Verizon Wireless Said to Start Offering IPhone in January

[BigSherv]

Verizon Wireless Said to Start Offering IPhone in January

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-0...clusivity.html

Verizon Wireless, the largest U.S. mobile-phone company, will start selling Apple Inc.’s iPhone next year, ending AT&T Inc.’s exclusive hold on the smartphone in the U.S., two people familiar with the plans said.

The device will be available to customers in January, according to the people, who declined to be named because the information isn’t public. Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, and Jeffrey Nelson, a Verizon Wireless spokesman, declined to comment.

The iPhone, which has been the sole domain of rival AT&T in the U.S. since June 2007, will give Verizon a boost in its competition for smartphone customers, UBS AG analyst John Hodulik said in an interview. Verizon customers, who numbered 92.8 million at the end of the first quarter, may buy 3 million iPhones a quarter, he estimates.

“Apple is going to dramatically increase the number of devices it sells in the U.S. when exclusivity at AT&T ends,” said Hodulik, who is based in New York and rates Verizon shares “neutral.” “It’s hard to ignore the quality issues that AT&T has faced.”

Verizon Wireless, which is building a high-speed fourth- generation network, plans to unveil several devices that will run on the new technology in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, Chief Executive Officer Lowell McAdam has said.

IPhone Gains

Verizon Communications Inc., which co-owns the wireless company with Vodafone Group Plc, slid 9 cents to $28.62 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading at 4 p.m. AT&T fell 49 cents to $24.46. Apple, based in Cupertino, California, dropped $12.13 to $256.17 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Peter Thonis, a spokesman for Verizon Communications, and Mark Siegel, an AT&T spokesman, declined to comment. Tenille Kennedy, a spokeswoman for Research in Motion Ltd., didn’t return a call seeking comment.

The iPhone has helped AT&T add subscribers even as the U.S. mobile-phone market nears saturation. There are enough wireless devices for more than nine out of 10 people, according to the CTIA wireless industry association.

In the first three months of this year, about a third of AT&T’s iPhone activations came from customers who were new to the carrier. Without those 900,000 new subscribers, the company may have posted a loss in contract customers that quarter, analysts said.

Still, Dallas-based AT&T has battled customer complaints about its wireless service, especially in New York and San Francisco, and dedicated an extra $2 billion to upgrading its network this year.

BlackBerry, Android

For Apple, a partnership with Basking Ridge, New Jersey- based Verizon Wireless is a victory over rivals such as RIM and Motorola Inc., whose smartphones are currently promoted by the carrier.

“For Apple it means a larger addressable market,” said Andy Hargreaves, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities in Portland, Oregon. “It’s also good news for Apple in that it will spread the load on the wireless data networks, which will be good for their customers.”

Motorola, which makes Droid phones that use Google Inc.’s Android operating system, fell 27 cents, or 3.8 percent, to $6.80 on the New York Stock Exchange. Google dropped $17.82, or 3.8 percent, to $454.26 on the Nasdaq. RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, declined $3.22, or 6.1 percent, to $49.75.

Apple has sold more than 50 million iPhones since the phone’s introduction in 2007. The latest version, iPhone 4, sold more than 1.7 million units in the first three days after its June 24 debut, a record for the product. Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs said the company didn’t have enough supply to meet demand. Many stores, including retailer Best Buy Co., sold out.

A release at Verizon in the first quarter will help Apple’s sales in the U.S. grow to at least 15 million units next year from 11 million in 2010, Barclays Capital analysts said in a note today. The company’s suppliers have been ramping up production of components for a phone on Verizon’s CDMA network, according to the research report.

To contact the reporter on this story: Amy Thomson in New York at athomson6@bloomberg.net

[ItsMyFault]

Yeah heard about this... it's only good for Apple. More sales.... I may switch next year if the 5G is on it.

[Joshfast]

Originally Posted by ItsMyFault Yeah heard about this... it's only good for Apple. More sales.... I may switch next year if the 5G is on it.

5 G!?!?

They are really going to have 5 G in 2011?

[MiddleMan]

Originally Posted by Joshfast 5 G!?!? They are really going to have 5 G in 2011?

He meant Iphone 5 not 5G since ATT are still in 3G.

[DonnyMost]

Nice. I knew I would be rewarded for being patient and not jumping on the 4G bandwagon. No wonder AT&T was in such a mad scramble to get everyone and their mom on a new contract ASAP.

[ItsMyFault]

Originally Posted by Joshfast 5 G!?!? They are really going to have 5 G in 2011?

lol.. I meant 5th generation of the phone.. AT&T won't even have full 4G till 2011-2012.

[ima_drummer2k]

Damn, there goes my built-in excuse as to why I won't buy one for my wife.

[MiddleMan]

Thanks Mulder

Funniest part so far. Steve is showing difference in iPhone 4 screen and old one...

