Verizon iPhone 5: Should Apple Buy out of AT&T Exclusivity?
The much wanted and often rumoured Verizon iPhone, be it an iPhone 4 or an iPhone 5 remains a matter of contention with the mobile public, most want it to happen while some are fairly sure it will happen and several are looking for it to happen in January 2011.
Yet still Apple maintain AT&T’s exclusivity over the iPhone in the US, three years after the original launch, which one would have thought was long enough for any carrier to have a strangle hold over a smartphone, but Apple did agree to a five year exclusivity apparently, but as with all things there is a way out.
The guys over at Beat Week suggest that Apple would have at least put an opt-out clause in the exclusivity contract allowing for Apple to hit the road with other carriers if the Big Blue was seen to be under performing or and escape clause enabling Apple to simply write out a cheque to end such as deal.
With the likes of Android knocking at Apple’s door, and the soon possibility of Windows Phone 7 grabbing a slice of the iPhone market, perhaps it is time for Apple to pen that get-out cheque and deliver on the Verizon iPhone, as if they continue to stick with AT&T as the only carrier then no doubt Android will eventually become more dominant.
So what do our readers think, if Apple has an out clause in the contract with AT&T, do you think they should use it and deliver on what people want, the Verizon iPhone, or do you think they should simply honour the contract until 2012?
Comments
15 thoughts on “Verizon iPhone 5: Should Apple Buy out of AT&T Exclusivity?”
How many times the the CEO of verizon or someone else that really matters in the verzon dynasty have to tell you a verizon iPhone is not coming anytime soon, those CDMA iPhones rumored to be in development ok true but not for verizon so stop please stop asking I do believe there are other services out there like sprint which is ahead with lte also there’s t-mobile!!! No more guessing VERIZON WILL NOT GET THE IPHONE ANY TIME SOON THEY HAVE ANDROID WITCH SUCKS BUT THERE ARE ALOT OF SUCKERS TOO FEED!!!!
Abe
I am sorry to hear you are a sucker, I have had the IPHONE and the DROID.. I love my DROID, so much better and easily connetced…
The droid, you mean the ugly me-too iphone? good for you.
Abe,
You obviously have not clue what you are talking about. For starters, Sprint does not have LTE. they have Wimax, which really sucks. I should know I have it. Android phones do not suck. Get your facts correct before you post. By the way, LTE will surpass Wimax as soon as it's released.
Write the check already.
yea the iphone is def comin to t-mobile and verizon in march
They definitely need to end exclusivity, at least if they care about growing iPhone into #1 or even keeping it within shouting distances of other "smart phone" devices. With Android free to manufacturers and available to all carriers, competing with it makes getting iPhone to other carriers a NECESSITY in order to stay "relevant." If they don't, within 2-3 year, Android will have eclipsed iPhone, even if it isn't feature level or superior to iOS. Why do I say that? With Google releasing a tablet with their Chrome OS instead of Android, will they continue rapidly evolving an OS that they make nothing from and let that compete with an OS (Chrome) that they DO make money from? But, even if they halt Android development today, others will continue and again, with it available on all carriers, even if it doesn't have all the features of iOS, within a few years it will eclipse the iPhone in user base.
Hey Julian,
You have your fact confused. "They definitely need to end exclusivity, at least if they care about growing iPhone into #1 or even keeping it within shouting distances of other "smart phone" devices."
You are so mis-informed. Let me ask you and everyone like you who do not possed any comprehension skills whatsover. ANDROID is not a phone. It is a platform. They are 4 models of the iphone on one carrier, they are over 30 different model phones running on the android platform on all four major carriers, and with all the sales combined, they berely manage to outsell the iphone. What does that tell you?
It Verizon wanted the iPhone, Verizon could write the check. Verizon doesn't want to meet Apple's terms. Period. Period. Period.
Enough already.
AT&T is horrible in So Cal and the reception problems with the iPhone 4 make it worse. Bought a Droid today to get off AT&T. Won't be back on the iPhone until they make the switch and come out with 5. This from a loyal Apple customer.
Ha! I have seen so many people knock the iPhone only to find that it is superior in many respects to the competition. Then they start drifting back …
So true.
With Win Phone 7 also tied exclusively to AT&T, it would be a very strategic move by Apple to expand their availability to all major US carriers, if only to guarantee MS's (continuing) failure in the smartphone market. I'm waiting for a Verizon iPhone, but not expecting it soon. If it comes, Apple should absolutely not allow Verizon to dictate any crapware like they are doing with Android. I'm also waiting to see how the Oracle lawsuit of Google will pan out, since it appears that Google blatantly copied Java without licensing it. If Oracle wins, Android is dead. That keeps me from a 2-year contract on a reasonably-good Android phone until the iPhone becomes available.
I'm on Verizon and I have a Droid Incredible, but I am also an Apple shareholder. I would love for Verizon to offer the iPhone. I would like to get one now, but I refuse to lower my expectations and go with AT&T. People who say the iPhone will never be offered by Verizon, even a CDMA version, are probably AT&T shareholders.
Apple is just too late to give it up. I really wanted an iPhone but I will NEVER go to AT$T so I got a Droid Incredible and I love it and now with all the crap that Apple is pulling with the ads and the apps, I think I will just keep loving my Droid.