Full FeedWhat would a Verizon iPhone look like?
Today, USA Today broke the story that Verizon and Apple are “discussing the possible development of an iPhone for Verizon.” USA Today cites unnamed sources at Apple who are not authorized to make public statements. According to USA Today, the phone is targeted for a 2010 delivery date. The news comes as a big surprise if accurate.
AT&T is holding onto the iPhone with both hands
Just last week, AT&T showed the world just how much value the iPhone can bring to a carrier as its profits were buoyed by the iPhone. Apple’s iPhone is bringing in new, high paying customers to AT&T in droves. In fact, just last week, Apple’s Tim Cook went on record saying:
Asked whether the iPhone would spawn a CDMA version, Cook confirmed that Apple “do not have a plan” to change their relationship with AT&T, and suggested “CDMA doesn’t really have a life to it after a point in time”. -Slashgear
But the iPhone is kinda slippery
So what gives? Likely, AT&T can’t match what Verizon is willing to pay to steal some thunder. As the old adage goes, if you can’t beat em, join em.
So what would the Verizon iPhone look like? Safe bets are the OS will be identical, leveraging the 25,000+ apps in the mighty App Store. And speaking of that App Store, if this rumor is true the App Store is going to grow even faster as the developers’ audience for iPhone apps would explode with Verizon on board.
A Verizon iPhone would be largely indistinguishable from the AT&T version. I suspect Apple would let the carriers be the difference, not the hardware it provides. Yes, it would need to be CDMA or LTE (as Om Malik suggests) but otherwise, I wouldn’t expect a different feature set. The goal for Apple here is to gain more customers and maximize profits, not complicate their work in keeping radically different iPhone stables going.
Or is it a ploy?
Another consideration on these Verizon-Apple talks are that it could be nothing more than scare tactics from Apple in working to negotiate a better deal with AT&T. We know AT&T and Apple are meeting about extending the iPhone’s exclusivity and making this kind of leak could strengthen Apple’s position. AT&T is thinking long and hard about this, make no mistake. Larry Dignan put forth this idea here.
Source: [USA Today]
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Could not pay me to go to AT&T but I will be 1st in line to get The VeriZon iPhone!!!
on April 27, 2009 at 10:53 AM - LINKTerry, something tells me you are no where near alone on that.
on April 27, 2009 at 11:03 AM - LINKAlways good to hear that there are more potential iPhone buyers out there. Chalk up maybe a few million more iPhone customers a year willing to fork over money for costly carrier plans. Verizon should just give Apple full control and they can sit back and reap the benefits. All those users that switched from Verizon to AT&T will switch back to Verizon. Apple will be able to get more leverage in the smartphone market. Sounds sweet to me.
on April 28, 2009 at 07:08 AM - LINKOh, come on, it’s Verizon. They’d only let you use it as a phone unless you pay for the extra services, you’d have to use their service to download applications (probably at a minimum of $5 each), and half of the features would be disabled.
on April 29, 2009 at 11:48 AM - LINKCJ, haha. True, a large part of the success of the iPhone has been AT&T is almost invisible to the user. Sure a few calls dropped here and there, bars that go from 4 down to 1 in two steps and others.
Do you think Apple would agree to messing with the “experience” that much? It is not a rhetorical question…
on April 29, 2009 at 11:53 AM - LINKIt’ll be interesting to see the announcements that Apple makes on June 8th. Just don’t see how they can get around the legal contract with AT&T though..
But you are right, even if they come up with one, the hardware etc will be mostly the same. May be they’ll change the theme a little bit ( add verizon red color) & may be add a few custom Verizon apps, like verizon tv & navigator etc.
I know that its not going to happen most lilkely, but i’ll love to see some sort of a new device / MID, with built in verizon chip
on May 4, 2009 at 01:37 AM - LINKHeres an Idea…..We all hold the power to Verizon and to the iphone. How about dropping both of them temporarily. When your contract expires with AT&T, go with a non AT&T pre paid phone. When you contract ends with Verizon, go with a non Verizon pre paid phone. If we all quit putting money in their pockets they will come together and give us what we all want. Within 6 months I bet we would see a Verizon iphone.
on October 17, 2009 at 09:46 PM - LINK