Apple Making Verizon-Ready iPhone by Year End

norm · October 2010

Apple Inc. plans to begin mass producing a new iPhone by the end of 2010 that would allow Verizon Wireless to sell the smartphone early next year, said people briefed by Apple.

The new iPhone would be similar in design to the iPhone 4 currently sold by AT&T Inc. but would be based on an alternative wireless technology called CDMA used by Verizon, these people said. The phone, for which Qualcomm Inc. is providing a key chip, is expected to be released in the first quarter of next year, according to the same people.

An Apple CDMA iPhone would spell the end of the exclusive U.S. arrangement with Apple that AT&T has had since 2007, when the original iPhone debuted.

Separately, Apple is also developing a new iPhone model, said people briefed on the matter. One person familiar with the new iPhone plan said the fifth-generation iPhone will be a different form factor from those that are currently available. It was unclear how soon that version will be available to Verizon.

Spokeswomen for Apple and Qualcomm declined to comment; a spokesman for Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, declined to comment.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 47572.html

intodeep · October 2010

Nice news, but I'll keep my Droid X.

norm · October 2010

intodeep wrote:

Nice news, but I'll keep my Droid X.

me too but it is interesting

81 · October 2010

I'll stick with the King of phones for now. no need to downgrade

apple has to do something. Android is kicking some ass right now and is predicted to be #1 in short order. Before the new great phones (EVO, Droid X, Galaxy S) started popping up there wasn't much competition. Now that people have seen what can be done with a phone on a solid network, there is no reason to stay with att if the service sucks as much as they say.

12345AGNST1 · October 2010

Whats funny is my dad will be leaving verizon for ATT to get the new iphone. I told him its probably coming for verizon but he doesn't like Verizon....

Indifference71 · October 2010

FINALLY!!!

Gary Carter · October 2010

i hope this really does finally happen

been hearing bout this for sometime now

i might either get this or a new blackberry touchscreen phone if they come out sometime next year

Indifference71 · October 2010

metsfan wrote:

i hope this really does finally happen

been hearing bout this for sometime now

i might either get this or a new blackberry touchscreen phone if they come out sometime next year

Yeah, these rumors have been going around forever. I really want a new phone right now, but I'm going to hold out for this one...

DeLukin · October 2010

IF this happens I'll be the first in line. But I'm not holding my breath....

81 · October 2010

norm · October 2010

81 wrote:

I'll stick with the King of phones for now. no need to downgrade

apple has to do something. Android is kicking some ass right now and is predicted to be #1 in short order. Before the new great phones (EVO, Droid X, Galaxy S) started popping up there wasn't much competition. Now that people have seen what can be done with a phone on a solid network, there is no reason to stay with att if the service sucks as much as they say.

the thing i'm worried about is the amount of att users that will switch to vzw and potentially bog down their network like has happened with att

81 · October 2010

norm wrote:

81 wrote:

I'll stick with the King of phones for now. no need to downgrade

apple has to do something. Android is kicking some ass right now and is predicted to be #1 in short order. Before the new great phones (EVO, Droid X, Galaxy S) started popping up there wasn't much competition. Now that people have seen what can be done with a phone on a solid network, there is no reason to stay with att if the service sucks as much as they say.

the thing i'm worried about is the amount of att users that will switch to vzw and potentially bog down their network like has happened with att

won't be an issue for king of the hill users.

On the upside, verizon is in the process of increasing bandwidth with the LTE network being built out so it shouldn't be a major issue. it will be interesting to watch.

the next question...should we pick up some verizon or apple stock tommorrow?

Indifference71 · October 2010

norm wrote:

81 wrote:

I'll stick with the King of phones for now. no need to downgrade

apple has to do something. Android is kicking some ass right now and is predicted to be #1 in short order. Before the new great phones (EVO, Droid X, Galaxy S) started popping up there wasn't much competition. Now that people have seen what can be done with a phone on a solid network, there is no reason to stay with att if the service sucks as much as they say.

the thing i'm worried about is the amount of att users that will switch to vzw and potentially bog down their network like has happened with att

With all the talk the past few years about ATT's shitty network, I'm sure Verizon will be prepared. At least I hope they will be..

norm · October 2010

81 wrote:

should we pick up some verizon or apple stock tommorrow?

i've had apple stock in my ira since 2000...before the ipod! current value is at 28,000! :P

81 · October 2010

norm wrote:

81 wrote:

should we pick up some verizon or apple stock tommorrow?

i've had apple stock in my ira since 2000...before the ipod! current value is at 28,000! :P

:P

it's always nice to have big winners.

seems like if apple does get on verizon, there would be a nice little pop and same for verizon. i dug into verizon a little earlier this year. the seemed to be the best carrier to invest in. might be time to relook and pull the trigger on a small spot.

