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Why the next iPhone might end up on Verizon instead of AT&T.

iphones4evry1

iphones4evry1

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Nov 26, 2008
1,197
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California, USA
Previous articles showed an analysis of Apple's WWDC to reveal AT&T is the limiting factor for Apple's progress and that Apple is not happy with AT&T over this. For example, the current iPhone supports MMS, tethering, and up to 7.2Mbps, but AT&T does not.

In a Charlie Rose interview last night with Verizon's CEO, Mr. Rose asked Mr. Seidenberg (CEO) if Verizon would carry the iPhone at some point.

He called it Apple’s decision.. Verizon expects to launch its fourth-generation network later this year or early next year, he said, and Apple will decide whether to build a new chip for that technology.

So think about this... by saying "it's Apple's decision," he is essentially saying that Verizon welcomes Apple and the decision now is not Verizon's but Apple's. From Apple's standpoint, Apple has already developed and is selling a "3.5G" iPhone that can go up to 7.2Mbps for the network that AT&T will not begin building until the end of this year and not complete until somewhere around the end of 2011 or during 2012. So the division of Apple that works on chip sets for the data connection (EDGE, 3G, 3.5G, 4G) has nothing to do for the next two years ... except to begin work on a 4G chip. And, the only network that the 4G chip will be able to fulfill it's potential on will be Verizon's network (Sprint, also, or no? I don't know much about Sprint). So, considering Apple's current position that AT&T is their limiting factor, their exclusive agreement expires at the end of 2011, and Verizon has a 4G network and is welcome to Apple, it is possible that Apple could begin talking to Verizon and begin planning the an [additional] version of the iPhone for Verizon's network.

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/06/23/verizon-ceo-on-iran-iphones-and-android/#mod=yahoo_hs
(the article also mentions the new Motorola Google Android phones)

And amidst all of this, let's not forget that the FCC is investigating "exclusive carrier-handset agreements," which if ruled to be broken up, could make the next iPhone on Verizon much, much more likely.

Personally, I don't care whether my carrier is named "AT&T" or "Verizon," as long as I have the best phone on the best network, and at a monthly price that doesn't make me say "How Much ???"
 
The horse is already dead, quit kicking it.

And amidst all of this, let's not forget that the FCC is investigating "exclusive carrier-handset agreements," which if ruled to be broken up, could make the next iPhone on Verizon much, much more likely.
Click to expand...

If anything, it makes T-Mobile more likely to carry the iPhone than Verizon.
 
iphones4evry1 said:
So the division of Apple that works on chip sets for the data connection (EDGE, 3G, 3.5G, 4G) has nothing to do for the next two years ... except to begin work on a 4G chip.
Click to expand...

There is no "division of Apple that works on chipsets for the data connection." The radio chipsets in the iPhones have been produced by outside companies (i.e. Infineon).

Verizon getting the iPhone is a long, long way off if it happens at all.
 
Seriously all you pathetic non-AT&T people crack me up. If you want the phone so bad then do what is necessary to get the phone and switch to AT&T. It is your choice, but continuing to make up mythical reasons as to why the IPhone will be leaving AT&T is laughable. Switch or shut it, the threads are beyond getting old.
 
Won't happen. ATT has invested a lot into this project. Verizon has invested $0. Verizon also turned them away originally.

I don't think Apple will be jumping to Verizon any time soon.
 
A future version of the iPhone might end up coming to Verizon but AT&T will still get it as well. No way Apple will burn all of us who have bought iPhones from AT&T and signed two year contracts and then sign an exclusive agreement with Verizon.
 
Things that I believe will make the iPhone become available on Verizon
1:Exclusivity to end with AT&T
2: Verizon moving their network to something other than CMDA, ala LTE. I don't think Apple would just up and stop selling on AT&T, so I don't think they would build a phone just for Verizon when they could get on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
3: Apple having complete hardware control, and most OS control. Clearly AT&T has some say, so I'm sure Verizon would as well. However I don't think Apple would allow Verizon to brand the phone/OS.
 
A recent May 2009 article indicated that Verizon's 4G network will only be in 20-30 cities by the end of 2010 and is not expected to be available coast to coast until 2014-2015.

