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Why 3G owners might get to upgrade...

TSX

TSX

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Oct 1, 2008
2,632
80
Texas
(my opinion)..

Verizon says it could have the 4th gen iPhone and if they do get it, it would be smart on AT&T to let 3g owners upgrade early and sign another 2 year contract. If AT&T didn't let 3g owners upgrade and they had to fulfill their 2 year contract, by the time the contract was up and Verizon had the 4th gen iPhone people would switch to get the iPhone like i switched to AT&T to get the phone. By allowing 3g owners to upgrade and sign another contract would mean another 2 years with AT&T, which means if Verizon gets the 4th gen iPhone you would still be locked in with AT&T.
 
Very true. I hope you are right. Nevertheless, I would still stick with At&t because it's GSM and I go abroad sort of often. There is nothing like simply swaping out SIM cards rather than carrying an extra GSM phone when on Verizon.
 
Or ATT is able to renew its exclusivity rendering the whole idea moot.

Not a big enough reason to eat the subsidy on a whole bunch of phones.
 
No way that's going to happen. Apple will only build an LTE phone when AT&T has a LTE network also. AT&T doesn't expect to have theirs up and running until 2011...which is when Verizon will most likely get the IPhone as well.
 
It ends in 2010 but AT&T wants to extend it to 2011 which will more than likely happen considering the original plan was to have the IPhone exclusive until 2012.
 
I don't understand why everyone is getting so excited on verizon getting the iPhone in 2010 bc they are going to have LTE "4g". It is not like they are going to flip a switch and have coverage over the entire US. It will only be in major markets to begin with, then start to spread out to smaller cities and rural areas. So this means that the "4g" iPhone would have to be capabile of going back to CDMA to work in most areas. It will be a long time before verizon is switched all the way over to "4g". So if you are really waiting on verizon to get the iPhone then you have a very very long wait ahead of you. And something else that no one is talking about is why not sprint getting the iPhone? O wait, they probably will get bought by t mobile or verizon if the government doesn't shut them down first!
 
I'll quote a Wired article regarding the iphone.

"In return, AT&T will get 5 years of exclusivity from Apple"

2007-2012.
 
Verizon just wishes that in the future when an iphone 4G is released it will be compatible with their network.
But thats just wishfull thinking, unless Apple decides to end the exclusive agreement with AT&T I dont think Verizon would get a chance at an iphone.
 
Well assuming they extend it, it's still possible it will end when LTE is up and running. I don't see the iPhone staying exclusive forever.
 
If its as simple as putting a 4G chip and be able to work with both AT&T and Verizon or other carriers I think its possible.
I dont think Apple would bother making an iphone thats backwards compatible with verizons CDMA voice frequency and new 4G data.
 
I agree, I am starting to think the iPhone will be like the Blackberry Curve, every network will offer it. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verzion in the US.
 
This is all assuming people are automatically going to switch to Verizon once their AT&T contract is up. However, there are people who would just as easily sign another contract with AT&T once their original contract is up (regardless if Verizon is offering the iPhone or not).

By giving people new iPhones before their 2-year contract is up, AT&T will definitely lose money (by having to subside another phone). By letting them decide to re-sign a new contract after 2 years, they may lose no money at all. For people to switch from AT&T to Verizon, they are really going to have to have a great reason (since both carriers will be offering the same phone). Myself, assuming that the iPhones will be the same, I would see no reason to change to Verizon (as their plan costs are relatively the same).
 
kas23 said:
Myself, assuming that the iPhones will be the same, I would see no reason to change to Verizon (as their plan costs are relatively the same).
Click to expand...

Verizon's coverage blows AT&T out of the water in most areas. I switched from Verizon to AT&T for the iPhone and have always said it's better to have a nice device that can take advantage of a poor network then to have a crappy device that can't take advantage of a good network. When Verizon gets the iPhone there will be no question as to who the superior carrier is, UNLESS you travel overseas a lot and need a GSM phone/carrier. Those are the people who will stay with AT&T.
 
Untaken said:
Verizon's coverage blows AT&T out of the water in most areas. I switched from Verizon to AT&T for the iPhone and have always said it's better to have a nice device that can take advantage of a poor network then to have a crappy device that can't take advantage of a good network. When Verizon gets the iPhone there will be no question as to who the superior carrier is, UNLESS you travel overseas a lot and need a GSM phone/carrier. Those are the people who will stay with AT&T.
Click to expand...

I never experienced Verizon's network. I had Sprint before and looking back, they have a better network than AT&T. In fact, if Sprint offered the iPhone back then, I would have just stayed with them. Sure, their customer service may be bad, but not any worse than I have already experienced with AT&T. And Sprints plans are much cheaper.

As for making a switch from AT&T to Verizon, if you never experienced Verizon's network and you don't really mind AT&T's network, someone would have to present you with some other big advantage to switch to Verizon (ie. free texting/tethering).
 
I've had just about every possible carrier in the US and I'd have to say that the only thing that bothers me about AT&T, is the price of my plan. I wasn't a huge fan of Verizon. Something about there service just flat out bugged me.
 
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