There are apparently many mobile phone users over in the US who are with Verizon Wireless that would welcome the iPhone if they just didn’t have to switch to AT&T to have the iconic handset, and the Big Red has made it clear they would be willing to offer the iPhone but for a couple of blocks reports brainstorm tech.
The first bock is quite obvious, AT&T’s exclusivity with the iPhone, but that exclusivity is due to run out next year, so it is possible for Verizon to get past this block in 2010 and maybe cut a deal with Apple to bring the iPhone to their network and customers.
The second block is the actual network, Verizon’s network is CDMA2000 tech and thus incompatible with the iPhone’s WCDMA . However this block could well be removed by Apple coming up with a hybrid iPhone that could run on both AT&T and Verizon networks.
Rumour has it that Apple is doing just that, looking at making an Apple hybrid worldmode handset, and the rumour comes via a Taiwanese supply chain that apparently have said Apple is manufacturing a “worldmode” phone which will incorporate a new hybrid chip supplied by Qualcomm.
Other rumour along the same lines also has it that this Apple will push out an iPhone with WCDMA and CDMA2000 via Verizon Wireless in the summer of next year, although said rumours have not been confirmed.