iPhone wanted on Verizon, CEO says

In news that should shock no one, Verizon Communications’ CEO Ivan Seidenberg said the nation’s largest cellular carrier is open to carrying the mega-successful iPhone.

“It’s their call,” Seidenberg said at a conference. “Eventually, it’s our view we’ll get to carrying Apple.”

Verizon’s CEO also said he has told Apple he wants to offer the handset, and he is hopeful that its iPhone will be able to use 4G data, as Verizon Wireless is planning to deploy a Long-Term Evolution network this year in more than 30 markets. Of course, we’ve already heard that LTE-capable smartphone won’t hit Verizon until next year so I wouldn’t start waiting in line for a Verizon iPhone yet.

The news comes as the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is preparing a CDMA version of the iPhone that will hit Verizon this fall. Unfortunately, other analysts suggest that this version of the iPhone is being crafted for Chinese carriers and it won’t be interoperable with Verizon’s network. While Apple is potentially leaving tens of millions of customers by not coming to Verizon, it has become such a major driver of new customers for AT&T that it can cut really good deals on the price per handset. Additionally, the component costs for a CDMA iPhone cost a bit more than GSM counterparts. Let’s all remember that Apple has always structured its business around high profit margins instead of market share.

Seidenberg also quieted talks that Verizon would merge with Vodafone because the deal would only include marginal benefits for both parties. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between the two companies, of which Verizon is the majority share holder.

“Absent new information, a merger doesn’t seem to have a lot of appeal,” Seidenberg said.

[Via Reuters]

About The Author

Marin Perez

Marin Perez has torture tested cell phones and smartphones for industry leaders like CNET and InformationWeek. He remembers when 4G was just a screen on PowerPoint presentations and is fascinated with the amount of innovation out there. Marin has spent a lot of time with BlackBerry and Android but he finally broke down a bought an iPhone to see what all the hype's about. He also has too many tablets.

Henri

lol, didnt Apple approach them with the iPhone before going with AT&T. IIRC they didn’t like Apple’s restrictions and decided against it.

Now they are back, hat in hand, asking for the iPhone.

Funny how things work.
Tammy

What did you *REALLY* expect the CEO of Verizon to say?

“We do *NOT* want 20 million new customers?”

“Our network can *NOT* handle the iPhone?”
Brian

Tammy neither can AT&T that well either
Tyler Awesome

Anyone else notice that this was almost the exact same thing the VZ CEO said sometime late last year?
carlos

Personally, i thing at&t would tank if iphone went to verizon. I hope they do it
Tyler call

I would buy an I phone for every employee if verizon picked it up.
joesl

I wouldn’t say we a (verizon customer) are asking for an opportunity for the iphone but if you read up on the news ATT is unable to handle the internet traffic for the iphone, apparently they are now to small and they need somebody larger to keep growing such a great product. Therefore I say bring the iphone aboard and we’ll show what it means to have constant access any where else without any hidden charges..
Austin

i think verizon should bring the iphone into its market, if apple will let them. i would buy it. i am with verizon and if the verizon iphone comes out, i will most certainly buy it.
Jmoney

you said you would buy the iphone twice.. are you slow??????????
Ivan hoe

If verizon got the iPhone, which is doubtful no matter what the CEO says, their network would tank. Since verizon is “more reliable,” tons of AT&T members would go to them. That amount plus the current verizon members would kill the network, maybe even worse than AT&T’s. They would no longer be Americas most reliable. No matter what they say, they can’t handle the iPhone. They are seeing some strain from their small amount of droid users.
Stevenjonesonlii

I’ve had sprint Verizon and AT&T .. Verizon screws everyone over on their plans. I’m on a family plan with three iPhones, our bill is always under 200 bucks. My vzw friends on single plans are constanly complaining about their bill being over 150 dollars… And their using blackberry handsets. Vzw isn’t THAT reliable. I’ve Bern hearing this “iPhone to vzw” story since 07!! It’s not likely that it’ll happen.
michelangelo

The only reason a single user with verizon would have over a $150 bill is because they are careless and overuse their plan. I have never paid over $88 and have almost the most inclusive plan you can get.
tyson

I think ATT will sign another contract just to make sure verizon wireless dose not get the iphone. Which makes me going to ATT for the new iphone . By the way verizon wireless employee are always rude.
Brett

How can verizon wireless going to get iphone? they run CDMA , iphone is operate with differents network , and I agree with IVAN , they can’t even handles droid phone how can they handles iphone? I think they needs to let the expert ATT that is to have the iphone because APPLE is doing good with ATT network so far .
Misti

Thats bogus!! I have Verizon. My hubby, daughter & I all have Motorola Droids & are on Verizons family plan with free mobile to mobile, plus we have free & unlimited texting, pic texts & video texts. Plus we have 10 numbers that we get to choose that can be on ANY carrier, mobile or landline & its free to call those numbers, we can also change the ten everyday if we want too. We all have smartphones so we pay the fee for that, its an extra $29 each phone but we have unlimited internet etc….We have never come close to using our minutes up. Last month we had an extra 750 minutes left over WITH a teenage girl too! We only pay $200 a month. We are about to lower our minutes too because we have an average of 500 each month leftover. I cannot imagine ONE single person paying over $150 for their phone bill unless they are absolutely irresponsible with their usage!!
Marin Perez

Yeah, he’s going to continue to keep saying it until they get it because a lot of Verizon customers want it, or at least hate that they don’t have the option to get it.
Marin Perez

They could get it if Apple made a CDMA version of the iPhone. It’s more expensive to do because of the parts but not impossible – look at RIM, it has the Curve on GSM and CDMA networks. I think it’s more of a leverage thing – Apple gets a boatload from AT&T per handset (I hear something like $600 per unit) and that price would go down on AT&T’s side if it’s not exclusive. Additionally, the untold story is that Apple isn’t great at cellular networking yet, that’s the reason the first couple iphones had reception issues. CDMA throws another wrinkle into that.

Like all issues, I think it just comes down to money. Apple’s never been in the market share business, it just wants those fat profits. Looking at its last quarterly earnings, that seems like a smart move for the company.
Philip

An extra 10 miilion smartphone users could put a strain on the network. Thats why they would most likely wait til they implement 4G as it its cheaper, faster, and more reliable than 3G.
THE FUCKER

I LIKE TRAINS
Krystal

To begin with I would have to say Verizon services is one of the best I have ever had, I work with a company that is involved with AT&T and I hear so many bad things about them ever day and how many people are going to cancel there services with them. If it wasnt for the Iphone AT&t would tank and I would laugh, So since verizon is the most trust name to choose, yes I do believe we should get the Iphone.