Apple, Verizon said to be aiming for 2010
By Ronald O Carlson
You can almost hear the words, ‘Those sluts,’ muttered bitterly from inside the AT&T executive suite as the inevitable rumors about a possible Apple and Verizon hook-up begin to circulate. Still, at the very least, Ma Bell can expect their iPhone honeymoon to last one more year.
Quoting “people familiar with the situation,” USA Today reports that Apple and Verizon are talking about a version of the iPhone that could appear on the wireless giant’s network next year. The discussions are said to be “high level” and have been ongoing since before Steve Jobs stepped out of the spotlight to take medical leave (ie last year).
“Breaking the [iPhone] exclusivity with AT&T is a huge thing,” said Roger Entner, telecom research, Nielsen. “That would send shivers into AT&T’s stock and senior leadership.”
Entner is of course referring to the oversize role the iPhone played in AT&T’s first quarter, as well as Apple’s results, with 1.6 million activations and 40 percent of those being customers new to Ma Bell’s network. Further, it is believed that iPhone subscriber in a source of long term revenue and profit that’s well above what the average mobile subscriber delivers.
Oddly, USA Today writes that Apple will create a CDMA version of the iPhone for release in 2010 and this contradicts earlier statements by Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg that a 4G handset—a convergence technology that both carriers plan to roll out beginning next year—is a more likely scenario.
Regardless of the specifics, Verizon’s 80-plus million customers have to be a tempting target for Apple, which has proven adept at hooking consumers with slickly designed handheld devices and then winning them over to the Macintosh—the vaunted “halo effect”—with its $1,400-plus average selling price.
“They could pick the network they wanted to use: AT&T’s or Verizon’s,” continues Entner. “It would finally give consumers choice and choice is a good thing.”
Hmm, it’s not everyday I find myself agreeing with an analyst…
What’s your take?
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April 27th, 2009
i have to concede, an iphone on vzw’s network would be a dangerous thing. If apple finally releases it with them, looking at at&t overall, it will be then called the yphone. I shiver at the thought.