iPhone to Verizon Wireless?

[AbSoluTc]

Which Droid? The HTC incredible droid is blowing the doors off of any android based phone at the moment (other then the desire and evo). Its a great phone and verizon is unable to keep them on the shelf. they're flying off.

I was in the verizon store checking it out, and in a matter of minutes, they sold (rather ordered) 3 phones from walk ins. I stated ordered because everything is on back order.

I opted for the Nexus because its rootable (they've not been able to root the incredible), I'm also not wanting to leave the AT&T network yet, i.e., ETF and finally I should get Froyo on the Nexus before the incredible.

Well, when your carrier has nothing good and out comes a cool phone that is GOOD, of course it's going to fly off the shelves. Not much of a choice is there?

I had Verizon and the choice was terrible in terms of a smart phone. Or any GOOD phone for that matter. It still is. When people only have one GOOD choice, they will go with that choice. Give people MULTIPLE choices and the story changes.

The Incredible is only good because it's the only choice. Lol. You don't see people jumping ship from other carriers to get the incredible do you?

 

[JoJoCal19]

I had Verizon and the choice was terrible in terms of a smart phone. Or any GOOD phone for that matter. It still is. When people only have one GOOD choice, they will go with that choice. Give people MULTIPLE choices and the story changes.

Im sorry, take your fanboy blinders off. Verizon has a great selection of smartphones. Take away the iPhone an AT&T is just plain pathetic when it comes to smartphone selection. Lets count, Tour, Droid, Droid Eris, Incredible, Touch Pro 2, Imagio and Pre Plus are the top choices. Then they still have Omnia II, Pixi Plus, Devour, Storm 2, Curve 8350. They just added the LG Ally and LG Fathom. What does AT&T have other than iPhone?

 

[JoJoCal19]

You don't see people jumping ship from other carriers to get the incredible do you?

As a matter of fact yes, read the forums other than MacRumors. People are ditching AT&T and T-Mo to get the Incredible. Heck I know 3 people who left AT&T for the Moto Droid when it was launched and when I was at my bro-law's Verizon store just during the time he was activating my Droid 2 different iPhone users came in to switch and one of them had 2 lines with AT&T they were bringing over.

 

[mpossoff]

Im sorry, take your fanboy blinders off. Verizon has a great selection of smartphones. Take away the iPhone an AT&T is just plain pathetic when it comes to smartphone selection. Lets count, Tour, Droid, Droid Eris, Incredible, Touch Pro 2, Imagio and Pre Plus are the top choices. Then they still have Omnia II, Pixi Plus, Devour, Storm 2, Curve 8350. They just added the LG Ally and LG Fathom. What does AT&T have other than iPhone?

what else do you need when you have the iPhone?

Marc

 

[bradl]

what else do you need when you have the iPhone?

Marc

A decent Network that offers you the option of unlimited data. Something Verizon won't.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9db7287a-690e-11df-910b-00144feab49a.html

Verizon to offer 4G customers ‘buckets’ of data

By Paul Taylor

Published: May 26 2010 22:49 | Last updated: May 26 2010 22:49

Verizon Wireless, the largest US mobile network operator, signalled a key shift in its tariff structure on Wednesday when it said it expected to offer customers who sign up for its new 4G mobile broadband service monthly ‘buckets’ of data rather than more traditional per-minute voice plans with add-on data packages.

US network operators including Verizon Wireless see tiered monthly data plans as a way to capitalise on the recent rapid growth in smartphone-related data traffic and wean users off ‘unlimited’ data plans, while also benefiting from the cost savings associated with 4G networks.

Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and Britain’s Vodafone group, plans to launch commercial services on a new network based on LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology in 30 to 40 US metropolitan markets by the end of this year, and complete the roll-out within three years.

Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless’ chief executive, told investors attending a Barclays Capital media and technology conference in New York on Wednesday that the cost of carrying 1 megabyte of data over its LTE network would be half to one third the cost of carrying the same data over the company’s current 3G network.

Asked about pricing for 4G services, he said: “I expect people will have four or five or perhaps even more devices they will connect to the network,” and that it will therefore make sense for them to buy buckets of data by the megabyte.

At the same time he said he expected all voice traffic originating from LTE subscribers to be carried as a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) data service by 2012, resulting in significant additional savings.

While initial usage of the Verizon Wireless LTE network will be confined to mobile data cards and USB ‘dongles,’ Mr McAdam said the carrier would launch between three and five LTE handsets in the first half of next year and plans to show some of them at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

“People will be surprised by the number and variety of (4G) devices we will bring to the table,” he said. Sprint Nextel is due to launch the first 4G smartphone in the US, the EVO 4G, early next month.

