Apple to Manufacture Verizon-Compatible iPhone in Q3 2010?

[akac]

When you say "tested" I'm guessing you're talking about Apple's ludicrous policies on app submission.

Ludicrous relative to what? To other mobile markets? No. In fact, as one whose whole business is mobile since 2000 I can tell you that while I don't agree with all of it, its far better than almost all the other mobile app stores.

Apple does do QA testing - not full multi-week testing, but enough to uncover many common bugs.

I'm also guessing you believe the lack thereof will result in buggy applications. Somewhat true, but I'll take it over Apple's app store any day. At least the consumer will have the option, and developers will not be hindered by a ridiculous submission process. (GV, remember?)

While I like aspects of Google's marketplace, its not the panacea you're assuming it is. Apple's store is still better.

"3. Android phones will hardly ever be able to be updated to a new OS release."

Source or I call BS on this.

OK I can give you my perspective on this. Android phones can be hacked, much like WinMobile phones can be, with new ROMs. But the fact is that Android is shipped to the customer much like WinMo is which means its up to the carrier to provide the upgrades - not Google. So unlike the iPhone where Apple controls the updates on Android it'll be up to Verizon, TMobile, etc... to ship updates to their phones. Experience shows that this happens less than 1% of the time.

So for the average consumer yes, #3 is probably going to be true.

 

[Vega$$$]

Sprint will not get iPhone in the next 5 years. Verizon might, but not until LTE.

Could you elaborate as to why you opine this?

 

[geenosr]

I'm not an unhappy att customer

att has never been a problem for me. they never drop my calls and always have fast coverage in my area and all the cities I've been to. In fact, Verizon is awful in this area (Westchester, NY). When I'm at my buddy's house, he can never get a signal. I get excellent full bar coverage.

I realize this may not be the experience for every other area. But the reality is that ATT has worked for me. If people want to jump ship over to Verizon and their crappy network, all the more bandwidth for me. Have fun.

I'm with you....att has been great for me and I'm not discounting all the problems with NY and SF, but all the malcontents can rush over to Verizon and that will open up more bandwidth for everyone else left on att. We might even get a discount to stay with them.....you never know. It always seems to me when I read these rants that SOO many iPhone owners are mad at att. It just seems that apple's sale numbers keep going up and up, and if all these iPhone customers were so unhappy, they would not keep buying them.

Just sayin'

and no, I do not work for att or have any family member who does. I happen to be happy with my 3GS and will continue my love affair with the greatest device I've ever owned......

 

[cmaier]

Could you elaborate as to why you opine this?

As an engineer, I can tell you the effort to provide CDMA support will be tremendous compared to the potential market gain (it's not like all 80 million verizon subscribers are going to switch to iphone). Apple won't put their engineering resources into that - they've already shown they have no interest in multiple models, etc.

And sprint is teetering on the brink - no point in Apple teaming with them, too.

 

[Vega$$$]

As an engineer, I can tell you the effort to provide CDMA support will be tremendous compared to the potential market gain (it's not like all 80 million verizon subscribers are going to switch to iphone). Apple won't put their engineering resources into that - they've already shown they have no interest in multiple models, etc.

And sprint is teetering on the brink - no point in Apple teaming with them, too.

Well, no of course 80 million (actually closer to 90 million) VZW subscribers would buy iPhones. I'm curious if you have any guesstimates as to how many units Apple & VZW would have to move in order to get an acceptable ROI.

As for Sprint teetering on the brink, yes they have been experiencing subscriber losses. However, they still have over 48 million subscribers and they're sitting on $6 Billion in cash. They're not in any immediate danger. The iPhone could very be the catalyst that might change their fortunes.

 

[str1f3]

As an engineer, I can tell you the effort to provide CDMA support will be tremendous compared to the potential market gain (it's not like all 80 million verizon subscribers are going to switch to iphone). Apple won't put their engineering resources into that - they've already shown they have no interest in multiple models, etc.

And sprint is teetering on the brink - no point in Apple teaming with them, too.

I wonder why it is that you think that there would be so little market gain with Verizon. The iPhone already has a rather large chunk of AT&T subscribers. While there were many who switched to the iPhone, there are many who stayed loyal to Verizon because of the coverage. A Verizon iPhone would mean that the iPhone would become the marketshare leader over Blackberry and probably would dominate with close to 50% marketshare or even more.

If supporting CDMA is so difficult to support then smaller companies such as RIM, Motorola, HTC and Palm wouldn't be doing it.

