By The Verizon iPhone has been rumored year after year… but it seems tomorrow the rumors will transform into truth as several news sources are claiming attendance to a Verizon event in NYC tomorrow. That event is supposedly to announce the Verizon iPhone, which will be launched on February 3rd.
I’m excited.
I’m not excited because I’m some closet iFanboy or because I’m dying to get the Verizon iPhone… come on, give me a little bit of credit. I’m excited because healthy competition is a great thing. We might not be Apple lovers ourselves, but I can understand why some people WOULD love the iPhone, like our friends at iSource.com who are excitedly ramping up their Verizon iPhone Forum.
When (and if) the iPhone hits Verizon on February 3rd, I think we’ll see a few main things:
- Apple and Android will breakaway as the two leading mobile operating systems, both separating even further from the pack over the next year. BlackBerry, Windows Phone, WebOS and others are in big, big trouble.
- Apple and Google will begin a more rigorous arms race in terms of releasing new and innovative features. This is what I really love: both want to “win” and will push harder and harder to make the best product, and in the end, it’s the consumer that really wins.
- Prices for smartphones in general will drop due to increased competition – consumers win again.
Android has been running rampant on US carriers, totally taking over mindshare AND marketshare and CES 2011 is living proof. Worldwide the affects have been similar. Apple may have had leverage in a Verizon iPhone negotiation a few years ago, but now the momentum is all in the favor of Verizon thanks to what Droid Does.
The iPhone launching on Verizon WILL have huge implications on the mobile landscape. As Android enthusiasts and knowledgeable mobile fans I would LOVE to hear your opinion on a few things:
- How will the Verizon iPhone affect sales of Verizon Droid devices?
- Will many former Verizon Android owners defect to the iPhone when it launches just because it’s the iPhone?
- Will AT&T iPhone users lead a mass exodus to Verizon?
I think it’ll take away some of our potential android customers as they lean toward what they’ve been hearing about all these years – but I also think the competition will be good in the long run for Android enthusiasts.
I think the only real hurt anyone will feel will be on AT&Ts part.
I’m not worried about it, nor thrilled – it’ll even out. :)
Folks that want to leave AT&T for Verizon will do it in numbers, but they have to get a new phone.
But over all I feel that Android has far more forward movement to be overtaken on the Verizon side.
I am afraid of a huge influx of iPhone users sucking down speed and reliability of the network. I have been overall quite happy with Verizon’s coverage and download times. Only time will tell, I guess.
i personally think the Iphone is going to take alot of the Android customers. unlike me im sticking with Android devices i like to have a different phone then everyone else. i dont think its cool to be using the same phone (iphone) the person next to you is using.
I think that there will be some Verizon Android users that switch to the iPhone. But I also think that there will be some AT&T defectors who had never considered an Android device (due in part to AT&T’s poor selection) and would switch to an android on verizon. I know one person like this personally. She lives in an area where AT&T is the only operator with service, she loves me and my wife’s my touch 4g’s and is often impressed by things they can do that her iPhone can’t, but she doesn’t like any of the android phones on AT&T, so she has an iPhone.
Lets just remember that Android users use a TON more data that Iphone users….now, I just hope Verizon continues to upgrade and maintain their network to support the inevitable flood of apple products
Yeah, I was liking the advantage Android has been getting from the large number of carriers it’s on. And I can’t say I’m excited for the upcoming influx of people on Verizon. I hope they’re prepared for the larger amount of traffic…
Unfortunately, I think that if the i*hone is priced the same as an Android phone, the casual consumer is going to pick the i*hone 9/10 times simply because its the status symbol and slick marketing, and tripe that we as android lovers can’t stand about Apple – the general populace will eat it up.
However, if android maintains a price advantage, I think it will end up continuing its success.
Only time will tell.
When Verizon gets iPhone( I personally would rather have the dual core tegra Droid bionic ANYDAY) ATTneeds to bend over, wipe the tears away and kiss there ass goodbye or offer free service which is the only way that they can keep people from going to verizons far superior network. I work and travel inTN alot, that I know of att only offers 3g service(I use att for work) in memphis, nashville, knoxville, at least that’s the only place I’ve even seen my captivate(which sucks) have service in 3g. My personal phone is VZW And honestly can’t think of a single place I’ve been that doesn’t have 3g. Even att s edge service is spotty. It’s quite sad
This will once and for all prove whether it was AT&T or the iPhone itself that sucks in call quality. I suspect it is the iPhone and AT&T quietly accepted the blame as they were raking in the bucks.
