For years now, rumors and speculation regarding Verizon bringing the ultra popular iPhone to its customers have circulated wildly through the media and the internet. The latest of these rumors, this time from the Wall Street Journal, indicates that the iPhone “would be released in the first quarter of 2011. The phone would resemble the iPhone 4 currently sold by AT&T, but would be based on an alternative wireless technology used by Verizon.” Neither Apple, the maker of the iPhone, nor Verizon have issued any response to the validity of the rumor.
In recent interviews, AT&T executives commented on their concerns about eventually losing their exclusivity to offer the iPhone to their customers within the United States. While they admit that they believe there will come a day when AT&T will not be the sole provider for the Apple wonder, they would not speculate on when that day might come. Officials feel confident that, because of the strength of the AT&T data network, most customers will stay with AT&T and many who leave to Verizon will come back.
While the Verizon network has received high marks for their voice network and customer service, according to AT&T, the iPhone is basically a mobile computing device which needs a very fast, reliable data network to showcase the device’s features.