IPhone coming to Verizon

[DTro]

AT&T Inc. is about to lose its lock on the iPhone.

Apple Inc. is making a version of its iPhone that Verizon Wireless will sell early next year, according to people familiar with the matter, ending an exclusive deal with AT&T and sharpening the competition with Google Inc.-based phones.

Walt Mossberg and Marcelo Prince discuss the possible benefits and drawbacks of having the iPhone on Verizon's wireless network, including whether it will suffer some of the same problems that have plagued AT&T. Plus, Verizon readies 4G service.

While Apple is on track to sell 40 million iPhones across the globe this year, the touchscreen handset is facing pressure in the U.S. from phones running Google's Android software, which have been heavily promoted by Verizon Wireless, the biggest U.S. carrier by subscribers.

Apple plans to begin mass producing the new iPhone by the end of the year, and it would be released in the first quarter of 2011, these people said. The phone would resemble the iPhone 4 currently sold by AT&T, but would be based on an alternative wireless technology used by Verizon, these people said.

[CAMAN]

I figured something was going to happen when I saw an ad for the Ipad coming to Verizon.

[CJH]

I got sick of waiting for the iPhone to come to Verizon, so I picked up the Droid X instead. I have no regrets!!!

[Nick Kuhn]

You are aware there were reports of this in 2007, then 2008, then 2009, and all throughout 2010 right?

[upnorth]

I think we all knew it would come, but just how long. I am sure the droid coming out pushed it along a little faster.

[deadeye]

I will believe it when I see it.

Even if they don't send it to Verizon I'm just fine with that. The thing is that with every other OS the phones offered have options. Screen size, keyboards, changing the battery, different brands, widgets, flash, processors, tough smart phones, ect, ect, ect.

Granted the iPhone is fantastic and works really well, I guess I just don't see the appeal anymore. There is so much good stuff out there now that its tough to make it stand on a pedestal above the rest now.

A year ago if they would have released it for other carriers I would have jumped on it but now its really not as awesome as it was. Even #4. I just guess that they lost me with all the b s they spit. Plus Steve Jobs eats kittens and puppies for breakfast and is secret bff's with Richard Cheney.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Do you get a free case to make it work too

[pureinsanity]

Id rather have a droid than an iphone. But the iphone has been in the works with verizon for the last couple years

[Scott K]

I have the iphone, and love it. It has been a very great toy. Works good for internet, more apps then you could imagine. As for it being a phone? It is mediocre at best. As for ATT, that was its down fall, but in the last few months, Att has been installing towers like mad, and its 3g coverage is very good now. Even in the low spots where I had questionable coverage before. I agree, the Droids have closed the gap, and the appeal isnt there as much as they would have been a year ago, but the iphone I believe, is still slightly better, and with the history of Apple, they will have the next greatest phone, with everything you didnt know you needed, until they offer it to you.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

I have the iphone, and love it. It has been a very great toy. Works good for internet, more apps then you could imagine. As for it being a phone? It is mediocre at best. As for ATT, that was its down fall, but in the last few months, Att has been installing towers like mad, and its 3g coverage is very good now. Even in the low spots where I had questionable coverage before. I agree, the Droids have closed the gap, and the appeal isnt there as much as they would have been a year ago, but the iphone I believe, is still slightly better, and with the history of Apple, they will have the next greatest phone, with everything you didnt know you needed, until they offer it to you.

You must be talking about the aps, since you admit the phone portion pretty much sucks.

[hydro]

With all the chatter about Verizon getting the iPhone, I bet it will be on the shelves soon. However, you can bet it will be "Verizonized", possibly with Bing as the only default search engine (like the Samsung Fascinate), VZ Navigator as a default nav app (that they will happily charge you $10.00/month if you decide to use it) and the usual Verizon mods that cannot be changed without rooting the phone. I guess that's the price paid for coverage.

[pureinsanity]

Really, just go buy an Iphone already, Unlock it, Jail break it and than activate it. I bet there is going to be a sim card in the Iphone for verizon. I had a sim card for my windows phone.

[Nick Kuhn]

Really, just go buy an Iphone already, Unlock it, Jail break it and than activate it. I bet there is going to be a sim card in the Iphone for verizon. I had a sim card for my windows phone.

??????? The sim card is a GSM technology. Verizon is CDMA and thus there is no need for a sim card on Verizon.

[pureinsanity]

Than why does my HTC Touch Pro 2 have one? Why can it be swapped out with a global sim card as well? I can take a picture to show ya.