Based on the tests which verizon Wireless has now completed, Mr McAdam said the new LTE network would support significantly faster ‘real world’ mobile data download speeds than the current 3G networks and rival networks using different 4G technologies.

While some rival mobile network operators have focused on price and low-cost pre-paid plans, Mr McAdam said the new network would enable Verizon Wireless to concentrate on “applications and higher bandwidth services” like mobile HD video services and video games.

Seeing that just about every decent app uses data, this screws everyone over. Calls over VOIP are okay, but you're screwed if you use any apps, like most everyone does. If I'm already paying for 'unlimited' data (whether capped or not, 3G, LTE, or otherwise), I should be able to get that, not have to buy it as I go along. Yet another reason why I'm glad I never went to Verizon.

BL.

 

[Geckotek]

A decent Network that offers you the option of unlimited data. Something Verizon won't.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9db7287a-690e-11df-910b-00144feab49a.html



Seeing that just about every decent app uses data, this screws everyone over. Calls over VOIP are okay, but you're screwed if you use any apps, like most everyone does. If I'm already paying for 'unlimited' data (whether capped or not, 3G, LTE, or otherwise), I should be able to get that, not have to buy it as I go along. Yet another reason why I'm glad I never went to Verizon.

BL.

You may be eating those words when AT&T rolls out LTE. Just like they followed Verizon's ETF, I'd bet my paycheck they follow this as well. ALL carriers are wanting to do this...Verizon's just the one most brazen to step out and do it first.

 

[bradl]

You may be eating those words when AT&T rolls out LTE. Just like they followed Verizon's ETF, I'd bet my paycheck they follow this as well. ALL carriers are wanting to do this...Verizon's just the one most brazen to step out and do it first.

Just because VZW did it first doesn't make them or the entire concept right. Keep in mind how many people left AOL when they were doing this back in the mid 90s. Even they saw how wrong it was, and went to flat rates! Most people would blow through their 'tiers' just with grabbing their email. And they call that the 'future'? Sounds like the Internet c. 1994!

People want flat rates for their bandwidth, and the company that offers them that will get their business. Verizon won't be it, when they go to this, and their competitors keep with flat rates.

BL.

 

[Geckotek]

Just because VZW did it first doesn't make them or the entire concept right.

I wasn't implying that in any way. But I am saying their competitors won't stay flat...ESP AT&T.

 

[yodaxl7]

I am staying with ATT unless LTE is available or 3G. I travel a lot, but where I live there is no 3G. I have noticed a better Edge support and phone signal. If Verizon has 3G in my area, I might. But, I do travel into big cities that has 3G. Plus, ATT 3g is faster. I don't make many calls. I prefer the company with faster download and price. So, I may get Verizon version in 2012. But, by then, ATT may have it too. Then in 2012, I am looking to see who have better coverage. I will never get an android phone. I like my apps.

 

[JoJoCal19]

If I remember correctly there was an article a while ago that AT&T was looking at going to a tiered data structure as well. No matter if Verizon does it first or AT&T, they will both end up that way in the end. Tacit collusion. One will raise prices with the understanding that the other will follow suit, just like with the ETF.

 

[kdarling]

Im sorry, take your fanboy blinders off. Verizon has a great selection of smartphones. Take away the iPhone an AT&T is just plain pathetic when it comes to smartphone selection. Lets count, Tour, Droid, Droid Eris, Incredible, Touch Pro 2, Imagio and Pre Plus are the top choices. Then they still have Omnia II, Pixi Plus, Devour, Storm 2, Curve 8350. They just added the LG Ally and LG Fathom. What does AT&T have other than iPhone?

+1 Verizon has a wide choice of really nice smartphones with all kinds of OSs, some with dual mode CDMA+GSM/HSPA.

Verizon's also field testing (see here about a lost phone) the Motorola Shadow (possibly aka "Droid XTreme") with EVO like specs (minus 4G).

This is a great year for smartphone lovers.

---

As far as tiered pricing, I have a feeling it's coming. It's one thing to offer all-you-can-eat when it works out with a reasonable average of small and big eaters. It's another when every customer eats a ton.

The choice is: raise the prices for everyone, or go tiered. And a lot of people don't like the idea of paying higher prices to subsidize the really big eaters. Just look at the complaints about Sprint's $10 fee.

