Foxconn could join Pegatron in producing Apple's CDMA iPhone - report

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple partners Foxconn and Pegatron have both received orders for a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 due out in 2011, a new report out of the Far East claims.



Industry sources told Taiwan Economic News that Foxconn, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., will ship a CDMA edition of the iPhone 4 to Apple in 2011. Sources also suggested that Apple's attempt to tap into the CDMA market would bring the CDMA iPhone to Verizon Wireless and China Telecom.



Foxconn, Apple's biggest contract supplier, will reportedly share production evenly with Pegatron Technologies, with Foxconn's share of the order adding up to 15 million units in 2011. In May, Pegatron was rumored to have won the contract for the much-rumored CDMA iPhone, with production allegedly slated to begin in November.



The report may indicate that pent-up demand for a CDMA iPhone 4 would exceed either Foxconn's or Pegatron's manufacturing capacity. Apple sold a record 14.1 million iPhones last quarter, up 91 percent year over year, and analysts believe millions of customers are presently waiting for a CDMA iPhone.



Rumors of an early 2011 release of a CDMA-enabled iPhone 4 were bolstered earlier this month when The Wall Street Journal reported that production of the handset would begin by the end of 2010.



According to recent rumors, Apple could make an iPhone that works on both GSM and CDMA by using dual-mode chips from CDMA inventor Qualcomm. A report from Gigaom published Wednesday claims Apple is working with chip manufacturer Gemalto to develop a multi-carrier SIM card solution for the iPhone.



Also of note, the Taiwan report claims that Foxconn has already invested $299 million in constructing a factory in the Chinese city of Chengdu for production of the iPad.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 13
    well.............That demand is pretty apparent. .....Hey,
  • Reply 2 of 13
    If rumors are true than this is certainly a possibility. Adding a CDMA IPhone to Apples arsenol could increase demand tremendously.
  • Reply 3 of 13
    it would be hilarious if Apple made the CDMA iPhone, and only released it in China and India.



    and all because verizon refused to carry it without bundling the v-cast app. lol.
  • Reply 4 of 13
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by OllieWallieWhiskers View Post


    it would be hilarious if Apple made the CDMA iPhone, and only released it in China and India.



    and all because verizon refused to carry it without bundling the v-cast app. lol.



    You may well turn out to be correct about that.



    Apple and Verizon are both well-known for having intractable, entrenched views about their business models, and Apple will be content to continue turning the screw while expanding into large CDMA (and GSM) networks overseas.



    The iPad deal for Verizon is done, so I guess the iPhone is their call....
  • Reply 5 of 13
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by airmanchairman View Post


    You may well turn out to be correct about that.



    Apple and Verizon are both well-known for having intractable, entrenched views about their business models, and Apple will be content to continue turning the screw while expanding into large CDMA (and GSM) networks overseas.



    The iPad deal for Verizon is done, so I guess the iPhone is their call....



    Don?t forget there is Sprint. I?d think China and India?s CMDA user base (combined) that could buy the iPhone would be less than Verizon or Sprint.
  • Reply 6 of 13
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Don?t forget there is Sprint. I?d think China and India?s CMDA user base (combined) that could buy the iPhone would be less than Verizon or Sprint.



    I agree that Sprint is the real wildcard. If there is a CDMA iPhone to be sold, Sprint is much more likely to agree to whatever Apple wants, especially if it is not also available on Verizon. Unlike T-mobile which has poor coverage and a credit challenged customer base, Sprint has roaming on Verizon's network, so they are a much more viable third option.
  • Reply 7 of 13
    ssquirrelssquirrel Posts: 1,196member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AIaddict View Post


    I agree that Sprint is the real wildcard. If there is a CDMA iPhone to be sold, Sprint is much more likely to agree to whatever Apple wants, especially if it is not also available on Verizon. Unlike T-mobile which has poor coverage and a credit challenged customer base, Sprint has roaming on Verizon's network, so they are a much more viable third option.



    Sprint doesn't have much in the way of really awesome phones, and their CEO has said in the past that they would love having the iPhone. I'm on Sprint and I would be happy getting a CDMA iPhone from them
  • Reply 8 of 13
    ajitmdajitmd Posts: 365member
    If ATT is to loose its iPhone monopoly in the US, then even if VZN gets the CDMA iPhone, it is unlikely to be exclusive, so Sprint would get it too as well benefit too. If VZN plays hardball, then Sprint benefits even more. So... any opinions on Sprint as a side bet investment?
  • Reply 9 of 13
    ssquirrelssquirrel Posts: 1,196member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AjitMD View Post


    If ATT is to loose its iPhone monopoly in the US, then even if VZN gets the CDMA iPhone, it is unlikely to be exclusive, so Sprint would get it too as well benefit too. If VZN plays hardball, then Sprint benefits even more. So... any opinions on Sprint as a side bet investment?



    I can't see Apple opening things up to a 2nd company and not trying to pick up the other couple of majors too. I could see a phased rollout of course. Announce Verizon first, 3 months later Sprint and then T-Mobile. Or whatever order. It will depend on what they can support productionwise really.
  • Reply 10 of 13
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AjitMD View Post


    If ATT is to loose its iPhone monopoly in the US, then even if VZN gets the CDMA iPhone, it is unlikely to be exclusive, so Sprint would get it too as well benefit too. If VZN plays hardball, then Sprint benefits even more. So... any opinions on Sprint as a side bet investment?



    If supply wasn?t a factor I think that would be true, but it seems that the iPhone is still outstripping demand as we move into the Holiday shopping season.



    This isn?t expected to be announced and released until 2011 and this new factory will double(?) production once it?s fully operational, so they may feel they can release to all CDMA/EV-DO carriers at once.



    However, I am cautious to accept that as likely at this point. Especially when it means a lot more of mostly the same components between devices. For instance, if you can only get 4 million 960x640 IPS LCD displays per month from your supplier, then that is a weak link, regardless of anything else you can produce. Therefore it might behoove Apple to get a higher-paying exclusive deal from Verizon or Sprint in the interim to maximize profits.
  • Reply 11 of 13
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Foxconn could join Pegatron in producing Apple's CDMA iPhone



    Yeah...if Pegatron is making one.



    "If we had some bacon we could have bacon and eggs, if we had some eggs."
  • Reply 12 of 13
    so on gsm, lets use the us, we know we can unlock the iphone and take it to t-mob, all you have to do it pop in a new sim for the network. say verizon gets the iphone, we can unlock it of course, but is there a way to activate it on another sprints network? (and vice versa) it just popped in my mind the other day thinking about how someone would go about trying to get it on another cdma carrier if they wanted.. no sim...
  • Reply 13 of 13
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dax_festival View Post


    so on gsm, lets use the us, we know we can unlock the iphone and take it to t-mob, all you have to do it pop in a new sim for the network. say verizon gets the iphone, we can unlock it of course, but is there a way to activate it on another sprints network? (and vice versa) it just popped in my mind the other day thinking about how someone would go about trying to get it on another cdma carrier if they wanted.. no sim...



    I’ve heard of flashing CDMA phones in the past to work with other carriers and they didn’t have SIM cards. I think the process will be similar to the most common unlock methods used today: you jailbreak it and then choose to rewrite the carrier baseband software, thus unlocking it (or perhaps just adding the needed carrier files for other CDMA networks).



    It’s possible it could come with a SIM card, but that still wouldn’t change the need for it to be unlocked or flashed.
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