The chorus spouting a Verizon iPhone in the works for early 2011 is getting louder. First it was the Wall Street Journal, then the New York Times and now we have Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster joining in the rumor mill. According to a modeled prediction by Munster, the iPhone will be on Verizon any time between January and March 2011. Given that this is a prediction model, it might be worth noting that Munster is the same person who decided that an iPad versus Galaxy Tab survey with 65 respondents was sufficient.
According to eWeek:
“Our model assumes Verizon launches the iPhone in early- or mid-[2011],” Munster wrote in his analysis, as quoted Dec. 15 by The Wall Street Journal. “While we do not know the timing of the launch, we have modeled it to occur midway through the Mar-11 quarter.”
It certainly couldn’t be further from being definitive, but at least Munster decided to frame it roughly around the same time that everyone else is saying. If a Verizon iPhone were to be released in early 2011, its hard to imagine that it would be LTE capable (i.e. compatible with Verizon’s new 4G network). One would have to assume that the iPhone would be a CDMA version, or Verizon’s current 3G technology.
Some are also wondering when a new iPhone would be announced by Apple. Steve Jobs is known for making special occasions – not typically in conjunction with other events – to announce big products. And an iPhone for the Verizon network would be a huge product. Given the lack of any word or formal announcement from Apple, some are even skeptical that the smartphone would become available on the Verizon network at all. Some have joked that at this point, they wouldn’t believe if or when Steve Jobs announces it himself.
Personally, I’m holding off any hope or predictions until Apple does formally announce it. While it would be a boon to Verizon and for those customers who are frustrated with AT&T’s performance in certain cities, I’m not terribly keen on being unable to have simultaneous voice and data capabilities.
[Via: eWeek]