"On February 3rd our existing customers will have an opportunity to pre-order... on February 10th, everyone will be able to order online, in stores, or in Apple stores."
For once, a telecommunications company gives perks to existing customers. For far too long have cell phone and broadband companies pampered new customers with deals rather than existing customers (and rightly so but still frustrating).
In the UK O2, the original iPhone network, have in the past held off letting any new customers buy the new iPhones for the first month to make sure their existing customers can upgrade first.
Is Verizon's CDMA network technically compatible with anywhere else in the world? (e.g. so that you can us the same phone in U.S and elsewhere, provided it is not locked)
Specifically, which frequency band does U.S. CDMA use?
I've been thinking of dropping my AT&T iPhone 4 for a Droid Bionic on Verizon later this year. Given that, I'm really hoping they'll be charging extra for the wifi hotspot feature like they do with Android, or if they're not, making it free for Android users as well.
(edit: To be clear, the liveblogs I've glanced at haven't specifically said if it will be free or not, and Verizon apparently won't talk about plan pricing...)
I wonder how much they'll charge for the mobile hotspot feature? Earlier last year, when they were desperately trying to unload Palm Pres, they were throwing that capability in for free... but I somehow doubt that that will be the case with the iPhone. But I'd love to be proven wrong, as it's been an incredibly useful feature.
Curious, how big do people think this will be? Will Apple double its US userbase or will it be an incremental bump? I tend to think incremental.
The people in the US today who really want an iPhone have moved to ATT. The holdouts are those that:
1) Hate AT&T.
2) Are on a business plan who is tied to Verizon.
3) Those on a family plan, but aren't calling the shots.
For most of the people in 1-3, they already have a Verizon smartphone, and likely a relatively new one. So they'll trickle over the next year to 18 months.
Completely new accounts will go to the store and look at the phones. The iPhone looks less good, side by side, compared to the Droid X. With that said, there's no brand like the iPhone brand.
In any case, I think the sales on Verizon will be telling. Did people move to ATT to get the iPhone, or is there still tons of demand on the other carriers for the iPhone (obviously there's demand, but is it proportionate to the amount of demand that exists on ATT).
4.) Not having an AT&T carrier in the area.
Being from a state where AT&T is not an available phone service (South Dakota), this is a big deal. I'm not sure how many other states have this issue. We have been waiting for this since the iPhone was released. It will be great to finally have another smart phone option from a big player. Though I'll probably stick to my Android phone.
> "In any case, I think the sales on Verizon will be telling"
Somehow I get the feeling that they won't. Armchair observers opining on the internet have never felt the need to rely on data before. They've long since drawn their conclusions and simply shop for justification; freely inventing some if acceptable evidence doesn't present itself.
So no-one's mind is going to be changed, regardless.
If you were bullish and it tanks, then Apple's 'premium' segment is assumed to have already moved to ATT. If you were bearish and it takes off, then it's the usual "marketing" and "cult" arguments again. The very marks of 'tank' versus 'incremental' versus 'wild success' will be subjectively twisted all to high hell. It won't matter if Apple sells 6M or 12M.
Just watch the reactions when the inevitable avalanche of pre-orders and launch-day lines are reported. "macolyte" and "marketing circus" will get bandied about again, along with suggestions that once the early movement is cleared out then the real measuring of Apple's success on Verizon can begin...
People moved to AT&T to get the iPhone, but a lot of them think the experience is subpar, and will prefer not to renew their contracts as things stand.
I expect there's a decent chunk of holdouts who'll have a good appetite for the VZW iPhone immediately, and there'll also be a steady stream of people switching from AT&T to Verizon as their contracts expire.
If you follow Gruber, he's made the point that Apple doesn't consider this a new device, and that Apple will probably sell it as the exact same device to customers. This is one significant area where it's not, though - if you buy an iPhone on Verizon, you get this feature. If you buy one on AT&T, you don't.
Apple to date has stood pretty firmly against the idea of carrier differentiation. There is nothing about the iPhone on AT&T that reminds you that it is an AT&T device, no preinstalled apps, no logos, nothing.
