IDG News Service - The iPhone will finally be coming to Verizon, says a new report in the Wall Street Journal.
On Monday, the Journal cited unnamed sources, who said that a Taiwanese manufacturer will start mass producing iPhones to run on Verizon's network in September. The report did not uncover when the phones might go on sale.
Apple also expects to begin offering a new model of the iPhone in a few months, the Journal reported. That would be in line with Apple's past schedule of delivering a new model in the middle of each year.
In the U.S., the iPhone has been exclusive to AT&T since its launch in 2007. Neither company has said how long that exclusive deal will last, but rumors surface periodically that the deal is close to an end or that AT&T is negotiating to extend it.
Other rumors, about negotiations between Verizon and Apple for an iPhone to work on that network, also pop up from time to time. Some existing iPhone users have complained about poor network performance from AT&T and say they would welcome the opportunity to buy an iPhone for Verizon's network. Some analysts say AT&T has become too reliant on the iPhone and worry that AT&T might lose customers and see slower growth once the iPhone becomes available elsewhere.
In many other countries, the iPhone is available on multiple networks.
Apple said it had no comment on the story. Verizon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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