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Verizon iPhone Rumored For Early Next Year
Many readers are submitting coverage from around the Net, all based on a Bloomberg piece quoting two anonymous sources who insist that Verizon Wireless will offer a CDMA iPhone in January 2011. No one at Verizon or Apple would confirm, of course, and no one at AT&T would comment. "The iPhone, which has been the sole domain of rival AT&T in the US since June 2007, will give Verizon a boost in its competition for smartphone customers, UBS AG analyst John Hodulik said in an interview. Verizon customers, who numbered 92.8 million at the end of the first quarter, may buy 3 million iPhones a quarter, he estimates. ... 'Apple is going to dramatically increase the number of devices it sells in the US when exclusivity at AT&T ends,' said Hodulik. ... 'It's hard to ignore the quality issues that AT&T has faced.'"
Yep, Verizon seems to have realized that if they gimp their Android phones (which are marketed to geeks), they would end up repelling those very geeks that they are trying to woo. I know I would not have got my Droid if Verizon had blocked all the fun stuff that comes stock with Android.
Tech companies must know by now that a lot of non-geeks ask their geek friends and colleagues for tech advice - including what new smartphone to buy. Piss off or disappoint the geeks, and they will talk trash about your product - remember Vista?
Case in point: Because I liked my Droid so much, we bought my wife a Droid Eris. I've convinced two of my friends to drop their iPhones when their contracts are up and jump ship to Android (not that it took much convincing - they were getting pissed off about all the things you can't do with an iPhone - no Flash, no ability to have a spare battery, no USB drive access to the phone's memory or SD card) and another non-iPhone-using friend is upgrading from a feature phone to a Droid X soon. Seems like their new policy of not hobbling their phones is working out for Verizon so far.
Ah, but see, what SHOULD have happened is that US carriers should have STUCK with GSM...
Up until now, all iPhone complaints seemed to be "ITS ONLY ON AT&T!!!!111!!!!!", including reviews for international readers. Here in New Zealand, I can easily use our iPhones, sold unlocked by Vodafone, on THREE carriers. Overseas, the iPhone is sold EXPLICITLY to be used on any network you choose,
"Buy your iPhone from Apple SIM-free."
"It works with the carrier of your choice.
Buy your iPhone from the Apple Online Store and choose your own GSM carrier. You can change carriers at any time."
"It works internationally.
Because this iPhone is SIM-free, you can purchase a micro-SIM or SIM card and service from a local carrier at your destination. Or check with your home carrier regarding international roaming charges."
From the UK iPhone page http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone
Its practically ORDERING me to beg my UK friends to send me an iPhone 4...
Yes, the entire world knows the tragedy of the AT&T network, and it seems OBVIOUS that the iPhone deserves to be sold on more than one carrier in the USA, just like pretty much every other country in the world.
But please, can we actually WAIT until this happens, instead of whispering overheard rumours?
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