Verizon Spokesman: No iPhone Plans in 'Immediate Future'

[charlituna]

Johnson's comments are not much of a surprise, considering that he would be unable to divulge any such plans if they did exist

or he is simply telling the truth in a polite way without getting into the whole "because ATT has an exclusive contract with Apple for carrying the iphone until 2012, as was announced by Jobs on day one. So even if we wanted the iphone we can't have it" stuff. Since he wants the focus to be on what they do have. Given that that is his job

 

[Kstone113]

For starters you could use all the data you want untill june 7th so get your facts straight son. And then if you have the unlimited plan you can keep it because it's grandfathered over. So no one is being forced to change.

Also i hope you have that attitude when VZW rolls out the same tiered pricing plan. LEt's see then how greener the grass is on your side then.

Between VZdub and AT&T...it's a copy cat thing. If one makes a change...most of the time the other will. Now not always, like the roll over minutes with AT&T but still...in most cases with a major move like this, they will. I believe VZdub will roll out the same/similiar kind of changes to a tier'd pricing plan for data.

MERCY!!!! 15gigs of DATA monthly on your droid....what in the world are you doing on that thing? That is some serious data useage and your are the exception or in the 5% that uses that much. If you are just doing this solely on your droid...wow...I'm amazed and appauld you!!!! You are definitely getting your $$$ worth! I looked at what I use on my iPhone with AT&T and the most I used which they have record of is 299mb's. I am thinking about switching down to the $25 dataplus package when I get the new iPhone coming up.

As far as the iPhone coming to VZdub....I am still unsure. Common sense tells me next year but that doesn't always add up. I know for a fact Verizon employees have told people I know it is coming in October. I'm in the Chicago burbs and my AT&T coverage is great! I welcome the iPhone to Verizon because that will mean people jumping ship and even better coverage and less stress on the network. Since I'll be signing a new 2 year with the new iPhone with AT&T....I'll see where VZdub and AT&T are 2 years from now with 4G and coverage and make a decision whether I go over to VZdub. Note....I was with Verizon for 8 years before I switched to AT&T 2 years ago. Been very happy with my service with AT&T. But for those who don't get the kind of coverage I get in Chicago land...I really feel for those who really want an iPhone but get crappy coverage...I down deep believe if the iPhone would of launched with Verizon in '07, they would have very similiar problems with dropped called. NOBODY knew how popular this phone would be and if Verizon would of been smart and taken Apple Demands....AT&T would probably be in as good as shape as Sprint is right now.

 

[SinfonianShrek]

For starters you could use all the data you want untill june 7th so get your facts straight son. And then if you have the unlimited plan you can keep it because it's grandfathered over. So no one is being forced to change.

Also i hope you have that attitude when VZW rolls out the same tiered pricing plan. LEt's see then how greener the grass is on your side then.

First off, the comment I was referencing was dealing strictly based on the price between $15 and $30. I'm well aware that current customers can maintain their $30 unlimited plan. Assuming my ignorance does little to increase the impression that you are in any way, shape, or form more knowledgeable than I in anything much less the topic at hand.

Secondly, when Verizon makes the change to a tiered plan like this then I'll simply change my habits and do most of my mobile internet consumption via WiFi. I was simply speaking of the immediate future. AT&T's plan changes in how many days? There isn't even an announced change to Verizon's service as of yet.

Thirdly, whatever happened to the idea of reasonable discussion? I state a simple truth: for that $30 I get, and will continue to get until Verizon changes its plans, unlimited data. For the $15 a person will be limited to 200MB (with $15 for every 200MB of overage) once the cut over happens. In response you assume ignorance on my part and respond in a rather demeaning manner. What is your problem?

 

[NoExpectations]

well the contract extension thing is on shaky grounds now that Apple killed the $30 unlimited plan just two months after Steve Jobs announced it as one of the landmark pros of the iPad 3G.

