Submitted by Thomas Estilow on
Add analyst Brian Marshall to the chorus of iPhone owners, CDMA fans, speculators, AT&T haters and Apple shareholders clamoring for an iPhone on the Verizon Wireless network. Marshall, who works for Broadpoint AmTech, has noticed that Apple is moving towards a multiple carrier business model in several countries.
His analysis? The company will do the same thing in the United States. Completely ignoring the Motorola Droid and its associated anti-iPhone campaign, Marshall believes the iPhone will come to Verizon in the second half of 2010.
This would also mean the iPhone would have to be compatible with Verizon's CDMA network. AT&T uses GSM. Future upgrades to LTE on both networks are planned but it will not be in widespread use until 2011 or 2012.
Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg said the ball is in Apple's court and did not rule out the iPhone joining Verizon's suite of smartphones.
The iPhone now has a 30% market share for smartphones in the US. Expanding to different carriers would only increase these numbers, as users who do not wish to switch carriers would have an opportunity to purchase the iPhone."While Apple started off with exclusive arrangements in 2007 with the original iPhone launch, the company has since migrated towards multiple carriers per region," said Marshall. "In our view, diverse carrier support is a key element to driving global penetration of the iPhone. Therefore, we believe the chances are high the iPhone will find its way onto the Verizon network in the second half of 2010."
Comments
Betty replied on Permalink
So if they did a Verizon/LTE version of the iPhone next year... wouldn't it have "hardly any coverage" for the first 1-2 years... as LTE is slowly rolled-out across the country?
Similar to the "spotty coverage" that the iPhone current suffers with AT&T.
I can't win!
shawn replied on Permalink
I want the iphone but I do not want AT&T or Verizon I am a 12+ year Sprint customer and will not change EVER. Bring the iphone to Sprint and I will buy the iphone until then I will stay with my blackberry. I wish the government and FCC would step in and make the cell phone carriers stop the exclusivity agreements yes I’m addressing this to you Steve jobs. I hope the FCC requires all cell phone makers to make each phone compatible with both GSM and CDMA and don’t say it can’t be done because it can!