I wonder if he asked before or after he started to specifically attack the iphone in its war with att?
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Verizon CEO Reveals That He Has Asked Apple for iPhone Rights
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It's possible that those world-band radio chips are voice-only, which wouldn't help data. There might also be a performance issue (reception, battery performance, etc.) and/or possibly cost.
Not at all. Palm, Samsung and others have been making dual band phones for years, some were cheap and others expensive but both could access data and voice while in other countries.
Having a dual band phone and an agreement with AT&T could help iPhone users with sucky AT&T coverage, allowing them to roam on Verizon's network.
And again, as was said two years ago, Apple is going for the dough. Having AT&T as well as Verizon offering the iPhone would bode well for everyone.
And if Apple wants to get on the 4G wagon early there's always that underdog Sprint.
Seidenberg is begging. For a Fortune 500 CEO, he is positively groveling.Make him beg.
As an AAPL shareholder, I'm on the fence about this one, mostly because I can't drill down to COGS on a CDMA iPhone.
Yes, there is a upside in terms of U.S. sales revenue and a few other markets (South Korea, Japan). Is it enough to cover their R&D costs, plus marketing, distribution, support? I don't want Apple to erode their fat margins greatly.
Remember, I'm getting used to stubbing my toe on one of these moneybags haphazardly strewn about the place. I do not want Apple to pursue a CDMA-based iPhone if they are just breaking even.
Bring it to T-Mobile USA instead. T-Mobile USA has one third the number of Verizon subscribers, but the cost of altering the iPhone to work with the T-Mobile network is probably minimal. There are plenty of jailbroken/unlocked phones running quite nicely on the T-Mobile USA network using GSM for voice and EDGE for data.
As AT&T continues to roll out it's network into those Rural area gaps, with higher performance 3G results, the Red Map advertisements will become fewer until they don't exist.
Better idea: T-Mobile needs to upgrade it's network to LTE when it does it's 4G roll out and make sure it's compatible with AT&T's LTE roll out.
Cost to Apple will be the next Apple iPhone will be 4G ready for LTE only as expected and our stock continues to grow.
By the time that happens Verizon may very well be on their way to the largest 4G LTE network, leaving AT&T behind in the dust once again.
I've been thinking about this a bit lately... There will be NO announcement until the AT&T deal is up. Can you imagine if anyone from one of these companies confirmed this... AT&T would FLIP, it would most likely cause MAJOR legal repercussions.
So most likely, no announcement until June...
So most likely, no announcement until June...
They are all probably in a deep hole somewhere calling out "can you hear me now?"
Apple could be working on putting the iPhone on another carrier right in front of AT&T's face and AT&T couldn't do anything to touch them unless it was released during the contract period. Either way it's none of their business, they know when the contract is up, and they can bet Apple is going to run to another carrier ASAP.
I am sure many wouldn't though, especially if they can't even talk to begin with.
But, even in their deep hole, people can still hear them.
Unless they have an Iphone, where 5 bars still means dropped calls (in the US with AT&T).
How quickly memory fades.
The original iPhone at launch required a two-year contract even though it was not subsidized by AT&T. Supposedly, the two-year contract allowed Apple to get AT&T to reduce the price of the data plan down to $20 (typical data plans at the time were at least $40 with most $50+, so unlimited EDGE data + 250 text messages was a great deal). I’m sure it also helped line Apple’s pockets since they had a revenue sharing agreement with AT&T for the first iPhone.
You agreed to the two-year contract via iTunes. If you never activated iTunes, you didn’t agree to the contract (which created quite a black market for iPhones on eBay).
You could also cancel the data plan on the original iPhone if you wanted (at that point AT&T didn’t care since you were locked into a 2 year voice contract anyway and they didn’t help subsidize your phone).
Alternatively, if you typed in 999-99-9999 as your social security number you were presented with AT&T’s prepaid options for the iPhone, which although cost more up front were contract free.
The original iPhone’s two-year contract reached the “half life” point at the end of June 2008. The iPhone 3G was introduced around the same time and became available for purchase in mid-July.
AT&T allowed all original iPhone users to purchase an iPhone 3G at that time by simply getting them to restart their now 1-year contract back to two-years. Again, since AT&T didn’t subsidize the first phone they weren’t out in money with regards to hardware.
This last move is what caused such an uproar last summer when the 3GS was introduced. The 3G owners couldn’t upgrade without paying $200 more for the 3GS unless they happened to have very expensive voice plans with AT&T (and therefore had already paid back most of their subsidy).
Isn’t the cell phone market in the United States great?
Here are some big IFs and COULDs
IF the iPhone is brought to Verizon and IF 4.0 supports multitasking, COULD Verizon offer an iPhone "Voip data plan"? I mean they already offer VOIP home phones in certain parts of the country. Just like Skype, Verizon could have it's own phone App that uses data. This is technically what the phone function on the current iPhone is anyways, just an App. This would solve the problem of Voice and Data at the same time, because both would be done over the data network. Now I can surf the internet and make a call at the same time and have better coverage. Unlimited voice/data plans are getting cheaper and are starting to become the norm anyways, so minutes aren't an issue anymore. Just offer Data only plans with the "Verizon VOIP APP". Hmmmmm just a thought.
