“We’ve fielded a couple of tips (some more sketchy than others) about EVDO iPhones floating around Cupertino in the past, but today’s tipster seems a little bit more sure of himself. Besides having some Verizon insider credentials, he seems to know way too much about Verizon-Apple politics. According to him, Apple will be announcing iPhones for Verizon Wireless in 2009, perhaps as early Macworld 2009. Negotiations between Apple and Verizon are ongoing but they expect to hammer out agreements by the end of the year,” Cleve Nettles reports for 9 to 5 Mac.
“The number one reason people think AT&T is the only US carrier that Apple will visit is because a couple of falsely reported rumors by USA Today that “revealed” Apple has signed exclusivity deals with AT&T,” Nettles reports. “Depending on whether you trust the original article which said it would be five years or the latest article which says two years, or any of the other speculation out there (CNN says 2009), nothing public has ever been uncovered that has specified the length of AT&T-Apple exclusivity deals, if one exists. A Macworld 2009 launch would put the AT&T-Apple exclusivity at 18 months, WWDC 2009 would be 2 years.”
Nettles reports, “There is no reason why Apple wouldn’t also be chatting with Sprint and T-mobile about possible deals as well.”
Read more in the full article here.
put Verizon in the pic, and i’ll finally get an iPhone!
oh, damn, first post with no mention. OK, second post with addendum to first post!
I just switched to ATT for iPhone from V-Wireless. I can’t believe this. Apple, why, why?
Verizon doesn’t come in in my neighborhood, so I’ll be going with the at&t;route anyways… once sprint contract is up.
i have Verizon but personally i think all the US carriers bite. they’re all nickle n’ diming, money-grubbing, two-bit, yellow-bellied, horse-thiefin’ crooks!
my two year contract is up but i’m waiting to see what happens next.
I switched to AT&T;for an iPhone after more than 10 years with Verizon. With an iPhone and two family accounts,my monthly bill is $10 less than the Verizon bill which included no data plan, less shared minutes, and no rollover. My coverage in Baltimore is also far better. I have no regrets and see no reason to miss Verizon.
And CDMA/EVDO phones don’t work outside of the US. A Verizon iPhone is just a toy, not a real phone for today’s international business world. Verizon has better service than AT&T;(mostly, although, there is a whole 60 mile section of I-5 in Southern California, where Verizon doesn’t work, so it’s non-starter for me on that point alone).
For real business people, only a GSM phone works. The AT&T;iPhone can be a powerful business tool which plays music. The Verizon phone would be an iPod with nice phone features.
If Verizon and US Cellular share the same frequencies I may have reason to rejoice, my area (southwest corner of Wisconsin) has terrible AT&T;coverage but great US Cellular coverage.
Steve Jobs will NEVER put an iPhone in Verizon’s hands…count on it! They had their chance.
This could be like many Apple rumors and could be totally worthless. I know that there are plenty of Verizon fans out there (as well as Sprint and T-Mobile) who would love to see an iPhone for them, but I also know that Verizon is notorious for taking phone handset features away, and we don’t want to see that.
I’d love to see the iPhone available to all of the carriers.
As for a closet somewhere at Cupertino that has EVDO iPhones in amongst the G5 PowerBooks and other wonderful Apple devices, it could be true, but might never see the light of day.
I agree Leftcoastdude. Apple is looking at the world wide picture. Plus all their support is for GSM WORLDWIDE. I doubt apple would hold a whole new support group just for Verizon. I can only see Tmobile getting it. and if Verizon is getting it, it won’t come till the the launch of LTE signal. I hated verizon and left them as soon as I could. Service was good but getting a different bill every month when i never went out my limits was crooked. Plus all their phones suck, Steve is laughing at how many “iPhone killers” verizon has in stock, and Verizon has always snubbed the iPhone, let them sit on their high chair and cry that don’t have it.
Can someone please confirm for whether there was an exclusivity deal between Apple and AT&T;or not? If not, then I predict a MacWorld 09 announcement of a new iphone model with a launch in June.
