“Verizon says the iPhone wave has already crested,” Scott Moritz reports for TheStreet.com.
MacDailyNews Take: Verizon’s obviously got their crystal ball up and running. It’s very early make such a proclamation. Too early, in fact.
Moritz continues, “On an earnings conference call with analysts Monday, Verizon executives said that by the first weeks of July, Verizon saw negative so-called porting rates — meaning more Verizon customers were switching to AT&T than vice versa. But as the month progressed, Verizon said it has seen a shift back to what it calls normal switching rates. ‘We are now seeing two Verizon Wireless customers in for every one we lose,’ says COO Denny Strigl.”
“Industry observers note that AT&T’s iPhone storm hasn’t fully passed. The holiday season will probably be an active time for expensive phone gifts, and the iPhone is likely to be on a few wish lists,” Moritz reports.
Full article here.
Just waiting for my T-Mobile to run out, then I am going with iPhone. Oops, this was Verizon thread.
Meanwhile, MS Zune defecations have slowed to a predictable ooze.
Verizon and it’s “smartphones” can go jump off a cliff.
iPhone is my first cell ever! I got to support my Company!
Edge does suck balls – using iPhone Network test I get anywhere from 85kps – 150 kps. mostly around the 100 mark, and the average according to the site is 200kps
They can go ahead and count me as a defector after August 13… when my Verizon contratc expires.
I’m just waiting for my Verizon contract to expire in October so I can kiss them goodbye and get my iPhone! I’m sure there are millions of Verizon users out there, like me, who don’t want to pay the $175 early termination fee.
August 4, Verizon expriration! Wheeeeee!
Since the announcement of the iPhone in January, every time Sprint called to offer me a free phone since I’m such a “valued customer,” I told them I would eventually be buying an iPhone (knowing full well I would purchase and activate it on iDay). Because it was cheaper for me to keep my Sprint phone until my contract expires than to pay their termination fee, they still think I’m a loyal customer!!! I’m sure there are plenty of Verizon accounts, too, that will terminate shortly — when day-one iPhone owners port their numbers over.
I swithched from Verizon to AT&T after 10 years with Verizon, unfortunately, because I moved to a different state, AT&T wouldn’t port my number over. Therefore, I keeping my verizon service on for an additional month to let caller’s know I have a new number with AT&T… I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Lets get some objective facts:
I have four lines (previous to iPhone were verizon)
1400 Minutes
Unlimited texting on ONE line only
NO DATA (extra $45/mo for unlimited)
No rollover minutes
Basically about $200/month
Move lines to AT&T
1400 minutes
Unlimited Texting for all
Unlimited data for my iphone
Basically $180/month
Lets do the math: the same services I now have (Minus iPhone only features) would cost me: $275/month on verizon. Nearly $100 dollars a month..
Can you say Nickeled and Dimed to death..
In all fairness, Verzons phone network was rock solid for me most places I have traveled. AT&T boasts the fewest dropped calls, but since I got AT&T I think I have dropped more calls than I did in 3 years on Verizon, BUT I deal with it, because the features and savings out weigh the hassle in my opinion.
I will also point out that once I had iPhone activated and called Verizon to cancel my account, the op asked why I was leaving and I told her in one word “iPhone” she said “How did I know you were going to say that” She further informed me she had been hearing that alot in the last week…
“I think the phone companies only care about getting your 2 year subscription. You’re locked in after that.”
But you’d be wrong. They live and die by customer churn, so concentrate strongly on retention of profitable customers.
“The stupid thing is that if they offered me half what they offered new customers I’d probably be happy and stick with them”
If you were worth keeping as a customer, they would. I would suggest in the future telling them you want to cancel and asking what you would get if you stayed. If you’re on a low end rate plan, don’t expect much more than a free month of service and a new phone at new signup rates in return for another year or two commitment.
“Defections have not slowed, they have reached the “steady state.””
Yes, but they actually state they’re back to what they were before the iPhone launch weekend. So while there’s no doubt people will continue to switch to get an iPhone, according to Verizon they aren’t doing it at any greater rate than people would have previously switched to get some other phone or a different service plan.
“b) Verizon et al have raised penalty barriers to punish switchers”
They can’t retrospectively do that on your contract, Your termination fee is what you signed up for it to be when you committed.
“they’re EDGE data network sucks ballz.”
So use their 3G data network.
“So-called “smart phones” are a relatively small subset of the overall cell phone market.”
Exactly, iPhone is a big deal for Apple, but a small number compared to AT&T or Verizon’s total sales.
NO IPHONE IN THIS STATE!!! AND AT&T WON’T ALLOW A WORKAROUND! OTHER SERVICE COMPANIES DO!
AT&T’s fault, yes. BUT INITIALLY APPLE’S FAULT FOR SELECTING AT&T IN THE FIRST PLACE WHEN THEY WON’T COVER ALL 50 STATES!!