Is Apple making a smaller, CDMA-compatible “world phone” for Verizon, and readying it for Q3, 2010? Maybe. And TiPb’s sure this “report” coming out on Droid Day is purely coincidental, given Google and Verizon’s moment in the sun. AppleInsider, however, claims a new report, with the prerequisite “sources in Taiwan” (SiT) say it’s so:
Qualcomm’s new hybrid CDMA/WCDMA chip offers the potential for a single, global iPhone that users can take to any major carrier, solving the network fractionalization problem. It also solves other issues that had served as roadblocks, including the issue of user confusion that would result from Apple selling separate CDMA and GSM/UMTS versions of the iPhone.
And that it will have a smaller 2.8 inch screen to go with it. (We make fun in the concept picture above, because we had such lingering hopes for a 480p iPhone HD…) With the Android Droid, Windows Mobile HD2, and even the BlackBerry Storm2 going for bigger screens and pixels, however, we’re hoping Apple doesn’t trend completely the other way…
Since it’s only a rumor, however, and a suspiciously timed one at that, we recommend you take it with a full iPhone-sized grain of salt… but let us know what you think!
Could we see a combination CDMA/HSPA iPhone hit Verizon before the holidays? No, we don’t think so either, but that’s the rumor we’re hearing again.
Of course, we’re no stranger to iPhone on Verizon rumors, whether they be wishful thinking or the result of ongoing, longterm Apple/carrier negotiations that may or may not ever amount to anything, it’s ironic that rumors about America’s most reliable network are almost always anything but…
Given the limited remaining lifespan on CDMA (Verizon’s going LTE for 4G) and market (primarily the US — even Bell and Telus in Canada are going HSPA), it just seems like such an un-Apple-like thing to do. Then again, Verizon’s customer base is no doubt a huge temptation for Apple. Given how many iPhones they sell on AT&T, if they hit Verizon, we can only imagine the market share shift. (Not to mention the load balancing of network traffic that would hopefully follow).
Again, we’re not getting our hopes up. We don’t think we’ll see an iPhone on Verizon any time soon, especially not before the holidays. Let’s face it, it’s almost October already and the window to effectively launch and market the iPhone on a new US network by then is rapidly diminishing from slim to none.
But, if you want to sound off anyway about how much you want a an iPhone world-phone on Verizon, hit the comments.
[Thanks tipster!]
iLounge reports that they’ve been told the next generation iPhone will come in two storage capacities (we’d guess 16GB and 32GB) and three radio flavors, 3G, 3.5/3.75G, and China CDMA. Consumers won’t be able to choose which radio model they buy, each carrier in each local region will simply offer the one that best suits their network. Some choice in color — black or white? — should remain.
The design is said to be roughly the same with the exception of a new, more scratch-resistant matte finish for the back plate, which has been rumored for a while now.
And no, unfortunately, Chinese CDMA won’t run on Sprint or Verizon in the US. Different frequencies.
Commercial Times is raising the bar on crazy rumors by claiming Apple will release not just one, not even two, but a whopping three new iPhones this summer.
First would be the next-generation iPhone previous rumors have pointed to, with beefed up processors and features like the camera.
Second would be a throwback of sorts to the original iPhone, dropping HSPA 3G in favor of EDGE 2.75G to lower costs and smash what little umbrella was left competitors.
Third would be a special version to support a CDMA carrier in China, allowing Apple to penetrate that last, largest of markets. (And with the mere mention of CDMA, cue baseless Verizon rumors in 3… 2… ) [Note: Chinese CDMA bands won't work on Verizon -- hence baseless]
While TiPb has been on the next-gen bandwagon as a long as anyone, I have to admit the other two I’m not as sure about. Even though I mentioned the possibility of an EDGE-again iPhone on Twitter this weekend, Sacha Segan from PCMag was quick to point out a problem: AT&T is cutting EDGE capacity in favor of 3G. And like Giz says in the link below, Apple’s never been a retro-embracing company…
Would anyone be interested in an uber-cheap (free on contract, low EDGE data plan) version of the iPhone? Or is it Next Gen or nothing? And could we see a world where people are smuggling CDMA iPhones out of China?!
[via Gizmodo via Slashphone]
UPDATE: Verizon has just announced their 4G/LTE plans for end-of-year 2010, which may make their network compatible with future iPhone models. More details here.
ORIGINAL: We’ve all heard that AT&T in the US has an exclusive on the iPhone, and that maybe that exclusive was bumped up to 2010 when they agreed to the new iPhone 3G model, but no one outside the lawyer-strewn vaults at Apple and AT&T likely knows how much or for how long. With that in mind, BGR is rumoring that Verizon might be getting ready to unleash a little CDMA/EVDO iPhone fury all their own.
Apple is said to have approached Verizon to be the original iPhone carrier, after all, with AT&T only getting the deal when Verizon turned it down. Likewise, it’s been suggested that Apple may not exactly be thrilled at the problems 3G users (and Crackberry Kevin’s, it seems!) are having on the AT&T network.
Still, this one is hard for us to believe. Irrespective of Verizon’s huge footprint in the US, and regardless of the appeal a CDMA/EVDO iPhone may have for some, it’s a small global market for Apple to spend their already straining resources on.
Besides, Jeremy points out that with the Blackberry Storm set to strike over at Verizon, would they really want to let the iPhone 3G steal RIM’s “thunder” (ouch!)
What do you think? Any iPhone owners out there dying to switch (back?) to Verizon? Any Verizon stalwarts still holding out for an EVDO iPhone?
