Verizon and Apple Continue iPhone Talks
The iPhone is already one of the most popular cell phones on the market today, and with recent news, it seems like that Apple is about to up the stakes in its bid for dominance in the cell phone arena.
Currently, Apple has a deal with AT&T, which gives the carrier exclusive rights to the iPhone. However, that contract is set to expire in the coming year, which has let Apple open up negotiations with outside sources. Namely, the popular carrier Verizon.
News of talks broke earlier this week, but reports suggest that Apple is nearing an agreement with Verizon. While it is not clear if the deal with Verizon would be exclusive, the latest news suggests that Apple may not just be expanding its potential user base, but creating new products as well.
It was already suspected that Apple would have to revamp the iPhone to some extent if a deal with Verizon was reached, since Verizon uses a different style of network than AT&T. However, in addition to this tweaking, it looks likely that Apple would release a new, slimmed down version of the iPhone, tentatively dubbed as the iPhone lite, in addition to a larger cellular device that would function more as a media pad. Both of these new options would cater to different people, diversifying Apple’s appeal in the marketplace.
Even with this increased appeal, a deal with Verizon would be limited, since the CDMA network used by Verizon does not extend outside the United States.
This is an exciting day for all Verizon customers, indeed. AT&T is probably feeling an impending doom if it doesn’t increase the quality of its network soon.