So that's why the hotspot is a surprise to me. I'm sure that Apple has been pushing for this on AT&T all along, but it seems to be a chip in the carrier fragmentation armor.
as you can see in the photo above, the newly revised CDMA antenna notch has pushed the volume and mute controls down a hair from GSM version. That means a lot of cases -- Apple's current bumpers included -- won't fit properly on the Verizon version
I'm seriously debating pre-ordering one on February 3rd as I'm an existing Verizon customer. My only hold-up is whether or not they'll release and LTE version in June. Assuming Apple does have the hardware ready by then, what's the likelyhood of Verizon having a substantial LTE presence by then as well?
Does anyone know what their LTE coverage looks like or how soon it'll match their 3G coverage? I'm under the impression LTE is only in major cities at the moment.
I highly recommend (as I do to all interested family, friends, and coworkers) that you wait, just a few months, until Apple has launched the new iPhone.
The worst case is that the iPhone 4 will be half the price of what it is today and you waited a bit (assuming no beneficial upgrades; unlikely) and the best case is that you'll get the new phone, with all of its features benefits, for the same price of today's iPhone 4 (much more likely).
In my opinion, this will either slash the current price of Android phones or slow down Android growth considerably.
I just can't help but to think, if I were a non-geek consumer, and it was the same price to walk out of the store with an iPhone over a Droid - I know I'd choose iPhone.
Does the Droid have a silver-bullet marketing point that I'm missing, or is it all over for Android?
If people wanted an iPhone, they could have just gone to AT&T and bought an iPhone. While this will probably reduce sales of Android phones through Verizon, I certainly don't think it means it is 'all over'. I agree prices may drop on Android phones, and manufacturers may have to step up their game a bit more especially in terms of software.
With Android phones you have a choice of prices, different hardware configurations including physical keyboards, easily replacable batteries, expandable memories (i.e. buy a 32GB card for $50 vs. paying Apple an extra $100) and not least, the freedom to run whatever software you choose. While some nice things like game emulators are available for Android, though, it's true that iOS has a wider range of software for now. Another issues is that many people are turned off by the Apple brand, for one reason or another.
HTC, Samsung and Motorola have some impressive offerings of their own, hardware wise, and I'm sure they'll continue to sell plenty of phones.
I'm in Australia, where all our carriers are GSM and have the iPhone (in addition to it being sold unlocked directly from Apple), so I don't care about Verizon or CDMA, but I would love to know if the hotspot feature will make it to the standard iPhones, even if AT&T doesn't like it.
Tim Cook's (non)response (via TechCrunch's live blog)...
Will not comment on the roadmap." No promise of a new CDMA iPhone in summer. Tim Cook: We chose CDMA because the LTE chipsets forced some design concepts that we would not make.
When will be able to see an LTE-enabled iPhone? A. We're not commenting on unannounced product.
That would be a significant engineering change (above and beyond CDMA that they have been working on for years, and for which chipsets are mature) and would essentially make it an iPhone 4.5. LTE will certainly come to the iPhone 5, due in just a few months.
I really, REALLY hope Apple prevents Verizon from "verizon-ifying" this phone. They constantly put un-removable bookmarks, bloatware apps, and other bullshit on their phones.
That will be a total deal breaker for me, if they do.
Apple’s own Phil Schiller assured the press that Verizon would not be loading up the device with crapware, too. “We want the experience to be the same for every iPhone user. So there are no special Verizon Apps preinstalled,” Schiller told Ars. “AT&T offers customers some apps via the App Store. I’ll let Verizon comment if they are working on anything for that.”
Now that the iPhone is on the Verizon network, the competition with Android will heat up.
Until now, Apple had to field unnerving questions about the total # of Android units sold vs iPhone units sold. But there was always a very relevant factor holding it back: to get the iPhone in the US, you had to be on AT&T.
Until now.
Now that the iPhone is no longer married to AT&T and will be offered by Verizon as well, millions will flock to get it. Now we can truly answer the question: do more people like the iPhone than Android phones?
