Apple Changing US iPhone Carrier?

Apple According to a recent article by AppleInsider, there is evidence that the iPhone might be available through other carriers, besides AT&T, within a year!

Gene Munster, senior research analyst with Piper Jaffray, predicts that Apple will announce new carriers in the summer of 2010.

“For various reasons the company moved from an exclusive relationship with French wireless carrier Orange to a multi-carrier model,” Munster said. “In France, the company now enjoys dramatically higher market share (in the 40 percent range vs. about 15 percent in ROW) than in countries with exclusive carrier agreements (such as AT&T in the U.S. where the iPhone has market share in the mid-teens). We believe Apple is seeing the increased unit sell-through more than offset the slightly (~10 percent) deteriorated economics per unit involved in non-exclusive agreements.”

The article goes on to say that Munster is not alone in his predictions of Apple adding new carriers in the US. Others have said that Verizon could be the next carrier to see the iPhone.

Read the full AppleInsider article HERE.

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Comments

  1. I think it’s coming to Verizon. Earlier today, I chatted live online with a Verizon Employee and he said it (the iPhone) is with Verizon! Also, my mom was at a Verizon store and she asked of it (the iPhone) is coming to Verizon and the employee said it’s coming December 2010! Let’s pray these employees weren’t lying!

  2. Verizon would be a pretty good choice, coverage much better in my area

  3. I already understand that here in the UK, O2 is to lose its sole rights.

  4. That would be single greatest thing to happen to Verizon. I still can’t believe that they declined the first time. Anytime that I would ask a Verizon employee they would say that the iphone will not come to Verizon due to the fact that they can’t put there own applications and restrictions on it. But they do say that a phone the is very similar to it will be coming soon. That is what they said when the released the LG Dare. They just need to release their restrictions on the phone and let it be. When they do I believe they will surpass AT&T. Verizon is way ahead. Please Verizon don’t screw this up!!!!

  5. wait im not sure if this is true but i heard all phones including the iphone have to work with any carries(unlocked) by the end of 2010…so we dont have to do any unlocking but when we buy the phone we can choose who we want the carrier to be with. can anyone tell me if im right?

  6. Verizon uses a CDMA network. I don’t see them creating a GSM network just for the iPhone unless apple would create a CDMA phone which does not have much international market. So to me, it’s not likely to be Verizon that gets it. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents worth I could be wrong.

  7. Everyone always raves about how great Verizon is, but for anyone who travels overseas, their phones don’t have SIM cards and aren’t compatible with everywhere else in the world, so it doesn’t make sense to use them. I’ve also heard from people who work at Verizon stores that the iPhone is coming, but they could just be saying that to keep their customers hoping and waiting. I guess we’ll see.

  8. Totally agree with Frank. While Verizon has the best coverage, the iPhone would have to be re-designed for just this 1 carrier. I wouldn’t want to buy a Verizon iPhone anyway since I would not be able to swap out sim chips when travelling abroad.

  9. AT&T, Verizon, or whoever gets a chance at the iPhone will likely follow AT&T’s 2007-08 business model, where everything is great for the first year and then it goes back to cronyism as usual.
    I wish that Apple would just make this phone more accessible in terms of price and functionality. I think the time has come to end carrier exclusiveness and offer Americans an unlocked version for either GSM or CDMA.

  10. There are just as many Verizon subscribers unhappy with their signal quality. Another point is, there are tons of smartphones that can do everything the iPhone can.

  11. Apple can redesign and try add CDMA chip to the iphone like on of the Blackberry phone offered by sprint that allow phone to be in either network, but not at the same time.

    • either Apple can make a whole new type of iPhone that supports a GSM network, or Verizon to change all their phones to support SIM cards. I doubt that either side will be willing to change.

  12. Verizon is currently beta testing the new VERIZON IPHONE with its higher-up employees, my girlfriends bestfriends mother, Owns one, works for verizon(is a high up employee/mgmnt) , i went to her house, because i didnt believe it, and played with it, has the verizon logo, verizon network, and works like a regular iphone, but the verizon network powers it, and it screams……………. christmas of 2010,or if all works out right summer 2010, this is LEGIT, no joke, Im not a apple fanboy, or a verizon fanboy, just a guy with information. Chew on this. At&T is going to lose its rights to the phone. Thier network is not powerful enough and verizon’s inital beta testing with managment, revealed that the iphone is perfectly fitted to be on the verizon network. AMEN.

  13. Hi! I’m from Singapore n I bought an iPhone from other counrty juz wanna ask is there a way to change the carrier so that I can use in my counrty(Singapore) what I mean my iPhone that I bought from London can’t read Ma singapore sim card if there a way to change it do let me know….