Conflicting reports within Qualcomm suggest Verizon-only iPhone
Additional evidence pointing to the introduction of a Verizon Wireless iPhone has surfaced, although reports differ in how Apple is expected to bring its smartphone to the CDMA carrier.
This morning, CDMA inventor Qualcomm announced official plans to release new dual-carrier chips that would enable future phones to work on both its own CDMA/EVDO carrier partners such as Verizon and Sprint, as well as rival 3GPP carriers using UMTS/HSPA+ technologies such as AT&T and T-Mobile. The new chips also provide future support for LTE, the next generation 3GPP standard that most carriers plan to begin testing for deployment globally over the next few years.
However, an analyst has cited sources within Qualcomm in stating that although the company would like to have a dual-mode handset ready in 2010, that would likely be impossible. Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Northeast Securities, told AppleInsider that a dual-mode iPhone from Apple wouldn't exist until 2011 at the earliest.
Kumar said what Qualcomm wants and what they can do are two different things. In order for a dual-mode iPhone to launch in the summer of 2010, such a device would have to be in field trial today.
"They're nowhere near that," he said.
Kumar said he believes it would be a "stretch" for Apple to introduce a dual-mode CDMA/EVDO and UMTS phone in 2010. Instead, he expects a CDMA-only phone specifically made for Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile carrier in the U.S., to debut in the second half of next year.
Kumar's research note was also cited in a report by GigaOm, which presented his conclusion as being that "Apple will launch a WCDMA/CDMA2000-enabled version of the device ? not an LTE version ? through Verizon by the summer of 2010."
Last week, AppleInsider cited a report that said that a Verizon-compatible "worldmode" iPhone would launch by Q3 2010, capable of working on both CDMA/EVDO and UMTS mobile networks. Qualcomm's press release states that it will be sampling advanced new dual-carrier HSPA+ and Multi-Mode 3G/LTE chipsets for launch in the second half of 2010, suggesting that such a product would be easy to deliver.
However, in an interview with AppleInsider Thursday, Kumar said, "Technically I think it will be a stretch to have both UMTS and CDMA, because not only do you have hardware issues in terms of the baseband, but also software issues. Eventually they will probably get there [with the iPhone], but that's probably a 2011 story, not a 2010 story."
According to Kumar's sources, the worldmode chip technology isn't currently available for prototype phones being built in anticipation of manufacturing for a summer 2010 debut. In addition, he said, any new chipsets would have a prohibitively high cost.
"It's very likely they're trying to hit a low price point, maybe a $99 price point," Kumar said of a potential Verizon iPhone.
If things turn out as his sources expect, Kumar said Verizon and Apple hope to hit the market with a new CDMA-only iPhone model by late summer or early fall.
"Trying to do a world phone in that time frame would be impossible," he said.
This morning, CDMA inventor Qualcomm announced official plans to release new dual-carrier chips that would enable future phones to work on both its own CDMA/EVDO carrier partners such as Verizon and Sprint, as well as rival 3GPP carriers using UMTS/HSPA+ technologies such as AT&T and T-Mobile. The new chips also provide future support for LTE, the next generation 3GPP standard that most carriers plan to begin testing for deployment globally over the next few years.
However, an analyst has cited sources within Qualcomm in stating that although the company would like to have a dual-mode handset ready in 2010, that would likely be impossible. Ashok Kumar, an analyst with Northeast Securities, told AppleInsider that a dual-mode iPhone from Apple wouldn't exist until 2011 at the earliest.
Kumar said what Qualcomm wants and what they can do are two different things. In order for a dual-mode iPhone to launch in the summer of 2010, such a device would have to be in field trial today.
"They're nowhere near that," he said.
Kumar said he believes it would be a "stretch" for Apple to introduce a dual-mode CDMA/EVDO and UMTS phone in 2010. Instead, he expects a CDMA-only phone specifically made for Verizon Wireless, the largest mobile carrier in the U.S., to debut in the second half of next year.
