It's Official - iPhone on Verizon Wireless

tom- what I heard was the Verizon iphone will have a different form. Won't be iphone 4. Probably to get around that antenna problem but I didn't consider these as fact based rumors, rather speculation by the blogger.
 
tom- what I heard was the Verizon iphone will have a different form. Won't be iphone 4. Probably to get around that antenna problem but I didn't consider these as fact based rumors, rather speculation by the blogger.

See, I took it as Verizon will get an iPhone 4, but they are also developing it's next model (iPhone 5), which I would expect will launch on both carriers in the usual June time frame.

And, just a note. AT&T pissed me off when my phone got stolen (iPhone 4), and I ended up switching to Verizon. The Droid X equals and in many aspects is a superior phone... And I was a loyal iPhone user (Since the 3G). I was on my 5th iPhone 4, due to proximity issues, because they said 4.1 fixed it and I was having 'bad luck' with my replacements. I am sure an iPhone 4 on Verizon will not only have the antenna fixed, probably the proximity sensor too. However, there is no real reason to go for an iPhone over a Droid X. I am also pretty comfortable that the X will get Gingerbread when it is released, which will make the UI even faster since it will be a Google skin and Google is all about speeding things up.
 
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Diogen- I believe what you reference is a R-UIM or reusable ID card for CDMA. It's an older technology that is used in China for quite a few years now. I haven't heard if this is planning to be used anywhere else. It works like a SIM card but the technology is different. There was talk a few years ago that a phone with both slots for GSM and RUIM would become the norm but nothing since. MY PDA has a slot for a SIM card but nothing for CDMA. IT is a Verizon CDMA and a version is sold for AT&T GSM as well.

Unfortunately, the form factor now for iphone doesn't allow for plugin stuff like a SIM or memory card.

Personally, I consider myself a PDA power user and therefore won't own an iphone unless Apple changes it's policies. MY wife, on the other hand would love an iphone. I told her she can have one when it comes to Verizon. In this house I decide all the tech stuff. :)
 
When Verizon gets the Iphone I drop AT&T for good!

If I was AT&T I would be investing in upgrading my network to better compete with Verizon

Err- You do know that they are doing precisely that, right? Especially backhaul.
 
And BTW, thanks, mods, for correcting the thread title.

And most especially, I thank you and Scott that I can post this. In another, totally unrelated forum, I posted a thanks to the mods for cleaning up a thread that had gotten bitter. And had that post deleted, the thread closed, and I got a mild reprimand that any discussion of the moderation of the board was not allowed. Even favorable? Just a Thank You? <sigh>
 
When Verizon gets the Iphone I drop AT&T for good!

If I was AT&T I would be investing in upgrading my network to better compete with Verizon

They compete quite well with Verizon around here. I average 2.5MB to 3.5MB download speeds. I have seen speeds as fast of 5.25MB down during the prime time hours.
 
Plus the reports of the iphone4 for verizon being manufactured now in order to be ready foe the January release.

I had not seen those reports anywhere. Just that the Qualcomm chips were to be deliverd to Apple mid December. Do you have a reference on those reports?

Mike said-
Interesting that Apple and VZ reportedly were fighting over control of the phone... VZ wanted to customize it with things like Vcast and their own VZ downloads.

I'm sure there were many issues in a contract with Verizon that needed settled. Not sure why those matter today if they were settled. Interesting to note that not all present Verizon phones support all their offerings anyway.


Claude- While AT&T may have their problems over the past couple years, I'm sure they are working to come up to speed. From what I have seen, recently the data speeds are much better today around here than even 6 months ago. Personally, I have stated that I worry Verizon will be unable to handle the rapid increase in network demand when the iphone hits. I think we may see a backlash of trouble until LTE settles in. While AT&T continues to update it's 3G, Verizon is spending its time and effort in being first with LTE. But the iphone for Verizon initially is said not to be LTE capable.
 
iPhone to Verizon Not just a rumor anymore... YES IT IS.


Just noticed this. Very funny!

When the next report comes out in the WSJ, can we change the title to:

iPhone to Verizon Not just a rumor anymore... YES IT IS... NO IT ISN'T!

