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Iphone
I've got more phones than fingers
I really don't see how what you wrote leads to the conclusion that Sprint will benefit -- just look at your statements in bold: "The average joe is going to buy an iPhone..." This simply means that MANY joes (hence "average") are going to go with the iPhone. It hardly matters then, if as you say, the other phone manuf. end up offering phones on Sprint (which isn't going to be the case anyways since it is Sprint that controls what is offered, not the phone manufs.), because, as you say, the "average joe" is going to prefer the iPhone to these other phones whether they are on Verizon or Sprint.Originally Posted by YOUNG HOV 718
I have a blue tooth
It's not Sprint's call.
Hesse has already said (several times) that it's a nice device and they would love to have it.
I think the part about being non-exclusive can be interpreted in that someday Sprint may just get it.
Who knows, you might even see one (naturally) on T-Mobile someday.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Samsung, HTC, and Moto also created HSPA+ phones for AT&T. AT&T and Verizon are just much bigger pies than T-Mobile and Sprint. Remember, these high-end devices are sold to post-pay retail customers. AT&T has 67.7M. Verizon doesn't report the number of post-pay customers they have, but I think one can assume it's in the 70M+ range. Sprint has 26.6M. T-Mobile has 26.7M.
That means that AT&T has over 2.5x the number of potential smartphone customers when compared to Sprint and T-Mobile. So, even with greater competition from the iPhone, manufacturers still want to be on the big two. The fact that the iPhone was coming to Verizon this winter wasn't a well kept secret and Moto, LG, Samsung, and HTC knew it. They still wanted to debut their devices on Verizon. Heck, the iPhone already existed on AT&T and Moto, Samsung, and HTC all wanted to introduce new top-of-the-line devices for AT&T.
Most likely, Verizon is getting first dibs until supplies ease. A CDMA iPhone might sell millions in its first weeks as customers upgrade and new customers come over.Though the CDMA iPhone supposedly isn't exclusive, it doesn't seem very Verizon-like for them to not have bought or otherwise gotten themselves ~ a six month or or so "window".
Unfortunately, no. Verizon is playing up the fact that some countries have CDMA carriers other than the US. It's true, but it isn't really useful for international roaming like a GSM device is. Worldwide CDMA coverage just isn't the same.Verizon's site says its capable of working overseas. Is it also GSM?
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This might be a bad situation for Sprint. People that wanted an iPhone, but didn't want AT&T might move from Sprint and T-Mobile to Verizon. AT&T customers who wanted an iPhone likely have the iPhone 4 and are under contract for another year and a half. Even an iPhone 3GS user is under contract until this summer. So, customer bleed to Verizon is likely to come from Sprint and T-Mobile more than from AT&T over the next year. Plus, AT&T's HSPA+ network is widely deployed and their LTE network looks like it will become the #2. Clearwire has been having trouble with their WiMAX rollout and T-Mobile's HSPA+ network is tiny (it isn't even their full 3G footprint which is the smallest of the national carriers).
That might be a big win for all non-Verizon carriers. The fact that it doesn't support LTE means that all the other carriers get a pass on having to compete against the favorite device on a new higher-speed network. AT&T's HSPA 7.2 is still much faster than Verizon's EV-DO. By the time an LTE iPhone comes out, it'll likely support LTE and HSPA+ offering AT&T the ability to have the largest 6Mbps+ network (including HSPA+ coverage). At that point, AT&T's LTE network might be smaller than Verizon's, but Verizon might have to divert resources to their EV-DO network and that gives AT&T a chance to catch up while pushing a larger coverage area for 6Mbps+. Likewise, Sprint and T-Mobile can keep pushing the fact that they have WiMAX/HSPA+ Android devices against an EV-DO/HSPA iPhone. Plus, if they get the iPhone in a March-ish timeframe, they then have an equivalent iPhone and Verizon doesn't have a network advantage (at least no more than they've always had).
If they had come out with an LTE iPhone, that would have hit AT&T and everyone hard. At this point, AT&T will have LTE out before an LTE iPhone and their HSPA+ network will be second only to Verizon 3G. Sprint and T-Mobile need to work fast. AT&T's HSPA+ beats Sprint's WiMAX on speed and it's deployed across virtually all of their 3G network.
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Here's to hoping Sprint and T-Mobile get the iPhone in a March-ish timeframe! It's always better when consumers can choose the wireless carrier they want rather than the carrier that offers the device that they want.
I've got more phones than fingers
March? JMO but I think that's way too soon. If Sprint and T-Mobile get to officially carry the iPhone I'd wager that maybe we'll hear about it @ June along with the iPhone 5 announcement.
Thrill me...
Moderator
Yeah March isn't happening. Otherwise I think we would have already heard leaks about it.
Sprint user since 1997
My screen is bigger than yours
I'm thinking it's going to be a long time before (or if) sprint gets the iPhone. Heck, sprint can't get any of the RIM touch screen products that big red have.