Gary Carter · October 2010

Indifference71 wrote:

Yeah, these rumors have been going around forever. I really want a new phone right now, but I'm going to hold out for this one...

i'm holding for a new phone out till blackberry comes out with a 4G touchsreen phone. i def wont be purchasing a 3G phone ever again. i'll stick with my piece of shit blackberry tour till then.

HeavyHands · October 2010

81 wrote:

Android is kicking some ass right now and is predicted to be #1 in short order...

#1 in what manner?

Customer satisfaction?
Units sold?
Units shipped?
Units in use/Operating market share?
OS market share of smartphones?
As a platform for 3rd party developers?
Profitability?
Amongst a particular demographic?
etc...

Something that gets overlooked by pretty much everyone is that the iPhone is just a platform for Apple's iOS. While Apple values the income from iPhones, the iPhone is only part of what they're really doing, which is creating iOS devices. Apple has the iPhone, iPad, and now the AppleTV as their OS share.

The metric that Apple really wants to be #1 in is profit margin. They are using (for the most part) the exact same components in all three of the devices I mentioned above which means the more devices they put out, the greater the profit margin is for them. It's a simple economy-of-scale advantage which they have over most, if not all, hardware manufacturers (HTC, Samsung, Motorola, etc...) who don't have the same level of horizontal integration amongst their product line.

Does Google have more devices out there with their OS on them? I'm pretty sure they do. But if they're only making a fraction of what Apple is making (dollar wise) per unit, then who's the real winner?

And no, I'm not an Apple apologist of fanboy. I just see this line used a lot as some kind of metric for a pissing match which I don't think most people understand the fundamental nature of.

But that's just my opinion.

81 · October 2010

Heavy,

You make a good point.

My metric was % of market share for phones sold with a given operating system.

Yes Apple cares about profit, as does any company.

norm · October 2010

HeavyHands wrote:

81 wrote:

Android is kicking some ass right now and is predicted to be #1 in short order...

#1 in what manner?

in the manner that in addition to verizon, you can also get it on sprint, t-mobile etc...if apple really wanted market share they wouldn't have gone exclusive to att...if they had, android would never have gained the huge acceptance they are getting

HeavyHands · October 2010

norm wrote:

in the manner that in addition to verizon, you can also get it on sprint, t-mobile etc...if apple really wanted market share they wouldn't have gone exclusive to att...if they had, android would never have gained the huge acceptance they are getting

All completely true.

Having their products in all places at once has never been part of Apple's market strategy though (at least not since Jobs came back into the picture). They start off with their products in one place/area/region/store and then they expand their view slowly over time. This is what allows them to have such stellar sales performance figures over time. And, I would say, also why your stock is up 28,000x since purchasing it pre iPod.

Look at their release plan for the iPhone. They start off in a few select major consumer markets (US, UK, Germany, Canada, etc...) and then, over time, they put it up for sale in other countries. The iPhone 4 has been on sale in the US since July, but only went on sale in China (arguably the largest consumer market in the world) within the past month.

This strategy gives Apple sustainable sales and profit numbers instead of having an initial spike in interest/sales and then having it fall off of a cliff.

CJMST3K · October 2010

Good news, but is this "accurate" news? We've heard rumors from the media about iphone going to Verizon. ...I hope this time it's for real.

...however, right on the cusp of Verizon launching 4G - LTE service, iPhone is going to NOW start making CDMA phones? Aren't we now in the end-days of CDMA, with the switch beginning early 2011?

Any talk about whether these would be 4G / LTE compatible, in addition to CDMA?

Apple Making Verizon-Ready iPhone by Year End

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