I actually think it’ll bring a great deal of attention to Android phones on Verizon.
Plenty of people out there won’t have got an iPhone(we’re talking two to three million, I think) because they’ve heard AT&T is so terrible from their more tech-savvy friends. They wanted an iPhone, but put it off. Now, most of those people will go buy the iPhone and so be it. But some of them will go in to a Verizon store and the iPhone will be just too expensive for them. In a desperate attempt to sell something, plenty of staff will direct them to an Android phone, saying it can do a lot of the same things and it has a lower monthly bill or that the phone is cheaper upfront.
It will very interesting to see the effect that all those new users of the Verizon network will have on data transfer rates. Will it be the AT&T nightmare part II?
I’d expect that Verizon has taken steps to prevent that from happening, but I’m sure AT&T thought they were prepared a few years ago too…
Meanwhile, I’ll just be watching on the sidelines, satisfied with my Evo.
I’m not sure this is a big deal to be honest. Carrier exclusivity for the iPhone is unique to the United States. Android is a worldwide success. Those two statements sum it up – another carrier providing thus iPhone will give it a small temporary boost but nothing substantial. There’s a lot of churn in the smartphone world and even a near doubling of iPhone sales WORLDWIDE would still leave it trailing Android. The US is not the be all and end all.
Honestly, competition and perpetual one-upsmanship in this arena is what will lead us to innovation on both platforms, and in either case, both Iphone and Android users win. I love Android, others love Iphone. Let them keep fighting to produce the best products possible, and keep raising the bar in the process.
for mac users.. in order to use the new iphone. you have to have the latest itunes… in order for the latest itunes you need the latest ios… in order for the latest ios prepare to be raped.
Certainly not concerned about VZW being able to handle the traffic. At the moment they’ve got plenty of room to spare. :)
Freedom or Apple tie downs?? I choose freedom. Android all the way until they lock it down.
I hope that it will force AT&T to think of itself as more than The US iPhone Carrier and put more effort into releasing good Android phones. It will hopefully be a boon to AT&T subscribers as the carrier will lose its main differentiator and will have to compete in the general market again. Instead of getting 100% of the iPhone users for no effort, now they have to fight for every user.
I do not see any long term impact to Android and the market synergy that it has created. This assumes that apple will continue down the current path that it has been on for the last 4 years with the i-products. The only comparitive advantage that apple has here is the overall experience. Android offers excitement, options, customization, an ever changing experience, and most importantly to Verizon, carrier control over the experience. Google, with Android, has given the entire mobile market some much needed leverage, including Verizon in it’s negotiations with apple.
I am curious to see if a i-product shows up with Verizon bloatware on it and access to the Verizon app store! ;-)
Keep in mind that outside of the U.S.A. the i-products are sold along side Android, Crackberry, No(Idea)kia, and Windoze phone (sic) products. Android is still on it’s way to global dominance, one market at a time. Android is giving the i-product a run for the money pretty much everywhere that it is properly supported and marketed.
Combine all of this with the fact that the major CEMs now smell mobile computing dollar blood in the waters and now have quite a bit invested with Android and want/need it to be a success, for now. Google is also showing no signs of letting apple run away with the market, unchallenged. So I agree with the author regarding it being an exciting time. This market should be pretty clear by the end of the year (right when my contract is up too! :-))
Hopefully this will allow Apple to push carriers into LTE, or atleast more common standards instead of GSM/CDMA. Perhaps even an iPhone that works on all networks (when unlocked). This is something that Google could (and should) have done already.
