Rumors (Again) Have iPhone Headed to Verizon

March 30, 2010 By Geoff Duncan

Industry rumors once again have Apple's iPhone headed to Verizon - assuming AT&T loses its hold on iPhone exclusivity in the United States.

Seems scarcely a week goes by without some new addition to the whirlwind iPhone rumor mill, but this week has reinvigorated a long-simmering meme: the iPhone going to Verizon. According to the Wall Street Journal,, Apple is developing a new iPhone to be launched this summer—and “appears to be” working on a model that uses CMDA wireless technology.

The Wall Street Journal’s story speculates this potential CDMA iPhone is for U.S. phone carrier Verizon Wireless, while noting it will be manufactured by Pegatron Technology, rather than by the current iPhone manufacturer Hon Hai.

Rumors—and desires—for a CDMA version of the iPhone have been running strong almost since the first iPhones got into consumers’ hands…and users began struggling with AT&T wireless service. Although many users receive satisfactory service from AT&T, many iPhone customers have complained of dropped calls, lack of 3G coverage, and intermittent connectivity. AT&T has been ramping up its network coverage and capacity to accommodate iPhones—as well as a number of other high-bandwidth wireless devices—but wireless users satisfied with Verizon’s wider 3G coverage areas have long wanted a version of the iPhone that worked on Verizon Wireless’s CDMA network. Their hopes were fanned a year ago when Apple came as close as they could to deliberately snubbing AT&T when it introduced iPhone OS 3.0…and had to note key features like tethering and MMS initially wouldn’t be supported by the carrier.

However, the iPhone has been very lucrative for AT&T, and it seems reasonable to assume that the carrier will work hard to keep a lock on the iPhone—and it’s also the exclusive 3G provider for the forthcoming iPad.

Industry watchers speculate that if Apple is indeed working on a CDMA version of the iPhone, it may well be for the Chinese market—and, unfortunately, the Chinese CDMA standard is not compatible with Verizon Wireless.

Showing 8 comments

Apple Rumors: New iPhone, iPods, and a 7-inch iPad on the Way at 11:09am 5th August 2010 [...] rumored Verizon and T-Mobile iPhones. That would align closely with an earlier Wall Street Journal report that production of a CDMA iPhone would begin in September, and the beginning of a new year might [...]
Verizon iPhone: What We Know at 4:35pm 30th June 2010 [...] 4G LTE network, which will be launching in up to 25 markets by November.The Wall Street Journal reported back in March that work was underway on a CDMA iPhone that would begin production in September. That [...]
iPhone Coming to Verizon in January 2011? at 2:21pm 29th June 2010 [...] the iPhone in January 2011. Although no new details have emerged, the report seems to mesh with an earlier Wall Street Journal rumor that production on a CDMA iPhone would begin in September.Rumors of the iPhone coming to networks [...]
PNWDude at 1:48pm 5th April 2010 Not true any longer. They had a very bad reputation for crippling phones so they could control how to charge for feature. The most frustrating was crippling bluetooth and gps features. But VZW opened up their network about a year or so ago. They don't do crippled phones any more.
Ian Bell at 11:16am 30th March 2010 I think the iPhone will be majorly crippled on the Verizon network to be honest. Verizon is super reliable, but have always been behind in phone tech and network technology. I don't expect that to change to be honest.
WJS at 10:48am 30th March 2010 I definitely agree with you in that most people don't know they can but with respect to Apple, I do believe this is a major feature of the iPhone. Their more recent ad campaign drilled this into the consumer's head where as AT&T's ads seem more a more general aspect to all their phones. I just don'e see it happening on VZW until LTE.

I had the iPhone but now us a Droid and I do miss this feature (when not on wi-fi). I love the openness of Android on VZW but miss the iPhone's hardware. I might be tempted back to Apple if they offered it on VZW. Maybe, as long as I could jailbreak it! Apple is nearly perfect except when it comes to allowing the consumer choice.
Ian Bell at 10:15am 30th March 2010 Actually, for as important as I think that is, I don't think most people know they can make calls and surf the web at the same time. And I am willing to bet that maybe only 5% actually do. I think AT&T just promoted it because its a difference between the two networks that made them look better in a commercial.
WJS at 10:10am 30th March 2010 Please correct me if I'm wrong but a major selling point of the iPhone is its ability to make voice calls and access data simultaneously, as it does with AT&T (on a good day). VZW doesn't have this ability until LTE is deployed, correct? I don't think Apple would sign on until then.