I'm not sure about that, I don't know what pricing is like in the US but here (Ireland) Android phones are significantly cheaper. Most people I know who buy an Android phone, do so because it was a cheap phone, not because it's a 'smartphone' (excluding the more technically inclined friends of mine) — while the iPhone and Android are certainly competitors, I don't think people buy Android for the same reason. If I'm making sense...
Personal hotspot support is awesome, but will all this extra bandwidth, I'm surprised Verizon is not one-upping AT&T with over-the-air FaceTime as well.
Damnation, now I'll have to get a Verizon iPhone so I can replace my Mifi (for which I'm paying the same monthly amount for a wifi 5-user EVDO hotspot).
[+] [-] mkinsella|15 years ago|reply
For once, a telecommunications company gives perks to existing customers. For far too long have cell phone and broadband companies pampered new customers with deals rather than existing customers (and rightly so but still frustrating).
[+] [-] edd|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mikeryan|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] steverb|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] johns|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] TomOfTTB|15 years ago|reply
1. You can use it as a WiFi Hotspot
2. Redesigned antenna (obviously)
3. Verzion isn't getting the 3GS (which is probably why AT&T was so quick to drop it to $49)
[+] [-] mey|15 years ago|reply
ArsTechnica has an excellent live blog going of it. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2011/01/liveblog-of-veri...
[+] [-] ben1040|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] listic|15 years ago|reply
Specifically, which frequency band does U.S. CDMA use?
[+] [-] shade|15 years ago|reply
(edit: To be clear, the liveblogs I've glanced at haven't specifically said if it will be free or not, and Verizon apparently won't talk about plan pricing...)
[+] [-] stevenbedrick|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] irons|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kenjackson|15 years ago|reply
The people in the US today who really want an iPhone have moved to ATT. The holdouts are those that:
1) Hate AT&T. 2) Are on a business plan who is tied to Verizon. 3) Those on a family plan, but aren't calling the shots.
For most of the people in 1-3, they already have a Verizon smartphone, and likely a relatively new one. So they'll trickle over the next year to 18 months.
Completely new accounts will go to the store and look at the phones. The iPhone looks less good, side by side, compared to the Droid X. With that said, there's no brand like the iPhone brand.
In any case, I think the sales on Verizon will be telling. Did people move to ATT to get the iPhone, or is there still tons of demand on the other carriers for the iPhone (obviously there's demand, but is it proportionate to the amount of demand that exists on ATT).
[+] [-] takameyer|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] roc|15 years ago|reply
Somehow I get the feeling that they won't. Armchair observers opining on the internet have never felt the need to rely on data before. They've long since drawn their conclusions and simply shop for justification; freely inventing some if acceptable evidence doesn't present itself.
So no-one's mind is going to be changed, regardless.
If you were bullish and it tanks, then Apple's 'premium' segment is assumed to have already moved to ATT. If you were bearish and it takes off, then it's the usual "marketing" and "cult" arguments again. The very marks of 'tank' versus 'incremental' versus 'wild success' will be subjectively twisted all to high hell. It won't matter if Apple sells 6M or 12M.
Just watch the reactions when the inevitable avalanche of pre-orders and launch-day lines are reported. "macolyte" and "marketing circus" will get bandied about again, along with suggestions that once the early movement is cleared out then the real measuring of Apple's success on Verizon can begin...
[+] [-] metamatt|15 years ago|reply
I expect there's a decent chunk of holdouts who'll have a good appetite for the VZW iPhone immediately, and there'll also be a steady stream of people switching from AT&T to Verizon as their contracts expire.
[+] [-] slouch|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] billjings|15 years ago|reply
If you follow Gruber, he's made the point that Apple doesn't consider this a new device, and that Apple will probably sell it as the exact same device to customers. This is one significant area where it's not, though - if you buy an iPhone on Verizon, you get this feature. If you buy one on AT&T, you don't.
Apple to date has stood pretty firmly against the idea of carrier differentiation. There is nothing about the iPhone on AT&T that reminds you that it is an AT&T device, no preinstalled apps, no logos, nothing.
So that's why the hotspot is a surprise to me. I'm sure that Apple has been pushing for this on AT&T all along, but it seems to be a chip in the carrier fragmentation armor.
