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AT&T iPhone Exclusivity Originally Scheduled Through 2012
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True, the forthcoming iPhone will be good news. However, there are folks that won't be leaving Big Red for it, and have already bought into the Android idea. When Android gets refreshed again, before iPhone, folks are more likely to get another Android device. Even when iPhone comes to Verizon, Android will be ingrained in folks, and they might be less likely to switch to iPhone, even if they wanted one in the very first place.
Apple has to realize that every new 2-yr contract with an Android device is potentially someone that won't "buy into" the iPhone when it comes to Verizon.
Why would AT&T agree to shortening their exclusivity on the iPhone?
How about a trade off with other Apple incentives...like AT&T data plans for the iPad. And here's a WAG (yeah, I'm gonna go there). Imagine G3 in the new MBA, with AT&T data plans.
In the short term, Verizon's network may be irrelevant (but it's not impossible nor expensive to execute on the iPhone) as Sprint and T-Mobile combined have more customers.
There's an android in Apple's rear view mirror, and it's gaining.
How about a trade off with other Apple incentives...like AT&T data plans for the iPad. And here's a WAG (yeah, I'm gonna go there). Imagine G3 in the new MBA, with AT&T data plans.
In the short term, Verizon's network may be irrelevant (but it's not impossible nor expensive to execute on the iPhone) as Sprint and T-Mobile combined have more customers.
There's an android in Apple's rear view mirror, and it's gaining.
No. The vast majority of these customers are not interested in smartphones.
http://www.cdg.org/worldwide/index.asp
This is not correct. Back when Apple was shopping for a carrier partner pre 2007, they were in negotiations with Verizon that eventually broke down. So, to say that "if they wanted to be on another carrier (ANY other carrier) they would..." is simply not accurate. Apple eventually came to an agreement with Cingular, which later became known as AT&T after the merger with SBC.
As far as producing a CDMA phone (several US companies use this standard including Sprint, Verizon, and U.S. Cellular), it may seem on the surface as being a bit backward, due to the requirements to convert to LTE. In reality, however, we are several years away from nationwide coverage on this new standard. So...making a CDMA iPhone for Verizon's millions of customers doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, and it is hardly cost-prohibitive. Even Steve Jobs said that the multi-carrier model has been effective in other countries. The only difference here is that they would need to add a CDMA radio. No big deal. I would not be surprised if the original exclusivity deal has been renegotiated.
I'd be willing to bet that the "vast majority" isn't so vast. There are honestly folks that like their respective networks more than the "glitz and glamour" of a handset on another carrier.
I just don't really understand why everyone takes these articles as fact....until Apple announces it, none of us know whether or not VZW will get the iPhone.
The other thing I don't understand...why are people so sure that Apple wouldn't build a phone just for Verizon...it may be just CDMA but the first iPhone was just Edge. They were willing to do it at the very beginning, why not now.
I personally have no idea whether it will go to Verizon and I certainly won't put forth my opinions as fact like so many others do when this topic arises.
Let's all just admit that we have no idea whether its going to happen and stop passing off what we think as truth.
The other thing I don't understand...why are people so sure that Apple wouldn't build a phone just for Verizon...it may be just CDMA but the first iPhone was just Edge. They were willing to do it at the very beginning, why not now.
I personally have no idea whether it will go to Verizon and I certainly won't put forth my opinions as fact like so many others do when this topic arises.
Let's all just admit that we have no idea whether its going to happen and stop passing off what we think as truth.
But thats not how Apple markets.... They market it as the "got to have" device that people will buy no matter what. This was evident when the 1st gen 4GB iphone was discontinued and I witnessed them sold unopened on eBay for over 10 grand.
Another thing, you dont see nearly as many people on the forums praising the iphones... They come here to complain about AT&T because they are on verizon and cant get the iphone.
Most iphone users are satisfied with their device and have no reason to be on Macrumors other than to see when the new iphone may be coming because they have no complaints.
Here is where a lot of the forum users fall.
