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Verizon CEO Plays Down Expectations for Imminent iPhone Launch

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Apr 12, 2001
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While claims continue to build regarding a release for a Verizon iPhone early next year, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg is continuing to play things close to the vest by once again refusing to acknowledge that any deal might be imminent. In fact, Seidenberg is going as far as to say that he hopes the carrier's 4G network that it is preparing to launch in the next few months will be the impetus to bring Apple on board.
Speaking to an investor conference Thursday, Seidenberg said nothing about an iPhone for the company's current network, but said he hopes Apple Inc. will come around and allow Verizon to sell the phone for a new network it's building. The "4G" network hasn't yet opened for service and won't be complete next year.
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Seidenberg would of course not reveal any news regarding a Verizon iPhone launch prior to an official launch, which would presumably involve Apple and Steve Jobs in some manner. Consequently, it is difficult to take his comments at face value, as the companies are almost certainly working more closely together than he is suggesting in his comments.

The Verizon CEO has noted several times in the past that Verizon is interested in carrying the iPhone, claiming in October 2009 that the decision was "exclusively in Apple's court" and confirming for the first time back in April that the carrier had specifically requested the right to carry the iPhone.

Seidenberg is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at next January's CES 2011 conference, leading to speculation that an announcement regarding a Verizon iPhone could take place there.

Article Link: Verizon CEO Plays Down Expectations for Imminent iPhone Launch
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/09/23/verizon-ceo-plays-down-expectations-for-imminent-iphone-launch/
Wait... people actually expect he would say "yes the iPhone is coming to Verizon"? Even if it is true, Apple would have their arses.

I dont think having 4G first will persuade apple to go to Verizon. Hell, the first iPhone was Edge only. :rolleyes:

Apple is probably more interested in the agreement and relationship they can form with a company.
 
Bring on the 4G iPhone. I'm sure Apple will bring one out next year for Verizon. With LTE networks coming on next year, Apple getting a new supplier for their radio chips (Qualcomm), and Apple also wanting to tap into the other Chinese mobile provider it only makes sense that next year Apple will be broadening the iPhone's reach. :)
 
WiiDSmoker said:
The way Verizon is gimping these Android phones; there is no way Apple would allow any of that.
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What do you mean "The way Verizon is gimping these Android Phones"?

I just got the Droid X and it is not gimped in any way. There is extra apps on the phone that duplicated features in Android that I was able to delete.

Can you do this with iPhone and their stock apps? NO. I know for a fact because I've owned them.

I take put on or take off anything that I want on the Droid X.

I love the phone and don't regret for a second switching to Verizon or putting my iToy to rest.

I have Flash on the Phone that I can turn on and off as I see fit. I can put an app on to hide ads.

If anyone is gimping phones it's Apple. I control what I have on my phone.
Steve Jobs tells you what you need on your phone and no you can't remove it if it's stock Apple app.

Do a little research before you spew ignorance.
 
The only thing that concerns me is that with Verizon's network, you cannot talk on the phone AND surf the data network at the same time....is this assumption correct? It's been a few years since I've used Verizon. My friend got a droid and he could not talk to me and look at maps at the same time. :(
 
MenLoveToys said:
What do you mean "The way Verizon is gimping these Android Phones"?

I just got the Droid X and it is not gimped in any way. There is extra apps on the phone that duplicated features in Android that I was able to delete.

Can you do this with iPhone and their stock apps? NO. I know for a fact because I've owned them.

I take put on or take off anything that I want on the Droid X.

I love the phone and don't regret for a second switching to Verizon or putting my iToy to rest.

I have Flash on the Phone that I can turn on and off as I see fit. I can put an app on to hide ads.

If anyone is gimping phones it's Apple. I control what I have on my phone.
Steve Jobs tells you what you need on your phone and no you can't remove it if it's stock Apple app.

Do a little research before you spew ignorance.
Click to expand...

BS. You cannot delete the Blockbuster, Amazon, NFL, etc. apps without rooting.

BTW, how is Skype working for you?
 
no i dont agree

WiiDSmoker said:
The way Verizon is gimping these Android phones; there is no way Apple would allow any of that.
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Because back in 06 or 07 when apple approached VZW they wanted to super brand the phone with there name, NOW thats drastically lower then ever before, all there phones aren't red backgrounds with Verizon on the screen everywhere, i hope both companies think about there customers and take a quick loss because they will have HUGE gain over a short time and going forward even after that!!:confused::confused::confused::confused:
 
WiiDSmoker said:
The way Verizon is gimping these Android phones; there is no way Apple would allow any of that.
Click to expand...

I believe the only VZW Android phone you could call "gimped" is the Samsung Fascinate which is set up for Bing searches.

(I'm beginning to wonder if it was RIM and Samsung who instigated the Bing deals with Microsoft, instead of Verizon. Verizon can't be too happy with the way the Kin worked out, even though it was their own fault for charging too much for data</strike>.)

Edit: Apparently Verizon has signed a deal with Microsoft to put Bing on all their smart and feature phones that are not under the "Droid" name.
 
Verizon will have LTE in 30 markets by the end of 2010. Also, he's not going to hint at any iPhone coming b/c it could slow sales of their android devices for the holidays. I would be surprised if there were not Verizon iPhone in Jan/Feb of next year and Shocked if there were no Verizon iPhone by next august.
 
Droid Does....suck!

