Verizon has confirmed the details of its iPhone data pricing: $30 per month for unlimited data and the offer’s only valid for a limited time.
The news comes from Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, who told The Wall Street Journal that if Verizon offered only a limited data plan, it would be a roadblock for AT&T customers thinking about switching to Verizon. Read More…
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on January 25, 2011
According to Verizon’s FAQ, the new iPhone 4 will cost $50 more off-contract than it does from AT&T. While the prices of the handset is the same from both carriers if you sign up for a two-year contract, the unencumbered handset will cost $650 for the 16GB version and $750 for the 32GB model. This compares to $600 and $700 from AT&T.
The FAQ also makes the launch timings clearer. As previously announced, existing Verizon customers will be able to order the iPhone on February 3rd, and everyone else can buy it from February 10th. Verizon customers will only be able to pre-order at the earlier date, though: “beginning on February 10th, you can visit an Apple Retail store to purchase and activate.” Read More…
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This post was written by Journalist on January 24, 2011
AT&T’s Windows Phone 7 handsets drop today, but if you navigate past the company’s big splash page, you’d never know it.
That’s because like most other phone retailers, AT&T’s online store drills down by manufacturer and device type (e.g., smartphone, feature phone, tablet/computer), but not operating system. The only smartphone OS it currently separates out is Android, grouped with categories like “free,” “slider” and “refurbished.”
MoreWindowsPhone7 coverage on Gadget Lab:
While tech-savvy consumers increasingly think of smartphones in terms of competing operating systems, wireless companies still think of their own relationship with their subscribers first, manufacturers second and platforms a distant third.
It’s even starker if you’re an existing customer looking to upgrade a mobile phone; an AT&T customer trying to find an Android phone has to navigate a long list of smartphones, while Apple and Blackberry’s models jump to the top.
Verizon Wireless’s online store does break phones down by operating system if you mouse over the “Phones & Devices” menu. The choices are Android, Apple iOS, Blackberry, Palm WebOS and “Windows phone” — the last something of a misnomer, since Verizon only offers older Windows Mobile devices, not the new Windows Phone 7.
This arguably benefits companies like Apple and Blackberry, who enjoy high name recognition and whose platforms are only available on their own branded devices. It also benefits particular smartphones, like Motorola’s Droid on Verizon, who are featured prominently on store websites and network advertisements.
But the balance is tipping in favor of the operating systems. With Windows Phone 7 now offering devices from multiple manufacturers on AT&T and T-Mobile, Verizon selling iOS devices like the iPad (and perhaps soon the iPhone) and Android’s share of the market growing an extraordinary rate, wireless companies will be hard-pressed not to put a device’s operating system front and center — not buried at the bottom of a tech sheet next to its Bluetooth spec and its camera’s megapixel count.
AT&T has made a big bet on its support of Windows Phone 7 — I wouldn’t be surprised if we see those menus get an upgrade soon.
Images: screenshots from AT&T Wireless Store by Tim Carmody.
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This post was written by Journalist on November 8, 2010
The elusive Verizon iPhone is going to become a reality early next year, according to a chorus of mainstream publications.
Following The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Bloomberg, now Fortune claims that a Verizon iPhone is “fait accompli” (i.e., a done deal).
Repeating past rumors, Fortune says the new iPhone will be compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network. Fortune notes that globetrotters won’t be able to use the phone outside the United States: Most international networks rely on the GSM standard, so the Verizon iPhone can’t be used as a “world phone.”
Tech observers and analysts have squabbled about a Verizon iPhone for years, and the device appears to be forthcoming. Perhaps the most telling sign was when Verizon announced earlier this month that it would sell Apple’s iPads a move that reveals that Apple and Verizon are finally partners.
Photo of an AT&T-compatible iPhone 4: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
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This post was written by Journalist on October 29, 2010
Apple will begin mass producing a Verizon-compatible iPhone that will debut in early 2011, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
The Verizon iPhone will be similar to the iPhone 4 in design and be based on the CDMA standard used by Verizon, according to WSJ, who cites “people briefed by Apple.”