:confused:
 
I sure hope this is true. My firm finally decided to let us use phones other than blackberries starting in December (specifically both the Droid and iPhone). I DO NOT want to go to ATT (had them for almost 10 years (under multiple previous names - BellShouth Mobility, Cingular, etc.) and hated them! In wanting to stay with Verizon I was planning to go for one of the Droid models, but if this "rumor" is true I would be very excited!
 
tom- Here ya go. Did some research on your claim about current manufacturing-

Fact- It was reported in a Taiwanese newspaper on September 24th that Taiwanese company Pegatron will commence manufacturing a version of the iphone 4 with Qualcomm CDMA chip for US market to be delivered late December. Actual manufacturing location is in Shanghai. Story claims that the initial shipment will be 4 million iphones for CDMA and total of 10 million before mid 2011. Unfortunately, I couldn't read the whole story because it requires paid subscription to the Chinese publication Digitimes.
 
Don Landis said:
tom- Here ya go. Did some research on your claim about current manufacturing-

Fact- It was reported in a Taiwanese newspaper on September 24th that Taiwanese company Pegatron will commence manufacturing a version of the iphone 4 with Qualcomm CDMA chip for US market to be delivered late December. Actual manufacturing location is in Shanghai. Story claims that the initial shipment will be 4 million iphones for CDMA and total of 10 million before mid 2011. Unfortunately, I couldn't read the whole story because it requires paid subscription to the Chinese publication Digitimes.

I'am glaid you looked it up. Every claim should be checked. Macrumor is reporting that apple is in talks with china number 2 cell provider to provide them with CDMA IPhone 4. Please check on this also.
 
Good question, Tom.

What I learned so far as to this issue that all this talk has to do with iphone for China market and nothing to do with a US CDMA ( Verizon) iphone Not so, explained as follows::

The Chinese version is the W-CDMA ( TD-SCDMA) Qualcomm chip already in production and released in China for sales. Reports are it is in short supply, a big hit sell out 200,000 units in first 2 days. Exclusive with China Unicomm.

China Telecom is the smallest carrier in China, is in talks to carry some of Apple's production, Qualcomm is expected to begin with the CDMA2000 chip but no deal has been signed as of news date 10-7. If China Tele can't get the CDMA2000 it would need to switch it's towers to WCDMA by next year to carry the presently China licensed iphone.

A third Chinese company is also in negotiations but it has no data towers and will need to upgrade before carrying iphone.

The US version suspected for Verizon is a CDMA2000 that makes use of EVDO Rev A for data.

Considering the numbers, China Telecom would not be able to handle the contracted chip count so it looks like Apple will be taking delivery of most of the millions of units for the states and a small number for that one telephone company in China sometime in 2011. Meanwhile the China Unicom with W CDMA chip continues to ramp up production to meet backorders. China Unicom currently has an exclusivity deal with Apple set to expire in 2011.

I don't know how reliable this Chinese news stuff is but it did all come from several Reuters sources.

Bottom line- US is CDMA2000. China is currently WCDMA with possible CDMA2000 tower switch for one small carrier. via deductive reasoning, that settles the China mystery for me.


It appears that WCDMA is superior 3G technology but not to LTE ( 4G) which would be the next version for Verizon after initial release. The WCDMA uses 2 pair of 5Mhz bands while the CDMA uses several 1.25 Mhz bands. This makes the towers incompatible. It appears the cell phone blend in China is a mess!
 
I believe technology is secondary in this debate.

Depending on who you believe, 75% to 80% of the world uses GSM and its derivatives.
It should be noted that the 3G evolution of GSM is called WCDMA (!). CDMA is not as widespread and has many flavours.

This is the reason why Apple did its phone for GSM first (not because they love AT&T).
Why the Galaxy Tab and Dell Streak were on sale in Europe long before they appeared this side of the pond...

What happens if Apple orders 5-10 million chips for Verizon CDMA, but a few months before introduction its CEO gets hit by a bus and the new CEO has new ideas about the iPhone?
I don't know how much that would cost either side, but have no doubts Apple will never risk getting into such a pickle...

Diogen.