 

[tuna]

Im sorry, take your fanboy blinders off. Verizon has a great selection of smartphones. Take away the iPhone an AT&T is just plain pathetic when it comes to smartphone selection. Lets count, Tour, Droid, Droid Eris, Incredible, Touch Pro 2, Imagio and Pre Plus are the top choices. Then they still have Omnia II, Pixi Plus, Devour, Storm 2, Curve 8350. They just added the LG Ally and LG Fathom. What does AT&T have other than iPhone?

Give the guy a break. Its true that they have a good selection of smartphones now, but even 8 months ago when I switched from Verizon to AT&T for an iPhone, Verizon had a TERRIBLE selection of phones, and it had always been known as having worse phone options than any other carrier. All the featurephones and mediaphones had the same extremely gimped Verizon interface and disabled all cool features that the phone might have had unlocked. As far as smartphones, the hottest thing that they were promoting was the Blackberry Storm- which was a disaster of a phone. FURTHER, until a short while before that, Verizon had been chargin g$45 a month for their smartphone data plan.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Im sorry, take your fanboy blinders off. Verizon has a great selection of smartphones. Take away the iPhone an AT&T is just plain pathetic when it comes to smartphone selection. Lets count, Tour, Droid, Droid Eris, Incredible, Touch Pro 2, Imagio and Pre Plus are the top choices. Then they still have Omnia II, Pixi Plus, Devour, Storm 2, Curve 8350. They just added the LG Ally and LG Fathom. What does AT&T have other than iPhone?

I'm not a fanboy. I used to have Verizon. I know exactly what they had when I left them 2 years ago. I know what they had up until a few months back. The biggest thing to hit them was the "Storm". After that, the Motorola Droid. The Storm was a failure. The Moto Droid not too far behind.

I am not talking about the last 6 months here. I am talking before that. Verizon had crap for phones and quite honestly, still does unless you want a Black Berry or an Android device which come out new every 6 months or so. No thanks.

 

[slider5634]

"Asked about pricing for 4G services, he said: 'I expect people will have four or five or perhaps even more devices they will connect to the network,' and that it will therefore make sense for them to buy buckets of data by the megabyte."

That statement makes it sound like they're talking about charging per account and not per line. If the pricing is reasonable, that might not be the most awful thing. Right now paying for a $30 data plan on more than one line adds up in a hurry.

On Topic, not just with the iPhone, but with every phone, exclusivity needs to end NOW!!! It's unfair to the consumer to expect them to go with one carrier to get a specific phone. It'd be different if all carriers had 100% coverage everywhere, but that's just not a reality.

I'm on Verizon right now. Had iPhone on AT&T and moved to a location where I unknowingly had no native AT&T coverage -- that's a story in itself. Ended up having to jump ship and have been missing my iPhone like mad. So, Apple could clearly gain some more income here by spreading the wealth so to speak. For some people, it's not about disliking a carrier, but simply that they can't own a phone if they get no coverage from the carrier selling it.

 

[bradl]

"Asked about pricing for 4G services, he said: 'I expect people will have four or five or perhaps even more devices they will connect to the network,' and that it will therefore make sense for them to buy buckets of data by the megabyte."

That statement makes it sound like they're talking about charging per account and not per line. If the pricing is reasonable, that might not be the most awful thing. Right now paying for a $30 data plan on more than one line adds up in a hurry.

On Topic, not just with the iPhone, but with every phone, exclusivity needs to end NOW!!! It's unfair to the consumer to expect them to go with one carrier to get a specific phone. It'd be different if all carriers had 100% coverage everywhere, but that's just not a reality.

I'm on Verizon right now. Had iPhone on AT&T and moved to a location where I unknowingly had no native AT&T coverage -- that's a story in itself. Ended up having to jump ship and have been missing my iPhone like mad. So, Apple could clearly gain some more income here by spreading the wealth so to speak. For some people, it's not about disliking a carrier, but simply that they can't own a phone if they get no coverage from the carrier selling it.

Tell said carriers to not try to build their own network using different technology, then try to pass that off as the 'standard', when GSM was being used internationally well before they even began to roll out their network. Both Sprint and Verizon had the chance to roll out TDMA at the same time ATT did (I had Sprint from 1998 - 2001), but went CDMA instead. TDMA was easier to move over to GSM, whereas CDMA would have required a complete teardown of their network. They (Sprint and VZW) marketed it as that all of their competitors will be going to CDMA, which didn't happen, while everyone else around the world were using a standard across different countries.