Feedback?
p.s. This would open the door for other carriers as well. Like say, Sprint’s WiMax service?
Too little, too late. BlackBerry Storm will beat them to the market.
If true… very interesting. I believe Verizon is still trying to purchase All-Tel. A combined Verizon/All-Tel company would create a company large enough to effectively compete against AT & T in this increasingly competitive market.
I would day though, that Verizon needs to find a bundling partner for home television service. AT & T does offer some attractive bundles and single bill for multiple services that is appealing to many.
I didn’t want to switch to AT & T for the iPhone. I was a long term AllTel client and the companies that they gobbled up back to 1996. I was pretty happy with them, although I could pop smarmy Jared in the chin when I see there ads
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” /> But that said, I have been pleasantly surprised by AT & T. Decent enough service for a wireless company. Great Internet portal, which allows me to rarely talk to a real person at AT & T, which can be at best – challenging.
please, please, please launch iPhone w Verizon…
Didn’t AT&T;announce a few months ago that they secured an exclusive partnering with Apple through 2009?
I personally do not like Verizon Wireless (here’s a nickel, now they want a dime) if working with them sells more iPhones, I’m for it.
Peace.
AT&T;does not work inside my house-verizon had great reception, but I hated the company. All AT&T;needs to do to keep me is improve reception.
doesn’t verizon hamstring their phones? I’ve heard from verizon users that they don’t let you bluetooth browse your phone, or upload your own ringtones, and this on regular phones (versus something like the iPhone). I know on my old RAZR on Cingular that I could browse, copy pics from the phone, copy over home-made ringtones, and that Verizon friends couldn’t do any of that.
What would verizon restrict on the iPhone if they had it?
Don’t forget, verizon is going gsm in the future. 4G if I remember correctly. Maybe it will ‘borrow’, ok roaming, with the gsm towers to start?!?
Blackberry Storm? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha……!
Isn’t Verizon supposed to be switching its network to GSM or some new 4G technology that is compatible to GSM? I don’t see why an EVDO version of the iPhone would be necessary in that case.
I switched to AT&T;after 5 years with Verizon for the iPhone. I don’t miss Verizon at ALL. I’m getting a much better deal with AT&T;and the service is just as good… one exception, AT&T;doesn’t work in Atlanta or DC subways like VZ, but otherwise its just as good.
Oh baby, I’ll leave ATT and literally run to Verizon for the CDMA iPhone if it’s true.
EV-DO coverage in America is so much more mature than HSDPA. I could have 3G everywhere and the signal would be strong so it wouldn’t drain the battery as bad.
Hinges on whether it’s the same phone, however, and doesn’t have WiFi and the App Store gutted for Verizon’s VCast crapola. It wouldn’t be the first time Steve sold out to grow the iPhone business. That’s why a Verizon iPhone is no longer the impossibility we once thought it was. Steve wants to sell phones.
RIM must be quaking in fear. The iPhone being stuck on ATT with no CDMA version was to be one of their big advantages over the next two years. America is their biggest market afterall.
I switched from TMo to ATT about 6 months ago. I should have stuck with TMo. I got full coverage w/ TMo and now get next to nothing w/ ATT. I hate their services and their client relations (or lack thereof). Verizon wouldn’t be much better in my neighborhood either. TMo seems to be the only option. Why oh why did I switch…oh yeah…it was because I eventually wanted to go the route of a cool phone (which TMo always lacked). Why doth thou curse me so oh gods of cell phone land?
Please Bring iPhone to T-Mobile!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s the only reason why I haven’t changed yet. I love iPhone, I like T-mobile, I hate AT&T;.
WHat to do. I wait it out. By the time there’s a T-Mobile Deal, iPhone may be cheaper & have larger capacities/ battery life.
I would just hate getting an iPhone now with AT&T;and a month or 2 later, they make an announcement have delivering it to all carriers.
Do it Apple, You Won’t go Wrong!!!!!!!!!!!