1.5 billion downloads, 100,000 developers, and 65,000 apps is a good old Jobsian gut punch to knock the wind of out any Microsoft news about WinMo 6.0 support, Windows Marketplace Business Center, and whatever else comes out from the folks up in Redmond.
It also combines in a very tidy roshambo to Verizon’s recent revelation that, according to Engadget Mobile, BlackBerry App World or Windows Marketplace won’t be built into devices on that carrier(?!)… and we won’t go much further on that bone-headed, short-sighted, anti-openness news since our cursing would get Parental Control level 17+ slapped on this post…
There’s been a lot of noise lately about Verizon and the iPhone. Sure, some could be wishful thinking. Some could be to manipulate the ongoing Apple/AT&T negotiations. But could there be anything more to it?
Yesterday on MacBreak Weekly, Scott Bourne claimed a Verizon insider contacted him and told him “Verizon is getting their own iPhone and the announcement will be in June”. Sound like a WWDC 2009 “one more thing” for the ages?
Even with all of the negative things said about AT&T, people still love Apple’s iPhone. According to a new report from ChangeWave, customers are still leaving their current cell carrier to flock to AT&T’s network just to purchase an iPhone.
According to this report, within the next 6 months 13% of the people polled are looking to bail out on their current carrier and 33% of those people said they will be headed to AT&T for an iPhone. These numbers are the highest since this question was first asked back in 2005. As for AT&T’s competition, namely Verizon, 24% will be going in that direction.
If you’d like to take it one step further you will find out that current AT&T customers are less likely to ditch the Evil Empire compared to 11% ready to leave Verizon. Now for all of you Verizon fans, they did beat out AT&T in terms of the quality of service customers are getting from the carrier. 50% of Verizon customers reported they were “very satisfied” while AT&T was tied with the likes of T-Mobile and Sprint at 31%.
Once again it is time for another From the Forums. A weekly post in which TiPb takes some of the many good threads from our forums to put into the spotlight. To join in on the forum action be sure to register, it’s a painless process – we promise.
If you are like me, you are sick and tired of hearing rumors about an iPhone coming to Verizon. Well here is yet another rumor that started in the Crackberry forums that has now found it’s way onto our forums thanks to Duvi – iPhone on Verizon Soon? Now I can’t speak for everyone here at TiPb but I can honestly say I do not see this happening anytime in the near future. Thoughts?
This next thread started by KaiZeRKhan, is actually a question that I get asked quite a bit – Do you ever get bored of your iPhone? I’ve had a ton of phones along with my iPhone and the reason the others always end up sold is that I get bored with them, not the iPhone. How about you?
The last thread for today is one that has been spotlighted here before. We figured with WWDC approaching fast why not toss it in one more time – Will Apple reveal the new iPhone at WWDC? Did I mention this one has a poll and so far it’s 38-14 in favor of yes, we will see the new iPhone introduced at WWDC.
Apple Insider has a pair of reports up, the first of which cites one analyst following up two other analysts who would all really, really like to see AT&T reduce data plan charges by $10 a month.
So would consumers. However, nothing to back it up yet but wishes and analyst musings to make it so.
The second report highlights that if AT&T does drop rates, and drives adaptions, they’ll only reach saturation level faster, forcing Apple to look again at Verizon and their 15 million customers to drive further growth.
Verizon customers would certainly love it, but can Apple wait long enough for LTE-compatibility to roll out?
Lastly, Dmackdaddy tipped us to what looks like AT&T seeking a lot of “retail sales consultants” in the Bay Area. Looks like some other areas may also be stocking up on staff. Regular business cycle, or just one more sign of the big iPhone 3.0 and iPhone next generation release expected for the summer?
What struck me, however, was how Verizon, AT&T, and Apple benefit from the rumors themselves rather than the actual devices and/or their eventual carriers, if any.
Apple is, according to a separate rumor, negotiating with AT&T to increase the length of their iPhone exclusivity agreement. AT&T’s last earning report showed just how important the iPhone was to their revenues, especially their new customer acquisition and premium service charges. This puts them at a distinct disadvantage with Apple, who could theoretically — if inconveniently — re-engineer the iPhone to work on any of the big 4 US carriers (CDMA for Verizon or Sprint, different GSM bands for T-Mobile). Rumors that Verizon is already talking to Apple, then, pushes AT&T over edge of disadvantage cliff. Obviously this is of great benefit to Apple.
Verizon had what could only be termed a lackluster launch of their so-called iPhone killer, the BlackBerry Storm. With AT&T likely getting yet another mainstream hero phone this year in the form of the 3rd generation iPhone. Sprint, the other CDMA carrier, is getting the less mainstream, but still geek-anticipated Palm Pre as their hot summer hero phone. Where does that leave Verizon? The BlackBerry Tour (”Niagara”) and various HTC Touch series Windows Phones which will — eventually — be upgradable to the profoundly incremental Windows Mobile 6.5. Great gear, perhaps, but not hero phones on the same level as the iPhone or even Palm Pre (or last year’s Android G1 launch on T-Mobile). Rumors that Verizon may (soon) get an iPhone of sorts, or iPad, however, give the perception of a hero phone coming to the network. This is a huge benefit to Verizon, and might even keep some users from switching to AT&T (or Sprint) this summer to get a real device.
