Updated: Calling out Apple: Verizon may get iPhone in 2008, ignores anything 2G
Arun Sarin, CEO of Vodafone, Verizon’s parent company, says iPhone sales can’t even get close to hurting Verizon’s numbers, criticizing Apple for making a 2G phone.
In fact, according to the Electronista, he says that after Apple’s June 29th iPhone launch, it saw enough subscribers switch that Verizon’s porting ratios went negative for about two weeks, but they returned to normal right after. The same thing happened when Apple cut the price of the iPhone.
Vodafone is so unfazed by the iPhone that they’re practically ignoring it in Europe, criticizing Apple’s decision to forgo 3G technology for the inferior 2G EDGE. Since many cell phone users are used to faster data connections in Europe as many places are saturated in HSDPA, Sarin believes the iPhone won’t make a significant impact against or for anybody. "When an HSDPA iPhone is available," says the CEO, "We would be interested in talking to Apple."
Sounds like Vodafone’s calling out Apple to speed up 3G development, and, when the 3G iPhone hits next year, us unlucky/lucky Verizon subscribers may be touting Apple’s latest gadget. Until then, I’ll talk on my Q and listen to my Touch.
Update: Apparently, Vodafone, Verizon’s parent company, is preparing to convert Verizon’s network into a 4G GSM standard known as LTE, or Long Term Evolution, which should be completed by 2013. Seeing as how the iPhone is a GSM device, it is becoming more and more likely that one day iPhone users will talk on Verizon’s network even if it takes a bit of unlocking to do so.
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May 14th, 2008
I really, really hope that Verizon will work with the iphone, beacuse i have Verizon and am stuck with it! I’m also really mad that Verizon said no to the iphone (even though apple asked to much)! And you can’t unlock the Verizon service in the iphone!
July 7th, 2008
ummm yeah 2013 get with it verizon f u there will be like super gsm by then do it fast like now!!!