14 DAY TRIAL // Following a great deal of rumors on the possible arrivalof Apple's iPhone on Verizon Wireless' airwaves, confirmation on the matter arose. Starting with early 2011, Big Red's customers would be offered the possibility to purchase the iconic device too, in addition to the plethora of high-end Android-based devices the carrier already offers.
While there are not too many details on the matter to go on with, such as specific release date, price tag or monthly plans, the one thing that is certain is that the iPhone would arrive at Verizon too next year, Fortune notes in a recent article.
It does not come too much as a surprise, that's for sure, especially since Apple has started to kill off the exclusivity deals it had with different carriers in various markets for the distribution of its handset.
Not to mention the great deal of reports on the near availability of a CDMA-capable iPhone, which would make its way to Verizon's network too.
At the same time, the move was somehow confirmed earlier this month, when Apple and Verizon announced officially that the latter would carry the iPad, Apple's first tablet PC.
According to the aforementioned Fortune article, the deal was already confirmed, even if nothing went official until now.
It appears that Verizon might have had the chance to carry the iPhone ever since day one, but it turned down Apple because of Mac maker's tight policy on its iconic device.
Verizon turned down the offer mainly because “Apple and CEO Steve Jobs wanted too much control over how and where the devices would be sold - and too big a cut of the monthly service fees,” Fortune reports.
However, following the release of the device exclusively on AT&T's network, complaint about the carrier's network performance started to emerge, and Apple is said to have had a change of heart.
The first result was seen a few days ago, when the iPad Wi-Fi started selling on Verizon Wireless' airwaves bundled with the MiFi device, so that users can enjoy wireless connectivity anywhere where the carrier offers coverage.
“The next step, the iPhone, remains shrouded in secrecy, and neither company will discuss it. But people familiar with its development say it is a fait accompli,” Fortune continues.
“Verizon, sources say, will sell its own version of the iPhone 4, which will work on Verizon's CDMA-based 3G network,” it continues, adding that no global connectivity would be available for Big Red's customers.
The article continues: “However, it may have some of the features on the iPad distributed in Verizon's stores, like live TV for customers of the FiOS cable service.”
There's not much that we could add here. The launch of a Verizon iPhone is a done deal, and all that remains to be seen is when the handset would hit shelves, for there are certainly many users looking forward for this opportunity.