Verizon to topple AT&T, take smartphone lead?
updated 05:15 pm EST, Mon November 2, 2009
Verizon adding 15 smartphones in 2 mths
A slip of new data today suggests Verizon may be planning a full assault on AT&T's command of the US smartphone market. One historically accurate contact for BGR says Verizon is watching its launch of the Motorola Droid very closely and, if successful, will accelerate smartphone launches it would have put off until early 2010. These would include particularly advanced devices like the Android-based HTC Dragon and Motorola Calgary, the former of which could launch on November 27th in place of the BlackBerry Curve2.
A second major device would show in mid-December, though its name isn't known.
If put into motion, the plan could have as many as 15 new phones on Verizon's network in the two final months of the year, including the Droid, Droid Eris, Calgary and Dragon among Android phones as well as the Curve2, Storm2 and several more handsets. The launches would be staggered but could continue through to the end of December.
While most carriers deliberately avoid grouping too many high-end phones together, Verizon's opposite approach is purportedly deliberate and intended to prove that it has both the best cellular network as well as the best smartphones. Publicly, Verizon has often been complimented for its network but criticized for adopting few desirable phones and in the past imposing limits, such as forcing Wi-Fi out of the original Storm or reducing the amount of RAM on HTC's Windows Mobile devices.
Decisions like these are believed to have regularly given AT&T front runner status both through the iPhone as well as exclusives like the original BlackBerry Bold. The majority of AT&T's 4.3 million smartphone activations this summer were iPhones.
No...
11/02, 05:23pm reply
It's "Verizon to try marketing and product blitz to topple ATT's lead".
It's a huge difference.
testudo
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Joined: Aug 2001
possibly...
11/02, 05:42pm reply
As soon as they come out with a real competitor to the iPhone
dwoodruff
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Joined: Jul 2006
One Product
11/02, 06:11pm (1 reply) reply
....does not a cell phone provider make. AT&T's whole business model is based around the iPhone. The day Apple pulls the plug or eliminates exclusivety, they are sunk. Shame on them for this approach. That, combined with the some of the worst service available in the industry. The true iPhone killer is....AT&T!
Good for Verizon for launching a full on assault. They are doing their job. They aren't showing loyalty to any one manufacturer. They are offering all different OS platforms in all different price points to accomodate everyone. And all this on the best network in the country.
Right on VZW and take that AT&T!!!
BachinPhx
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Joined: Nov 2009
The cripple the phone company?
11/02, 09:29pm reply
Charging an EXTRA $15 per month just to use Exchange Mail on the new Android phone will not likely help their cause!
digiprod
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Joined: Sep 2007
Uh.....
11/03, 02:44am reply
Firstly att has about 40 different phones and several other devices for use on their network. The iPhone is not the focus of their existence, and in fact a large number of new iPhone users are migrating from carriers such as sprint and vz, and growth is not representative of att "only having one phone". Secondly, this moto product is hype. It's an ugly sliding piece of guano. All of these "iPhone killers" are gimmick phones. Only the iPhone really does it right.
- A
Fast iBook
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