They are on their parents cell phone plan under verizon and therefore cant get their hands on an iphone. So, they get an android and claim it walks all over the iphone simply because they have no idea what makes the iphone so great. Then there are those who love to pretend that they are on at&T with a 5 iphone family plan and they are miserable because of the coverage and plan on switching as well. I believe these to be kids as well because of the spelling and grammar errors they make in their posts.
I'll be switching to AT&T this summer after the iPhone is released. People in this area have had few problems with coverage, so I figure it's time to take the plunge. I'll just be sure to avoid Manhattan and the Bay Area. 
Simple facts:
1) Verizon will be using CDMA for voice until around 2015-2016.
2) Verizon's LTE network won't be nationwide until 2012-2013.
3) There is no finalized LTE Voice standard, only data.
4) Android is growing faster than the iPhone because it is on multiple carriers.
And one assumption: Apple is not silly enough to wait until 2015 to make a Verizon iPhone because of the previous 4 points...
and there is only one logical conclusion: at some point in the future, Apple will have to make an iPhone with a CDMA chip in it.
Ignore what Steve Jobs and Tim Cook say about CDMA. There is only one real language they speak, and it is money, and money with high profit margins. The iPhone wasn't on multiple carriers before because of the "RAZR" effect in 2006: If everyone has your phone, then a) there isn't anyone to sell it to anymore and b) people only lust over what they can't have. But, because Android is soon becoming ubiquitous, it's a bit difficult for Apple to ignore the growing 100->800 lb gorilla in the room.
1) Verizon will be using CDMA for voice until around 2015-2016.
2) Verizon's LTE network won't be nationwide until 2012-2013.
3) There is no finalized LTE Voice standard, only data.
4) Android is growing faster than the iPhone because it is on multiple carriers.
And one assumption: Apple is not silly enough to wait until 2015 to make a Verizon iPhone because of the previous 4 points...
and there is only one logical conclusion: at some point in the future, Apple will have to make an iPhone with a CDMA chip in it.
Ignore what Steve Jobs and Tim Cook say about CDMA. There is only one real language they speak, and it is money, and money with high profit margins. The iPhone wasn't on multiple carriers before because of the "RAZR" effect in 2006: If everyone has your phone, then a) there isn't anyone to sell it to anymore and b) people only lust over what they can't have. But, because Android is soon becoming ubiquitous, it's a bit difficult for Apple to ignore the growing 100->800 lb gorilla in the room.
No, I am absolutely not exaggerating, as I specifically said before. I do, in fact, know more than several dozen people with iPhones (I live in Silicon Valley and work at a major tech company, probably 50% of the people who work here have iPhones, as do many friends and casual acquaintances). And I do not need need to know their "intimate thoughts", I talk to people about their about phones and other gadgets all the time (at work, at parties and barbecues, on the train, in the coffee shop) and nearly to a "man" (or woman), they express overwhelming positivity towards the iPhone itself, and overwhelming negativity towards AT&T for very poor call quality and reliability. Always. It's nearly as universal as people's dislike of members of Congress. It hasn't stopped a lot of people from buying iPhones (including myself), but it has stopped them from truly enjoying their purchase. It's annoying enough with personal calls, but it's embarrassing and frustrating in professional situations where your calls keep dropping out.
No, what wouldn't make business sense is for the iPhone to stay locked to one carrier, ignore the millions of customers on the other carriers that they are not reaching, and continue to let Android make inroads with these customers. That arrangement is just handing customers right to the competition and losing out on your potential market share.
THAT is what would not make sense to continue doing.
Why Would AT&T Shorten iPhone Contract?
Apple dropped the revenue sharing from the original iPhone.
Apple shared in revenue and in later versions had a standard carrier agreement. It is believed that giving up the revenue sharing cost AT&T 1-2 years off the original agreement.
As far as Apple making a CDMA version of the phone?
People, it's not like they are trying to invent something new, it's just a radio.
My BB Storm 1 and now my Storm 2 is a world phone.
Apple could build a world phone and call it a day. Rim does it for multiple handsets.
With more than 140 Million subscribers that Apple has yet to penetrate, it costs them not to have phones for Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint.