[CJH]

With all the chatter about Verizon getting the iPhone, I bet it will be on the shelves soon. However, you can bet it will be "Verizonized", possibly with Bing as the only default search engine (like the Samsung Fascinate), VZ Navigator as a default nav app (that they will happily charge you $10.00/month if you decide to use it) and the usual Verizon mods that cannot be changed without rooting the phone. I guess that's the price paid for coverage.

The default search engine on my Droid X through Verizon is Google. I use Google Nav. And they are FREE!!!

[Jim Almquist]

Than why does my HTC Touch Pro 2 have one? Why can it be swapped out with a global sim card as well? I can take a picture to show ya.

My guess is that it was designed for storage ( music, data )that could be used in your phone as well as computer. The GSM phones do store there telephone number on the sim.

The technologies are 2 different animals so just changing the sim will not make CDMA compatable.

[hydro]

The default search engine on my Droid X through Verizon is Google. I use Google Nav. And they are FREE!!!

That is true for the Droid phones, but Verizon's latest release is the Fascinate where they tied Bing up as the default search function. If it works and they can make $ on it watch for it on new offerings in the future.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Not meaning hijack the thread, but a Rep told me once the Fascinate gets the 2.2 update, you can change the default search to google. Not sure about the nav feature though.

[DTro]

AT&T is the lowest-scoring cell-phone carrier in the U.S., according to a satisfaction survey of 58,000 ConsumerReports.org readers. Of all the carriers rated, AT&T was the only one to drop significantly in overall satisfaction.

Over half of the survey respondents who used AT&T as a carrier owned some version of the iPhone, the Apple smart phone that is exclusive to AT&T, at least for now. Consumer Reports data, reflecting all versions of the phone, found that iPhone owners were much less satisfied with their carrier and rated data service (Web and e-mail) lower than owners of smart phones on other carriers that, like the iPhone, have a host of apps to encourage heavy data use.

“Our survey suggests that an iPhone from Verizon Wireless, which is rumored, could indeed be good news for iPhone fans,” said Paul Reynolds, Electronics Editor for Consumer Reports.

Also big news this year: U.S. Cellular—which serves 26 states, mostly in the South and Midwest—beat out Verizon Wireless as the top-rated provider for contract service. Also, Sprint has pulled even in overall satisfaction with Verizon, which has been the clear top provider in our Ratings in most years since 2003. Sprint even scored better than Verizon in some aspects of customer service, in a remarkable turnaround.

The survey is part of our annual comprehensive cell-phone package, which hits newsstands tomorrow (Dec. 7) as part of the January issue of Consumer Reports. It will also post online at CRO tomorrow morning. Subscribers will be able to get full Ratings and all the details on the story, including city-by-city Ratings for 23 metro areas.

[pureinsanity]

Yah AT&T Sucks! My gf was a long time AT&T user of well over 6 years and I finally got her onto verizon.

[upnorth]

Yeah...but get up here and Verizon dies out of the towns and off the main hwy. I know I had a Verizon phone for work and an AT&T phone for personal. The AT&T phone worked everywhere the Verizon did, but Verizon had so many dead zones I had to go to AT&T for work too.

[pureinsanity]

Its opposite here. My gf was getting dead spots all over the place near the cities. Now that she has verizon shes fine. To tell you the truth I have only had one spot I have never had service and that was in northern wisconsin and I actually could get service if I was in the right area in the woods.

I remember being in a desert in oklahoma when I was on sprint and I had to climb to the top of the highest dune just to get roaming service... UGH

[SledNeck]

Yeah...but get up here and Verizon dies out of the towns and off the main hwy. I know I had a Verizon phone for work and an AT&T phone for personal. The AT&T phone worked everywhere the Verizon did, but Verizon had so many dead zones I had to go to AT&T for work too.

Yep. Verizon is worthless up here. AT&T works great almost everywhere, though data speeds in Virginia and Hibbing are horribly slow.

[upnorth]

I tend to think Verizon is a lot better elsewhere. I had been wanting to try Verizon for a couple years and not sorry I did. Now I know. AT&T and has a pretty good wireless network here, but not so good elsewhere.

[DTro]

I tell ya what. I was at my parents for Thanksgiving. They live about 10 miles southwest of Cook. I've never had good service there, but the last trip up I had 4 bars and 3G service on Verizon. I was amazed. Better service than here in the metro area.