Kumar's research note was also cited in a report by GigaOm, which presented his conclusion as being that "Apple will launch a WCDMA/CDMA2000-enabled version of the device ? not an LTE version ? through Verizon by the summer of 2010."
Last week, AppleInsider cited a report that said that a Verizon-compatible "worldmode" iPhone would launch by Q3 2010, capable of working on both CDMA/EVDO and UMTS mobile networks. Qualcomm's press release states that it will be sampling advanced new dual-carrier HSPA+ and Multi-Mode 3G/LTE chipsets for launch in the second half of 2010, suggesting that such a product would be easy to deliver.
However, in an interview with AppleInsider Thursday, Kumar said, "Technically I think it will be a stretch to have both UMTS and CDMA, because not only do you have hardware issues in terms of the baseband, but also software issues. Eventually they will probably get there [with the iPhone], but that's probably a 2011 story, not a 2010 story."
According to Kumar's sources, the worldmode chip technology isn't currently available for prototype phones being built in anticipation of manufacturing for a summer 2010 debut. In addition, he said, any new chipsets would have a prohibitively high cost.
"It's very likely they're trying to hit a low price point, maybe a $99 price point," Kumar said of a potential Verizon iPhone.
If things turn out as his sources expect, Kumar said Verizon and Apple hope to hit the market with a new CDMA-only iPhone model by late summer or early fall.
"Trying to do a world phone in that time frame would be impossible," he said.
Comments
I seriously doubt there will be a verizon only iPhone. CDMA is a dead technology.
I hear you on this, and I'm not going to stake my reputation on what I'm about to say, but I do think there's a market for a CDMA Verizon Wireless iPhone. Yes, it'll be out of date the moment it's released, but that doesn't mean it also won't sell into the millions. If - and, again, I'm only positing this for discussion purposes, not as a forceful argument - Apple believes that the equation will come out in their favor (i.e. income from CDMA iPhone sales - cost of producing CDMA iPhones) with a wide enough margin, they may be willing to do it.
Apple likes money. I'm not saying that to be insulting. But it's a fact. The decisions they make are geared toward making more money, and they'll do whatever works out the best in that direction.
and while that has some logic to it, I can't help remembering that CDMA wasn't good enough for the iphone before so what suddenly made it so much better now
Agreed. Apple's goal is to build products that just work, no matter where you are. A CDMA only iPhone doesn't fit into this vision very well. If there ever is a CDMA iPhone, it'll have UMTS/LTE to back it up.
I agree. They may issue a joint GSM/CDMA iPhone or a GSM/CDMA/LTE iPhone but there isn't going to be a separate CDMA-only iPhone that won't work outside the US. Not gonna happen.
That said, a GSM/CDMA iPhone or GSM/CDMA/LTE iPhone would be the off-the-charts #1 smartphone the day it was released. Not just in sales dollars, in gross units and market share as well.
cue the person that says that the new verizon ads are proof positive that a CDMA phone is in the works. and the ads with their constant use of an iphone stand in, are a pre strike to get folks into the idea that the Verizon net is better for the iphone so they won't re-up an ATT contract etc before the ViPhone is released
and while that has some logic to it, I can't help remembering that CDMA wasn't good enough for the iphone before so what suddenly made it so much better now
It's not that CDMA wasn't good enough, it was that Apple and Verizon couldn't reach a business agreement at the time.
iPhone market success has likely changed Verizon's interest in making a deal since then.
It's not that CDMA wasn't good enough, it was that Apple and Verizon couldn't reach a business agreement at the time.
iPhone market success has likely changed Verizon's interest in making a deal since then.
Exactly. Verizon likes a closed system (their PR department not withstanding). But I think they'd play by Apple's rules if they could chip away at AT&T's recent gains.
I seriously doubt there will be a verizon only iPhone. CDMA is a dead technology.
Agreed. This report is FUD.
Taking bets..... (figuratively, of course...).
