CDMA iPhone On The Way To Verizon, Next-Gen iPhone Coming This Year
Our insiders may have been a few months off, but it looks like things are still going to happen. You know that Verizon Wireless iPhone you've been waiting forever for? The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a CDMA iPhone will go into production this September, paving the way for a model to be compatible with both Verizon and Sprint in the U.S.
The report is two-pronged. For one, it states quite clearly that a CDMA iPhone is being made by Pegatron Technology, which has also done business with Asus and NVIDIA in the past. That's probably the biggest point. Up until now, the only carrier that supported the iPhone in America was AT&T, and while consumers could jailbreak the iPhone, iPhone 3G and/or iPhone 3GS to work on T-Mobile USA, there was no 3G support. Every iPhone sold internationally has also had a GSM radio, so CDMA carriers elsewhere (such as in Canada) have had to sit on the sidelines much like VZW and Sprint.
Producing an iPhone that would support America's largest carrier (Verizon) and the most bargain-minded (Sprint) would provide huge amounts of much-needed competition, and it would almost certainly cause a lot of unsatisfied users to jump ship from AT&T. Of course, there also stands the chance that T-Mobile would get a 3G iPhone of their own, though no hints of that were mentioned specifically in this report.
According to other people familiar with the matter, Apple is also working on a next-generation iPhone to be launched later this year. Apple has traditionally unveiled a new iPhone each summer ever since the original debuted in 2007, and rumors are that the trend will continue. WSJ notes that Hon Hai will be responsible for manufacturing, though the report doesn't state whether the next iPhone will be in compliance with LTE/WiMAX standards, have a larger screen, a different form factor, a dedicated keyboard, or anything else. For that, you'll need some patience and a vivid imagination.
One big happy family soon?
None of the mentioned companies would comment on the story save for one, AT&T. A spokesman for the carrier said the following: "There has been lots of incorrect speculation on CDMA iPhones for a long time. We haven't seen one yet and only Apple knows when that might occur."
We couldn't possibly be more anxious for a new iPhone, and particularly a new iPhone that was carrier agnostic. Having Apple's smartphone on multiple carriers would be great for consumers, and it would finally allow people in areas where AT&T 3G is unavailable or spotty to enjoy the smartphone that so many already do. Could AT&T's exclusivity be nearing an end? It sure looks that way.
The report is two-pronged. For one, it states quite clearly that a CDMA iPhone is being made by Pegatron Technology, which has also done business with Asus and NVIDIA in the past. That's probably the biggest point. Up until now, the only carrier that supported the iPhone in America was AT&T, and while consumers could jailbreak the iPhone, iPhone 3G and/or iPhone 3GS to work on T-Mobile USA, there was no 3G support. Every iPhone sold internationally has also had a GSM radio, so CDMA carriers elsewhere (such as in Canada) have had to sit on the sidelines much like VZW and Sprint.
Producing an iPhone that would support America's largest carrier (Verizon) and the most bargain-minded (Sprint) would provide huge amounts of much-needed competition, and it would almost certainly cause a lot of unsatisfied users to jump ship from AT&T. Of course, there also stands the chance that T-Mobile would get a 3G iPhone of their own, though no hints of that were mentioned specifically in this report.
According to other people familiar with the matter, Apple is also working on a next-generation iPhone to be launched later this year. Apple has traditionally unveiled a new iPhone each summer ever since the original debuted in 2007, and rumors are that the trend will continue. WSJ notes that Hon Hai will be responsible for manufacturing, though the report doesn't state whether the next iPhone will be in compliance with LTE/WiMAX standards, have a larger screen, a different form factor, a dedicated keyboard, or anything else. For that, you'll need some patience and a vivid imagination.
One big happy family soon?
None of the mentioned companies would comment on the story save for one, AT&T. A spokesman for the carrier said the following: "There has been lots of incorrect speculation on CDMA iPhones for a long time. We haven't seen one yet and only Apple knows when that might occur."
We couldn't possibly be more anxious for a new iPhone, and particularly a new iPhone that was carrier agnostic. Having Apple's smartphone on multiple carriers would be great for consumers, and it would finally allow people in areas where AT&T 3G is unavailable or spotty to enjoy the smartphone that so many already do. Could AT&T's exclusivity be nearing an end? It sure looks that way.
