Comments on: A few thoughts on the iPhone/Verizon rumor…

By: Why Verizon’s decision to pass on the iPhone six years ago is looking better and better. – By Annie Lowrey – Slate Magazine | Slinking Toward Retirement

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 07:59:16 +0000

[...] infamous, the industry equivalent of passing on Michael Jordan in the NBA draft. It was an “incredibly bad decision,” as one blog put it succinctly. Verizon has been forced to watch as the breakaway success of [...]

By: Why Verizon’s decision to pass on the iPhone six years ago is looking better and better. – Left Blog Feeds- Progressive News

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:51:28 +0000

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:16:10 +0000

I’m sorry but this article does not make any sense. I sold cell phones and have dealt with all of the problems from sprint, verizon, and especially at&t (which was at&t then cingular to fix their rep, then back to at&t to fix their rep). GSM is not nearly as good of a technology as CDMA. CDMA call quality is the same with 2 bars as with 5, whereas there is a direct correlation between bars and call quality with GSM. GSM is also affected by lower frequencies, so you run more interference in your home. GSM also has terrible overall coverage compared to a Verizon, and lets face it, people don’t care about global use to get the iPhone (even though companies like RIM have created worldphones to do both, which Apple could easily do with Verizon, since over seas you aren’t using your AT&T contract anyway. Iphone statistically would also make Verizon the country’s biggest carrier, allowing them to claim more market share and thus improving network function. Lets not forget that AT&T’s 3G network has shown to be pretty faulty at times, and that AT&T’s customer support is ranked terribly. So,basically, 1. Verizon would provide a superior network (If AT&T gets coverage there, Verizon’s is probably better, no vice a verse options there). Things will blow up considerably larger moving it to Verizon, which is why Apple went to Verizon 1st. Remember, AT&T got it because they were the only one willing to sacrifice so much on the network support side to accomplish the contract.

By: Kurt S.

Kurt S. — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:17:32 +0000

I would absolutely love this!! Then they could hack it and I could use it on my Sprint plan!

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:29:45 +0000

I think a version for verizon could be used in other countries too. We here in Canada only have an iPhone from Rogers because they are the only GSM phone company. I believe our other carriers (Bell and Telus) use CDMA. I don’t know anyone who has an iPhone here, because Rogers charges too much. We could certainly use some competition to get the iPhone in use here.

By: Terry Henderson

Terry Henderson — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:52:31 +0000

Total Rubbish; Steve Jobs gives No One a second chance; lol,lol.

By: Ted T.

Ted T. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:04:17 +0000

@Ben Pike: Yes I agree it is a question of when: and that when will be when the switch to 4G occurs — where Verizon will join the rest of the world on the same standard — in 2010 ~ 2011.

By: Ted T.

Ted T. — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:00:14 +0000

Agree 100%. Apple has much bigger fish to fry — they are concentrating getting the iPhone released in China and numerous other countries with no iPhone carriers. Building a separate model for Verizon seems like a terrible waste of resources.

By: RL

RL — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:59:20 +0000

It would not necessarily be a completely different hardware version. It would involve a chipset change to the current phone, though. There are a number of chipsets that are multi-mode capable, able to use CDMA 2000 EVDO Rev. 1 in the United States while using WCDMA/HSPA in other parts of the country. It would even permit roaming within this country where the absence of Verizon would mean roaming onto 3G networks of AT&T or T-Mobile. All 3G technology is based on CDMA, regardless of flavor, btw.

It would not pay for them to maintain the version that uses the current Infineon chip set, but the change above would allow them to maintain a “universal” phone.

By: Ben Pike

Ben Pike — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:05:09 +0000

I think it’s not a matter of IF but WHEN… maybe not next year but I think eventually it will happen. What I want to see is if Verizon tries to lock down the GPS to VZNav (eg: every Blackberry Device) and if Apple lets them get away with it…

Yeah AT&T has coverage EVERYWHERE, but look at their 3G footprint compared to Verizion’s. Verizon win’s by a LANDSLIDE. I cant remember the last time I went some where that didn’t have EVDO, even in the boonies (I live and travel in north eastern Alabama).

By: Cody

Cody — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:53:58 +0000

I don’t think it’s that big of a stretch for Apple to go with Verizon, making a CDMA version of the phone isn’t as complicated as you make it out to be. Plus, if Apple really wants to take over the mobile phone realm as they have the DAP, they need to make it so ANYBODY can have one. There are plenty of people tied up in contracts, or geographic locations that prevent them from getting an iPhone. I know you covered this, but I think you underestimate just how terrible AT&T’s coverage is. Speaking from a Midwestern state, they have coverage in the capital and along the interstates and that’s it. I’m not saying it will definitely happen, but I think apple could really make a lot of money on it…and they love to do that.