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Verizon COO: iPhone response coming ‘late summer’
Speaking with USA Today regarding the company’s decision to pass on becoming the iPhone’s exclusive U.S. distributor, Verizon Chief Operating Officer Denny Strigl claims it has an answer to the iPhone waiting in the wings. “We do have a very good response in the mill,” Strigl claimed. “You’ll see that from us in the late summer.” In addition, Stigl believes that the fate of the iPhone rests more with AT&T’s network than with the handset. “The issue is not the Apple-ness of the iPhone itself, but with the cellular network that it is running on,” he stated. “That will be the true test of the iPhone: What will the iPhone experience be?” As part of its exclusive deal with AT&T, Apple is barred from developing a Verizon-compatible CDMA version of the iPhone for the next five years.
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5 YEARS! What the frack. That’s just great. I guess I’ll be stuck with my Palm OS Treos until 2012.
Posted by Cool Cat on May 22, 2007 at 10:30 AM (PDT)
2
I hope Apple left some outs, if AT&T;service sucks. Five years is a long time with a product you can’t sell.
Posted by drew on May 22, 2007 at 10:45 AM (PDT)
3
People don’t seem to realize if a CDMA version of the iPhone was released, verizon would force apple to put their ugly red OS and pointless V-Cast services on the device, not to mention crippling the bluetooth ability to only being used with a headset and not for data transfers. I for one am glad the iPhone isn’t gonna be on verizon.
Posted by MatrixSJD on May 22, 2007 at 12:09 PM (PDT)
4
I’m sure Steve Jobs has a nice escape clause that’s tied to sales numbers or something else they can use to get out of the deal.
As for Verizon, even as a loyal user, I hope they rethink their user interface. It’s not horrible, but no one’s mistaking it for OS X.
Posted by cxc273 on May 22, 2007 at 12:09 PM (PDT)
5
Big Verizon Gripe: Bluetooth crippling. It’s just wrong.
Posted by NSA247 on May 22, 2007 at 12:42 PM (PDT)
6
If Verizon cripple Bluetooth on their devices, to force you to use their Data Networks, wouldn’t they also cripple WiFi on the iPhone?
Do WiFi adaptors on Palm and Windows Mobile Smartphones work?
Posted by Salvo.Dan on May 22, 2007 at 1:14 PM (PDT)
7
I really hate these kind of deals. If the phone is good, let it succeed on its own. If the cellular network is good, let it survive on its own merits. This bundling has got to stop. It just means that a good phone can be crippled by a terrible network, and the consumer doesn’t have a choice about the network. I, for one, would jump for an iPhone in a second if I could get it on whatever network I want (Verizon, in my case). It just reeks of collusion in some form.
Posted by msherman on May 22, 2007 at 1:42 PM (PDT)
8
For Verizon users, what features of the iPhone do you like? Chances are if it was offered through Verizon, most of those cool features would be gone (due to the way Verizon operates) and you’d still be stuck with AT&T;if you wanted the full functionality of the phone.
Posted by keynoteken on May 22, 2007 at 4:55 PM (PDT)
9
oh please. why tie any of this to a phone service. Go to Korea if you want that route. Itunes is so far and away the deal. try moving 500Megs for a 42 minute tv show over your phone. they have a 5 gig limit before their “unlimited” service dings you big time. The deal is the iphone without the phone, nice big screen and no tie to the damned phone network. its comin… before christma...ah.. the holiday season.
Posted by radioman1 on May 22, 2007 at 7:32 PM (PDT)
10
Verizon Wireless doesn’t impose their “red” interface on smartphones.
I sure there are going to be people who will switch to AT&T;for the iPhone. But then, there will also be people leaving AT&T;to get away from their customer service and their coverage (at least in my area).
Posted by stephen on May 24, 2007 at 11:26 AM (PDT)