Verizon: We’re Getting 4G LTE Too! Can Haz ur iPhonez?
You’ve told us and told us you want the iPhone on Verizon. There’s two reasons that hasn’t happened already. AT&T has exclusive rights in the US (Verizon, stupidly, turned down the iPhone initially), and the iPhone is a GSM device while Verizon runs a CDMA network (think Mac vs. PC). And, hey, Sprint can’t even get simultaneous voice and data going on the Pre with CDMA/EVDO, okay?
However, it seems like Verizon is going to the same LTE standard as AT&T for 4G, and hopes to do Ma Bell one better by bringing it to market by the end of THIS YEAR. (AT&T will be testing this year, rolling out in 2011, and the EU has delayed until 2012!) Gizmodo says it’s already running at 60Mbps, so…
With compatibility hurdles clearing in the future, will exclusivity fall next? Could we see an iPhone on Verizon in 2010 or 2011?
(TUAW has a great write up on that possibility, thanks Brian for the pointer!)
February 18th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
VERIZON: “An Apple cell phone? Who the hll would want an Apple cell phone? Call that Steve Johnson, or whatever his name is, and tell him that we pass! Only Microsoft is important! We don’t even want to make wireless cards for that Apple crp!”
February 18th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Slight correction, ATT is testing in 2010 and production in 2011, VZW is testing in 2009 (with 2 cities lit up in a pre-commercial phase by EOY) with production some time in 2010 last I heard (25 to 35 cities). Did you have some newer infoz?
February 18th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
I still wouldn’t expect the iPhone to hit Verizon anytime soon, even after their LTE network is up. Remember, even 3G isn’t everywhere yet. LTE (4G) will be in even few places for awhile. What will the iPhone work on in the other >90% of the country with Verizon’s network? Will they say; “We have the iPhone, but you can’t go 10 miles out of NYC, DC, Baltimore, Philly, LA, etc or you won’t have any service.”
That doesn’t sound like a very good idea. Unless Apple really caves and puts a CDMA radio inside, which is at this point not that good a chance.
February 18th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Any UK network which is close to releasing 4G LTE? O2 perhaps?
February 18th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
@Sting7K
Realistically, once 4G starts deploying, why would ATT or anyone else waste any more resources deploying additional 3G?
My bet is they let it wither and die. There are just too few devices that use it, and most of those are iPhones, who’s owners seem to have a habit of buying new and expensive toys well before their last toy is obsolete.
I suppose 3G coverage might expand if 4G base station hardware also supported 3G, such as Nokia announced this month: http://www.xchangemag.com/hotnews/nokia-siemens-2g-3g-4g-green-base-station.html
February 18th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
“There are just too few devices that use it, and most of those are iPhones.”
I don’t have numbers at hand, but I don’t think that’s true. There are a lot of 3G devices out there and the iPhone 3G is only one of them.
February 19th, 2009 at 2:18 am
I doubt there are more than 7 phone models, and probably a few wireless modems.
But in terms of total Cell Phone market penetration its not a huge percentage.
Remember that the 17 million iphones that apple crows about can’t touch the 114 million razors sold world wide, even if they are out selling razors today.
February 19th, 2009 at 9:34 am
Rene: source for Palm cant do simult voice-data? I remember the opposite from their demos!
February 23rd, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Hey steve your full of S*#@. Apple is the most stable platform asides from Linx available. You PC an windows user need to realize that apple is here to stay and Windows will bow to them.
March 1st, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Wow, Frank, thanks for letting us know how stupid Apple fanboys are. First of all, Apple isn’t a “platform” (or an operating system as I’m sure you intended). What you’re referring to would be OSX. And, man, you honestly need to go back to elementary school and learn some reading comprehension because you completely missed that satire Steve was making about Verizon’s decision to turn down the iPhone.
March 17th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Strange enough, 2010-11 is when the at&t-Apple iPhone contract ends — supposedly. there was some talk about a 5 year exclusive plan.