[+] [-] davidedicillo|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] ayb|15 years ago|reply
It will be lame if Verizon has the iPhone 4 and then AT&T gets a new GSM-only iPhone 5 in June.
[+] [-] there|15 years ago|reply
as you can see in the photo above, the newly revised CDMA antenna notch has pushed the volume and mute controls down a hair from GSM version. That means a lot of cases -- Apple's current bumpers included -- won't fit properly on the Verizon version
[+] [-] tolmasky|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tibbon|15 years ago|reply
Is Verizon doing the silly 5GB data cap as well?
And does using the hotspot cost more (like teathering?)
[+] [-] WesleyJohnson|15 years ago|reply
Does anyone know what their LTE coverage looks like or how soon it'll match their 3G coverage? I'm under the impression LTE is only in major cities at the moment.
[+] [-] m104|15 years ago|reply
The worst case is that the iPhone 4 will be half the price of what it is today and you waited a bit (assuming no beneficial upgrades; unlikely) and the best case is that you'll get the new phone, with all of its features benefits, for the same price of today's iPhone 4 (much more likely).
[+] [-] thaumaturgy|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dpcan|15 years ago|reply
I just can't help but to think, if I were a non-geek consumer, and it was the same price to walk out of the store with an iPhone over a Droid - I know I'd choose iPhone.
Does the Droid have a silver-bullet marketing point that I'm missing, or is it all over for Android?
[+] [-] enjo|15 years ago|reply
Android has been competing quite favorably with the iPhone in hundreds of other markets that lack carrier exclusivity. I think they'll be just fine.
Don't forget that there are going to be LTE capable Android devices long before (apparently) we see an iPhone version.
[+] [-] code_duck|15 years ago|reply
With Android phones you have a choice of prices, different hardware configurations including physical keyboards, easily replacable batteries, expandable memories (i.e. buy a 32GB card for $50 vs. paying Apple an extra $100) and not least, the freedom to run whatever software you choose. While some nice things like game emulators are available for Android, though, it's true that iOS has a wider range of software for now. Another issues is that many people are turned off by the Apple brand, for one reason or another.
HTC, Samsung and Motorola have some impressive offerings of their own, hardware wise, and I'm sure they'll continue to sell plenty of phones.
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] rbritton|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] haribilalic|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] neovive|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] bho|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TomOfTTB|15 years ago|reply
Will not comment on the roadmap." No promise of a new CDMA iPhone in summer. Tim Cook: We chose CDMA because the LTE chipsets forced some design concepts that we would not make.
When will be able to see an LTE-enabled iPhone? A. We're not commenting on unannounced product.
[+] [-] ergo98|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] adolph|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ben1040|15 years ago|reply
Looks like Verizon is acknowledging this on their FAQs:
Most accessories should work, however you may find that cases and covers could be different depending on the product manufacturer.
http://support.vzw.com/faqs/iphone/iphone_faq.html
[+] [-] shizcakes|15 years ago|reply
That will be a total deal breaker for me, if they do.
[+] [-] msbarnett|15 years ago|reply
Apple’s own Phil Schiller assured the press that Verizon would not be loading up the device with crapware, too. “We want the experience to be the same for every iPhone user. So there are no special Verizon Apps preinstalled,” Schiller told Ars. “AT&T offers customers some apps via the App Store. I’ll let Verizon comment if they are working on anything for that.”
[1]: http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/01/pics-of-the-new-an...
[+] [-] EGreg|15 years ago|reply
Until now, Apple had to field unnerving questions about the total # of Android units sold vs iPhone units sold. But there was always a very relevant factor holding it back: to get the iPhone in the US, you had to be on AT&T.
Until now.
Now that the iPhone is no longer married to AT&T and will be offered by Verizon as well, millions will flock to get it. Now we can truly answer the question: do more people like the iPhone than Android phones?
My prediction: yes.
[+] [-] benofsky|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pohl|15 years ago|reply
Really? Does that mean that Android is only available on 2 carriers in the US?
[+] [-] Sidnicious|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cpr|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
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