Verizon to Preview New Android Devices, Not iPhone at CES?

[ten-oak-druid]

Let's be clear about the rumor. The latest rumor had it that the Verizon iphone would be released in January 2011.

Lets say it was announced and released all in the short span of time remaining. That would hardly be fair to people who want to invest. If the few people in the know got to buy stock right now in the time remaining and the rest of us did not, then that amounts to insider trading IMO. I'd have to sue.

Lets face it. The rumor of a January release will not come to fruition. The closest possible scenario is an announcement of a release later in the year.

The announcement will come later in the year and the release will be in 2012.

And hopefully it will be on multiple carriers, not just ATT and Verizon.

I suspect that they have bought out the contract. Maybe they renegotiated it when the two companies switched from offering full price phones to subsidized phones.

The only real evidence of anything is the existence of the contract. There is no evidence of any renegotiation. That is often thrown in by the "analysts" who speculate on a Verizon iphone prior to 2012.

 

[alent1234]

i wish my comments came just from reading MR...i have had issues with AT&T ever since i switched. horrible cell service, even worse customer service. I have spoke with AT&T multiple times. I have even filed a complaint to the BBB about their horrible customer service. Its not a blanket statement, its true. Maybe you called a few times and got one or two ok reps, but over all as a company they are the worst customer service experience you can get. I have been saying that before the report came out to confirm it. And who complains about Apples tech support...They have been ranked number one tech support for 10 years in a row and that wont be changing anytime soon...cant say I follow what your saying...

it's absolutely shocking that you're in the bay area as well

 

[Geckotek]

Lets say it was announced and released all in the short span of time remaining. That would hardly be fair to people who want to invest. If the few people in the know got to buy stock right now in the time remaining and the rest of us did not, then that amounts to insider trading IMO. I'd have to sue.

You'd loose. Actually, no lawyer would take your case. Companies are not compelled to reveal their product releases in time for you to invest. And I'm afraid your opinion of insider trading is way off.

The only real evidence of anything is the existence of the contract. There is no evidence of any renegotiation. That is often thrown in by the "analysts" who speculate on a Verizon iphone prior to 2012.

We don't even really have evidence that the contract ends in 2012, so that invalidates the rest of your post.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

You'd loose. Actually, no lawyer would take your case. Companies are not compelled to reveal their product releases in time for you to invest.



We don't even really have evidence that the contract ends in 2012. So that invalidates the rest of your post.

Not really. The only fact is that a contract exists until 2012. Has it been rewritten? Show the proof.

One could easily deduce that they have been planning this for quite some time. At the very least, as you mentioned, working on prototypes. This also jives with what John Gruber has been saying about a CDMA lab @ Apple.

To me this means a Verizon iPhone will likely happen one day, and that CDMA will be in it somewhere. These things are not proof it will happen this coming quarter, but to say they don't have enough engineering talent?!? How would you even start to know something like that?

I would wager the planning is going on. However, the rumor mongers attribute the planning to a Verizon iphone prior to 2012. But the planning could in fact be for 2012. Any Verizon iphone will take time to prepare. A 2012 Verizon iphone project won't begin in June 2011. It will have already begun.

 

[Geckotek]

Not really. The only fact is that a contract exists until 2012. Has it been rewritten? Show the proof.

That's not a fact, it's presumption. Show me a contract dated to end 2012. Show the proof.

 

[mytdave]

could be

I suspect that they have bought out the contract. Maybe they renegotiated it when the two companies switched from offering full price phones to subsidized phones.

That's a possibility. I would be pleasantly surprised if that proves to be the case, even though I'm unlikely to switch from ATT myself.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

That's not a fact, it's presumption. Show me a contract dated to end 2012. Show the proof.

It is the only factor with any real evidence - the court case.

Any speculation the contract has been rewritten is speculation only.

How many times do I have to post the link about the court case revealing this?

All of the stories written about this being rewritten show no proof. They are part of hopeful speculation of a Verizon iphone.

 

[Geckotek]

It is the only factor with any real evidence - the court case.

Any speculation the contract has been rewritten is speculation only.

Show it. Even the court case doesn't say for a fact that it ends in 2012.

