Dumb for Apple to release the iPhone 5 on just AT&T and Verizon?

[her209]

The Apple iPhone 5 will likely be coming out this summer and with AT&T and Verizon already having the iPhone 4, would it be a dumb move for Apple to just limit the iPhone 5 to just those two carriers? They're the two with the most subscribers in the US, but what reason would Apple have to not release it to T-Mobile and Sprint especially with the market penetration that Android is getting now and in the future? What hardware/software changes would be needed to support T-Mobile and Sprints' network even if its just 3G?

An LTE iPhone will be likely as both AT&T and Verizon will be using it, but I can't see Apple releasing a WiMAX version as Google is one of the investors but who knows.

 

[zerocool84]

Of course, just like they should have released the original iPhone on more than just one carrier. It would have garnered them even more userbase but Apple wanted more control over their phone than most wireless providers were willing to give which is why they went to AT&T in the first place since they didn't want to let Verizon have total control over it. We really won't know the full effect of Verizon until the 5 comes out later this year. If Apple had gone multi-carrier in the USA from the beginning, their userbase would be even larger than it is now.

 

[shortylickens]

T-mobile is too free with their plans and phones and people unlocking and bringing in unlocked devices. Apple wants strict control.

Sprint I have no idea. Other than they have reasonable prices for unlimited everything. But I would not be surprised if all carriers made special iPhone plans apart from their normal smartphone plans.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Apple typically doesn't sell the iPhone on all carriers in a given region.

Someday it may happen, but for the next year or 2, they'll stick with the 2 carriers in the US.

 

[kaerflog]

Apple wants strict control.

That right there.
Plus the carriers pay an arm and a leg for the phone.
I read something like Apple get $600 for each iphone so its up to the carrier to make their money back.

Apple has never been about quantity.
Its always quality and control.
Its not like they are hurting for profits.
2nd highest market cap value behind Exxon.

 

[destrekor]

That right there.
Plus the carriers pay an arm and a leg for the phone.
I read something like Apple get $600 for each iphone so its up to the carrier to make their money back.

Apple has never been about quantity.
Its always quality and control.
Its not like they are hurting for profits.
2nd highest market cap value behind Exxon.

Well to be fair, all manufacturers get the full retail price from the carriers. If you buy a phone under contract, you get a subsidized price - the carrier, on the other hand, still gives the full MSRP to the manufacturer. All those $200 android phones, most cost upward of $500.
Those free phones, or $50 phones, still cost somewhere around $200+.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Apple typically doesn't sell the iPhone on all carriers in a given region.

Someday it may happen, but for the next year or 2, they'll stick with the 2 carriers in the US.

The iPhone is unlocked in most parts of the world. People use it freely across carriers.

The US has problems because:

1) Sprint needs to approve of the damn phone. They won't just activate your iPhone I'm betting. Damn the CDMA crap.

2) T-mobile uses idiotic AWS frequencies. Really? If you want to talk about fragmentation of Android, let's talk about fragmentation of mobile networks in the US.

The interoperability of devices across networks is what hinders us from getting good phones across all networks. Oh well.

 

[pm]

I believe by this summer, the iPhone will be released on T-Mobile and Sprint's CDMA network. The Verizon CEO hinted at this in the Q&A session at the end of the Verizon iPhone announcement - that they had exclusivity for a period of less than 6 months. This also ties in with Apple's move from Infineon to Qualcomm for their baseband processor - Qualcomm has a baseband that works on CDMA and GSM/HSPDA in the same phone.

I believe that the iPhone "5" this summer will be one iPhone that works on all 4 major networks in the US. How "unlocked" it will be, I wouldn't want to guess... but this is my prediction and we'll see if I'm right.

I remember this thread - post #6 - Aug, 2010:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2096234

Ok, so I said it would be an LTE iPhone on Verizon, but still... I was mostly right.

 

[Pliablemoose]

I believe by this summer, the iPhone will be released on T-Mobile and Sprint's CDMA network. The Verizon CEO hinted at this in the Q&A session at the end of the Verizon iPhone announcement - that they had exclusivity for a period of less than 6 months. This also ties in with Apple's move from Infineon to Qualcomm for their baseband processor - Qualcomm has a baseband that works on CDMA and GSM/HSPDA in the same phone.

I believe that the iPhone "5" this summer will be one iPhone that works on all 4 major networks in the US. How "unlocked" it will be, I wouldn't want to guess... but this is my prediction and we'll see if I'm right.

I remember this thread - post #6 - Aug, 2010:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2096234

Ok, so I said it would be an LTE iPhone on Verizon, but still... I was mostly right.

LOL, there's some classic quotes in that thread

Quote me:

It won't happen.

Filed under: Believe it when I see it.

Has a Google Voice app

I'm very amused by a few things with situation.

A) That the reports keep popping up
B) That in the reports, the writers sound so sure of it, and use phrases like "done deal"
C) That people get still get so worked up over it
D) That people assume Verizon wouldn't want the iPhone

These rumors are as worthless as they've ever been, they are not worth the bandwidth it takes to send the articles nor the time everyone spends debating them.

