Apple and Verizon finally ready to connect?

Parallels Desktop 5 for Mac “A few years ago, when Apple originally set out with the idea of giving the iPhone to one carrier exclusively in the U.S., they first went to Verizon,” MG Siegler writes for TechCrunch. “But the network balked at some of Apple’s demands, which at the time of complete and utter carrier dominance in this country, must have seemed like a joke. So instead, Apple went with AT&T, and the rest is history.”

“And while Apple is getting a very sweet deal from AT&T in the form of huge payments for each iPhone sold, which is pulling in billions of dollars in revenues each quarter for the company, the relationship is also the subject of much discontent. Obviously, plenty of users are fed up with AT&T complete and utter failure at times to provide a network that will support the iPhone. But word is that Apple has also not been a happy camper for some time now, as what many perceive to be greatest source of weakness for the iPhone, AT&T’s network, is something that is completely out of their control,” Siegler writes. “The big question for 2010 is: Is Apple finally ready to do something about it?”

Siegler writes, “A few signs are starting to suggest that the planets may be aligning… [that] will in fact lead to a Verizon iPhone this coming summer.”

Full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “grh” for the heads up.]

37 Comments

  1. Nope. It will be 2012 with an LTE phone. I can’t imagine Apple making a CDMA phone unless they are using the GSM-CDMA combo chip from Qualcomm – which has denied that Apple is using them. That would open up Verizion, the other china carriers, and DoCoMo & AU in Japan. For 2 years. Until they all move to LTE networks. Verizions network will fall with the onslaught of data just like AT&T;and orange’s (?) did.

  2. AT&T;works just great where I live. Besides the suppose better coverage of verizon; will they force changes to iTunes? Would an Apple iPhone ‘scream’ Verizon all over the place (welcome screen, phone, etc)?

  3. Well, I don’t see the point really. If Apple HAD been able to land Verizon initially, we’d still be having the conversations about insufficient network prowess simply due to the overwhelming quantity of iPhone users and the significant impact they’d have on any network.

    Besides, with Verizon having a considerably slower 3G standard lacking the ability to provide simultaneous voice and data, it would feel like a backwards move. Additionally with LTE 4G networks still over a year away from any kind of fruition, the speculation still seems early. Once those networks are in place and Verizon and AT&T;are both utilizing that same standard, making such a port would be relatively easy… much more so than making a CDMA phone for Verizon that would quickly become obsolete.

    If anything Apple could use the threat of such a move to light a fire under AT&T;to get them to invest more money and time in implementing their network upgrades with greater expediency.

  4. @ Amex –

    No.. I mean, do you see AT&T;branding anywhere on your current iPhone? Every other phone that AT&T;sells has their branding on it… I am certain that Verizon would have to make a similar concession if they were to obtain reseller rights.

  5. The ATT network in the Washington Dc metro area just got a GREAT speed boost this last week.

    3G was down almost to non-existent lest week, but all of a sudden this Monday, it picked up over five or six times faster for downloads and almost doubled upload speeds. Latency is down into the low 200 ms.

    Nice upgrade, apps now load so fast I can watch without getting bored and falling asleep.

  6. I agree with Willie G. I will go as far as to say that if Verizon and Apple would have partnered for the original iPhone and we were all on Verizon’s network with our iPhones today the experience would be worse. Verizon’s 3G is slow, very slow at times and add several million data hogging iPhones and Verizon’s network would buckle as bad, if not worse, than AT&T;’s does.

    To be honest, I very, very rarely have any 3G issues with AT&T;. It feels really good to stand next to a Blackberry using Verizon friend when they start looking for something online. I like to wait, tap my foot for a few seconds, then pull out my 3GS and spout out the answer before the Blackberry has a chance to load its crappy version of whatever page they were trying to load.

  7. I just don’t understand AT&T;. They want to get rid of landlines, but complain about cell use? Give me a cheaper landline & I won’t have to use my iPhone as much. They can’t even give you caller ID, or other features to compete.

