Analyst sees 9 million Apple iPhones on Verizon in 2011

“Amid long-running and persistent rumors of a Verizon iPhone, one analyst has bravely stepped forward to put a date on the device’s market debut,” John Paczkowski reports for AllThingsD. “Barclays Capital analyst James Ratcliffe says we’ll see it in early 2011 and he’s sure enough in his prediction that he’s building it into his forecasts for AT&T and Verizon.”

“Says Ratcliffe, ‘Channel checks by our communications equipment and semiconductor research partners give us greater confidence that Verizon will get an iPhone in early 2011, and we are now incorporating that belief into our models for AT&T and Verizon,'” Paczkowski reports.

“Interestingly, Ratcliffe doesn’t see the end of AT&T’s iPhone-exclusivity deal with Apple heralding a subscriber exodus at the carrier,” Paczkowski reports. “While he acknowledges perception issues with AT&T’s network quality will inevitably drive some customers to flee to Verizon, he believes that many will stay put. All told, he expects approximately 500,000 to 1 million ‘switchers’ — a relatively small portion of the 9 million iPhones he says Verizon will activate in 2011.”

Much more in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: Think twice before signing a long-term contract on that fake iPhone now, ya hear?

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “JES42” for the heads up.]