Why? It's even better now. If you are an existing ATT customer, you get to keep the $30/mo unlimited plan.

All customers can enter with $15/mo. Far better than the others who charge $60/mo.

 

[Anuba]

Gee, that's too bad.

I had FOUR dropped calls with AT&T this morning.

What the hell is AT&T doing? They have the same infrastructure equipment as every other carrier in the world. Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent boxes. But you have to deploy tons of them, cheapskates...

I've had zero dropped calls on my iPhone 3G here in Scandinavia after Apple fixed some bugs in the iPhone OS (I had dropped calls initially but that was due to the initial release of iPhone OS 2.0... 2.0.2 took care of that).

 

[pmz]

Exactly the response one would expect, including the emphasis on the word immediate.

With new hardware launching on AT&T in 4 days, it will be another long summer of exclusivity. Come September, which is in no way the "immediate future" we're going to hear something regarding new carriers. By years end, there will undoubtedly be a Verizon iPhone.

But any spokesperson would be expected to say just this, "Not yet, but, look at all our great phones!"

 

[SinfonianShrek]

Between VZdub and AT&T...it's a copy cat thing. If one makes a change...most of the time the other will. Now not always, like the roll over minutes with AT&T but still...in most cases with a major move like this, they will. I believe VZdub will roll out the same/similiar kind of changes to a tier'd pricing plan for data.

MERCY!!!! 15gigs of DATA monthly on your droid....what in the world are you doing on that thing? That is some serious data useage and your are the exception or in the 5% that uses that much. If you are just doing this solely on your droid...wow...I'm amazed and appauld you!!!! You are definitely getting your $$$ worth! I looked at what I use on my iPhone with AT&T and the most I used which they have record of is 299mb's. I am thinking about switching down to the $25 dataplus package when I get the new iPhone coming up.

As far as the iPhone coming to VZdub....I am still unsure. Common sense tells me next year but that doesn't always add up. I know for a fact Verizon employees have told people I know it is coming in October. I'm in the Chicago burbs and my AT&T coverage is great! I welcome the iPhone to Verizon because that will mean people jumping ship and even better coverage and less stress on the network. Since I'll be signing a new 2 year with the new iPhone with AT&T....I'll see where VZdub and AT&T are 2 years from now with 4G and coverage and make a decision whether I go over to VZdub. Note....I was with Verizon for 8 years before I switched to AT&T 2 years ago. Been very happy with my service with AT&T. But for those who don't get the kind of coverage I get in Chicago land...I really feel for those who really want an iPhone but get crappy coverage...I down deep believe if the iPhone would of launched with Verizon in '07, they would have very similiar problems with dropped called. NOBODY knew how popular this phone would be and if Verizon would of been smart and taken Apple Demands....AT&T would probably be in as good as shape as Sprint is right now.

I participate in a lot of development projects for Android. I'm working with some friends to try and develop a reasonable media player with decent codec support and that's currently my big bandwidth hog. I do almost nightly tests of builds and try to stream large files from a public server over the cellular connection.

Aside from that I have a few scripts doing regular checks on my work servers (every 5 minutes) so that I know when one of my public services goes down before the company's e-mail alert system will even register the failure.

No, I don't have good battery life but I do have great uptime.

 

[Scooterman1]

Immediate is a long word with a very short wait.

 

[charlituna]

There's obviously not going to be a Verizon iPhone next week but I think, if anything, this only provides more evidence for the rumored November/2011 launch.

How so?

You do know that if you already have the unlimited plan

For starters you could use all the data you want untill june 7th

Actually no. If you actually read the fine print you signed to when you got the iphone, you would recall a clause giving them the right to charge you more money if you go over 5GB so long as they give you advance warning and allow you a free out on your contract if you don't agree.