Sprint is in bed with HTC and wimax. I doubt samsung will come out with another wimax phone.
Radiation is good
sprint will get the iPhone when it's not relevant anymore.
hate to say it, but if apple didn't make a t-mobile AWS compatible iPhone based off of the GSM iPhone they already have, then the chances of sprint getting one anytime soon are slim to none.
I've got more phones than fingers
I hope you're wrong because otherwise I think Sprint will be hit HARD by the VZW iPhone...
Actually it is unlikely to play out that way, because Apple is in at least partial control. So then either 1) Apple doesn't really care about putting the iPhone on Sprint (only an add'nl 15-20% more customers), in which case Sprint will NEVER get the iPhone, or 2) Apple, being released from AT&T exclusivity now thinks: the more the merrier, in which case Sprint will hopefully jump on it ASAP... unless they are total idiots...
probably not on point, because til now, Apple has been bound by the AT&T exclusivity deal. But if there is no Tmo version soon, then that would be telling...
I have a blue tooth
This is just my feeling, but I think the VZW only launch is more a factor of inventory and production then anything else. Tim Cook explicitly stated VZW had a non exclusive deal but the reality is that VZW will net Apple more customers faster then any other option. So they get priority. Remember, that Apple literally can not produce iPhone 4s fast enough to meet demand. It behoves them to prioritize a larger carrier like VZW that can deliver the maximum number of new iPhone users the fastest.
The real pickle comes in June, when Apple launches iPhone 5. They will be looking at a minimum of 2 devices: an AT&T/international carrier model with HSPA+/LTE and a Verizon/international carrier model with CDMA/LTE. Will they complicate things further with 2 more SKUs? (a CDMA/WIMAX model for Sprint and a HSPA+(AWS) model for T-Mobile/Wind/et al)
Looks like the dream of one (LTE) iPhone for all carriers is still a long way off. There will be multiple incompatible models for years to come.
Phone Collector
Hate to say it but what I took that multi year non exclusive comment as, is sprint will get the iphone next year. Maybe christmas. They will have to allow the iphone on the network if they want to keep the ship sailing smoothly. Then people can brag and say look I have the iphone and i'm only paying $69 a month for unlimited data. In your face Verizon!
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Tweet from Sprint:
"sprintcare Sprint Care
Can't comment on future device plans,but we have a great portfolio now that compares favorably to iPhone. Also excited about 2011 lineup!"
I read that as "no, we aren't getting the iphone now, maybe never."
My screen is bigger than yours
Yup, this will be very, very bad for Sprint if they don't have iphone soon! Users from any of the big 3 carriers but Sprint can use iphone (even T-Mobile if they have it unlocked) on their network. And with the $10 surcharge, Sprint is not really cheaper any more. I'll wait until after the CTIA to see if Sprint announces any new phone or otherwise, I'll move to Verizon. I might wait a little longer until June/July to see if Apple has new iphone 5. But I definitely will not stick with Sprint anymore beyond that unless they have iphone or any exciting phones and I've been with them for over 10 years.
I've got more phones than fingers
Different situation. The Storms are exclusive to VZW. The CDMA iPhone is not.
I disagree with that. Samsung is pretty big into WiMAX being a WiMAX forum board member as is Motorola. LG is a principal member of the WiMAX forum like HTC. I honestly believe that we'll see WiMAX handsets from all four manufacturers and maybe others at some point.Sprint is in bed with HTC and wimax. I doubt samsung will come out with another wimax phone.
A premature reaction imo. The CDMA iPhone isn't a VZW so there's no legal obstacle. There's no technical obstacle. Hesse and Sprint obviously want the iPhone and will bend over backwards for it, so no obstacle there. The only issue is whether Apple will allow Sprint to carry it. Time will tell.
Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but Apple COO Tim Cook was specifically asked if the CDMA iPhone was exclusive and he responded that it wasn't. However, the GSM iPhone could still be exclusive to at&t and unable to be released on t-mobile.
I honestly doubt that there will be an LTE iPhone this year. I can't find it, but during CES an at&t exec was asked about an LTE iPhone and he said not until 2012. If at&t doesn't get an LTE iPhone, I kinda doubt that VZW will either. I think that the iPhone 5 will be a CDMA/GSM world phone though.
Next year? Certainly possible, but I don't think so. Keeping it exclusive for a year(s) really doesn't make sense at this point. I don't know that it ever did. It's not a matter of Sprint allowing it onto their network, but Apple allowing Sprint to carry it. Or are you talking about Sprint activating VZW iPhones in the interim?
Phone Collector
sprint activating verizon phones in the interim.
I've got more phones than fingers
Yeah obviously they aren't getting it now, but come on, dude. Nobody, and I mean nobody, ever comments on future product or potential future product. I don't think too much can be derived from a tweet from their social networking team. Just my $.02 though.
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