Verizon CEO has told Apple he wants to offer the iPhone

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 87
    reliasonreliason Posts: 135member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    I can only speak from my experience but in all the time I've owned an iPhone I have never once surfed the web or used a web dependent app whilst speaking on the phone. If the feature wasn't there I wouldn't notice.



    I know you are only speaking for yourself, but I use the web features of my phone while talking a great deal.



    My calendar syncs wireless to my work exhcange server - I check that all the time while on the phone.



    I have looked up emails, that have had to come from the server while on a call.



    I have checked the weather radar for my wife (who does not have an iPhone and was in the field)...



    So, yeah, for some of us, this IS a big deal. The finding a resteraunt and placing a reservation? Not so much.



    I don't like AT&T, bordering on despite. But my opinions of Verizon are just as low.
  • Reply 42 of 87
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shadash View Post


    Wow. That sounds exactly like something overheard in Apple's boardroom circa 1987. How did that one work out for you?



    1) How do you know?



    2) I did not buy Apple in 1987 (although, I wish I did: The price was ~$6; I would have got eight years of dividends too).



    3) I hope you know that we are in the 21st century.
  • Reply 43 of 87
    reliasonreliason Posts: 135member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    Would the Verizon phone work for the big China provider too?



    No. I believe China Telecom uses a derivative of the CDMA technology incompatible with both Sprint and Verizon. Though they plan on moving to LTE in the future. I would expect that Apple would hold off until the 'universal' CDMA/GSM chipset being developed by QualComm becomes available in production quantities. Probably in 2011/2012.
  • Reply 44 of 87
    beeman60beeman60 Posts: 52member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by replicant View Post


    What really drives programmers to develop for the iPhone is the sheer volume of the customer ba$e. Lose that and you will lose the developers and the battle. My 2 cents



    But what makes Verizon and Developers swoon/drool is access to the demographic represented by the owners of Apple hardware.
  • Reply 45 of 87
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    T-Mobile USA does seem the obvious fit but after the FCC photos revealed that only 3 bands for 3GSM are in the unlocked iPad I have to wonder if Apple will include the 4th band to make it T-Mo compatible.



    It makes more sense from a revenue perspective for the iPhone to come first to T-Mobile USA for both companies, not the iPad.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hotmarkb View Post


    If someone in the USA wants an IPhone they are willing to switch carriers if Nessessary.



    Not everyone. Personally, I hope that the iPhone comes to T-Mobile USA since I get zero AT&T reception at home. Not willing to switch to the iPhone because it won't do its primary job (function as a phone) at home. If AT&T wants to build a celltower nearby, that's fine.
  • Reply 46 of 87
    justflybobjustflybob Posts: 1,337member
    Dear Verizon....



    Can you hear me NOW?
  • Reply 47 of 87
    orlandoorlando Posts: 601member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hotmarkb View Post


    If someone in the USA wants an IPhone they are willing to switch carriers if Nessessary.



    There are plenty of people who are interested in an iPhone but are unwilling to switch networks. Estimates are Apple could sell several million extra iPhones if it became available on Verizon. Instead these people are likely to go with Android. Android might not be as good as the iPhone, but it is still probably good enough for many people.



    Android does have a serious chance of winning the smartphone war. The more they sell, the more developers will target the platform. To allow Google free reign on any major network is a mistake. Apple should be on Verizon (and all the other major networks).
  • Reply 48 of 87
    eriamjheriamjh Posts: 1,630member
    What company wouldn't want to offer the iPhone?



    Well, perhaps those who don't want to meet Apple's terms.



    But still...
  • Reply 49 of 87
    josh.b.josh.b. Posts: 353member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    Android does have a serious chance of winning the smartphone war. The more they sell, the more developers will target the platform. To allow Google free reign on any major network is a mistake. Apple should be on Verizon (and all the other major networks).



    I agree.



    Akin to the "Network Effect", market share is a crucial metric for any tech company, for exactly the reasons you identify
  • Reply 50 of 87
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Josh.B. View Post


    I agree.



    Akin to the "Network Effect", market share is a crucial metric for any tech company, for exactly the reasons you identify



    Marketshare is important to a point, but it requires you to know what share it is. Apple is targeting the premium smartphone market, just like it targets the premium market in almost every category it competes in (MP3 players, computers, etc.).



    Apple willingly stays out of certain markets, particularly low-end markets where the profit margins are thin.
  • Reply 51 of 87
    I believe it, i believe he asked for the iPhone, I believe there will be a Verizon iPhone, but I DON'T believe it'll happen this year. Apple will most likely do it when LTE is fully rolled out in the U.S. (or atleast in a few places.) Right now, Verizon's speeds are too slow, they can't do "talk & surf", they're data plans are too over the top expensive(unless Apple does something about it.) & their network will get too overloaded and people WILL start complaining. Let alone, they drop a lot of calls, just like every other normal carrier. Also!! I'm starting to and never believed the Wall Start Journal. And why should we? All these other news sources say stuff and we don't go psycho about it. If Verizon's CEO asked for the iPhone yesterday, then how are they making a "CDMA compatible" iPhone for Verizon? I only hope they were talking about China, or some other place in Asia.