I hear you on this, and I'm not going to stake my reputation on what I'm about to say, but I do think there's a market for a CDMA Verizon Wireless iPhone. Yes, it'll be out of date the moment it's released, but that doesn't mean it also won't sell into the millions. If - and, again, I'm only positing this for discussion purposes, not as a forceful argument - Apple believes that the equation will come out in their favor (i.e. income from CDMA iPhone sales - cost of producing CDMA iPhones) with a wide enough margin, they may be willing to do it.
Apple likes money. I'm not saying that to be insulting. But it's a fact. The decisions they make are geared toward making more money, and they'll do whatever works out the best in that direction.
Apple does like money. Most all businesses do and for that reason I agree with your point of view that they will release a CDMA-only phone. Why, money of course. You've seen Apple's recent reasoning on lowering of notebook prices. Income from the iPhone offsets those higher margins. Now if Apple releases a CDMA phone, banks that cash, then when the "world phone" comes about with a high price tag, Apple can use their profits to offset the cost market the phone at a reasonable consumer price. It's all about money folks.
I seriously doubt there will be a verizon only iPhone. CDMA is a dead technology.
Agreed. I'm not sure that I would want a CDMA-only iPhone. No international coverage, no concurrent voice/data, relatively slow access (compared to the newer 3G speeds about to come out).
Verizon would have to be real aggressive on their price and monthly plans to win over new customers.
If AT&T holds a patent on it (?), then there is no way they'd let Verizon have access to it. Not after the "there's a map for that" ads...
I could see the iphone being just as versatile.
So would a Verizon-only phone not have access to visual voice mail? That'd suck, though the new users probably wouldn't know the difference.
If AT&T holds a patent on it (?), then there is no way they'd let Verizon have access to it. Not after the "there's a map for that" ads...
It most definitely CAN have access. It's all a matter of setting up the voicemail server to send specific data to the phone. Verizon already has visual voicemail for an extra 3 bucks a month on many existing phones, so I don't see how this would be an "AT&T only" thing.
I just setup fusion VVM on my sprint TP2 and that's cdma. So visual voicemail isn't limited to anything other than the server the voicemail originates from and code to handle the functionality on the device.
cue the person that says that the new verizon ads are proof positive that a CDMA phone is in the works. and the ads with their constant use of an iphone stand in, are a pre strike to get folks into the idea that the Verizon net is better for the iphone so they won't re-up an ATT contract etc before the ViPhone is released
You are probably right. But the AT&T counter ad would show the people who can't surf Google, update their maps, run network-attached apps, etc. while taking a voice call.
The one real wrinkle in the Droid is that you can't surf Google while talking on the Google phone.
maybe Apple is working with icera, who claims to have a software technology that would already enable worldphone...
It's not software. It's a chipset.
It most definitely CAN have access. It's all a matter of setting up the voicemail server to send a specific datatype to the phone. Verizon already has visual voicemail for an extra 3 bucks a month on many existing phones, so I don't see how this would be an "AT&T only" thing.
I just setup fusion VVM on my sprint TP2 and that's cdma. So visual voicemail isn't limited to anything other than the server the voicemail originates from.
Thanks for setting the record straight. I only remember when the iPhone was first released and the RoW allegedly couldn't get VVM...
cue the person that says that the new verizon ads are proof positive that a CDMA phone is in the works. and the ads with their constant use of an iphone stand in, are a pre strike to get folks into the idea that the Verizon net is better for the iphone so they won't re-up an ATT contract etc before the ViPhone is released
and while that has some logic to it, I can't help remembering that CDMA wasn't good enough for the iphone before so what suddenly made it so much better now
I'm still doubtful, but if it comes out next year, it could be because Apple is now worldwide, and so wants to fill in their weakspots in the US.
They would also get Verizon to stop those Ads against them. (Hmm! I wonder if that's not Verizon's plan.)
So would a Verizon-only phone not have access to visual voice mail? That'd suck, though the new users probably wouldn't know the difference.
If AT&T holds a patent on it (?), then there is no way they'd let Verizon have access to it. Not after the "there's a map for that" ads...
I believe it's Apple's patent.