And no, it's not. AT&T stated in a conf call in 2008 that the terms of the contract changed and revenue sharing was dropped.

 

[mytdave]

I agree, I expect any Verizon announcement to come direct from Jobs. I was just answering another poster who said Apple always made the announcement first in similar situations to those I gave.

Ah, very good. Carry on.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Show it. Even the court case doesn't say for a fact that it ends in 2012.

And no, it's not. AT&T stated in a conf call in 2008 that the terms of the contract changed and revenue sharing was dropped.

Your right of course. Perhaps it was rewritten to end in 2015. Hey I can speculate too.

 

[Geckotek]

Your right of course. Perhaps it was rewritten to end in 2015. Hey I can speculate too.

You've already been speculating. All of us are.

There are only 2 facts here:

1) There is/was an exclusivity agreement
2) None of us know it's full details and when it ends

 

[InsanelyApple]

From what I understood (by reading multiple sources) was that the contract was signed in 2006, set to expire in early 2010, and in 2008 got it extended to expire the end of 2010.

 

[cvaldes]

Show it. Even the court case doesn't say for a fact that it ends in 2012.

And no, it's not. AT&T stated in a conf call in 2008 that the terms of the contract changed and revenue sharing was dropped.

That's right.

Additionally, AT&T has publicly stated with the past few months that exclusivity of certain handsets was ending shortly. It is not unreasonable to include the iPhone has one of those phones.

 

[rhett7660]

Rogers is still in the process of deploying HSPA+, and they are now beginning field tests of LTE in certain markets. Imagine that, running projects in parallele...

Easy partner. I don't think some can fathom running two or three or maybe even more projects simultaneously!

 

[Geckotek]

From what I understood (by reading multiple sources) was that the contract was signed in 2007, set to expire in early 2010, and in 2008 got it extended to expire the end of 2010.

This is one of the accepted theories. But there are others and none of them are backed by any proof, including the theory that the contract ends in 2012.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

You've already been speculating. All of us are.

There are only 2 facts here:

1) There is/was an exclusivity agreement
2) None of us know it's full details and when it ends

Even the author of this article revealing the contract takes the hopeful speculation that the contract was rewritten:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/10/confirmed-apple-and-atandt-signed-five-year-iphone-exclusivity-de/
By Nilay Patel posted May 10th 2010 5:04PM

Yet the only proof of anything is the existence of the contract. That is it.

The contract exists. That is fact. The idea of it being rewritten is not fact.

 

[Geckotek]

Even the author of this article revealing the contract takes the hopeful speculation that the contract was rewritten:



Yet the only proof of anything is the existence of the contract. That is it.

The contract exists. That is fact. The idea of it being rewritten is not fact.

A) That's not the article I'm referring to. I'm actually referring to the AT&T conference call notes. If it was not re-written, then some clause was exercised allowing revenue sharing to end.
B) The idea that it ends or ever ended in 2012 is not fact either.

 

[charlituna]

Verizon + iOS rumors = iPad. If people didn't catch that by the fact that Verizon stores sell iPads bundled with MiFi already, I don't know what to say.

In regards to the whole Jan thing, the jobs at Apple etc I agree that this is the most likely

There never was a Verizon iPhone. At most, maybe Apple will make a T-mobile version.

I don't agree with the implication there might never be a Verizon. I just say not until cell phones go to some other tech that Verizon also covers. I don't think that Apple would make a whole second line of models with CDMA just for Verizon et al. It would have to wait until LTE is the for or someone makes a dual/trip chip that won't eat the battery etc

 

[kdarling]

From what I understood (by reading multiple sources) was that the contract was signed in 2007, set to expire in early 2010, and in 2008 got it extended to expire the end of 2010.

The first contract was reportedly signed in summer 2006, after Apple had approached Verizon off and on for a year. (It wasn't a single "no" such as most kids tend to think in their simplistic view of life.)

"With Verizon out of the picture, Apple's talks with Cingular accelerated. In July 2006, the two companies finalized a deal after 30 hours of negotiations over two days, a person familiar with the discussions says." - WSJ Feb 17, 2007

.

