For those that have the hopes of getting an iPhone on Verizon, you may want to think again. Tim Cook and Peter Oppenheimer have made it clear in the company's Q2 financial results conference call that Apple will most likely not be switching from AT&T for the iPhone.
Apple has stated that they are very happy with AT&T due to the promotion AT&T has done for the iPhone (especially compared to all other AT&T phones). AT&T was supposed to only have exclusivity for the iPhone until 2010, but Apple has said that they do not have any current plans of changing carriers at this time.
Plus, if Apple were to go to Verizon as its iPhone carrier, they would have to manufacture a CDMA (Verizon/Sprint) version of the iPhone since the current ones use GSM (AT&T/T-Mobile) technology. GSM is a global standard and remains a better choice for the iPhone, since Apple claimed that they want the iPhone to be a global hardware device. Although there may be a sliver of hope for Verizon people if the wireless carrier upgrades its own network. No confirmation on this though, it's just speculation.
Coming from the conference, it has been revealed that the total number of iPhone and iPod touch units has reached 30 million as of December 2008. Apple also has no plans of releasing lower priced models (iPhone nano?) and stressed the importance of the iTunes App Store and the entire software focused approach of the iPhone OS.
Christine Chan
April 26, 2009 at 12:48am
Thanks for pointing out errors in the writing. I'm new, so I apoligize. I've fixed it up a bit now. Thanks.
WM
April 25, 2009 at 5:51pm
AT&T Wireless is not the same company as at&t. Cingular bought AT&T Wireless and used the much better established name at&t. My experience with Cingular/at&t has been flawless. AT&T Wireless was very limited and would have failed if it didn't acquired Cingular because at the time Cingular had the 2nd biggest network next to Verizon. That said, their network is all GSM...a better network. Apple partnered with the best network which also happens to be the global standard. Smart, if you ask me...
zzyzx
April 24, 2009 at 6:48pm
My past experience with AT&T Wireless was atrocious. As long as it is the exclusive carrier, I have no interest. Curious to see Apple team up with a 2nd-rate company; it really must be the GSM.
MacAddict4Life
April 24, 2009 at 4:36pm
GSM is a better technology to have the iPhone on anyways, since Apple has claimed that they want the iPhone to be a global hardware device, which is a standard with GSM.
This sentence makes english teachers cry.
colinc
April 24, 2009 at 7:53am
"the total number of iPhone and iPod Touch units has reached 37 million, with 30 million coming from December 2008 alone."
That makes it sound like they sold a combination of 30 million iPhones and iPod Touch units in December 2008. Really, they had sold 30 million as of December 2008.
tsimo7
April 24, 2009 at 10:29am
In case you haven't noticed, Mac|Life isn't really a professional company. They have typos in almost every article, and sometimes, even in their magazines.
themacinjosh
April 23, 2009 at 11:45pm
I have Alltel (so I guess that means I have Verizon) and I would LOVE to have the iPhone instead of this stupid Scoop I have. I really don't want to have to switch to AT&T either. Oh well maybe the Palm Pre or something will be available on Verizon someday, it's no iphone but at least it's better than this Scoop I have.
