Verizon Reiterates Claims of World-Mode Next-Generation iPhone, Simultaneous With AT&T Debut

[MacRumors]

Reuters reports that Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo today reiterated his earlier claim that the next-generation iPhone will in fact be a "world mode" device capable of running on both GSM and CDMA. Furthermore, Shammo noted that Verizon will be able to launch the iPhone simultaneously with the device's debut on rival AT&T.

While Verizon has sold fewer iPhones than some analysts expected, Shammo said he was happy with sales of the "six-month-old phone" that only works in some countries.

When the next iPhone model launches Verizon will be able to offer it at the same time as AT&T. Verizon's version will also work in as many countries as AT&T's iPhone, which has global coverage, Shammo said.

Shammo also addressed the topic of LTE 4G compatibility for the iPhone, calling it "a bigger issue for Apple" in seemingly hinting that the device will not support the technology, in line with recent reports pointing to a lack of LTE chipsets meeting Apple's design and power requirements.

Shammo said that even if the next iPhone does not support LTE, Verizon will have enough high-speed alternatives to sell.

"I think it's a bigger issue for Apple than it is for us," he said. "Depending on where Apple plays, that's where we'll sell."

Finally, Shammo confirmed that Verizon will drop unlimited data plans by this summer, moving instead to a tiered system used by AT&T and other carriers that charges customers more if they use greater amounts of data. Verizon hopes to offset this shift somewhat by introducing family plans for data, allowing multiple devices to share from a single pool of data allowance. Mobile phone companies have long offered family plans for voice minutes, and a shift to similar offerings for data could increase users' flexibility and reduce prices compared to current offerings where each device is required to have its own data plan.

Article Link: Verizon Reiterates Claims of World-Mode Next-Generation iPhone, Simultaneous With AT&T Debut

 

[eawmp1]

Wonder (again) what Steve thinks about these "revelations?"

 

[SilianRail]

I can't think of anything more worthless than a 4G phone with a 200 MB data limit.

 

[alent1234]

can't wait till AT&T moved to family data. only reason my father in law won't get a smartphone is the extra data plan

 

[Thunderhawks]

I can't think of anything more worthless than a 4G phone with a 200 MB data limit.

Scentless deodorant

Non sticky tape

feel free to add!

 

[0007776]

This would be awesome, especially if Apple starts selling them with the SIM card slot unlocked. I'd love to be able to use Verizon when I'm in the US, and put in a prepaid SIM when I'm outside of the US.

 

[Biolizard]

Scentless deodorant

Non sticky tape

feel free to add!

Zimbabwean dollars

 

[HMFIC03]

I knew this was going to happen, but I expected it in the iPad 2. Not doing so makes the logistics of manufacture, distribution and supply hard on everyone. c'mon there are 18 different models of iPad2 and 12 different iPhone 4's models now.

 

[Born Again]

am i the only one that isnt quite sold on 4G

first of all most people out there arent power users like myself (yes i am awesome - i am great); the don't need the speed but are just caught up in the marketing



second of all - battery life - seriously. can i make it a day without having to charge my iphone at a bar and hope nobody steals it?

3rdly - yes thirdly - what a weird handshake there

 

[David G.]

Scentless deodorant

Non sticky tape

feel free to add!

Silicon tape actually is more useful than a crippled smart phone...

 

[ten-oak-druid]

I had just read the article about Verizon dropping the unlimited plans and moving to more tiered plans with family plan options. I hope ATT and other carriers do this to. The small percentage of people opting for unlimited plans will moan and complain but seriously, those of us using much less data are gouged by requiring much larger data plans than needed over a data plan much too small. All that gouging of course subsidizes the price of the larger data plans. Of course it sounds great to advertise how cheap the larger plans are. You never see ATT for instance advertising how great their 200mb plan is.

The family plans will be great as well. I will pay for a larger plan if multiple devices will benefit.

I can't think of anything more worthless than a 4G phone with a 200 MB data limit.

Well the question going forward is whether Apple will continue to offer 3G iphones for people who really do not use mobile data much. Many are happy to use wifi for internet access and mobile access only occasionally. Will these people be required to spend large amounts on 4G phones 2 years form now when that doesn't offer much benefit?

 

[bbplayer5]

Try our new LTE networks! Oh btw, you only get 2gbs of data that you will use in the first 2 days.


Thank you and come again!

 

[Rodimus Prime]

if the world phone is like other world phones Verizon sells the phones will be edge only on the GSM side but I do not see that being a big deal. THat is more a limitation of the chipset design than anything else. I think adding in GSM 3G would just increase the space for very little if anything gained.

