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Survey: More than half of Verizon customers want iPhone

By: , IntoMobile
Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at 5:11 PM

Apple would be smart to offer an iPhone on Verizon Wireless, as a survey from ChangeWave found that 54% of existing Big Red subscribers would ditch their handset to buy Apple’s smartphone.

This is probably not too surprising, as the iPhone has long been a lust-filled desire of many Verizon customers but the demand is a bit stronger than I expected, especially considering the types of handsets Verizon now offers. A few years ago, Big Red’s smartphones were cruddy but now you can walk into a store and pick up a snazzy Motorola Droid or Droid Incredible. The Incredible is arguably better than the iPhone 3GS too, as it sports a beefier processor, screen and camera.

Still, there is something undeniably compelling about the iPhone. Maybe it’s the marketing, the hundreds of thousands of programs in the App Store, or the “hip” factor, but folks still want Apple’s handset. When you pair it with Verizon’s rock-solid voice and data network, it would seem like a match made in heaven. Of course, having that many iPhones on Verizon would surely cause havoc on Big Red’s network, so maybe we’re still waiting for its Long-Term Evolution 4G network to be rolled out.

So, how likely is it that the iPhone comes to Verizon soon? Unfortunately, that’s still up in the air. We know Verizon’s CEO wants it, and there were reports that Apple is prepping a CDMA version for this fall. But I’d bet that version will be TD-CDMA – which will only work with Chinese networks – because Apple sees massive growth potential China.

Another issue is that AT&T is giving Apple a lot of cash for each iPhone because the handset has been the catalyst for new subscriber growth over the last few years. An analyst also said the exclusive agreement was extended when AT&T offered iPad 3G users really well-priced data plans.

We’ll be at WWDC in a couple weeks when the next iPhone is unveiled. Maybe, just maybe, Steve Jobs will surprise us all and announce the Verizon version as his “one more thing.”

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.

  • Guest

    Debating the differences between AT&T and Verizon is like debating the difference between a Chaquita and a Dole banana. They're a commodity. There is absolutely no significant difference in cell carriers. Why? Because cell sites are scarce. Cellular providers co-locate their towers on the same sites. There are some differences in technologies used, CDMA/GSM but each has its good and bad points, the differences aren’t usually all that significant. So why do some people swear that one carrier has more dropped calls than another? Most of the time the culprit is the phone they used on the system. Certain phone manufacturers just make superior radio equipment. Motorola, for example, has been in the radio business since 1928 — at the dawn of radio. Their handsets are generally very robust and reliable. Other manufacturers are relatively new players in the field of radio transmitters — even if they’re long established in consumer electronics. What other reasons might there be for the big fuss? AT&T's former monopoly status still taints some people’s view of the firm. But Verizon was originally GTE, another monopoly phone provider with an even worse reputation for quality and service. Verizon claims a bigger network, but to me that’s like saying there are more apps for PCs than Macs. Who cares? Most PC/Mac users use the same dozen big name apps which are available on both platforms. If my friend can use Uncle Bob’s homemade Pac Man game on his PC and I can’t, I won’t lose any sleep over it. If Verizon has a cell tower out in Podunk, Iowa and AT&T doesn't then the folks in Podunk probably need to subscribe to Verizon, but I don’t. I’m no AT&T zealot. Cell service is a commodity. You should shop for the best value. But if you think Verizon has some kind of fantastic technology over AT&T you're just kidding yourself.