 

[cmaier]

I wonder why it is that you think that there would be so little market gain with Verizon. The iPhone already has a rather large chunk of AT&T subscribers. While there were many who switched to the iPhone, there are many who stayed loyal to Verizon because of the coverage. A Verizon iPhone would mean that the iPhone would become the marketshare leader over Blackberry and probably would dominate with close to 50% marketshare or even more.

If supporting CDMA is so difficult to support then smaller companies such as RIM, Motorola, HTC and Palm wouldn't be doing it.

The thing you're forgetting is that the rest of the world doesn't use CDMA. The advantage of apple's current strategy is one phone stack has worked for nearly every country in the world. Verizon's 80 million subscribers - assume they get 20% even to switch to iphone - are a drop in the bucket compared to the rest of the world.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Wow, that's quite some argument. Now, if *I* had said "macs will never get Intel processors," you could at least undermine my credibility. But simply stating that Event A happened, therefore Event B will happen, you not only prove nothing, but don't even advance your ball.

By your distorted logic, the following things will also happen:

a) you will wake up tomorrow to find yourself made of blue cheese
b) Microsoft will buy Uganda and rename it Bob
c) squirrels will spontaneously evolve thumbs and take all our jobs

Sprint will not get iPhone in the next 5 years. Verizon might, but not until LTE.

Just saying... apparently you were not following this board when the switch to Intel happened. Before that happened everyone said it just was not possible. The transition would be too difficult. Apple always spoke bad about Intel... etc. I was just trying to make a point that anything is possible... even an iPhone on Verizon or Sprint.

Just because a person is an Apple fan doesn't mean they have to be an AT&T fan.

 

[jackvalko]

That wold be a reduction in display bezel rather than the display itself.

This is what I'm saying. The rumor is correct, but vague.

 

[175170]

I need this to get unlocked and be on Sprint.
That would be amazing.
I went from a T-Mobile iPhone 2G --> 3G ---> 2G---> Palm Pre on Sprint

 

[cmaier]

Just saying... apparently you were not following this board when the switch to Intel happened. Before that happened everyone said it just was not possible. The transition would be too difficult. Apple always spoke bad about Intel... etc. I was just trying to make a point that anything is possible... even an iPhone on Verizon or Sprint.

Just because a person is an Apple fan doesn't mean they have to be an AT&T fan.

Agreed. I hate AT&T. But there's a difference between wishing it were so and believing it will happen.

When the Intel transition happened, I was too busy working at AMD designing microprocessors and hoping Apple would pick us

 

[175170]

OK I can give you my perspective on this. Android phones can be hacked, much like WinMobile phones can be, with new ROMs. But the fact is that Android is shipped to the customer much like WinMo is which means its up to the carrier to provide the upgrades - not Google. So unlike the iPhone where Apple controls the updates on Android it'll be up to Verizon, TMobile, etc... to ship updates to their phones. Experience shows that this happens less than 1% of the time.

So for the average consumer yes, #3 is probably going to be true.

HTC is working on 2.0 for Hero.

 

[DakotaGuy]

Agreed. I hate AT&T. But there's a difference between wishing it were so and believing it will happen.

When the Intel transition happened, I was too busy working at AMD designing microprocessors and hoping Apple would pick us

I understand what you are saying. The real question is how long Apple will stay locked to one carrier as Android starts to branch out all over the place. If Apple stays committed to one carrier in the US the iPhone market share will start to stagnate as Android branches out. The fact is that millions of Americans are better served by Verizon and if Apple wants to kiss all of those sales away then I guess that is their business plan. We will see how brilliant it is a few years down the road.

 

[xhambonex]

The android app store will fail because no developer will want to make an app that will be pirated for free or copied by some chinese company for 50 cents. Apple's app store is actually a developer's dream...why do you think there are already 100k apps?

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/27/another-developer-reports-insane-iphone-piracy-rates/

To sum it up, this game dev made a game and on its first day of release it had a 95% piracy rate (which was estimated in the thousands).

That's not the only report either supposedly. I'm not claiming Android's store to be any better, but the App store isn't the greatest either. But I went and played with a Droid today, it was pretty cool.

 

[Vega$$$]

The thing you're forgetting is that the rest of the world doesn't use CDMA.

What exactly are you considering the rest of the world? Among numerous other countries, CDMA is used in China, Japan, India, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Venezuela, South Korea, etc. You phrase it as though the United States is the only country that uses CDMA and that is simply not the case.

 

[kallisti]

....I really would like a list of areas where ATT service is better.

Providence, Rhode Island. I've personally had much better coverage here since switching to AT&T.