 

[0007776]

am i the only one that isnt quite sold on 4G

No, I'm not sold on it, I don't think the infrastructure for 4G will be there before I want to upgrade the phone anyway.

 

[bbplayer5]

I had just read the article about Verizon dropping the unlimited plans and moving to more tiered plans with family plan options. I hope ATT and other carriers do this to. The small percentage of people opting for unlimited plans will moan and complain but seriously, those of us using much less data are gouged by requiring much larger data plans than needed over a data plan much too small. All that gouging of course subsidizes the price of the larger data plans. Of course it sounds great to advertise how cheap the larger plans are. You never see ATT for instance advertising how great their 200mb plan is.

The family plans will be great as well. I will pay for a larger plan if multiple devices will benefit.

You are COMPLETELY wrong. So wrong i wont even argue after this post. I switched to Verizon and got the Thunderbolt for LTE. On my iPhone 4 with AT&T I was around 800mb per month. With this thing the first month I went over 16 gig... last month 9 gig. Thats more data in a month than I did in an entire year on iPhone 4.

You cannot ever have a good LTE network and cap data at 2-5gb. You literally cant stay under it. Why give us that kind of speed and not be able to use it? Its called greed.

 

[Ashyukun]

I had a hard time reading through that because I kept seeing 'ShamWow' instead of 'Shammo'... -_-;

 

[ten-oak-druid]

You are COMPLETELY wrong. So wrong i wont even argue after this post. I switched to Verizon and got the Thunderbolt for LTE. On my iPhone 4 with AT&T I was around 800mb per month. With this thing the first month I went over 16 gig... last month 9 gig. Thats more data in a month than I did in an entire year on iPhone 4.

You cannot ever have a good LTE network and cap data at 2-5gb. You literally cant stay under it. Why give us that kind of speed and not be able to use it? Its called greed.

Well it is great for you that you decided to use more data and got it cheap. But your personal experience really doesn't make my statement wrong. I never said to cap anything. I was talking about price structures and data tiers. There needs to be lower prices on lower tiers and people who want more data should pay the cost rather than the rest of us paying for 10GB instead of a measly 200MB when 1 or 2GB would suffice.

 

[Nermal]

This would be awesome, especially if Apple starts selling them with the SIM card slot unlocked. I'd love to be able to use Verizon when I'm in the US, and put in a prepaid SIM when I'm outside of the US.

I can't speak for Verizon, but one of the tricks that Telecom used here is that even with a local SIM, the phones would always connect via CDMA if it was available. In other words, if you went to the US and put an AT&T SIM in, you'd still connect via Verizon or Sprint.

Obviously that's not an issue if you travel to a country without CDMA, or if there's an option to turn off the CDMA radio. Do other Verizon devices provide this option?

 

[johnydecali]

Scentless deodorant

Non sticky tape

feel free to add!

AT&T Edge

 

[decimortis]

I'm never giving up my 6GB contract with Fido...not that I ever use that much, but just knowing I have it makes me hungry...err, happy.

D.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Furthermore, Shammo noted that Verizon will be able to launch the iPhone simultaneously with the device's debut on rival AT&T.

Correction: "...Verizon will be able to launch the iPhone simultaneously with the device's debut on rival AT&T [and Sprint.]"

 

[ciTiger]

World mode but still locked to a specific operator... That sux...

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I can't speak for Verizon, but one of the tricks that Telecom used here is that even with a local SIM, the phones would always connect via CDMA if it was available. In other words, if you went to the US and put an AT&T SIM in, you'd still connect via Verizon or Sprint.

Obviously that's not an issue if you travel to a country without CDMA, or if there's an option to turn off the CDMA radio. Do other Verizon devices provide this option?

Only one that I know of that can get around that limitation was/is the blackberry storm. The others sites report time and time again that if you are in the US there is no way to us GSM network. The Blackberry being the ONLY exception to the rule.

 

[Mr Fusion]

Reuters reports that Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo...

... Shammo?

 

[0007776]

Obviously that's not an issue if you travel to a country without CDMA, or if there's an option to turn off the CDMA radio. Do other Verizon devices provide this option?

My Verizon blackberry storm allows you to turn off CDMA and only connect to a GSM network. I suppose it's possible that Verizon could cripple it but if it really is a world phone, then I'd imagine that it will be the same exact phone for all carriers to save on the costs of running separate assembly lines, so it should be one easy hack away on a jail broken phone.