Inversely, AT&T benefits not one bit from these rumors. They hurt AT&T’s negotiations with Apple and they may cost them some users who would have defected from Verizon.
We discussed this briefly last Wednesday on the iPhone Live! podcast, and no doubt others have made the same observation this week after reading the series of rumors (yes, even the one about the iPhone Lite actually being the Microsoft iPhone-Killer Pink). However, looking past the devices, it does seem like the rumors in and of themselves carry a hefty benefit for both Apple and Verizon.
Until the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks roll out in a couple years, that might be the closest we really get to seeing Apple and Verizon together.
Join Dieter, Chad, and Rene for iPhone 3.0Beta 4, Apple building chipset-zilla? Verizon rumorfest, announcing TiPb’s BirthdayBash! and your questions. Listen in!
“Pink” iPhone Killers, from the folks who brought you “Blue Screens” and “Brown Zunes”. Mmm, taste that rainbow… Sigh. Maybe Pink is the XBoxPhone we’ve always dreamed of. Maybe it really is just a candy-coated Diamond 2 with pop-tart trademarks. Dunno. Nobody does. Giant mystery in puzzle pastry with enigma frosting. Until we know for sure, however, there’s no danger in speculating, is there?
WMExperts links to a Wall Street Journal story that makes it seem like something Microsoft and Verizon think could might possibly take on the iPhone with such killer features as “multimedia” and “App Store”.
Drop one tiny Verizon rumor pebble into the pond, and watch the iRipples spread like crazy. Cases in point:
Business Week (via MacRumors) is reporting that Apple will introduce two (2) new devices on Verizon this year:
iPhone “Lite”, which would be thinner and cheaper than the iPhone proper due to the system on a chip technology Apple has been amassing lately (i.e. PA Semi, Arm and PowerVR licenses, etc).
“Media Pad”, which would be smaller than an Amazon Kindle but with a larger screen and described as yet another breakthrough device on the scale of iPod or iPhone, with photos, HD movies, music, and Wi-Fi for — presumably browsing and — VoIP calls.
To further the rumor, one of these new toys may come as early as this summer. (WWDC time frame?)
We’re still not sure about any of this. iPhone did begin life as a larger, iTablet-like Safari Pad, and recently developer Craig Hokenberry made an interesting argument for a “Front Row To Go” pad that sounds similar.
Meanwhile, sucking the oxygen out of the lower-cost market is something Apple did with the iPod nano, however Apple has repeatedly said there’d be no iPhone nano (for whatever that’s worth…) but more importantly, unlike the GSM iPhone, a CDMA iPhone Lite or “Media Pad” wouldn’t enjoy the international portability of the iPhone (sure, “world phones” typically do some EDGE, but we’d want ultra-fast HSPA+, right?).
Just 2 years post launch, the GSM iPhone is in over 80 countries. The CDMA Amazon Kindle? Still just 1. Apples to oranges, we know, but it’s something to consider for “Media Pad” class devices.
USA Today rumors hope for the US’ largest network:
Verizon (VZ) and Apple (AAPL) are discussing the possible development of an iPhone for Verizon, with the goal of introducing it next year, people familiar with the situation say.
Talks, claim their unnamed sources, began before Steve Jobs’ leave of absence. How would this effect the major players:
Verizon would get the iPhone. Give Apple’s disinterest in CDMA, it would more likely be 4G LTE device, which Verizon has already been sniffing around. Given less than spectacular competitive launches of the Instinct and BlackBerry Storm, Verizon would get the highest profile smartphone on the fastest next-generation 4G LTE technology. Would it be ready by 2010? Either way, it would be a monstrous marketing coup that would prevent users from leaving the network for AT&T and may bring many who’d previously left running right back.
AT&T last quarter had the iPhone to thank for a large part of their results. 40% of iPhone activations went to new customers and 75% of net new bill-paying customers were iPhone users. If Verizon were to get the iPhone, even if non-exclusively, it would likely be a huge roshambo to AT&T’s bottom line. (Like why AT&T is trying to extend it’s deal with Apple).
Apple would gain access to Verizon’s monstrous user pool — people unwilling or unable to switch to AT&T for the iPhone. No carrier has complete coverage, after all, and Apple likely doesn’t want to see that large a group of customers left lying on the table.
We know many of you want to see your iPhone on Verizon, is 2010 soon enough for you? Or don’t you see AT&T giving up their golden exclusivity any time soon?
