Will we see the iPhone on Verizon..?

I know some of you that have been following my iPhone chronicles either here or at Gear Diary are likely wondering if I’ve lost my mind.  I mean, wasn’t it me who has been saying over and over again that a Verizon iPhone was never going to happen..?  Well, the answer is yes and no.

In my last note about this, I said that Verizon getting the iPhone was unlikely as long as the current version device stuck with its current radio.  Verizon uses a QUALCOMM designed CDMA-based chipset for its radio. There are very few countries that have carriers that use this type of radio – the US (Verizon), very small parts of Asia, and (I think) Indonesia/Australia, and that’s about it.  The rest of the world is on GSM.  So, until a "universal" chipset or network (like LTE) became available AND until Apple made use of that universal chipset, there would be no iPhone on ANY CDMA network, Verizon or otherwise.  This has more to do with the costs associated to reengineering and redesigning the entire device and Apple having to support two different devices than anything else.  Stevie J. just doesn’t do that. 

One phone to rule them all… and that kind of thing.

My good friend, Matt Miller has come out with a bit of a dissenting piece on this, given all the rumor mongering, and its worth a read. His point – Verizon has an awesome network (and they do; but  I think they’re expensive) and regardless of whether or not VzW has LTE, any kind of 4G, the VzW iPhone is white or not, whether you can surf and talk at the same time or not or even if they ARE very expensive, they are still going to sell a lot of iPhones.

Matt is dead on right about that.  They WOULD sell a lot of iPhones.  The question is whether the millions of iPhones they would sell would offset the costs associated with the redesign, retooling, extra manufacturing lines, support costs, etc. and generate enough profit for Apple to do it BEFORE LTE hits in wide distribution on Verizon.  My point has NEVER been that there will NEVER be an iPhone on Verizon, but that there wouldn’t be as long as Apple has to maintain more than one version. 

Tomorrow’s announcement should be interesting. I, for one, will be keeping close to the internets tomorrow, waiting for the news to hit. Like Matt, I am interested in answers to the following questions (I’ve paraphrased/modified the first two a bit.  The other two are Matt’s, simply quoted here):

• How many iPhones [does] Verizon [think they will really] sell?
• How many AT&T iPhone users [does] Verizon [think  will switch to their] iPhone?
• How well can Verizon’s network handle the iPhone [with/without LTE]?
• How much will a customer have to pay monthly for a Verizon iPhone?

Keep your peepers pinned people!  Tomorrow is going to be an INTERESTING day!

HTC Incredible

 Waiting can be oh so painful.  I ordered my HTC Incredible on Friday May 14, and I have about a 2 week wait for it to arrive.  At the very latest, it should be here by June 3.  When it comes to gadgets, I want my instant gratification…next day shipping…and my phone in my hand.  So, what could be holding up the shipment?  It seems that HTC has a shortage of the components that make up the Droid Incredible.  The main issue is the OLED display produced by Samsung Electronics.  I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed that they didn’t anticipate the demand.  Knowing the marketing world, being sold-out always sounds good, but that doesn’t help consumers.  On the positive side for Verizon, they sold 100,000 Incredibles in the first two days.  

Please Incredible Ship SOON!!!  I need a fabulous phone to compete with my honey’s iPhone!!!

Via Product-Review News 

Seems like Apple tried to pull the old Jedi mind trick on us all.  Steve Jobs stood on his stage and waved his hand in front of our eyes while muttering things like, “these are not the droids you’re looking for,” and “your new iPad’s Wifi works fine and does not drop the connection.”  Fortunately, most of us are not as weak minded as Jobs seems to think, and saw right through his mind control techniques.

So, he moved on to plan B, blame.  Apple blamed the user, they blamed the device, they blamed your Internet provider.  They blamed pretty much everyone except Apple…until now.  In a very unApple-like mea culpa, Apple has actually owned up to their own mistake.  They are now admitting that you may be experiencing some problems with the Wifi in some iPad models, which will be addressed in a future software update. 

These Wifi problems seem to manifest as two distinct problems.  Sometimes, it behaves as though there is a weak signal, despite having a full four bars.  Other times, it will simply drop the signal, and lose track of the network, requiring you to reconnect or log back in.

I have to be honest.  When I first got my iPad, and connected it to my Sprint network, I noticed absolutely no problems.  Connected the Overdrive 3G/4G mobile broadband, and still no problems.  Then I hooked up Verizon Fios.  All of a sudden, things just went haywire.  My connection to the iPad would not hold, it kept dropping the password, just one problem after another.  None of my other computers or devices have problems with my Verizon FIOS modem, and my iPad has not had any other problems with any other modems I have connected.  So, if you needed any further proof that Verizon and Apple simply cannot get along, there you go.  Oh, that and the news of the confirmed five year exclusivity agreement between Apple and AT&T (which runs through 2012).  Sorry, Verizon fans.

To sum up…iPhone not coming to Verizon, Apple broke Wifi, but a fix may be coming soon.  And you heard it all at JAMM.

[via Gear Diary]

Apple iPhone

 There could be sobs heard throughout the Verizon family, as AT&T revealed that they signed a five year contract with Apple in 2007.  So, doing the math, that means that the iPhone will not be single until possibly 2012.  In my household, there was a roar of ‘We are switching to AT&T’.  My other half has lusted for an iPhone since they first debuted.  I have to agree that its a beautiful device, and definitely lust worthy.  Luckily for me, and my dreams of a HTC Incredible, my honey works for a company that has AT&T, so I think work will provide her with her dream. 

How about everyone else?  Is this the last straw?  Will you switch to AT&T?

I’m happy with my Verizon service, and since they finally have some nice phones, I’m staying.

Via GottaBeMobile

Attention Verizon users who have been drooling over the Nexus One, anticipating it’s arrival on your network.  Roll up the tongues, wipe the corners of your mouth.  It’s not coming.  According to Google, you will want to check out HTC’s Droid Incredible, now available for preorder and available in stores April 29th.