What if instead of going to Verizon, the iPhone went to Sprint?

[MrX8503]

YoungGun21, MRX90210 is another *******....um....apple fanboi....

Dont let him get to you.

You always say the apps are terrible and unusable but like I've said, if it's as terrible as you've said then no one would use the apps. The apps might not be as slick as many on the iPhone but they're usable and fine. YOUR opinion is that they suck well my opinion is that Apple sucks. Yes the app store organization sucks but guess what, Android gives you your money back so you're not stuck with a app you don't like. There's advantages and disadvantages to both. Obviously apps ARE it's forte just as much as it is on the iPhone since both are such HUGE parts of each OS.

"Android has customizations, widgets, and is open source, stick with that argument. Apps is not its forte, at least not yet."

 

[zerocool84]

In the short history of smartphones, handsets carrying all but one of the major operating systems have been available to multiple U.S. carriers. That exception is iOS, for which the iPhone has been the only model. Of course, the iPhone's close cousin, the iPod touch, is available regardless of carrier (or service fees, for that matter), and has sometimes been referred to as "the iPhone for Verizon users." Ultimately, though, it's not. While the iPod touch provides access to a dizzying array of functionality that will likely expand this fall, its lack of an integrated cellular radio and attendant voice calling features means that it cannot assume that primary role in one's digital life in the same way that many smartphones have.

For this reason, the notion of a Verizon iPhone remains one of the hottest rumors in the industry, with many assuming that it would cause a fundamental shift in the competitive landscape. But there are many reasons that a Verizon iPhone may take years to arrive -- if it ever does -- and may not create nearly the disruption that it has on AT&T.

Competition. When the iPhone first appeared, carriers rushed to field an array of touchscreen feature phones that resembled the iPhone's form, but couldn't match its functionality. As the iPhone 4 came to market, Sprint and Verizon both launched Android devices with massive 4.3-inch screens; these are being complemented by Samsung's Galaxy S Android devices at all major carriers. Some may consider Android a "poor man's iOS" while others may see it as an open or superior alternative. But it's clear that even Android will encounter more competition in the next year as RIM continues to revamp the BlackBerry OS and Microsoft introduces Windows Phone 7.

Renewed exclusivity. One reason that people suspect a Verizon iPhone might appear in 2012 is the evidence that Apple and AT&T signed a five-year exclusivity agreement. Why did Apple agree to such a long period, knowing that it would open the door to competitors at Verizon? It's reasonable to assume that the terms of the deal simply favored Apple financially. That holds open the door that AT&T might be willing to continue to invest in keeping the iPhone exclusive and try to renew the contract, particularly since Verizon's switch to LTE will open the door to more handsets, particularly ones that can roam globally.

Pricing. AT&T's decision to eliminate unlimited data plans in favor of two pricing tiers at $15 and $25 per month penalized its most active users, but lowered the monthly bills for many more. Verizon has indicated that it too will move to tiered pricing. But if it maintains today's smartphone pricing, many AT&T customers might stick with the carrier for the less expensive tier offering. Of course, Verizon knows how to stimulate demand with pricing, as it's shown with its various smartphone buy one-get one promotions. Traditionally promotion-shy Apple, though, might not want to participate in such giveaways, however.

The next Switched On will delve more deply into certainly the most significant technical variable surrounding a Verizon iPhone: the multi-year transition to the LTE standard.

Part one
http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/18/switched-on-getting-real-about-a-phone-that-s-not-part-1/

Last week's Switched On looked at some of the reasons that a Verizon iPhone might not bring seismic shifts to the cell phone market or the balance of power between the two largest carriers in the U.S., focusing more on the AT&T incentive. This column discusses the carrier's current CDMA network and its multi-year transition to LTE, which could lower some obstacles to a Verizon iPhone.

While reports have asserted that a Verizon iPhone may ship as early as January and that a CDMA version of the phone will go into production in September, there are reasons to doubt that Apple will create a CDMA iPhone for Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless is a large carrier, but it's subscriber base is relatively small compared to the one that is served by having a single GSM device that Apple can sell around the globe. That massive audience creates certain scale advantages for Apple.

In addition, Apple has repeatedly avoided supporting "legacy" technologies, and most CDMA carriers have committed long-term to LTE, with some supporting WiMAX. Indeed, in an investor call last week, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg downplayed the idea that the iPhone was coming to Verizon imminently, noting, "We don't feel like we have an iPhone deficit. We would love to carry it when we get there, but we have to earn it."

Besides, while there has been some work done on supporting simultaneous voice and data on a a CDMA network, Verizon --- or a CDMA-based iPhone -- might not be able to handle voice and data at the same time -- a feature that Apple and AT&T have promoted on television. For these reasons, Apple would likely wait at least until Verizon had a national LTE footprint. Seidenberg said that Verizon intends to have 90 percent of U.S. cities "covered" by the end of 2012.

Also, while Verizon's LTE will live in the 700 MHz band, which should offer good permeability of walls for in-building coverage, it simply takes time to bring any new network on par with coverage of the last one. That means that an LTE / HSPA iPhone that offered no CDMA capabilities would likely have better coverage on AT&T than on Verizon, at least in 2012.

In addition, as we have seen with the first 4G phones from Sprint, early LTE devices are likely to consume more power than their 3G counterparts, and Apple has a long history of delaying technology adoption in the name of better battery life. A few examples include picking EDGE over 3G for the original iPhone, delaying adoption of multitasking to offer a more energy-efficient flavor, and choosing USB or Bluetooth-based tethering as opposed to offering Wi-Fi-based mobile hotspot support on the iPhone.

Without a doubt, a Verizon iPhone would certainly result in both customers defecting (back) to Verizon from AT&T (and possibly attracting customers from other carriers as well), and the handset would sell well to Verizon's existing customers. All this would help drive iPhone sales and increase its market share significantly. But the picture of the real impact of a Verizon iPhone gets cloudier as we look further into the future, one that appears likely to appear a long time after January.

Part two
http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/04/switched-on-getting-real-about-a-phone-that-s-not-part-2/

I'm surprised nobody linked to the first part earlier but the second part is finally out. Brings up very good points.