@ksizzle9
Verizon seems to have a different definition of 3G than the other carriers. As a former Verizon customer in a major metropolitan area (Detroit), I can tell you that Verizon’s 3G service was by far the slowest. I found that good 3G service with Verizon was extremely spotty. I usually got 300-400kbps. Sometimes, I got less than 100kpbs with the 3G signal proudly showing. I’ve had faster EDGE speeds. I was usually getting around 600kbps to 800kbps from Sprint. A friend of mine has the iPhone on AT&T and he routinely gets speeds a bit faster than I got with Sprint. Currently, I have T-Mobile. For the past four months, my 3G phone is hitting speeds around 2Mbps – 4Mbps. I know that Verizon has great coverage (and they have dead zones even in the middle of metropolitan areas), but that coverage comes at a price — speed. Will iPhone users like a slower, but more dependable network?
iPhone on Verizon is more a threat to AT&T than it is a danger to Android. You keep forgetting that Android is commanding the market around the world and there’s no iPhone exclusivity there. We’ll most likely see AT&T bleeding customers over the next couple of years but Android will continue to rise as the dominating force in the Market.
I think it will effect sales for blackberry and the others quite a bit more. I think there will be some Android users thatswitch, and that Apple will take the US market for now, but this battle is long from over. People seem to like their android devices and we are winning some hearts. I think after Honeycomb becomes the major OS on all Android devices we will see some shifts. The difference now is that its Google behind the software and not Windows. Apple has managed to be more innovative then Microsoft, and that is why Apple has become what it is. What has changed is that Android is respected and liked more by many. Apple isn’t the only great game in town. Google is more forward thinking them Apple and I can see Google becoming the hometown favorite down the line.
It won’t be some mass loss of AT&T users to Verizon, but their will be a loss. Over time more and more people will set up new contracts with Verizon. I think AT&T is going to moderately bleed customers while then full on fail. Especially if Verizon offers some price drops and unlimited plans.
I think people who desperately want an iPhone already have one. iOS is essentially the Windows of smartphones, it’s simple, boring, and any idiot can use it. The people who want something more will still choose Android.
I honestly don’t think it’s going to affect the base of android users as much as people think. Why do you think the iPhone is coming in the first place. If it was that good, then, many of the current android users would have defected to at&t by now. Not to mention all the new hotness that’s on the way in a few months i.e LG Revolution, Motorola Droid Bionic, HTC Thunderbolt, and Samsungs LTE offering. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, the current iPhone may have missed the boat. As far as the assumed inability to handle the influx of old at&t customers, verizon should be fine given the fact that alot of customers will be purchasing phones that run on LTE, which should clear up room for the old CDMA bandwith.
A lot of AT&T iphone 3G and 3Gs users will go to Verizon for the iphone on the strength of Verizon reportedly dropping data caps, and the fact that Verizon’s network/coverage is way better than AT&T’s. iPhone 4 users who were contemplating switching but stayed with AT&T will be fuming.
Android will still dominate the market though. Some will get an iPhone just because its an iPhone. But people who aren’t grandmothers and followers will know which phones are really better. End of the day, it wont hurt Android.
As long as the iphone is exclusive to one career? it would not dominate the place..ATT will now embrace android which it couldnt do due to iphone.
If they had launched back in November, then Verizon’s Android sales would have been more drastically affected. But not now though, with the iPhone 5 not very far out. I would think people would be more inclined to wait a couple of months to get the lastest/greatest. And by then the new rush of dual core androids will be out…
Whenever I hear/read/see someone saying something like “I like the iPhone, but not At&t” it’s usually the people who already have the iPhone. So I think that most of the people that will be moving to Verizon will be users who already use an iPhone. There are some insane hardware coming out this year for Android and unless Apple will be releasing the next iPhone on Verizon this summer like they usually do every year, I don’t think sales will go up that far. Basically, I think it all depends if Apple will release the new version of iPhones on Verizon the same time they do on At&t, otherwise, I don’t see it going that far ahead of Android sales on Verizon.
@andrews Yeah you’re right about AT&T embracing android. I mean just look at the Atrix 4G. It’s basically a desktop computer in the shape of a phone.
My brother is the top-salesman at AT&T wireless in a certain east-coast market.
He first had an Android phone, then he moved to iPhone…
And then back to Android, with a Galaxy S phone.
He says that often, when someone comes in looking for an iPhone, he compares their abilities side by side, and more often than not the person chooses the Android O/S based phone.
I personally…would bypass the iPhone when I compare hardware alone.