MenLoveToys said:
What do you mean "The way Verizon is gimping these Android Phones"?
I just got the Droid X and it is not gimped in any way. There is extra apps on the phone that duplicated features in Android that I was able to delete.
Can you do this with iPhone and their stock apps? NO. I know for a fact because I've owned them.
I take put on or take off anything that I want on the Droid X.
I love the phone and don't regret for a second switching to Verizon or putting my iToy to rest.
I have Flash on the Phone that I can turn on and off as I see fit. I can put an app on to hide ads.
If anyone is gimping phones it's Apple. I control what I have on my phone.
Steve Jobs tells you what you need on your phone and no you can't remove it if it's stock Apple app.
Do a little research before you spew ignorance.
Click to expand...

Sorry to burst your bubble but yes, i have used both the Moto Droid & Droid Incredible........and the iPhone 3GS & 4. To compair the phones isnt even possible. They are totally differnt and its all opinion. But the surveys completed clearly show that if VZW got an iPhone that almost 28% would switch phones and or carries immediately that about 3.1+ million "which is how many iPhone 4's Apple sold in the first 3 days of the new phones launch. The iphone just works, doesn't require crap a "phone" wether smart or not shouldn't have, like how droid recomends an anti virus......seriously on a phone......u have that many issues!:mad: The droid has a app store full of spam & malicious software stealing over 78% of downloading users private info! Did u research that....before you posted...?..NO ONE wins here but iPhone is a stronger more secure phone with better easier operations and user interface fo me and millions of others!:D
 
Personally, his lack of an outright denial, and his speech in January, is somewhat fishy.

Still, I'm a happy Droid user who wouldn't mind an iPhone--who would love one actually--but I'll believe it when I physically hold it in my hands.
 
true

phillipjfry said:
The only thing that concerns me is that with Verizon's network, you cannot talk on the phone AND surf the data network at the same time....is this assumption correct? It's been a few years since I've used Verizon. My friend got a droid and he could not talk to me and look at maps at the same time. :(
Click to expand...

:(This is a great point, and a bad thing when looking at CMDA"verizon" there network doesnt support things like this. But honestly ill use wifi and deal with it when im on a call for better service any day!:D
 
SerenityInt said:
BS. You cannot delete the Blockbuster, Amazon, NFL, etc. apps without rooting.

BTW, how is Skype working for you?
Click to expand...

I don't use Skype. I have no need for it. I'm on an unlimited plan and don't call outside the USA.

Don't get into a War of OS's. It's not one you're going to win with the force behind Google and Android. And it's not one I'm going to waste my time with.

I love my Droid X. I returned my iPhone 4 and am glad I made the decision.

I have the Internet in my Pocket, you have a toy that does well at playing games and lousy at making calls.

It's a phone first as Consumer Reports and cNEt has said.
The iPhone 4 fails at being a stable phone.
 
1080p said:
.... or he could be "downplaying the deal" because there really isn't one...

GASP! :rolleyes:
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That's my guess as well. People just assume that since Apple is making CDMA phones it has to mean Verizon. But China uses CDMA, and that market can absorb All of the CDMA iPhone production.
 
ten-oak-druid said:
He knows about the contract between Apple and ATT until 2012. So why would he say any else?
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Contracts are rewritten all the time. That's essentially what a mortgage refi is.

There is a distinct possibility that the contract between AT&T and Apple has been revised since the original iPhone, including an expiration date that's not years off. We know that the original subscription revenue sharing arrangement was dropped in favor of an outright subsidy when Apple unveiled the iPhone 3G. Changing the exclusivity expiration date could have happened any time in the past three years.

Note that AT&T's exclusivity could have been tied to an SLA (service level agreement) as well. SLAs are quite common in enterprise contracts.
 
I heard that you can't multitask with voice and surf the web at the same time on the Verizon network. That will hurt them when that information is common knowledge.

Is that something that can change at launch or is that permanent?
 
WiiDSmoker said:
The way Verizon is gimping these Android phones; there is no way Apple would allow any of that.
Click to expand...

Verizon isn't stupid enough to try to demand that kind of control from Apple anymore. The extra revenue would more than make up for any lost monetization. The ecosystem on iOS devices is different than anything on Verizon's network; users are used to retrieving apps and paying for things. Putting their branded apps on the App Store might even create more demand for their value-added services. And Verizon gets a PR boost for having an unencumbered handset. There's really no negative for Verizon here.

But, like every other Verizon rumor, it isn't fully credible, so. We'll see, eh?
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

he's downplaying the launch because as Apple traditionally does, it would announce in January and he wants those Christmas handset sales!
 
macgirlPhD said:
Personally, his lack of an outright denial, and his speech in January, is somewhat fishy.
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#1. It is strategy. If he gives a glimmer of hope that VZW is getting iPhone soon, it may slow down AT&T renewals/activations.

#2. I'd be willing to bet the farm that at CES, VZW is going to announce their first 4G phone... a new DROID by Moto or HTC... "The new 4G Droid... coming soon... only from Verizon Wireless!" Expect a big marketing push.
 
hexhead said:
That's my guess as well. People just assume that since Apple is making CDMA phones it has to mean Verizon. But China uses CDMA, and that market can absorb All of the CDMA iPhone production.
Click to expand...
South Korea and India are also two large CDMA markets. Any of those three markets could absorb the entire CDMA iPhone production.

Apple won't roll out a Verizon-only CDMA handset. It would want multiple CDMA carrier partners to be cost-effective.
 
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