Verizon getting a CDMA iPhone that runs Windows Mobile, clears acne

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 29th 2008 at 3:50PM

Rumors are coming fast and furious today citing unnamed tipsters that Apple is hard at work hammering out a CDMA iPhone for its friends at Verizon to be announced and released next year, the carrier it had initially approached about carrying the device back in 2005. Way we see it, though, 2009 ain't 2005; Apple's wielding boatloads more power in the wireless biz than it was before the first model launched, the industry's economics have changed, and technology roadmaps have been rewritten.

So why isn't this happening, exactly? First, Apple appears to be having no trouble finding enough customers (carriers, that is) to keep iPhone 3G production at a nice clip. Second, CDMA represents a minute fraction of the world's mobile customer base that GSM / UMTS does -- no matter how big Verizon, Sprint, Telus, Bell, KDDI au, and the remaining CDMA stalwarts may be. Third, CDMA is a dying technology that will be finished off in the early part of the next decade as networks make the migration to LTE and other 4G platforms. Fourth, we have to believe Apple would sooner pour its engineering efforts into advancing the iPhone platform in the same direction as the world's networks than divert considerable resources to busting out a one-off special.

Might this mythical CDMA iPhone yet exist? Yeah, Verizon's a huge carrier, and yes, stranger things have happened -- but until Steve and Ivan get on stage together at Macworld 2009, we're not buying it.

Filed under: Handsets, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA, Apple

Tags: apple, iphone, verizon, verizon wireless, VerizonWireless, vzw

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

cl347bv @ Sep 29th 2008 4:32PM

haha, i would so rock a WM6 iphone, but that has the likelyhood of a ferrari station wagon.

a CDMA iphone on the other hand, would be a god-send. i think, cause i really like the idea of having at least 16GB in my phone, but i would have to have MMS support, and stereo bluetooth for me to even look at it twice.

Neutral

Al @ Sep 29th 2008 8:37PM

I guess it is more likely than not since people have done Ferrari station wagons. http://www.autoblog.com/2005/10/18/spied-a-ferrari-station-wagon/

http://xo.typepad.com/blog/2008/09/ferrari-station-wagon.html

Neutral

jason b @ Sep 29th 2008 5:49PM

Oh god that image makes me sick. I did tech support for windows mobile devices and can tell you how horrible of a platform it is.

Thank god that image will never happen.

Neutral

Tim @ Sep 29th 2008 5:55PM

I'd love to have the iPhone come to Verizon, but I would not want it to be WM6...

Highest Ranked

Who? @ Sep 29th 2008 6:22PM

16gb microsdhc cards are right around the corner. No need to wait for an iPhone.

Neutral

enjoijams @ Sep 29th 2008 6:48PM

That way Verizon can teach Apple the real way to lock down a phone.
Cause the iPhone is not locked down enough for the verizon network.
Verizon will strip away the app store, multi touch, and accelerometer.
Walla!!! The Verizon iPhone. Hell! While there at it, take away all
google apps so they can replace it with VZ Navi Crap

Neutral

Joe @ Sep 30th 2008 9:04PM

you're an ass

Neutral

SPOKE @ Sep 29th 2008 8:14PM

Verizon isnt getting shit.

Neutral

Ray @ Sep 29th 2008 10:37PM

ah, who cares. it's pretty, it's slick and everybody wants one. soon enough they'll be as common as the iPod because apple will have to create a stripped down version so the not so loaded people can feel whole because they have an iPhone. don't get me wrong, i'm not saying it's a crap product, i guess i'm just over them.

Neutral

Ray @ Sep 29th 2008 10:54PM

and please tell me no one really thinks that apple would let anyone put WM on an iPhone. ew.

Low Ranked

N.Rosario @ Sep 29th 2008 11:33PM

i have a Verizon iphone, had one since like 04, thers a couple ppl with it, kinda rare tho, more rare than the Moto Shark

Neutral

N.Rosario @ Sep 29th 2008 11:34PM

lol yea rite, iphone is ok tho... and all a moto shark is is a grey krzr, it was the original name

Neutral

mike k. @ Sep 30th 2008 8:57AM

I think you're over dramatizing how hard it would be to make a CDMA iphone. Its a totally valid thing to happen I'd think. So many people chained to verizon in the US would buy that iphone its not even funny. Smart business move in my opinion.

Highest Ranked

birdie @ Sep 30th 2008 11:04AM

Yeah, That would not make sense! I mean think about it, phone turnover under contract is 2 years, and in 10+ years CDMA will be depricated, so why would they ever want to make a phone that wont work in 10 years and target it towards the big US CDMA market and sell a few more million phones. Its brilliant for them to stay away.... Switching out the radios has proven so difficult in the past....

Im sure you are right that Apple is fine with the number of sales they are getting and wouldnt want to sell more.... what???

Neutral