Thursday, November 4, 2010
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
The Daily Aztec
5
iPhone rumored to come to Verizon soon SARAH GRIECO MANAGING EDITOR
For months, people have been speculating: When is it going to happen? Who is this going to affect? Can I make the switch? They are talking, of course, about the Apple iPhone and it’s impending future. The wireless world is abuzz with gossip the iPhone will soon be available through wireless carrier Verizon Communications Inc. For years, a contract has bound the iPhone to AT&T Inc., which has caused many a dropped call or missed text message. The notoriously bad coverage and customer service from AT&T may soon become a thing of the past, as millions of iPhone users will soon be able to change cell phone companies. But not so fast — the rumors are not confirmed. However, many notable sources have said it is only a matter of time before the three-year marriage between Apple and AT&T is terminated. The evidence is pretty solid. First, Apple chose not to resign its contract with AT&T, which will expire at the end of this year. This increases the possibility the iPhone will be able to move to other service providers, including Verizon and possibly T-Mobile. Second, The Wall Street Journal recently reported the iPhone would be available to Verizon early next year. WSJ spoke to “people familiar with the matter,” who confirmed the iPhone is undergoing a bit of a makeover to fit into Verizon’s technology scheme.
AT&T will likely suffer should the switch occur. According to a Davenport & Co. analyst, “When Verizon gets the iPhone, as many as six million of AT&T’s iPhone subscribers could defect.” But AT&T is not the only group that could be affected by the looming switch. Other cell phone creators, such as BlackBerry and Motorola, could take a hit. Google, which makes the Android, may also feel the repercussions of the switch. Many people consider the Android an equal rival to the iPhone, and the popular Google phone is already available through Verizon.
The notoriously bad coverage and customer service from AT&T may soon become a thing of the past, as millions of iPhone users will soon be able to change cell phone companies. Whether or not the switch happens, iPhone users will have a couple more months of trepidation. Because Apple is notorious for keeping inventions a secret (except when certain staffers accidentally leave their new gadgets in seedy Silicon Valley bars), people will likely not hear about the grand plan from Apple CEO Steve Jobs until a week before it is released. Until then, let the speculation continue.
Stephen Finlayson / Staff Photographer
The popular smartphone might switch cellular networks in a few months