    Apple has done too many good things with at&t in the first place. Even starting in 2005 with Motorola, releasing an iTunes phone on the Cingular network. Did they do anything with Verizon? Psh, please. Where's he facts or evidence.

    iPhone HDS-2010(i hope.)
  • Reply 52 of 87
    benroethigbenroethig Posts: 2,782member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FormerARSgm View Post


    The iPhone on Verizon will actually be good for Apple and AT&T. Users will be frustrated when they can't surf the web or use web dependant apps while on the phone.



    That's the reality for most of AT&T's iphone customers since most of the network is still edge.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    T-Mobile USA does seem the obvious fit but after the FCC photos revealed that only 3 bands for 3GSM are in the unlocked iPad I have to wonder if Apple will include the 4th band to make it T-Mo compatible.



    T-Mobile is way behind the others on infrastructure and customers. I can't say they won't bring anything to the table since they have more customers than canada has people, but the impact to Apple's profits would be much much lower than verizion.
  • Reply 53 of 87
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    Nah, the phone would need a different chip. China Mobile's 3G network is basically China-only CDMA; it is likely they created their own standard so as not to pay the licensing fees. Despite the huge population, China's per capita income makes it a relatively small iPhone market for the moment.



    The other major CDMA markets are South Korea and Japan. From what little I know, both of these countries have cellular markets that are very difficult to crack and there is a substantial difference in what their users value in terms of phone functionality (for example, the iPhone in Japan isn't an "Osaifu-keitai", a digital wallet).



    So the value of Apple building a CDMA iPhone is questionable in terms of a worldwide expansion standpoint, just because of the idiosyncratic nature of those markets. While they are large CDMA markets, it's not clear that many users would buy an iPhone. From a U.S. sales perspective, it's not a bad idea, but there are costs associated with designing, building, and supporting a different phone. Is it worth it to Apple? Hard to say.



    Frankly, the fact that Seidelberg is publicly asking for a CDMA iPhone leads me to believe that Apple is not actively working on one. Plus, there should have been some evidence of Apple hiring a bunch of CDMA engineers. As far as I can tell, they have not.





    Thanks!
  • Reply 54 of 87
    orlandoorlando Posts: 601member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    Marketshare is important to a point, but it requires you to know what share it is. Apple is targeting the premium smartphone market, just like it targets the premium market in almost every category it competes in (MP3 players, computers, etc.).



    Apple willingly stays out of certain markets, particularly low-end markets where the profit margins are thin.



    Android is also targeting the premium smartphone market. They are a direct competitor to the iPhone. We are not talking about competing with cheap feature phones here. The threat is not that these consumers will get a Nokia or similar crappy phone. Android is currently not that far behind the capabilities of the iPhone and is probably good enough for many consumers. It is a genuine threat to the iPhone and could potentially overtake it.



    In the smartphone war, Apple is conceding defeat on one of the major battlefields by not even showing up and are letting Google easily grab a major part of the premium smartphone market.
  • Reply 55 of 87
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    From what little I know, both of these countries have cellular markets that are very difficult to crack and there is a substantial difference in what their users value in terms of phone functionality



    The reports seem to indicate that the iPhone is a hit in Japan, S. Korea and China. China had 100s of thousands imported there before it was even officially offered and despite a slow start and the lack of WiFI the official version seems to be doing well. S. Korea's KT carrier has sold 500k iPhones in only 4 months, making it one of only 7 countries to sell that many in under one year and making Apple the first foreign handset maker with a top-selling smartphone..





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig View Post


    T-Mobile is way behind the others on infrastructure and customers. I can't say they won't bring anything to the table since they have more customers than canada has people, but the impact to Apple's profits would be much much lower than verizion.



    To include T-mobile isn't like creating a phone for Verizon. It's essentially an extra radio for the phone, which the X-Gold 6xx chips can handle. I think they can go up to 5 or 6 3GSM radios. The reason not to include it comes down to logistics, not cost or engineering.
  • Reply 56 of 87
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    Android is also targeting the premium smartphone market. They are a direct competitor to the iPhone. We are not talking about competing with cheap feature phones here. The threat is not that these consumers will get a Nokia or similar crappy phone. Android is currently not that far behind the capabilities of the iPhone and is probably good enough for many consumers. It is a genuine threat to the iPhone and could potentially overtake it.



    In the smartphone war, Apple is conceding defeat on one of the major battlefields by not even showing up and are letting Google easily grab a major part of the premium smartphone market.



    What battlefield have they not shown up to? The low end market? What benefit is there to that? In battle, chess, business you try to hold to the best positions because you probably can't hold them all. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, everywhere he will be weak.



    I've seen reports that Apple makes more profit than any other handset vendor and PC vendor. I don't think they care to make razor thin margins just to compete in the low end. That can irrevocably hurt your brand.



