Apple and Verizon negotiating iPhone deal, 3G for tablet?
updated 07:30 pm EST, Tue January 5, 2010
Companies reportedly disagree on CDMA pricing
Apple and Verizon are allegedly involved in negotiations regarding a CDMA-equipped iPhone, although both companies are said to be unable to agree on pricing, according to UBS analyst Maynard J. Um. A separate Wall Street analyst, Brian Marshall of Broadpoint AmTech, suggests that Apple is focusing on Verizon to be the 3G carrier for the rumored tablet device.
Um forecasts that a new iPhone will be released to the public sometime in the middle of 2010, although the disagreements, if accurate, could still be standing in the way of a Verizon launch. Piper Jaffray analyst Chris Larsen recently placed the odds of a 2010 Verizon iPhone at approximately 70 percent, while others believe the current AT&T exclusivity will not expire until at least 2011.
Verizon CTO Anthony Melone recently boasted that his company's network was prepared for the iPhone's potential strain, however he avoided saying the network was upgraded with the intention of landing Apple's handset.
Despite the uncertainties surrounding an iPhone on Verizon, Marshall claims the carrier is Apple's top choice for extending the tablet's Internet connectivity beyond just Wi-Fi hotspots, according to unnamed sources.
"The tablet will be supported by multiple carriers," said Marshall. "Definitely Verizon. I've been told that's a certainty."
The rumored tablet and Verizon iPhone have yet to be confirmed or acknowledged by either company. Apple is expected to make a major product announcement, however, at a media event allegedly scheduled for January 27th. [via AppleInsider and ComputerWorld]
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If it says Verizon on it, I don't want any part of it. Predatory b*******!