The truth of the matter is, love it or hate it, the iPhone by Apple is an industry powerhouse. Since before it's inception, people have been murmuring about the possibility of Apple making a phone, and the rumors almost always included Verizon Wireless. Many were befuddled when Apple inked exclusivity with AT&T for the 2007 iPhone release (Dell XPS M1210 Battery) .
Soon after, word came out that Verizon had been given first dibs on the device, and passed it by for ego business reasons. Whatever reasons prompted Verizon to pass on the device have long since changed, I'm sure.
While it's always been present, the "Verizon should have the iPhone" sentiment starting gaining momentum around the time of the iPhone 3GS. Over the past year, complaints about the AT&T network experience for iPhone users has gotten louder (Dell Studio XPS 1340 Battery) .
Calls for Verizon to carry the phone have become a roar. At this point, people are getting upset about the lack of an iPhone on Verizon - not caring about any alternatives on the market, the exclusivity deal with AT&T, or the fact that an iPhone experience has been, thus far, a substandard one. All some seem to care about is iPhone's existence on Verizon, and there are just enough of those people to cause the market lemmings other consumers from following suit (Dell Studio XPS 1640 Battery) .
To the more impartial, it seems that an iPhone on Verizon is an inevitability. It just makes sense to have a variation of the phone on the largest wireless consumer base in the US. Initially, the exclusivity was a win for both AT&T and Apple. Now, with sentiment turning against the relationship, it makes sense for Apple to release the phone to other - if not all - US carriers. At some point, AT&T will reach it's iPhone saturation point, and Apple would be forced onto other carriers. It just makes sense to move forward (Dell Vostro 1710 Battery) .
The real question, though, is when. Many people would like to see it happen in 2010, but the likelihood of that grows smaller each month. At the same time, 2011 might be too late. As frustration with the iPhone cools with time, the push to add another carrier-supplier lessens. As network issues at AT&T are resolved, the reason for change diminishes (SONY VAIO VGN-FZ11S Battery) .
But the single biggest reason for Apple to get the iPhone on Verizon NOW? Android. Numerous studies by organizations that track retail sales, as well as those which track web traffic, seem to confirm what Google has been telling us about Android activations lately: they're growing. Fast (ASUS EEE PC900 battery) .
According to some analysis, Android overtook iPhone in sales in the first quarter of this year. Even with another iPhone, the fourth model, seemingly set to launch on AT&T this summer, at the rate that Google's Android platform is growing, Apple's market share will continue to decline. If Android's rate of growth is any indication, Apple could see themselves a distant second on the market (Dell Latitude X200 Battery) .
The only way for Apple to counteract this trend? Put an iPhone on Verizon. Verizon appears to be the fastest growing Android carrier in the US - much like how AT&T benefited from the iPhone. On an iPhone on Verizon has the ability to retain market share for Apple (Dell Latitude XT2 Tablet PC Battery) .
The Internet is littered with rumors of an iPhone on Verizon happening this year. Even reputable sources seem to indicate the possibility, and online news organizations are sitting on uncorroborated reports as I type. The one thing I can say for sure is this: Apple and Verizon have said nothing at this point. And I wouldn't expect them to (Dell Precision M70 Battery) .
iPhone on Verizon would be the biggest coup d'état the US market has seen in a decade. With something so huge, I can guarantee you that iPhone on Verizon would be the biggest and best kept secret in the business. Or at least, you'd hope so.
Digging through the web, you'll find mention of suppliers making parts and pieces for an iPhone (Dell XPS M1330 Battery) .
You'll hear industry analysts go on and on about why they think it's coming. You'll hear conjecture on advertising, orders and supply chain, as well as the staffing schedules all the way through the end of the year. It's all rumor. A mention here and there doesn't make truth. But at the same time, a rainstorm starts with a few solitary drops of water. It's hard to determine if the web is pointing to inevitability, or the simple fantasy of people looking for proof of a CDMA iPhone (Dell Studio 1737 battery ) .
The only thing we can do at this point is wait, watch, and listen. Don't believe anything for a moment. In this business, today's exclusivity is tomorrow's loophole or exception. What we know this moment will change the next. Will there be an iPhone on Verizon? I'm sure of it. Will it happen this year? Possibly. Will it happen in June? Doubtful (Dell Latitude E6400 battery) .
We'll just have to keep waiting for tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll be on my Android phone enjoying today (Acer Aspire One battery) .
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