March 25th, 2009 at 12:30 am
COME ON VERIZON??? GET WITH THE PROGRAM! PEOPLE WANT THE BEST SERVICE ALONG WITH THE BEST PHONE AROUND! YOU GUYS ARE MISSING OUT ON MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HERE, THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN, AND I CAN BET 0N IT! IF VERZION OFFERS THE IPHONE, THERE WOULD BE SO MANY PEOPLE SWITCHING OVER TO VERIZON WIRELESS IT WOULDNT EVEN BE FUNNY!!!
April 14th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
ATT goodbye verizon always been the best and will continue to be the best
April 27th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Verizon is on the move, i think they will crush At&t.
April 27th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
one more thing, at@t is still playing with 3G, Verizon is already in 4G mode, the VP of Verizon said by 2010 many cities will have 4G.. [place burn out tire marks here]
May 29th, 2009 at 11:52 am
@sting7k It would have CDMA/EVDO/LTE 2g 3g and 4g
Not that hard to do.
May 29th, 2009 at 11:55 am
@icebike What are you talking about? All devices on VZW are 3G. And VZW is 3G across the network. 3G isn’t going to go away anytime soon. It will be 4G/3G working together for a few years.
May 29th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I am just tired of waiting! I need some comfirmation that VZW is getting the iphone! And I want to be told that it isn’t going to be gimped!!! It better work exactly like ATTW iphone!
June 6th, 2009 at 4:32 am
I agree with you Sean. I have an Iphone on ATTW and it works good. The thing is this, the applications that are used on the iphone are for OSX platform and work pretty good. If VZW get the phone they will have to integrate that platform into their 4G network which kinda is tricky since most of there phones that are worth a **** are windows based. I think that you would lose alot of fuctionality with alot of the applications on the OSX type of iphone which is why ppl really like it. Comparable is the HTC diamond and pro and they are very good phones. As for the network like someone said before, it will be 4G/3G for a while.
June 8th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I have a family member who works for Verizon and they said to me this past weekend that Verizon would be getting the iphone in 2010 as well as the palm pre. Thats all the confirmation I need.
June 8th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Also Verizon bought the rights to all the TV antennas that are no longer being used as TV goes digital and will have 100% the largest and most reliable network in the country, however I do believe that other phone company’s will be able to use the network but will have to pay Verizon for use, which means even as an AT&T user you will be paying Verizon for your reliable service.
July 12th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Verizon and other LTE providers are facing critical issues for launch. Verizon and LTE 4G Triple Play Challenges http://www.taranfx.com/blog/?p=1376
July 12th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
VErizon and other LTE providers are facing critical issues for launch. Verizon and LTE 4G Triple Play Challenges http://www.taranfx.com/blog/?p=1376
July 20th, 2009 at 7:53 am
I think Sprint should get the iPhone..
July 25th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
I don’t pretend to know about a lot of this VZW and other initial letter formats, but for me it comes down to GSM vs. CDMA. Will the newer formats being discussed work on GSM, because if not, that’s a deal breaker for me. I don’t understand why a company like Verizon sticks with CDMA which is a western hemisphere format (really, just a north western format, considering). I stick with GSM because of its use in Europe and most other places. It doesn’t matter to me what wondrous things Verizon or other carriers develope, if they don’t work across the waters, I ain’t interested.
August 9th, 2009 at 6:44 am
The statement “AT&T will be testing this year, rolling out in 2011, and the EU has delayed until 2012!)” is flat out wrong. Most tech-savvy European countries have it up and running for test already. In Sweden, there is a 2010-spring launch deadline in place for TeliaSonera and the Telenor-Tele2 joint venture is not far behind. Nokia and SonyEricsson is currently providing modified 3G-production models for test-groups (under NDA).
August 26th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
If the Iphone came to and worked well with Verizon, I will buy it the day of it’s release. Largest and arguably the best phone carrier, with the Alpha of all devices = undeniable success.
August 27th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I think that I Phone should come out on Verizon! Do they mean we are getting the i phone at the end of this year and the beginning of January 2009???
October 1st, 2009 at 9:46 pm
I went to my Verizon dealer last weekend to upgrade my wirelesss cell phone. When I inquired about other phones available with other phone carriers including iphone, he told me that Verizon will offer the iphone during holiday season later this year!