fookin' pricing.

[question fear]

Originally Posted by Michael CM1

A lot of speculation right now. Steve Jobs hasn't ruled it out, but they do have a contract with AT&T. They either have to buy out of that or let it expire in...2012 I think. I'm all for it since it would force AT&T to compete with others with their plans. $70 is a little rich for a phone plan if you don't use the data like crazy and can never come close to the 450 minutes. I'd love a $45 or so plan for 200 minutes w/rollover, 200 texts, and some limited data plan.

I would be willing to bet one month of service that Verizon's plan (if they ever carry the iPhone) would fall within $10.00 of AT&T's plan. Everyone wants users on unlimited data plans right now, because from an accounting standpoint it makes it very, very easy for the carriers to push people to a certain revenue threshold consistently. And currently VZW's unlimited data plans are consistently in line with AT&T, IIRC.

Just look at Sprint's Instinct. They rolled it out with the simply everything unlimited plan for the same reason...they don't want someone who pays $30.00 a month most of the time, and occassionally pays overages of $10 here and there. They want consistent revenue of $70-$100 per month; bundling of these services is just going to get more prevalent, especially when they can justify it by saying the phone is heavily tied to internet services (like the iPhone and the Instinct).

[DigMe]

More competition would be awesome. I switched from Verizon for two reasons - one was because Verizon gets no signal at our land out in the country and the other was for the iPhone. I was not really looking forward to inheriting all the well-documented problems that come with AT&T but it's been OK so far except for some dropped calls and I got five bars of Edge out in the middle of our land while I was clearing some brush this past weekend. Yeah!

If Verizon got iPhones with competitive plans and they got a tower out there where I could get a signal then I'd definitely switch back at the end of my contract.

bc

[Michael CM1]

Originally Posted by question fear

I would be willing to bet one month of service that Verizon's plan (if they ever carry the iPhone) would fall within $10.00 of AT&T's plan. Everyone wants users on unlimited data plans right now, because from an accounting standpoint it makes it very, very easy for the carriers to push people to a certain revenue threshold consistently. And currently VZW's unlimited data plans are consistently in line with AT&T, IIRC.

Just look at Sprint's Instinct. They rolled it out with the simply everything unlimited plan for the same reason...they don't want someone who pays $30.00 a month most of the time, and occassionally pays overages of $10 here and there. They want consistent revenue of $70-$100 per month; bundling of these services is just going to get more prevalent, especially when they can justify it by saying the phone is heavily tied to internet services (like the iPhone and the Instinct).

Oh I don't doubt that Verizon would probably have pretty much the same stupid plans for the reasons you mentioned. I just have hope that if you add enough carriers, maybe someone would decide to make a plan a little more to my liking. I'm still kinda peeved at the whole cell phone industry for pretty much deciding that you can't get a phone for less than $40/month without going the prepaid route. My parents and I combined can't use our 550 minutes, probably even if they did away with the landline. I'm one of those wanting prepaid prices yet all that darn data and extra stuff.

[The Phazer]

To be honest, 9 to 5 Mac does not have a fabulous track record with rumours.

We shall see I guess.

Phazer

[Warbrain]

Won't happen. Any development of a CDMA phone will require a complete reconfiguration of the device, complete redesign because of the additional components CDMA phones require, and is going to be worthless in a matter of years because Verizon is going to LTE, which is GSM-based, for the 4G network in a matter of years.

To create a CDMA phone now would be foolish. CDMA is dying in the States, leaving Japan as the only place that uses it as a viable option.

That article is full of even more crap:

Sprint is on the verge of death. They're going to be bought or go under. T-mobile is the most viable option, thus eliminating yet another CDMA carrier.

While LTE won't be mature for another 2 years, it's only 2 years. It makes no sense to develop a CDMA phone that will then have to be upgraded to LTE in a new model not long after purchase.


And in an entirely different theory - who says that Apple is looking for EVDO in terms of the iPhone? With WiMAX and EVDO...that sounds like the ultimate notebook.

[spencers]

Originally Posted by Mykbibby

Check this out. 9 to 5 Mac reports that they received word that the iPhone will officially be available on EVDO carriers (that means Verizon) starting next year. I know I would switch in a heartbeat to Verizon!

Really doubt it.

[powderblue17]

When the iPhone was first launched everyone said it was a 5 year deal. Now we hear that it was a 2 year deal which was extended by 1 year. So which is it?

The truth is nobody knows what kind of contract Apple has with ATT and if for some reason Apple isn't totally happy with their marketshare or ATT's service then they could decide to make the iPhone available to other carriers.

[brn2ski00]

I had far superior service with T-Mobile -- I would be excited if they offered the iPhone 3G on T-Mo.