IF the iPhone is brought to Verizon and IF 4.0 supports multitasking, COULD Verizon offer an iPhone "Voip data plan"? I mean they already offer VOIP home phones in certain parts of the country. Just like Skype, Verizon could have it's own phone App that uses data. This is technically what the phone function on the current iPhone is anyways, just an App. This would solve the problem of Voice and Data at the same time, because both would be done over the data network. Now I can surf the internet and make a call at the same time and have better coverage. Unlimited voice/data plans are getting cheaper and are starting to become the norm anyways, so minutes aren't an issue anymore. Just offer Data only plans with the "Verizon VOIP APP". Hmmmmm just a thought.
Strong points....
Living in the DC area - Verizon has by far the best coverage. Though it is slowly changing they are the only one that has access in the Metro tunnels.
Would I be willing to pay more for "perceived" better coverage.... nope. And as of now ATT has more free hotspots it seems for wifi than Verizon.
I have the 1st iPhone (bought on Day 2 LOL) - so I am way beyond my contract. I would welcome Verizon to join in on the game... may the best deal win!
For me it would be the carrier that offers tethering for the iPad. Maybe I am the lone voice out here - but if I have the iPhone on ATT, then why should I not be able to tether it to an iPad and use the data plan that I all ready have?
Since the 3G units of the iPad have yet to ship... we don't know how video performance will be with the likes of Netflix, ABC, and CBS. I want 3G for the iPad simply because of being able to browse the web in a nicer way - when I can get to a free hotspot. (I generally load up my iPhone with a few movies that I own with Handbrake - but there have been times that I ran through them because of delays.) Do like the idea of getting a Netflix account and get some movies of the month - but when I do go on the road and have no wifi spot - being able to kill some time.
For me 3G is a lifeline when there are no free hotspots out there. Yes I am cheap. $10 in most cases for a 2 to 3 hour layover sucks. Less so maybe at hotels that charge the same for each day of the stay. I know that my iPhone can be a lifeline at hotels till I get to a cafe - but the larger screen of the iPad would be so much nicer long term
Don't travel as much as I used too... but 3G access from an iPhone to my iPad would make some of the 2 to 6 hour delays tolerable for me. Just let me tether - even with limits.
Are you listening ATT and Verizon? May the best plan when!
Come on Thursday!
Haven't been through all the replies... LOL
But is it far fetched that Verizon's comments are coming just two days before the iPhone 4.0 software announcement?
In the business world, somethings can be said.... and other things not said. Yeah, maybe Verizon realized they screwed up not working with Apple in the first place. But IMHO Apple went with ATT (over T-Mobile) for the strength of the network. GSM is the global leader in users - while CDMA is mainly a player here in the US market.
In personal chats with Verizon users - they either have "corporate" contracts that make it less likely to switch, or they ride the Metro here in DC (see my previous post on that topic), or they "know" from past experience that ATT does not fully cover the areas they need coverage (so far in my local area I have few places that I can't get a signal - and most of those are the remaining backroads that I commute on - with the country estates and such.
Wish I could borrow a friends Verzon phone for an overnight and see how it performs on my perfect commute each day. Ten miles on the Dulles Toll Road with pretty much decent access to the network. Or ten miles on the backroads - adding maybe 10 minutes at most... which would you do?
Now what I see as a possibility - is that Verizon have the 1st World iPhone, capable of GSM and CDMA. Yeah, I know there would be lots of questions about roaming charges. But when I was with Sprint (CDMA) there were no roaming charges on the Verizon network with my Palm phone.
But is it far fetched that Verizon's comments are coming just two days before the iPhone 4.0 software announcement?
In the business world, somethings can be said.... and other things not said. Yeah, maybe Verizon realized they screwed up not working with Apple in the first place. But IMHO Apple went with ATT (over T-Mobile) for the strength of the network. GSM is the global leader in users - while CDMA is mainly a player here in the US market.
In personal chats with Verizon users - they either have "corporate" contracts that make it less likely to switch, or they ride the Metro here in DC (see my previous post on that topic), or they "know" from past experience that ATT does not fully cover the areas they need coverage (so far in my local area I have few places that I can't get a signal - and most of those are the remaining backroads that I commute on - with the country estates and such.
Wish I could borrow a friends Verzon phone for an overnight and see how it performs on my perfect commute each day. Ten miles on the Dulles Toll Road with pretty much decent access to the network. Or ten miles on the backroads - adding maybe 10 minutes at most... which would you do?
Now what I see as a possibility - is that Verizon have the 1st World iPhone, capable of GSM and CDMA. Yeah, I know there would be lots of questions about roaming charges. But when I was with Sprint (CDMA) there were no roaming charges on the Verizon network with my Palm phone.
I just moved from Sprint to Verizon so bring on the Verizon iPhone. However, I'll have to pay the retail price of the iPhone since I have a two-year contract with my BlackBerry.