If Sprint and VZW had went to GSM even way back then, your complaint would be a non-issue.

BL.

 

[Gregintosh]

I was at a mall today and a verizon rep asked me if I want a phone. I said no cause I got an iPhone. He said in that case come back soon for their iPhone. I told him I think that is just a rumor but he said it was confirmed and took my info down to call me when they have it, and implied it would be real soon. Maybe he is a clueless rep or maybe he has some inside knowledge. Who knows.

He said also at exclusivity for Att was going to end early due to their failure to hold up their end of the bargain in delivering the service Apple wanted in the timeframes they agreed on (including 4g rollout).

 

[curly14]

I can just imagine the shock on all the nay-sayers face when Verzion gets the iphone. If they can put a man on the moon anything can be done.(With in reason of course)

 

[kdarling]

I am not talking about the last 6 months here. I am talking before that.

Don't squirm. You said, "The Incredible is only good because it's the only choice."

Verizon had crap for phones and quite honestly, still does unless you want a Black Berry or an Android device which come out new every 6 months or so. No thanks.

Verizon had some good phones even years ago, but they used to take forever to bring them out, and by the time they did, they were old news.

Verizon has a nice modern lineup nowadays. The Imagio is a terrific WinMo CDMA+GSM+TV phone with many fans. The Palm Pre and Pixi Plus models, while not selling as well as people hoped, also has die hard fans. And a third of RIM's world sales come from Verizon Blackberry owners. They're even the first to sell some early WP7-ish phones with the Kins.

But yes, it'd be very interesting to see the iPhone actually put up for sale directly against the EVO/ XTreme or Incredible/N-1.

 

[Wicked1]

No Verizon iPhone find something else to balk about

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/28/technology/verizon_iphone/index.htm

 

[bobr1952]

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/28/technology/verizon_iphone/index.htm

I just saw that story too--more fuel for the speculation fires.

 

[Geckotek]

Tell said carriers to not try to build their own network using different technology, then try to pass that off as the 'standard', when GSM was being used internationally well before they even began to roll out their network. Both Sprint and Verizon had the chance to roll out TDMA at the same time ATT did (I had Sprint from 1998 - 2001), but went CDMA instead. TDMA was easier to move over to GSM, whereas CDMA would have required a complete teardown of their network. They (Sprint and VZW) marketed it as that all of their competitors will be going to CDMA, which didn't happen, while everyone else around the world were using a standard across different countries.

If Sprint and VZW had went to GSM even way back then, your complaint would be a non-issue.

BL.

I was in the wireless industry at the time of the TDMA and CDMA rollouts. My TDMA phone was horrendous. People often sounded like they were talking underwater.

CDMA on the other hand did not have those issues. CDMA was always superior when it came to voice quality. And at the time GSM was nothing but a European standard that they chose to market at "Global". Other countries were testing CDMA as well. So it was a toss-up.


Edit: And exactly how would this end carrier exclusivity anyway?

 

[Geckotek]

I was at a mall today and a verizon rep asked me if I want a phone. I said no cause I got an iPhone. He said in that case come back soon for their iPhone. I told him I think that is just a rumor but he said it was confirmed and took my info down to call me when they have it, and implied it would be real soon. Maybe he is a clueless rep or maybe he has some inside knowledge. Who knows.

He said also at exclusivity for Att was going to end early due to their failure to hold up their end of the bargain in delivering the service Apple wanted in the timeframes they agreed on (including 4g rollout).

He's probably a staunch Verizon supporter here on MR.

 

[kryten3000]

I can just imagine the shock on all the nay-sayers face when Verzion gets the iphone. If they can put a man on the moon anything can be done.(With in reason of course)

I am sure that in the ultimate end of the matter Verizon Wireless will end up with a LTE iPhone. Their will be no CDMA iPhone though, that kind of speculation is just so far out it's unbelievable.

 

[Geckotek]

I am sure that in the ultimate end of the matter Verizon Wireless will end up with a LTE iPhone. Their will be no CDMA iPhone though, that kind of speculation is just so far out it's unbelievable.

Actually, the speculation that an LTE only phone will come out is less believable than an LTE/CDMA phone or a CDMA phone later followed by a CDMA/LTE phone.

CDMA will be around for another decade. It will be some time before the voice protocols on LTE are ready to go. So a CDMA/LTE phone is most likely.

 

[kryten3000]

If what I have read is to be believed the nessisary tech to provide voice over, or side by side, LTE is in the works. The understanding is that by the time the next generation (2011 or later) is in production the solution will be found.