The first overage or perhaps two (if they aren't right together) they might let slide. but if you are going over 5GB every month or so they will most certainly slap you with a charge. You are that 3% they want to snag as the bandwidth hogs. Not the 97% that according to ATT rarely to never goes over even 2GB (and even the rarely according to them don't go over on a regular basis so the 1GB for $10 won't be that huge an issue)

Didn't the whole no contract unlimited data plan at&t offered for the ipad extend the Iphone exclusivity agreement 6 months.

there is zero proof that such an agreement exists.

 

[LondonCentral]

Hmm..

...you guys have a weird network thing going on, and as an outsider...reading about it is bloody boring!

I'm going to have an 02 pay as you go sim with 12 months unlimited internet browsing when I get the new iPhone.

The last thing I want is to be stuck with an 18 or 24 month contract and then having to buy myself out of it or pay over the odds to upgrade to the next iPhone (probably with an even longer contract!). I've said it before and I'll say it again, Europeans are increasingly buying their phones sans contract (and either going pre-pay or using an existing contract) and apparently more and more American consumers are doing this too.

 

[pmz]

Gee, that's too bad.

I had FOUR dropped calls with AT&T this morning.

But I've had FOUR dropped calls with AT&T in 4 years....

So, perhaps you (shocker) live in an area without great AT&T coverage? I'm not excusing AT&T for any of the poor service they sell, but it doesn't mean they don't offer good or even excellent service in other, or most, areas.

 

[kironin]

Popular or not, it's on its way out. Remember what Steve said in the D8 interview about having limited resources and therefore having to choose which horses to ride? Picking technologies that are in their spring, not their autumn? Technologies that have a trajectory leading into the future? CDMA has no such trajectory, it's a dead end. It would be very un-Apple to jump on a horse with two hooves in the grave.

Thinking the same thing, this would be the best argument against a CDMA phone. Now it will be interesting to see how much Apple fears Android next week. If they announce a CDMA phone or even say something about a LTE phone coming, then it's a lot given Steve's statements at D8.

 

[charlituna]

well the contract extension thing is on shaky grounds now that AT&T killed the $30 unlimited plan just two months after Steve Jobs announced it as one of the landmark pros of the iPad 3G.

Are you willing to back up that statement with your real name and your position at either Apple or ATT. Otherwise you are spreading theories and guess work as fact.

We don't know that such an extension exists. We don't know the conditions if it does. For all we know, Jobs asked for them to lower the prices. Or at least it was done with his blessing.

 

[jman314]

Secondly, when Verizon makes the change to a tiered plan like this then I'll simply change my habits and do most of my mobile internet consumption via WiFi.

Wow, that's a lot of data. Just curious are you tethering or doing all of this on your phone? I thought I used a lot of data but mine is nothing compared to yours.


nevermind, your already answered. Thanks!!!!

 

[icyfire]

Why? It's even better now. If you are an existing ATT customer, you get to keep the $30/mo unlimited plan.

All customers can enter with $15/mo. Far better than the others who charge $60/mo.

It doesn't matter whether it's better or not. AT&T usurped Steve Jobs's announcement which I consider a big deal. Now if Steve had never announced the plan so prominently during the iPad unveiling, then it might not be as big a deal. But he pretty much made it one of the main tenents of the iPad 3G and is now made to look like a fool when AT&T changes the gameplan a mere 2 months later. Plus, if this was a joint decision, I think we would have heard Steve say something about it. I have a feeling that something fell through and the reason probably was Apple's insistence on pursuing a multi carrier model (not necessarily Verizon though, could be anyone).

 

[Popeye206]

Let's see.... you're Verizon and it's a week before Steve Jobs takes the stage to make "major" announcements.... maybe even a Verizon deal.... knowing that Apple gets upset when the PR apple cart is tipped, don't you think the response would be exactly what this guy said?

The iPhone on Verizon would be the biggest thing to hit Verizon in decades. They are not going to risk tainting the deal if it's in the wings.

Don't expect anything until Steve opens the box at the developers conference.