  8. I don’t see Apple wanting to Verizon. Remember the ATT vs Verizon ads? The ones that show that Verizon’s network will not allow both surfing and talking simultaneously?

    Do you REALLY think Apple will go for that kind of poor network service – no matter how widespread that network may be?

    A agree with Javbw – it’ll be 2011 and the next generation network before they’ll go to another carrier – T Mobile just isn’t big enough.

    By then, Verizon’ll be begging at the door for Apple to let them in!

  9. Bringing the iPhone to verizon shouldn’t be a bad thing at all if anything in the end AT&T;customers will be happy! With the overwhelmingly amount of people on AT&T;with iPhones it has really brought the network down. But when the iPhone goes to verizon in June i’m sure more than half of the people on AT&T;will switch to a verizon iPhone along with already existing verizon customers and also people that don’t have iPhones. Now with that amount of people switching over, AT&T;network will be far more powerful as far as improved 3G downloading speeds, fewer dropped calls, improved network quality and reception. It might also help AT&T;deliver their tethering promise as well. So me as a iPhone customer on AT&T;can say that I’m really happy and is waiting for the apple-verizon!:) btw the new iPhone 4G is really nice!! And is worth the upgrade!

  10. After hearing about Verizon’s customer service and reading some of their fees, I don’t think I want to be a customer of theirs.

    I’ll stick with my first generation iPhone running on xxxxxxxxxxxx.

  11. If the supposed new tablet has a 3G chip in it – I wouldn’t mind it being a CDMA chip so I can use it on Verizon and potentially saving on a data plan; compared to ATT.

    However, I am so sick and tired of all the griping about ATT. Fact – all cellphone (and cable television) customer service stinks. Fact – it is a modern marvel that I can be in the middle of a national park checking in for my flight the next day on either a EDGE or 3G network. Fact – I have never been not able to make a call or send data, except for at a couple of sporting events. Fact – all cell networks drop calls.

    Get over it people. The grass is always greener on the other side. While the sun may make it seem greener – it may in fact just be as dried up and brown as it is on this side.

  12. My daughter has an old BF that works for the T-Mobile help desk.

    They’ve closed their Tampa office and consolidated it with the Frisco Tx office, they’ve fewer than 30 people for round the clock customer service nation-wide. They are praying – hard – that Apple doesn’t sell the iPhone to their upper management.

  13. I love all these “analyst” stories about “indicators” of “potentialities” for Verizon to carry the iPhone. Let’s face it, there’s one indicator that matters.

    When Verizon starts upgrading capacity on their towers like crazy, then they will be getting the iPhone soon. If there’s so much pent-up demand for a Verizon iPhone, the last thing they’d want is for people to get them and find that their network is getting killed just like the Death Star’s.

    MDN word: basic

  14. The only thing that will help the iPhone’s network performance is a robust 21st-century wireless network, which no one in the U.S. has at this time. At this rate, India will probably have a modern network before U.S. carriers finally part with the cash required to rebuild their aging infrastructure.

  15. @rwahrens

    If Tmobile actually got the iphone.. that would be something they are praying for. since many people would switch over to them if the plans are cheaper.. even though their network is kinda junk

  16. I hate all cell phone companies…regardless if Apple is working with them or not.

    As for the iPhone being on other networks…well that would be a good thing.

    The the more networks iPhone is on, the better the iPhone with be at giving it’s customers a great experience.

    An open iPhone would be a very good thing in deed.

  17. Another day, another wishful article hoping Verizon gets the iPhone. Let’s remember that Verizon had it’s chance – they were offered the iPhone before everyone else. But the big-wigs at Verizon refused to support it unless they could lock down features a-la-carte. Steve wouldn’t compromise the user experience that Verizon wanted and so he went to ATnT.

    Did anybody notice Verizon’s smear campaign against the iPhone in the past 6 months? There’s the misleading Red vs Blue coverage maps, calling the iPhone a “misfit toy” (bad move) and basically sticking it in Steve’s eye at every chance. And NOW they want iPhones on their network?

    It. Ain’t. Gonna. Happen.

Reader Feedback

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.