Apple iPhone for Verizon coming late this year?

Matt Phillips reports for The Wall Street Journal, “Here’s an interesting tidbit from Susquehanna Financial Group analyst Jeffrey Fidacaro: ‘Checks suggest CDMA phone coming soon. As our SFG Semiconductor analyst Chris Caso wrote in his recent Taiwan Trip Notes – Day 2 note, the supply chain was on notice for production of a CDMA version of the iPhone to begin as early as [the third quarter of 2010]. While we do not subscribe to this time frame and anticipate a CDMA iPhone more likely [first quarter of 2011], our checks around the WWDC event suggest optimism that a CDMA iPhone could be coming by the end of 2010. We believe the threat of the possible loss of iPhone exclusivity partly explains what motivated AT&T to extend the subsidized pricing at an accelerated time frame.'”

Phillips reports, “Others cite the looming threat of a Verizon iPhone to explain what Macquarie analysts call the AT&T’s ‘incredibly generous upgrade offer.’ Macquarie analysts write: “AT&T’s accelerated upgrade policy came in more generous than expected, likely to lock in as many existing iPhone customers as possible ahead of a possible CDMA iPhone launch in late 2010/early 2011. AT&T customers whose upgrade eligibility comes in 2010 will be able to apply for an upgrade as soon as the phone launches.’ Collins Stewart analysts also suspect that a CDMA iPhone have prompted AT&T’s upgrade policy. ‘We would not be surprised if this move signals AT&T’s attempt to lock in as many current iPhone users as possible, before it is possibly offered at other carriers or on other technology platform (such as CDMA).'”

Full article here.

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