    Android marketshare and installed base will outnumber the iPhone OS. That is a given considering the nature of disparate business models.



    As for capabilities Android phones they are technically well ahead of the iPhone's OS and HW, but that doesn't translate to sales or usability. The original iPhone has been getting updates for 3 years yet Android v2.1 has been out for how long now and phones are still shipping with v1.6?
  • Reply 57 of 87
    orlandoorlando Posts: 601member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    What battlefield have they not shown up to?



    Verizon and every other major network in the US except AT&T.



    This allows Android to gain millions of users unopposed. Total Android user base increases attracting even more developers to the platform making it even more appealing to new users. In addition, as these consumers invest in apps for their Android phone the cost of one day switching to the iPhone increases as they cannot take the apps with them. Next time they buy a new phone it's probably easier to stick with Android.



    This does not just affect smartphones but also tablets. If you have an Android phone (because the iPhone wasn't available on your network) and have bought a bunch of apps for it then buying an iPad is less appealing. Maybe you'd be better of with an Android tablet.



    Apple had the advantage. Millions of iPhones were sold before the first Android phone came out. They also maintained a massive technological advantage over all rival platforms for a considerable time. However in allowing Google to grab huge sections of the premium smartphone market by not competing on Verizon and other networks, Apple is throwing away this advantage.



    If we are not already, we could soon be asking: At what point will Android have the greater share of the high-end market in the US?
  • Reply 58 of 87
    cvaldes1831cvaldes1831 Posts: 1,832member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    Android is also targeting the premium smartphone market. They are a direct competitor to the iPhone. We are not talking about competing with cheap feature phones here. The threat is not that these consumers will get a Nokia or similar crappy phone. Android is currently not that far behind the capabilities of the iPhone and is probably good enough for many consumers. It is a genuine threat to the iPhone and could potentially overtake it.



    In the smartphone war, Apple is conceding defeat on one of the major battlefields by not even showing up and are letting Google easily grab a major part of the premium smartphone market.



    I really wonder how much money Google is making from Android.



    Apple is a hardware company; their business model is to use content (software, services, apps, etc.) to drive sales of their high-margin hardware.



    As for Google, practically their entire revenue stream comes from Google AdWords. While I have no doubt that Google Android will continue to be an increasingly larger picture of the smartphone world, I'm just curious how Google is monetizing this. Google might be getting a piece of the action in licensing out Android, I wonder how much (if any) money they are getting from handset sales. Nexus One is still a small player and the Android marketshare is split up by multiple models of varying functionality.



    In any case, when the time is right, Apple will sell a phone on the Verizon network (whichever one it is running at the time).
  • Reply 59 of 87
    sdbryansdbryan Posts: 351member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PaulSorensen View Post


    If the CEO of Verizon quoted a rumor from the WSJ that Apple is building a CDMA phone for them, then it's unlikely that the rumor is true.



    Just as likely that he is trying to honor confidentiality agreements. If he provided independent verification that would be a serious faux pas. But just citing reports that are publicly known keeps him on good terms with his (possible) business partners. I think Apple will release a Verizon iPhone (which will be slightly less capable because of Verizon's limitations) in order to prevent Google phones from benefiting too much from an uncontested network.
  • Reply 60 of 87
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Orlando View Post


    Verizon and every other major network in the US except AT&T.



    Ah, I thought you meant in price categories. Yes, I agree and would be very happy if they sold to others carriers, especially Verizon.



    I wasn't able to watch the iPad special event but I was monitoring stocks. I was watching for a dramatic jump in Apple's stock price as proof that they announced a Verizon iPhone. I think we can look at $20 in a day from that single announcement so you'll get no argument from me on that front.



    However, there are reasons why they might not go with Verizon. One that seems to plague Apple each year is component supplies, namely NAND. They are apparently having iPad displays and Intel Arrandales for MBP supply issues and those sell a lot less.



    If they add a Verizon iPhone, I would expect at least 6 weeks space between the G4 iPhone (3GSM) and the iPhone (CDMA).



    Quote:

    Apple had the advantage. Millions of iPhones were sold before the first Android phone came out. They also maintained a massive technological advantage over all rival platforms for a considerable time. However in allowing Google to grab huge sections of the premium smartphone market by not competing on Verizon and other networks, Apple is throwing away this advantage.



    As I recall, Android was announced well before the iPhone was, they just had to play catch up because they revamped everything after the iPhone was announced.



    I don't think Apple is losing the premium market to Android. I've seen no vendor offer an Android phone that is as user friendly. The only market I see them losing is, as you previously mentioned, the customers who cannot or will not switch carriers for whatever reason.



    Quote:

    If we are not already, we could soon be asking: At what point will Android have the greater share of the high-end market in the US?



    I think it could happen, it all depends how you define high-end, but ultimately it doesn't really matter as the OS installs are a meaningless metric as there are more than enough to sustain the platforms. The only thing Apple cares about is the profit.
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