10:39 AM Firing up both phones.
10:39 AM Doing a live demo now.
10:40 AM Loading up NY Times next.
10:40 AM Zoomed in difference looking at home screen is remarkable. Apple had to get special projectors to show just how good this screen is.
10:41 AM Switching to backups.
10:41 AM NY Times still not loading on iPhone 4.
10:41 AM Steve asks everyone to get off WiFi to help him out, audience laughs.
10:41 AM Loading slowly, "networks in here always unpredictable."
10:42 AM Steve goes back to showing photos.
10:42 AM iPhone 4 now on AT&T, all kinds of error messages about not being connected to the internet popping up on iPhone 4.
10:43 AM Asks Scott for any suggestions.
10:43 AM Steve apologizing again.
10:43 AM iPhone 4 slowly barely loads NY Times.
10:43 AM Difference is fairly amazing.
10:44 AM Steve concludes demo.
10:44 AM Someone shouts, "Try Verizon."

[MiddleMan]

I will probably just purchase the 2nd generation of the Ipad, whenever it's available.

[MiddleMan]

Originally Posted by DonnyMost Nice. I knew I would be rewarded for being patient and not jumping on the 4G bandwagon. No wonder AT&T was in such a mad scramble to get everyone and their mom on a new contract ASAP.

Excellent business move on their part, also new customers have around $375 cancellation fee correct???

[ThaShark316_28]

I read somewhere that TMobile might get it too.

[DonnyMost]

Originally Posted by MiddleMan Excellent business move on their part, also new customers have around $375 cancellation fee correct???

No idea, but I know that AT&T suspended their upgrade timeframe rules to include everyone who was eligible for an upgrade within the rest of the year to net themselves as many renewed contracts as they could.

[Space Ghost]

There is no Iphone 4g on ATT. Leave it to Apple to confuse their customers with their product of Iphone3g /3gs branding.

The only phone that uses 4g tech is sprints EVO. Verizon will be offering 4g phones on Black Friday.(strong rumor). ATT won't see 4G for ... who knows. Their 3G cover still is horrible. That said, if there is a VZW IPhone, it will likely be 4G.

Apple and VZW have not commented and this is not the first time rumors came out that VZW was landing the Iphone.

[Lil Pun]

Originally Posted by DonnyMost No idea, but I know that AT&T suspended their upgrade timeframe rules to include everyone who was eligible for an upgrade within the rest of the year to net themselves as many renewed contracts as they could.

Hmmm.....now I am debating whether I should wait or not. Verizon acquired Alltel a few years back and the coverage here in Arkansas is very good.

[DonnyMost]

Originally Posted by Lil Pun Hmmm.....now I am debating whether I should wait or not. Verizon acquired Alltel a few years back and the coverage here in Arkansas is very good.

Now that all signs are pointing to Verizon, I'm going to wait until next Summer to upgrade most likely. I wouldn't be shocked if a Verizon iPhone SOMEHOW was different than an AT&T one in terms of features... Verizon has a funny way of tinkering with a phone's native capabilities.

[Dave2000]

Originally Posted by DonnyMost Verizon has a funny way of tinkering with a phone's native capabilities.

I wouldn't count on it, you can say that about the normal cell phones but with Smartphones/PDA, they've stayed away from creating their own theme/template on devices.

HTC has their "HTC Sense" for the Driod Eris/Incredible, Motorola Droid left the generic Android OS on there, which most people prefer anyway, an untampered Android OS.

GPS used to be restricted to be only used with VZNavigator, but have unlocked the GPS for most PDAs the past year.

As far as my opinion on this rumor? Its just that, a rumor, its been going on for the past year and a half. I'm getting tired of being asked that question at work, and I'll believe it when I flipping see it.....

[TheRealist137]

yeah but isn't it true that 4g networks by verizon and sprint are actually slower than the max speeds of 3g that tmobile and att have?

[professorjay]

It's like a monthly thing now: another rumor about Verizon getting the iPhone.

There's been a lot of smoke for the past year or two, I'll believe it when I actually see the fire.

[Sajan]

Originally Posted by TheRealist137 yeah but isn't it true that 4g networks by verizon and sprint are actually slower than the max speeds of 3g that tmobile and att have?

what these carriers need to do is make their networks more RELIABLE than faster. can you imagine the iphone on a reliable network? no one would buy any other smartphone.

[Space Ghost]

Originally Posted by TheRealist137 yeah but isn't it true that 4g networks by verizon and sprint are actually slower than the max speeds of 3g that tmobile and att have?

Short answer, no.

The different generations are not so much about speed but the engineering. Speeds are subjective, from building obstruction, to network load to distance. Verizon/Springs 3G and ATT/Tmobile are pretty close together. What makes a difference are those three issues that I have listed.

Verizon does not have 4G. Clearwire has 4G, which is what sprint is using. IMO, there is no true benchmark for 4G. All the carriers will be using LTE as 4G, and there are no open networks that run LTE right now. Sprint (clearwire) is using WiMax as 4G and very few carriers across the globe will be using this. I don't see WiMax surviving the long haul (Sucks for you EVO users).