Verizon + Apple, Will We See It This Summer?
Will We See A Verzon iPhone?
The good old Wall Street Journal has come out and stated that Apple will release a new iPhone this summer (Shocker!) and will release a CDMA version on Verizon. Rumors of a Verizon iPhone are in no paucity and it seems that with every Apple event, the rumor pops up. The summer iPhone event would make the most sense for Apple to announce this rumored alliance, but does this really make sense for Apple to do? Is there any real truth behind this rumor? Read on to find out…
Back when the iPhone was originally introduced in 2007, the it was rumored that Verizon would carry the new phone that Apple was developing. As history played out, AT&T took the stage and announced their partnership with Apple. Every announcement since then has brought rumors rushing in that Apple was going to switch carriers, but every rumor has failed so far. Even during the announcement of the iPad, the data plan was rumored to be carried by Verizon, but that rumor also turned out to be false.
Now, what makes this iPhone iteration different from the rest? The answer, nothing really. This iteration will bring new features and a new crowd of iPhone owners. So why would Apple switch? It would fragment their user base, break the advertising and mind set they’ve been building up with AT&T against Verizon, and it would drop the iPhone into a very competitive selection of phones already carried by Verizon.
At the same time, most iPhone customers are unhappy with AT&T, AT&T’s 3G coverage is nothing compared to Verizon’s, and Verizon has a larger subscriber base than AT&T. So, Apple does have some reason to switch, but the question is whether or not they want to take the consequences as well and is it worth it?
It’s hard to say what their decision will be and the WSJ is a big name that doesn’t usually spout a lot of rumors. As a Verizon subscriber myself, I’d love to see a Verizon iPhone. I’d drop my Droid Eris in about two seconds even just for the 3GS, though I’d be surprised if they didn’t offer the updated version. And what about the third option I haven’t heard any discussion of: offer the iPhone on both! That would probably be the best solution and sell the most phones! It’ll be interesting to see what happens in June!
I’m also curious of your opinons! Will we see a Verizon iPhone in June or will they stay with AT&T? Why do you think they should stay/switch? Leave a comment below! And Remember, Think Different!