Cash is king and you will see an iPhone on other carriers as soon as that agreement expires. I'm betting Dec. 2010.
Apple dropped the revenue sharing from the original iPhone.
Apple shared in revenue and in later versions had a standard carrier agreement. It is believed that giving up the revenue sharing cost AT&T 1-2 years off the original agreement.
As far as Apple making a CDMA version of the phone?
People, it's not like they are trying to invent something new, it's just a radio.
My BB Storm 1 and now my Storm 2 is a world phone.
Apple could build a world phone and call it a day. Rim does it for multiple handsets.
With more than 140 Million subscribers that Apple has yet to penetrate, it costs them not to have phones for Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint.
Cash is king and you will see an iPhone on other carriers as soon as that agreement expires. I'm betting Dec. 2010.
Im pretty sure Steve's iPhone really runs off satellites
Solar powered drones that circle endlessly over wherever he is. He doesn't know AT&T is doing that and wonders why people are bitching when he gets perfect reception everywhere.
Seriously, drones have to be better and cheaper than trying to build towers everywhere. Towers just seem like a lost cause to me.
I am with you man! I have not problems with AT&T! At least the Iphone will be able to use both voice and data at the same time. This is not even possible on Verizon and Sprint.
If the iphone ever came to those carriers it would be a gimped phone!
Not gonna happen dude till Verizon gets 4g using LTE with will use micro sims...and the rest of the world will use LTE also...and this will not roll out till end of next year....into 2012. A Iphone HD will come out next month and everybody and their son will line up at the apple and AT&T stores and buy it. They will forget about the Android phones.....
How does it not make sense, seeing as though Apple is a US company and Verizon is the US's largest wireless carrier? Verizon has cell phones that can jump to gsm and be used world wide (AKA BlackBerry World Edition).
Apple could do that. But then it would be like Nexus: AT&T or T-Mobile would be the only options, and 3G wouldn't work on one of them.
You'd be surprised at how many "adults" make spelling/grammar errors....
My old band director has a Droid and installed a different OS on it which allows it to over-clock to over 1GHz. Can the iPhone do that? Don't get me wrong, I love iPhone, but Droid has its pluses too. And when the iPhone first came out, there were lists upon lists of things that tech reviewers wish it had had that it did not have. Apple has put in most of those things, but they're still working on it... So Droid and iPhone are both special but in different ways.
And being on Verizon isn't being "stuck".... its actually a privilege to NOT be on AT&T's network... I live in a 100% signal 3G Verizon area where AT&T does NOT have 3G. How does that work? Go Verizon I say. If iPhone doesn't come to Verizon, Apple is letting its competition have an easy pass to the US's largest carrier and their customers.
Bottom line is this...
-I am a Verizon customer.
-I will not switch to at&t for the iPhone. Verizon's network is superior. My boss switched to at&t for the iPhone and has experienced 60 dropped calls in his first 30 days (NOT joking at all...totally serious).
-I want the iPhone. But only on Verizon.
-By not having the iPhone on Verizon, Apple has forced me to choose the Droid Incredible as my next phone, unless the Verizon iPhone is announced next month.
-There are tens of millions of Verizon customers out there JUST like me. Want the iPhone but choose the network over the phone itself.
Our balls are in your court, Apple.
-I am a Verizon customer.
-I will not switch to at&t for the iPhone. Verizon's network is superior. My boss switched to at&t for the iPhone and has experienced 60 dropped calls in his first 30 days (NOT joking at all...totally serious).
-I want the iPhone. But only on Verizon.
-By not having the iPhone on Verizon, Apple has forced me to choose the Droid Incredible as my next phone, unless the Verizon iPhone is announced next month.
-There are tens of millions of Verizon customers out there JUST like me. Want the iPhone but choose the network over the phone itself.
Our balls are in your court, Apple.
Apple does things the way they do so that the iphone is a very stable system. They could open it up for people to instal whatever they like, overclock and whatever else, but thats not the road they chose to take. They are going for perfection and simplicity.