My predictions: iPhone 4G (obvious), shipping within a week or two.
More content deals.
Expanded development tools for iPhone/iPad.
Verizon Deal

I don't think we'll see a new iPad until September when the iPods get their yearly refresh. Apple is selling iPads just fine now... why rock the boat?

 

[dwd3885]

Verizon does have excellent Android devices. The iPhone isn't the end all, be all in the world of cell phones, as much as many of you on this site would like to think.

 

[icyfire]

Are you willing to back up that statement with your real name and your position at either Apple or ATT. Otherwise you are spreading theories and guess work as fact.

We don't know that such an extension exists. We don't know the conditions if it does. For all we know, Jobs asked for them to lower the prices. Or at least it was done with his blessing.

Yes, you're right I don't know whether a contract extension does exist so that's mere speculation. But knowing Steve Jobs and his control freak nature, I have no doubt that he would have announced something along with AT&T had the decision to change the data prices been mutual. Instead what we have is Apple announcing one thing and AT&T completely dismissing it, something that would have never happened in the past and especially not during mid cycle for the product (in this case, the iPad). Now if it was just the iPhone data prices being changed, that would be more palatable since AT&T was known for changing the data price when the 3G came out. But to change the iPad data price is quite a move.

 

[Popeye206]

But he pretty much made it one of the main tenents of the iPad 3G and is now made to look like a fool when AT&T changes the gameplan a mere 2 months later.

Huh???? The plans they announced for the iPad are pretty much what they are changing to iPhone too? I don't see any change of plans????

If anything, AT&T is offering up more choice for different types of users. Cheap for those who are casual customers and more expensive for the power surfers. Like the other poster said, still cheaper than some other plans by other carriers.

Sometimes I think people just look for ways to trash AT&T for no reason. I know they're not perfect, but they've always treated me well.

 

[icyfire]

Huh???? The plans they announced for the iPad are pretty much what they are changing to iPhone too? I don't see any change of plans????

Um dude, they are scrubbing the $30 unlimited plan for the iPad. Did you not get the memo?

 

[Popeye206]

Verizon does have excellent Android devices. The iPhone isn't the end all, be all in the world of cell phones, as much as many of you on this site would like to think.

We know this... as their are good non-apple computers and MP3 players, etc.... but this IS and Apple enthusiast site... no wonder so many of us love our Apple products?

 

[R3tard]

No way

Really? i tried doing the same thing with my friend, and when she pulled out her droid and tried to use the internet while in a phone call, it refused to work. Maybe your friends droid was on wifi?

I was blown away. We were on a lake in Kansas. I had my Edge network on my iPhone and he had his Droid on Verizon. I like my iPhone much better, but he was able to do it. There isn't a doubt.

 

[NoExpectations]

It doesn't matter whether it's better or not. AT&T usurped Steve Jobs's announcement which I consider a big deal.

How do you know that Steve was not aware and did not approve the additional pricing options?

 

[ipadking]

I think something is definitely up between Apple and AT&T. AT&T just basically said screw you to Steve Jobs and Apple. Looks like iPhone will definitely be on another carrier. AT&T is upset about something, next week we'll know for sure.
I think the loser won't be Apple, AT&T will be the loser. Look what happend with Adobe/Apple relationship, and who will be the long term winner, not Adobe.

If AT&T was smart, they should've played along. Dump AT&T stock, they are going to lose subscribers like crazy.

 

[alhedges]

Let's see.... you're Verizon and it's a week before Steve Jobs takes the stage to make "major" announcements.... maybe even a Verizon deal.... knowing that Apple gets upset when the PR apple cart is tipped, don't you think the response would be exactly what this guy said?

I would expect him to tell the truth, no matter what SJ thinks, as misleading investors violates the security exchange act, will get the attention of the SEC, and will lead to much worse consequences than anything SJ can do.

Of course, what he said was pretty nonspecific, so he should be good. But corporations *can't* just say anything they want.