 

[kallisti]

So how's that flash for the camera for your iPhone workin' out for ya... or the built-in zoom? Or that FM radio? Whoops. Available just lately on the Nano (while every MP3 makers -- even the crappy ones, such as Coby -- have already had it for years now).
[/I]

Personally, I do not find any of those features appealing. Some people might find a use for them, but they are not selling points for me. Flash on a phone camera? Yikes. FM? FM? I haven't listened to FM radio in at least 5 years.

 

[cjmillsnun]

Well, no of course 80 million (actually closer to 90 million) VZW subscribers would buy iPhones. I'm curious if you have any guesstimates as to how many units Apple & VZW would have to move in order to get an acceptable ROI.

As for Sprint teetering on the brink, yes they have been experiencing subscriber losses. However, they still have over 48 million subscribers and they're sitting on $6 Billion in cash. They're not in any immediate danger. The iPhone could very be the catalyst that might change their fortunes.

To make an acceptable ROI on a phone model that would only work on one network (even the chinese iPhone without wifi could be sold as a cheap iPhone everywhere else as it is still GSM/UTMS) would probably mean 8 million subscribers in addition to the defectors from AT&T (who in Apple's eyes are not new subscribers)

 

[DMann]

Personally, I do not find any of those features appealing. Some people might find a use for them, but they are not selling points for me. Flash on a phone camera? Yikes. FM? FM? I haven't listened to FM radio in at least 5 years.

Not to mention, the Droid does not pinch & zoom, nor does it perform data+voice simultaneously - talk about

a major handicap in the realm of multitasking. FM stations are available on the iPhone through several free apps,

all of which provide better reception via WiFi & 3G. The thinner profile and sleeker UI of the iPhone make a considerable

difference, IMO.

 

[MorphingDragon]

Not to mention, the Droid does not pinch & zoom, nor does it perform data+voice simultaneously - talk about

a major handicap in the realm of multitasking. FM stations are available on the iPhone through several free apps,

all of which provide better reception via WiFi & 3G. The thinner profile and sleeker UI of the iPhone make a considerable

difference, IMO.

Android is as of bigger rip off as Windows 7.

At least Sony is tying to be original with the UI.

 

[DMann]

Android is as of bigger rip off as Windows 7.

At least Sony is tying to be original with the UI.

True that. If anything, Droid will likely assist in increasing sales of the iPhone,

while, at the same time, further obliterating sales of WinMo phones. Looking

forward to Chrome.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

I'll believe it when I see it or Steve announces it...

Verizon needs the iPhone but Apple doesn't need Verizon and their dictatorial crippling of features in phones they sell... Can Apple wag the Verizon dog? Stay tuned... Verizon lost the iPhone once before rumour has it...

Re the Droid: Is it that bad?

 

[greygray]

I'll believe it when I see it or Steve announces it...

Verizon needs the iPhone but Apple doesn't need Verizon and their dictatorial crippling of features in phones they sell... Can Apple wag the Verizon dog? Stay tuned... Verizon lost the iPhone once before rumour has it...

Re the Droid: Is it that bad?

The Droid is not bad. It's quite a good phone, but it doesn't measure up at all to the iPhone IMO.

 

[heisetax]

Apple needs Verizon as much as Verizon needs Apple.

There was a pretty decent lag time between when Apple took on the Intel chips and when they finally made the switch. In that time the Intel chips caught up with and then began to beat the PowerPC chips, especially since IBM wasn't developing any models that made sense for the non-high end devices.

Verizon on the other hand is taking major swipes at the iPhone RIGHT NOW. I can't imagine they would have focused quite so much attack on the iPhone itself if it looked like Verizon would be getting the iPhone anes that they can get to work on their network.time soon.

There's a lot of reasons why Verizon has to advertise the way they do. Just like AT&T they want to sell more than one type of smartphone. By not having the iPhone they believe that they must advertise against it. If they had the iphone then they could relax like AT&T does & sell any old smartphone therestry can get to work with their network.

If the Droid plans on Verizon work as the product literature says it will Verizon will show Apple that they can live with Apple's many restrictions.

 

[xhambonex]

Not to mention, the Droid does not pinch & zoom, nor does it perform data+voice simultaneously - talk about

a major handicap in the realm of multitasking. FM stations are available on the iPhone through several free apps,

all of which provide better reception via WiFi & 3G. The thinner profile and sleeker UI of the iPhone make a considerable

difference, IMO.

Pinch to zoom is not on the droid yet. At least not here in the states, but its possible to have it put in. The browser seemed to work without it just fine. Most multitasking you would be doing would be just data work, but even so the iPhone doesn't multitask at all outside of music.

No its not as polished as the iPhone, but its a great if not the best option next to the iPhone (Until the HD2).