No thanks; 4 years ago, I would have been excited about the iPhone on Verizon.
Now, pfffft.
@andrews Good point. at&t should now begin to promote Android much more than it had in the past to compensate for any i-product user losses. The Atrix is the first device that I see at&t pulling out of the Bag-O-Tricks!
The only way I would, personally, defect to an iPhone on VZW (and not wait for the Droid Bionic) is if the iPhone that may or may not be announced tomorrow is of 4G/LTE compatibility. Otherwise, moving to the VZW iPhone would not be an upgrade as far as I’m concerned.
If it is LTE, there may be a lot of Android defectors to iOS on VZW I’m afraid.
i’m a bit confused on the dates. i saw an ipad on display next to the galaxy tab on the 31st at the verizon booth at the mall. i thought they had already released the i-crap onto their network.
I think the iphone on verizon will have a major impact on droid because a lot of vzw customers have been waiting a long time for the iphone… Additionally I think at&t is in big trouble because even their customers have been wanting to come to verizon but wouldn’t just because of the iphone…
Fastest network+iphone=vzw takeover in 2011
My thoughts on the matter, I’ve talked about it with quite a few people.
1. It will definitely lessen them. It has to. Whether it will be significant, I don’t know. At first, as people who want one get one, it will probably be the fastest selling phone OS on verizon. In 2-3 months, with things like the bionic, the X (which I expect to drop at least $50 in price) etc, I doubt it will remain that way for long. It will probably be one of, if not the, highest selling single smartphone, but the multitude of android devices will probably sell more combined. I expect a similiar situation on AT&T now that there is more than the captivate and the Aria on board.
2. I doubt it. First, the Droid was launched what, a year ago+a few months? Any droid owner that signed a contract (almost all) is still in the contract, and most won’t break it. By the time next November rolls around, who knows what the phone scape will look like, but I predict the iPhone 5 will be a pretty minor jump focusing on 4G (look at the 2G->3G). In this case, people who have experienced android for 2 years probably like it, and will look at buying another. Not to mention, D1 owners probably want a keyboarded phone.
3. Doubt it. See the contract thing. Besides, AT&T is not the horrible provider the blogs like to show it as. They are pretty good in most areas. 90% of people that don’t read engadget won’t have a problem with AT&T, and many that do will probably be stuck in family plans etc.
Finally, the unasked question, what does it mean for android? Only good things. It will give iOS a what, 5% global market share boost? Putting it barely in front of android, if at all? Not a big deal. Making it more competitive on verizon to make android manufacturers put out even more amazing phones to counter? Good thing.
Then of course, if your not a total hater/fanboy, there is no reason to be unhappy that other people have more choice
I will note, I’m not 100% convinced this will actually happen. All evidence I’ve seen is circumstantial at best, nothing but emotional longing at worst. For example, the 3GS is $50. It could be they are clearing stock of an old model or it could be conclusive evidence that there is an iPhone 4 coming to verizon. My guess is not the latter.
I don’t think the V.W. iPhone will undo what Android has built. They are two very different OS’s and are not interchangeable IMO. That being said I think there’s room enough for both on big red and it will more adversely effect the other service providers and not Android if anything . I don’t subscribe to the idea that one is better then another and I didn’t get an Android powered phone just b/c Verizon didn’t have the iPhone and I think that a lot of people would agree with that. From a technical stand point I’m just interested in how if in any way the “red” iPhone will be different from the one currently available, that is really what the big news would be. Again in my opinion.
How will the Verizon iPhone affect sales of Verizon Droid devices?
“I don’t think it will affect Droid Sales much since Droid or better said, Android users know that the Android os has much more to offer, and specially now with a new compition it’s going to get waaay better.”
Will many former Verizon Android owners defect to the iPhone when it launches just because it’s the iPhone?
“Only those that only care about popularity rather than hardware wich I think is only a small portion of Android users. That’s the difference between iOS users and android users, android users care more about hardware and software, while iOS users only care about POPULARITY.”
Will AT&T iPhone users lead a mass exodus to Verizon?
Yes. This IS what 90% of all the sales Verizon is going to make, people from at&t.
