Verizon Rejected iPhone Deal

SnowDog74 writes "According to an article in USA Today, Verizon Wireless rejected an Apple deal over the iPhone. The article says that Verizon wasn't happy with the strict terms Apple demanded — a Verizon Wireless VP is quoted saying that Apple wanted a cut of monthly revenues and control of the customer relationship. What's perhaps equally interesting, however, is the implication from sources that say Cingular's exclusive 5-year deal with Apple applies within the United States only. If this is true, it undermines some of the criticism Apple has been receiving for their business strategy surrounding the iPhone, given the size of the cell-phone market outside the US."

Comments

no way in heck a CDMA phone ever in the cards

[Anonymous Coward]

With CDMA's extreme power requirements viz-a-viz GSM, and apple's insistence on an irreplaceable lithium ion battery (for planned obsolescence, their key repurchase driver), Verizon was never a serious option.

Re:Lucky us

[tehaxer]

Rolf. We won't need it since we already have smartphones and pda phones that play wma/v, both DRMd and not DRMd, transferrable from your pc (or maybe mac, but who cares!) via an included cradle. Oh, transferrable to an sd card, of which you can carry many. And it's funny you should bring up DRM, since Apple's DRM is much nastier than MSFT's. Let's check it out!

MSFT's is open (encryption); they aren't trying to use it to corner the market on downloaded music.
MSFT's is open (playback); they aren't trying to use it to corner the market on portable music devices.
MSFT 2, Apple 0.
Oh... MSFT 3, Apple 0 because every iTunes customer I've ever met had no idea they couldn't move their music around. Way to go misleading your customers AGAIN, Apple. Remember when PPC was faster than x86? Holy cow, neither do I!!! But I'm sure Apple customers do.

Yet More Examples of Steve Jobs/Apple Arrogance

[BSDetector]

Hey Slashdotters!!! How's life in the church of Jobs? Some quotes from the article...

"One of the big sticking points for Verizon was the fact that Apple wanted control of the distribution of the product."

"Specifically, Apple only wanted to sell the iPhone through Verizon stores or the Apple retail stores, locking out other Verizon distributors..."

"...the deal they (Apple) wanted would have frozen out those partners"

"Apple also supposedly wanted a percentage of the service revenue..."

"Apple wanted sole discretion ..."

"Apple CEO Steve Jobs insisted that he have hard control ..."

Re:Mono, what? Poly or something?

[heinousjay]

Yes, it's the Slashdot court of public opinion. There's no rhyme or reason to it, because it's fueled entirely on emotion. Luckily, it also has no real power.