I just knew it. I knew it wouldn't be long until the latest Verizon iPhone rumor hit the web waves and I'd be writing about it shortly thereafter. I did not think it would be as concrete as this appears to be.
An analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group mentioned in a note to suppliers that Apple is preparing to build 3 million CDMA capable iPhones by December. This is to keep on track with an apparent early 2011 release. Are you getting a headache yet?
A new survey by Credit Suisse shows that only 23% of AT&T customers would be willing to switch to Verizon if the carrier got the iPhone. The good old talk about a Verizon iPhone. Sigh. It seems I am the only believing there won't be a Verizon iPhone next year.
According to this survey, 23% would switch to Verizon, 3% would switch to Sprint, and only 2% would switch to T-Mobile. 9% are not sure what they would do. If you do the math, that leaves 63% of people staying with AT&T, most likely because they are satisfied...
A few weeks back we posted articles detailing Intel's acquiring of Infineon, the smartphone chip maker who has supplied every single iPhone baseband chip. Surely this meant that Apple's beloved phone would be running Intel inside their next iPhone come next summer. Not so fast.
According to Apple Insider the Commercial Times reports that Infineon will not supply the Apple with the baseband chip for the iPhone 5. Instead, the chip will be manufactured by the Hon Hai Group and Foxconn...
I find it interesting how the rumor mill operates. Last month every report out there had Verizon pegged as the next carrier to offer the iPhone which I still believe to be the frontrunner as well. Lately however the influx of rumors have centered around T-Mobile's aspirations for offering the Apple handheld.
Apple Hot News cites Engadget as saying that an executive vice president of Canada's Quebecor claims that Apple is in the process of building a compatible iPhone for T-Mobile's 3G network...
It has been several weeks since we have heard about the iPhone 4 antenna issue and how it is affecting the selling power of the new device. With record sales reported it comes as no surprise that a recent survey shows potential buyers are more concerned about the absence of a Verizon branded iPhone.
Apple Insider dissected a Piper Jaffray poll that was comprised of 258 cellphone users in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It turns out that of those questioned, 3 times the population was more upset over not having the iPhone available on Verizon than those who hesitated on buying the device due to the antenna...
iDB reported about the iPhone 4 arriving in Mexico last week. Today Mac Rumors posted an article claiming an executive from Telcel, the mexican iPhone carrier, says the iPhone 4 will be getting a hardware revision once the free case promotion runs out.
Marco Quatorze comments that the policy of giving away free cases will be implemented the same to the rest of the countries selling the iPhone 4. Following September 30th (the date Steve Jobs said Apple would reevaluate the issue) the hardware would be changed to resolve the antenna discrepancies. A bold assumption to say the least...
Unless you've been underneath a rock for a few weeks you're aware that Apple will be holding their annual September event this Wednesday. With such an event so close, you can pretty much find a rumor for any wild idea you could think of. We figured here at iDB we'd toss around some ideas and let you add your own.
I'll start with the casualties:
We reported earlier in the month about AT&T downplaying and avoiding questions about the effects it will suffer if and when their iPhone exclusivity runs out. The tune is staying the same from the telephone provider but now they are citing tablets such as the iPad as their future lifeline.
Without getting specific about the rumors of a Verizon iPhone, Glen Lurie (AT&T emerging devices president) says that the company plans to keep "plugging along" at the same rate of success they are now. Yeah, right...
Apple news junkies 9 to 5 Mac have revealed some interesting info, via DVICE, about what they say possibly being the Verizon iPhone. Just to warn you, the following claims may induce severe skepticism, high levels of doubt, and a good old-fashioned belly-laugh.
First, the rumored device is said to pack a next-gen A4 chip, which fires at 1.2ghz. Sick of that 3.5 inch screen? No problem, because this unicorn of a handset will up its traditional size to 3.7 inches. Personally if I were going to start a rumor, I would have at least made the screen 4 inches, but that's just me. Last but not least, the Verizon version of the Jesus Phone would come with a relocated antenna, placed internally.
9 to 5 Mac makes no bones about this information being illegitimate, but don't rule out the possibility that these specs would accompany the 5th generation iPhone. That doesn't sound too crazy, however at this point none of this has much foundation to rest on.
What do you think? Will we see any of this come January, or should we put this device next to the "iPhone Nano"? Let us know in the comment section.
The man with the Apple info, John Gruber, has posted a long entry concerning the latest information about a CDMA iPhone. As with all undisclosed releases, this particular product is codenamed N92. So what's different about this rumor than all the others? Well, Gruber states that the mysterious device has entered Engineering Verification Testing (EVT) status. This is said to be just below Designed Verification Testing.
What may or may not be important to mention, is that the ordering of CDMA parts doesn't necessarily equal a Verizon iPhone. Sprint uses the same technology, so as the "facts" stand, they could be getting the iPhone. While that is possible, I see this note as Gruber covering his butt, just in case nothing happens.
When would this mammoth of an announcement come? Some say at the CES, while others predict a special announcement. LTE, Verizon's next focused technology, is rumored to be their focus at CES, so unveiling a CDMA product at the same time wouldn't make any sense. Wherever (if ever) it happens, January 2011 is the popular timeframe... right now anyway.
Gruber then goes on to question the popularity such a device would attract. The 1.7 million units AT&T sold in the iPhone 4 opening weekend is a difficult number to match. There would no doubt be lines, and long lines at that. We would really see just how many of Verizon's loyal fan-base have been waiting for the beloved iPhone.
We at iDB will faithfully keep bringing you the details as they emerge. As the new year approaches, I expect this to be make or break concerning the validity behind the Verizon iPhone. It seems as if we've been hearing (and forgetting) about the possibility for years. One thing is for certain, a release this huge will be difficult to conceal, even for Apple. Unless of course they happen to "lose" another one in a "random" bar. Any thoughts?
This story fits into the category of a CEO saying what sounds good, but with little believability in what they've said. MacWorld reports that Sanjay Jha, Co-CEO of Motorola's Mobility group said, "I'm comfortable with the dynamic that (Verizon iPhone) would create". I don't know what kind of comfort he's referring to, but the way I see it, Apple will be benefiting far more than Motorola from such an acquisition.
As we reported this week, more iPhone-to-Verizon rumors have been floating around the web-waves. The same Verizon who has pumped a lot of energy and money into the promotion of the operator owned OS. Android was first featured on Motorola, thus Jhasays doesn't see Big Red deviating from their big investment, even with an iPhone on their roster.
I agree that the Droid is here to stay. I also agree with the CEO when he says he's confident in continuance of loyalty regarding the promotion of Droid-driven Moto devices. What I don't buy into is the chipper level of comfort that he proclaims, when it comes to the inevitable competition that a Verizon iPhone would bring. To be blunt, they would undoubtedly lose out on potential customers. How could they not?
I know Jha is saying what any decent CEO would say when he faces tough competition. But for those of us who don't have to keep the shareholders and carriers happy, I say different. It would be like a starting quarterback saying he's happy that his team just acquired a better rated QB to compete for the job. It sounds noble, but the level of truth behind it is questionable. Clearly a Verizon iPhone would mean more money for Apple, and less for Motorola. Again I ask, how could it not?
How many times have we heard this before? According to TechCrunch and "sources with knowledge of this entire situation", Apple has submitted a large order to Qualcomm for millions of units of their CDMA chipsets for a Verizon iPhone run due in December.
Yawn!
Verizon CEO is going to do the keynote for CES in January next year so it would be convenient to announce they are getting the iPhone then. But realistically, I still don't believe the hype. I still think we won't see a Verizon iPhone anytime in 2011.
What do you think?