 

[louis Fashion]

Got the Blu Ray Blues Baby

Like they are doing with the DVD instead of Blu-ray?

No No No. NEWSFLASH! most consumers do not care to continually update their entertainment components. The constant hassle of installing "updates" for Blu Ray is a deal breaker. Apple is right to insist that Blu Ray be standardized before inclusion in the cozy consumer experience universe which is the hallmark of the AAPL company.

 

[7o7munoz7o7]

it's absolutely shocking that you're in the bay area as well

and why is that

 

[cvaldes]

From what I understood (by reading multiple sources) was that the contract was signed in 2007, set to expire in early 2010, and in 2008 got it extended to expire the end of 2010.

No, the court documents indicate a 2006 agreement set to expire in 2012, one that had AT&T sharing subscription revenue with Apple.

What we do know is that AT&T and Apple changed some terms in 2008, particularly about revenue sharing and subsidies. The revenue sharing was discontinued and AT&T pays Apple an outright subsidy (we don't know the exact amount per handset) starting with the iPhone 3G.

What we don't know is if they changed other terms at the same time (e.g., the exclusivity period).

One report several months ago indicated that both AT&T and Apple reached several instances when they were about to break away from their relationship yet ultimately continued on as partners.

It is possible that Apple and AT&T's revised 2008 agreement changed the exclusivity period to a much shorter time frame. How much? We don't know. We do know that AT&T has publicly stated in the past few months that exclusivity on certain handsets was coming to an end shortly.

Now, we don't know if the iPhone is one of them, however it does seem peculiar that a phone company CEO would mention it if it did not cover their major cash cow.

Again, this is all speculation and some deductive guessing, behavior seemingly appropriate for a site called MacRumors.

 

[InsanelyApple]

The first contract was reportedly signed in summer 2006, after Apple had approached Verizon off and on for a year. (It wasn't a single "no" such as most kids tend to think in their simplistic view of life.)

"With Verizon out of the picture, Apple's talks with Cingular accelerated. In July 2006, the two companies finalized a deal after 30 hours of negotiations over two days, a person familiar with the discussions says." - WSJ Feb 17, 2007

.

No, the court documents indicate a 2006 agreement set to expire in 2012, one that had AT&T sharing subscription revenue with Apple.

What we do know is that AT&T and Apple changed some terms in 2008, particularly about revenue sharing and subsidies. The revenue sharing was discontinued and AT&T pays Apple an outright subsidy (we don't know the exact amount per handset) starting with the iPhone 3G.

What we don't know is if they changed other terms at the same time (e.g., the exclusivity period).

One report several months ago indicated that both AT&T and Apple reached several instances when they were about to break away from their relationship yet ultimately continued on as partners.

It is possible that Apple and AT&T's revised 2008 agreement changed the exclusivity period to a much shorter time frame. How much? We don't know. We do know that AT&T has publicly stated in the past few months that exclusivity on certain handsets was coming to an end shortly.

Now, we don't know if the iPhone is one of them, however it does seem peculiar that a phone company CEO would mention it if it did not cover their major cash cow.

Again, this is all speculation and some deductive guessing, behavior seemingly appropriate for a site called MacRumors.

Sorry, you two. I meant 2006. I don't know why I put 2007.

 

[charlituna]

From what I understood (by reading multiple sources) was that the contract was signed in 2007, set to expire in early 2010, and in 2008 got it extended to expire the end of 2010.

There is, or at was, a class action suit going over the refusal to unlock iPhones at the end of a customers contract. The documents filed stated that it was a five year deal.

Folks are correct that amendments were made over revenue, but no one can show proof that anything was done about the time period.

Also despite the comments about 'some handsets' there is no proof the iPhone is one of them. Or that a dropped in the contract = adding Verizon at this time. Perhaps they have found a way to cover T-mobile 3G as well and are going that way

 

[louis Fashion]

Number crunch

If I had some kind of super computer, I would total up all MacRumors posts pertaining to the Verizon IPhone. Then I would hold a contest. The person who guessed correctly would win something nice, like a mythical White IPhone or a Red Verizon IPhone (When available).

My guess is 38,000 posts.

But by the time Verizon has the IPhone, the number could well be 76,000.