Verizon to Finally Get iPhone

Bond · 01-07-2011, 06:22 PM

Quote:

The iPhone is finally coming to Verizon Wireless.

The largest U.S. wireless carrier will say Tuesday that Apple Inc.'s iPhone will be available to its subscribers, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company is making the announcement at an event at New York's Lincoln Center.

Verizon sent invitations to journalists Friday asking them to "Join us as we share the latest news," but didn't specify the subject matter.

The event will be headlined by Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon Communications Inc., which jointly owns Verizon Wireless with Vodafone Group PLC.

Apple declined to comment.

A Verizon iPhone would bring an end to the exclusive hold AT&T Inc. has had on the iconic phone since its launch in mid-2007.

Adding an extra carrier could spur sales as Apple faces growing competition from phones powered by rival Google Inc.'s software.

Analysts expect high demand for a Verizon iPhone. Users have long complained about dropped calls and poor service on AT&T's network, even as the carrier boosted spending to improve coverage.

Many customers, however, are stuck in long-term contracts or family or business plans, which could make it difficult to switch.

Source: WSJ

Anyone else excited for this? I am eligible to upgrade in early February, so iPhone here I come!

Vampyr · 01-07-2011, 09:31 PM

Just got mine with ATT a few months ago. I hope this will spur competition and cause ATT to stop resting on their laurels.

Professor S · 01-08-2011, 12:11 PM

I would have been excited about this a year ago, but I've become quite fond of my Droid and the Android software. I will likely convert, though, simply because the peripherals available for iPhones are so much cooler than for Android phones. We'll see, though... I still have over a year before I can upgrade. That is a century in technology terms.

BreakABone · 01-08-2011, 07:47 PM

Yeah fond of my phone as well, only issue is I wish they had more options for payment, since you can't bill to your account nor use anything other than Google Checkout it seems.

gekko · 01-08-2011, 08:05 PM

Should open the door for a lot more customers. Been using AT&T since before the iPhone, so I could care less. I just wonder how this will affect future phones, since AT&T added support for visual voicemail and home activation to its network prior to the initial launch. This will make the switch to 4G (or another buzzword) more difficult, since both services will need to support it before the a new phone is released.

BreakABone · 01-11-2011, 11:10 AM

The phone has been announced.
Out next month

Bube · 01-11-2011, 12:16 PM

How will this be any different than the iPhones already out there?

Professor S · 01-11-2011, 12:21 PM

So, Steve Jobs couldn't roll out of bed to announce the biggest phone on the planet coming to the biggest/best service provider on the planet? What an ass.

Xantar · 01-13-2011, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor S

So, Steve Jobs couldn't roll out of bed to announce the biggest phone on the planet coming to the biggest/best service provider on the planet? What an ass.

It was probably political. Imagine Jobs walking on stage and saying, "We have a big announcement. The iPhone is available on Verizon and now you have a choice of carriers. Isn't that great?" AT&T would throw a fit over Jobs implicitly taking a dump on their network (even if it's deserved).

As for me, I'm due for an upgrade, but I'm waiting until June when Verizon rolls out the LTE network and (probably) the iPhone 5 launches. As it is right now, the Verizon iPhone won't be able to do voice and data at the same time. And I like being able to email people or check movie times while on the phone. Hopefully that will be fixed in 6 months or so. I really think Verizon jumped the gun on this one.

Professor S · 01-14-2011, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xantar

It was probably political. Imagine Jobs walking on stage and saying, "We have a big announcement. The iPhone is available on Verizon and now you have a choice of carriers. Isn't that great?" AT&T would throw a fit over Jobs implicitly taking a dump on their network (even if it's deserved).

I think Verizon will merge with AT&T within a few years. AT&T is going to lose a TON of business, and Verizon will need the network to accommodate their new customers. With Sprint and smaller providers available, there shouldn't be any anti-trust issues.

Neo · 01-11-2011, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bube

How will this be any different than the iPhones already out there?

Only 3G, can't use voice and data at same time, and I'm assuming won't be able to sync with itunes.

Bube · 01-11-2011, 05:13 PM

How is being 3G only different? That's how my iPhone is, I can't use voice and data at the same time.

And about not syncing with iTunes, wtf!?

Bond · 01-11-2011, 06:24 PM

According to the FAQ from Verizon it will sync with iTunes.

BreakABone · 01-11-2011, 06:30 PM

Why wouldn't it sync with iTunes?
That's a strange rumor to start.

manasecret · 01-11-2011, 09:22 PM

I'm with the Professor here, I would have been more excited a year ago. At this point when I upgrade to a smartphone, it's going to be an android. I've been very impressed by the ones i've seen, and like any good engineer I prefer the nitty gritty control that an open platform brings.

On another note, when is real 4G coming out with the speeds of real 4G (~1 Gbit/s) instead of the 3G+ (~100 Mbit/s) that Sprint and Verizon are using?