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Verizon Wireless wants iPhone exclusivity (and is willing to pay)
An analyst (who's been known to be wrong) says Verizon Wireless will give anything for a semi-exclusive. Are we close to the Verizon iPhone release date?
Verizon Wireless wants to make sure you can't have an iPhone on Sprint or T-Mobile. It's willing to pay Apple for an exclusive deal (ignoring AT&T, of course). All this is according to someone called Shaw Wu, a financial analyst at Kaufman Bros. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers ponder what it all means.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention How to Give a Cat a Pill...
(VZ) (AAPL)
Neil Hughes reports the rumor:
Wu ... said in a note to investors on Monday that ... Verizon is now more willing to accept Apple's terms. ... In fact, Verizon may pay Apple even more to ensure that the iPhone remains exclusive to it and AT&T. ... Wu also asserted that Google's Android operating system has begun to "lose some of its luster" at Verizon.
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Verizon is the largest wireless carrier in the U.S., with 93 million subscribers, while AT&T is just behind it. ... The [Verizon] iPhone ... will feature a CDMA chip from Qualcomm, as the current iPhone uses UMTS/HSPA+ technology that is not compatible.
Darrell Etherington:
It doesnt hurt that the shine has also reportedly gone off of the Android apple at ... Verizon ... and that it also doesnt have very high hopes for the future of BlackBerry.
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The U.S. remains ... the only major market in which the iPhone still retains its exclusivity, besides China. ... The price tag for keeping the competitor pool closed probably isnt anywhere near what AT&T originally paid.
John Paczkowski strategizes:
An interesting bit of speculation. If Apple were to win concessions ... to keep the iPhone exclusive to ... Verizon and AT&T ... it might be able to ... keep its margins in line.
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That said, with Googles Android OS gaining market share so quickly it might be a better move strategically to sacrifice a bit of margin to bring the iPhone to more carriers and temper its rivals growth.
It should be noted that Wu has a rather poor track record when it comes to Apple predictions, but his report today is already making waves among Apple watchers ... and if true would represent a significant development for Apple and its customers.
Federico Viticci casts more doubt:
Oh, Verizon. First you dont say anything about the device were all waiting for ... then you dont want other kids to play around with a toy you dont even own? Thats bad.
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This is just an unconfirmed rumor from Shawn Wu an analyst who isnt exactly popular for getting his predictions right. Wed take this with the proverbial grain of salt..
Chris Davies also lays in to Wu:
Its hard to say how much of Wus information is beyond tenuous. Consumer Reports has just announced that Verizons top smartphones are ... both Android devices, which would seem to contradict the idea that the OS is falling short at the carrier.
Richi Jenningsis an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com.