I don't think there's a snowball chance in hell that Apple launch on Verizon until there are a LOT of 4G coverage, because the only alternative would be a CMDA phone and Apple has said they're not doing it.
 
Even if Verizon get a version of the iPhone (and lets assume it is the very same version as is on AT&T, excepting the use of a CDMA radio/chipset instead of GSM), Apple are not going to stop AT&T selling the GSM version.

And there is no way in hell that Apple are going to drop GSM until there is a viable replacement (i.e. widely deployed LTE etc.), as GSM is in far wider use than CDMA (think outside just the USA ...).

Realistically, I do not see Verizon getting it at all until there is a common 4G standard, even though I would welcome the additional potential app-store customers!

So while the best case is that Verizon ALSO gets to sell an iPhone in the future, any belief that AT&T will somehow NOT also have it on their network is delusional at best.
 
If the current exclusive period between Apple and AT&T is until 2011, then, the 'next' iPhone which is expected to launch next summer (2010) will still be tethered to AT&T only.
 
True iPhone supporters should be against Apple wasting resource on developing CDMA compatible phone. Instead, they should simply focus on improving iPhone.
 
I don't know the finances of it all or when the AT&T exclusivity deal runs out, but I'm betting it will happen as soon as that deal runs out. Why? Well, you're not going to be able to lure many more people on AT&T to the iPhone due to the $30/month extra that you have to pay for data. Even if the iPhone 3G was FREE, it probably wouldn't make a huge dent in the number of phones on the network.

Therefore, to expand you have two options: Get AT&T to offer tiered data plans and/or go to new carriers. We know there are many people who won't use (insert carrier) because they really like the one they're with. Verizon is either the largest or second-largest carrier in the US, so it's a natural fit for expansion. However, the 4G radio for the Verizon phone would need to be backward compatible with their 3G network, which is different from AT&T's. Verizon customers aren't going to want an iPhone if it's only usable in 4G areas.

As others have said, it'll probably be officially on T-Mobile first -- unlockers are already using it on T-Mobile.
 
SIUGRAD99 said:
Seriously all you pathetic non-AT&T people crack me up. If you want the phone so bad then do what is necessary to get the phone and switch to AT&T. It is your choice, but continuing to make up mythical reasons as to why the IPhone will be leaving AT&T is laughable. Switch or shut it, the threads are beyond getting old.
Click to expand...

Amen.
 
Michael CM1 said:
I don't know the finances of it all or when the AT&T exclusivity deal runs out, but I'm betting it will happen as soon as that deal runs out. Why? Well, you're not going to be able to lure many more people on AT&T to the iPhone due to the $30/month extra that you have to pay for data.
Click to expand...

Uh, dude....I think ALL providers have an "extra" $30/month plan for data, iPhone or no.
 
i don't know why people want the iphone on verizon. Everyone I know always complains about how poor their service is and how bad the people on the other end sound.
 
Just because Verizon is launching a LTE 4G network means little, since an LTE iPhone would still likely have to support the CDMA 3G technology, EVDO in order to be on Verizon. That would mean Apple would still have to make a CDMA iPhone and a GSM iPhone, because Verizon's LTE network will not be widespread enough for it to be the only network supporting this iPhone.
 
1Zach1 said:
Things that I believe will make the iPhone become available on Verizon

3: Apple having complete hardware control, and most OS control. Clearly AT&T has some say, so I'm sure Verizon would as well. However I don't think Apple would allow Verizon to brand the phone/OS.
Click to expand...

I think if Apple were to not form exclusivity agreements with any carrier, then they would have complete control and the carriers would be competing to make the iPhone on their network more appealing to consumers. As soon as one carrier started offering MMS, the other carriers would be scrambling to offer MMS (example). Both the consumers and Apple would win. Although Apple would not receive "exclusivity" money from a certain carrier, I think they would come out ahead in the long run because more people would buy their phones, and hopefully the competition would lower smart phone monthly service fees, which would cause more people to buy iPhones. I think Apple sees this now, and it is becoming more appealing to them as they become more frustrated with AT&T.
 
Lets face it a good reliable 4g network with decent coverage and reliability is at least 3 years off into the future... look at how long it has taken 3g to get into some areas, and its still growing...


It took 3g a long long time to emerge as a semi crappy network which still kicks you to edge half the time....

Thank goodness edge is at least reliable!
 
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