We already know that Skype plans to bring video calling to the iPhone 4 and other platforms but the VoIP provider may have just outed the oft-rumored Verizon iPhone.
Skype published some support documents for this feature on the iPhone and one of these had the Verizon logo prominently displayed. The documents were quickly pulled after a short time online.
Of course, this is a very thin source to proclaim that a Verizon iPhone is definitely coming but it looks like all the stars are aligning for the union of Apple and the nation’s largest carrier. What’s interesting is that Apple coming to a different carrier in a single market would likely be some of the biggest tech news in all of 2011.
This marriage has been rumored even before the Apple smartphone hit AT&T, as Big Red was supposedly first offered the iDevice and turned it down because Steve Jobs wanted too much control over the experience. Now, we have the New York Times and Wall Street Journal saying the Verizon iPhone is a done deal for next year.
Apple could likely just bring the iPhone 4 to Big Red and it would sell millions and millions. The rumors suggest that it will be a 3G-only device the first year but I find that relatively boring when you consider Verizon will have multiple 4G LTE smartphones next year. Still, I know there are plenty of Big Red subscribers who have been anxiously awaiting the day.
The Skype snafu is by no means a confirmation, as the VoIP company has a deal with Verizon to bring its services to multiple devices. The cool thing about this deal is that Big Red will use some of its voice minutes free of charge to ensure a high quality of service. Perhaps this could indicate video calling will also come to Verizon devices with front-facing cameras.
[Via MSNBC]