Verizon CFO: Next IPhone To Be Global Device
By Roger Cheng
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--The next version of the Verizon Wireless iPhone will be a global device, according to the financial chief of the carrier's parent company.
Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo said he expects Verizon Wireless to be on equal footing with AT&T with the next version of the iPhone. He didn't, however, disclose when the device would launch and whether it would be able to tap into a 4G connection.
AT&T often touts the advantage that its iPhone can work in many more countries than the Verizon version, which runs on a wireless standard that isn't as commonly used throughout the world.
Shammo, speaking to analysts on a conference call on Thursday, also said he expects a more significant margin impact with the introduction of the next iPhone.
"The fluctuation will come with the next iPhone," he said.
The current version, which launched in February, has already driven customer growth at Verizon Wireless. The company activated 2.2 million iPhones since the launch, with 22% coming from new customers. He said 54% of the carrier's new customers signed up for an iPhone or a Thunderbolt.
Beyond the Thunderbolt, Shammo said he expects one 4G smartphone each from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (SSNHY, 005930.SE) and LG Electronics Inc. (066570.SE), implicitly confirming that Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (MMI) was delaying its own device.
Shammo also backed the company's target of getting a smartphone to 50% of its base this year. Roughly a third of its customers currently use a smartphone.
Shammo also reiterated that Verizon would move to tiered pricing for both its 3G and 4G services by the middle of summer.
Verizon Wireless is jointly owned by Verizon and Vodafone Group PLC (VOD).
-By Roger Cheng, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2153;
roger.cheng@dowjones.com
A good way for Apple to get around this is to design an OS that triggers the radios to be on only when needed and go into a sleep mode when not needed. In other words, a user should be able to turn on and off each function manually and be able to have the phone wake up when a call comes in. I can control some of this but newer phones do global shutdown, not partial. Say I want to shut down LTE but just use the CDMA EVDO radio. ( 3G) Can't do this now. ( Note- Ramy told me of an app that permits this however) Bottom line- the software needs to be smarter in battery conservation or we will have to get used to swapping batteries or larger phones with bigger batteries.