If/when there is a Verizon iPhone, we will get an official announcement from either Verizon or Apple. Until that happens, these articles are 100% worthless.

 

[Deeko]

Looks like I was right. It was real when Verizon said it was real, and nothing but waste-of-bandwidth rumors until that point.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Looks like I was right. It was real when Verizon said it was real, and nothing but waste-of-bandwidth rumors until that point.

Wonder who started that thread and called the quarter the vPhone would be released? :whiste:

 

[Rottie]

but what reason would Apple have to not release it to T-Mobile and Sprint especially with the market penetration that Android is getting now

VZW paid a lot of money to Apple not to make iPhone for T-Mobile

 

[Pliablemoose]

VZW paid a lot of money to Apple not to make iPhone for T-Mobile

Both ATT & Verizon's contracts are non exclusive, meaning Apple can add any other carrier it wants.

The thing is, Verizon is the only carrier that matters, they have the best network, and the most customers. Verizon anticipates selling 11 million iPhones this year.

 

[zerocool84]

Both ATT & Verizon's contracts are non exclusive, meaning Apple can add any other carrier it wants.

The thing is, Verizon is the only carrier that matters, they have the best network, and the most customers. Verizon anticipates selling 11 million iPhones this year.

T-Mobile and Sprint having so little customers doesn't make it worth while.

 

[her209]

T-Mobile and Sprint having so little customers doesn't make it worth while.

I wouldn't call ~1/3 little

 

[Deeko]

Wonder who started that thread and called the quarter the vPhone would be released? :whiste:

*yawn* there was the same kind of drivel before the iPhone 4. There was virtually no doubt the iPhone would come to Verizon eventually, it was just a matter of time, and the constant waste of bandwidth that was the pre announcement rumors meant nothing.

 

[boomhower]

Both ATT & Verizon's contracts are non exclusive, meaning Apple can add any other carrier it wants.

The thing is, Verizon is the only carrier that matters, they have the best network, and the most customers. Verizon anticipates selling 11 million iPhones this year.

This. It was stated in VZW's announcement they have a multi-year non-exclusive contract with Apple. Apple can release a Sprint iPhone anytime they want. I don't think it will happen because of Sprint's crappy customer service. Somebody has an issue with their phone or service, call Sprint, get treated like crap, and that gets transfered to Apple. They won't risk their reputation to pick up a few subscribers on Sprint.

 

[zerocool84]

I wouldn't call ~1/3 little

It is, both of them combined is equal to just one of them.

 

[her209]

This. It was stated in VZW's announcement they have a multi-year non-exclusive contract with Apple. Apple can release a Sprint iPhone anytime they want. I don't think it will happen because of Sprint's crappy customer service. Somebody has an issue with their phone or service, call Sprint, get treated like crap, and that gets transfered to Apple. They won't risk their reputation to pick up a few subscribers on Sprint.

Sprint tops Verizon in customer service call satisfaction in recent survey
http://androinica.com/2011/01/25/sp...r-service-call-satisfaction-in-recent-survey/

 

[her209]

It is, both of them combined is equal to just one of them.

Hence why I said ~1/3. And 1/3 is huge.

 

[Pliablemoose]

*yawn* there was the same kind of drivel before the iPhone 4. There was virtually no doubt the iPhone would come to Verizon eventually, it was just a matter of time, and the constant waste of bandwidth that was the pre announcement rumors meant nothing.

Yeah, it was pointless to know when the iPhone was coming to Verizon

 

[zerocool84]

Hence why I said ~1/3. And 1/3 is huge.

but I just think it wouldn't be economically feasible for them to do it. The cost for making separate radios for Sprint and then T-Mobile in addition to Verizon and AT&T here in the states wouldn't make sense to them, especially since they are such a small piece of the pie. They have AT&T which uses the same frequencies as majority of the world and now Verizon. Apple always likes to make a huge margin on their products and adding Verizon now is more than enough for Apple seeing as with just AT&T they have a huge slice of the pie already and will add even more with Verizon. I am prepared to eat my own words though if it ever does happen but I don't think it will.

 

[JS80]

I bet iPhone 5 launches on ATT first. Too soon to launch it on VZ after they just got iPhone 4.

 

[her209]

I am prepared to eat my own words though if it ever does happen but I don't think it will.

Some possible hints that Sprint may be getting the iPhone 5.

Sprint adds $10 monthly data charge to new smartphone users
http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti..._charge_to_new_smartphone_users?taxonomyId=77

Sprint toning down anti-iPhone talk in ad to court Apple?
http://www.electronista.com/articles/11/01/24/sprint.may.have.softened.evo.shift.4g.ad.for.apple/

 

[Pliablemoose]

I bet iPhone 5 launches on ATT first. Too soon to launch it on VZ after they just got iPhone 4.

Verizon & Apple didn't exactly say it, but I think they'll release the iPhone 5 on both carriers at the same time, they commented on the mid product cycle release, and they just said, "Why not? Everyone wants it now."