Apple does not officially comment on product rumors.
WSJ’s latest article is slightly inconsistent with its March report claiming that Apple would begin mass producing a CDMA-compatible iPhone in September. The March report did not suggest a release date for a presumed Verizon iPhone.
Technology observers have learned to take Verizon iPhone rumors with a big grain of salt. Speculation about a Verizon iPhone has run wild ever since the original iPhone’s launch on AT&T. Multiple publications have published rumors claiming different release dates for the fabled device (see part of the list below).
Wired magazine’s Fred Vogelstein published a feature in July illustrating that a Verizon iPhone is stifled by complicated business negotiations, not technical limitations; Steve Jobs has actively considered splitting with AT&T for over a year.
Photo of an AT&T-compatible iPhone 4: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Source:wired.com
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This post was written by Journalist on October 6, 2010
ByChris Foresman
Though rumors about the possibility of Apple launching a CDMA-compatible iPhone on Verizon have been picking up steam latelyour own sources have told us that an LTE-capable iPhone hasbeen in testing in Boston for several monthsVerizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg suggested Thursday that itmight not be coming in January as many had hoped.
Speaking at a Goldman Sachs conference in New York, Seidenberg made no mention of an iPhone model being made to work on Verizon’s current EVDO/CDMA network. Instead, he “hoped” that Apple would consider making an iPhone to work with its nascent LTE 4G network.
“We would love to carry [the iPhone] when we get there, but we have to earn it,” Seidenberg told investors. “I think 4G will accelerate the process, and any other decisions Apple makes would be fine with us. Hopefully, at some point Apple will get with the program.”
Those comments may be bad news to thesignificant percentage of current iPhone users locked to AT&T in the US who would likely switch to Verizon if given the chance. Our ownreader survey earlier this year also suggested that there are plenty of existing Verizon customers who would be interested in an iPhone that worked on the largest US network. Though Verizon has been very successful with a strong lineup of Android-powered smartphones from Motorola and HTC, pent-up demand for a CDMA-compatible iPhone definitely exists.
However, other evidence suggests that a CDMA-compatible iPhone is in the works, even if Seidenberg isn’t willing to work with Apple to bring it to his network. Component suppliers havehinted that Apple is prepping to build at least 3 million CDMA iPhones in December, which would track with a manufacturing ramp-up for a rumored January launch.
As mentioned above, we’ve heard through the grapevine that an LTE/CDMA iPhone has been in testing on Verizon’s network in the Boston area, and that the rumored January launch was contingent on Verizon meeting its stated goal of launching its LTE network in 30 major markets by year’s end. If Verizon isn’t on track to meet that goal, it may have resulted in Apple changing its mind. Still, a CDMA-compatible iPhone could launch on other networks, including Sprint in the US, and China Mobile and SK Telecom in Asia.
Whatever the problem is between Verizon and Apple, though, customers certainly don’t carethey just want the popular device to work on their preferred network. It would be beneficial to both Verizon and Apple to work out a deal, and work it out soon, while demand is still high.
Image credit: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Source:wired.com
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This post was written by Journalist on September 23, 2010
Following the The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg reports that Verizon is launching an iPhone early next year.
Bloomberg cites multiple anonymous sources who claim Verizon will begin carrying the iPhone in January 2011, ending AT&T’s exclusive partnership with Apple.
Bloomberg’s report follows The Wall Street Journal’s article in May, which claimed that Apple is scheduled to produce CDMA iPhones this September. CDMA is the standard used by Verizon iPhones.
Technology publications and analysts have speculated about a Verizon iPhone for years, but the stipulations of Apple’s exclusive contract with AT&T remain unconfirmed. However, it’s notable that two mainstream news outlets are now claiming a Verizon iPhone is due soon.
In response to Verizon iPhone rumors in May, AT&T said during an investor conference that the company was not intimidated by a Verizon iPhone because discounted family and business plans would make it difficult for subscribers to transition multiple devices to a new carrier.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Source:wired.com
Posted under Gadget Reviews
This post was written by Journalist on June 29, 2010
