Apple and Verizon consider iPhone deal

[dfergie]

By Leslie Cauley

Verizon and Apple are discussing the possible development of an iPhone for Verizon, with the goal of introducing it next year, people familiar with the situation say.

Source & More: USAToday

 

[TheForce]

I think Apple will open it up for other carriers after the exclusive with AT&T expires next year. The phone will not be a CDMA but will be the combo GSM and CDMA technology ( LTE 4G)so that it works on both networks. All Apple is doing now is giving the other mfgr's time to catch up to the iphone GUI / OS. It's a mistake on their part but hopefully for them they do go open carrier in 2010. While this will stifle the AT&T stock, it will boost Apple and Verizon stock.

 

[uncrules]

Could this story be coming out now because Apple is trying to squeeze out a better deal with AT&T? We know that AT&T and Apple are in the process of working on extending AT&T's deal with Apple. Apple knows how important the iPhone exclusivity is to AT&T and they may be trying to put the squeeze on AT&T.

 

[goaliebob99]

I reallllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy want to see the iphone move to multiple carriers. Im tired of apps getting deneyed or shoved to the side because att doesnt want them on their network. If verizon gets an Iphone deal, I bet there would be a wave of subs switching.

 

[hometheaterman]

Yea I'd also like to see the iPhone come to other carriers especially Verizon. I'd like to have one but refuse to go back to AT&T.

I had AT&T for years back when it was TDMA. When they switched to GSM I did so also. I wasn't thrilled with the service but got past it. When Cingular took over I switched to a Cingular phone. I lost a feature or two from my plan that I was told I would not. So my bill ended up costing me more. AT&T I had unlimited incoming texts and only had to pay for outgoing ones. The Cingular rep told me I would have this with Cingular too. Well, I got shocked when I got my bill. I ended up having to pay for the texting plan so my bill wouldn't be super high. Cost me $20 more a month than normal.

That was just the start of it. They somehow put our SS number in wrong so we couldn't make changes to the account. Finally we figured out one number was one number off. We tried to get them to change it a few times but for some reason it never got changed even though they said it would. We ended up having to tell them every time we called the SS number as they had it entered.

That was just the start of problems. It seemed like it was every month or two my bill was wrong and we would have to call them about that.

All this combined with my not getting signal in several area's I travel to frequently that you did with Alltel or Verizion and I had enough. Right after they switched back to AT&T I paid the ETF and cut my service off. I went to Alltel and have been happy since. I get signal in a ton of places I didn't before, my bill is right every month, no more problems for anything really. Their plans fit my needs great. I couldn't be happier. Verizon now owns them but I'm still on a Alltel plan. I'm much happier. If I had to leave Alltel Verizon would be the only other carrier I'd go to right now.

I would love to have a iPhone but not if it meant going back to not having signal anytime I left a big city. A friend switched from AT&T to Alltel right after I did and he saw how much I liked Alltel. He likes it too as well as his daughter who switched from T-Mobile around the same time he did.

 

[vinnyv07]

I would like to see Apple move the IPhone to other carriers...especially Verizon. But, if they are trying to squeeze more cash out of AT&T and they get it, I am not going to lose sleep over Verizon (my carrier) not having it. I am not going to move carriers just for the IPhone. They can keep it. Verizon has the best coverage in my area so I am staying with them.

 

[rcbridge]

Verizon does have a habit of restricting some functions in many of there products!!

I am a verizon customer so it will be interesting to see if all of the free apps available on AT+T will be available on verizon.

 

[hometheaterman]

I would like to see Apple move the IPhone to other carriers...especially Verizon. But, if they are trying to squeeze more cash out of AT&T and they get it, I am not going to lose sleep over Verizon (my carrier) not having it. I am not going to move carriers just for the IPhone. They can keep it. Verizon has the best coverage in my area so I am staying with them.

Basically how I feel.

 

[ONUOsFan]

Verizon does have a habit of restricting some functions in many of there products!!

I am a verizon customer so it will be interesting to see if all of the free apps available on AT+T will be available on verizon.

Yeah, exactly. Don't forget one of the main reasons the iPhone didn't go to Verizon originally (I believe Apple initially favored them) is because Vz wanted to put their own restrictions on it like they do everything else....