At&t will get good android phones and bogo offers
Why is everyone assuming that tomorrow Verizon is going to announce the iPhone, Because apple has an event the same day? Come on people. This rumor has been around forever. For all we know tomorrow might be the day Verizon announces when the Thunder Bolt and the Samsung LTE is suppose to come out. If it does come the only people I see defecting are people that suck with phones and don’t find using Android very easy like my mother who recently got her first Android phone the other day.
BTW for everyone worried about iphone users slowing down vzw network remember they’re currently rolling out the very fast 4G LTE Which is one of the main reasons vzw waited to get the iphone because they first wanted to upgrade their network… So I wouldn’t be too worried about that
I don’t think it’ll have a huge impact, the iPhone has been out long enough for people who wanted to wait until their current contracts ran up before switching carriers to go to AT&T.
I think the bulk of the Verizon iPhone users will be AT&T customers who want to switch carriers. There will probably be a few people who just didn’t want to go to AT&T and just “dealt” with Android, but I don’t that it’ll be that high, at first.
I think the big test will be in the summer when the next iPhone comes out. A lot of people may want to switch, but know a new one will come out in the summer. Also, if they are current iPhone users, many of them will be on expiring contracts around that time.
AT&T is releasing 14 new Android phones, so they are finally diversifying from their limited selection of phones. Hopefully for their sake, they will stop “market retarding” Androids, and let their customers see what Android can really do.
If this had happened a year ago, I fear Android would have had a tough fight. Android is here to stay IMO..
I love the competition aspect of it all, but I seriously doubt it will hurt Android sales. People who love Apple will remain loyal to their Iphone and those who love Android will stay loyal to their Andy. I do however see a number of people jumping the AT&T ship in favor of Verizon merely because Verizon is a much more reliable network. The only thing that bothers me is, will Verizon eventually end up overloading their network and wind up in the same boat as AT&T. Lets hope not. So for now I say, welcome to Verizon iPhone.
What if Verizon doesnt announce the iPhone 4 tomorrow and just gets the 3GS?
All I can say is that Apple puts too much restrictions on pricing. They dictate how the carriers can offer their devices and at what price. They do the same to CostCo which is why the large club store is dumping all Apple products. Smart move. Apple is even to arrogant to attend CES. I guess they think they are “all that”. They are not so good that they can just say, “If you want what we have, you will pay our price”. They don’t care about the consumer or a competitive market, only their bottom line. They would see a lot more users with their devices if they made them more affordable and allowed carriers to offer discounts and rebates. Android already surpassed them in market share for a reason, and Blackberry is next. Get a clue Apple and think about the people. Then maybe, just maybe you might change the mind of this Apple hater.
@Craig nelson Did you just say your mom is easy? lol..
Anyway, imo the major impact of this will be it will silence apple fan boys who threaten ‘just wait til iphone comes to verizon’. iPhone will come to verizon and android will still dominate.
Wow! When Fandroids attack lol. Verizon and Apple are certainly going to make some substantial gains from this. AT&T is obviously going to lose customers. You can see it from the polls. I’m willing to bet within two years AT&T could lose close to 30% of it’s customer base. Most likely the people to stay will be those in good 3G reception areas and those who are on family plans.
As far as Android is concerned it’s only going to hinder it. Android smartphone makers have had the luxury of having no competition on Verizon. It’s not like this is windows phone 7. It’s the iPhone which many people love. I highly doubt everyone with an Android device is happy with their purchase. I know a lot are but not everyone. Those that aren’t have been waiting for this and will likely switch to an iPhone.
Just to sideline some of you who talk about the Android phones like they are so open and great, let me say that I’ve rooted Android phones and jailbroken iPhones and the only plus to Android that I’ve found was the ability to have live wallpaper, overclock, flash, and have custom roms. For those of you who dislike the iPhone because it’s to closed for you, jailbreak it and really give it a look at. Aside from overclocking and live wallpaper, I can get my iphone to do everything an Android can do and more. What’s more the iPhone has the best app store on a smartphone with better apps, and more available apps.
I think it mostly boils down to the UI and apps. If you like the UI of Android over iPhone than no matter the hardware you’re going to stick with Android. Same goes for apps. If your sold on a set of apps you really like than most likely you’ll stick with that.With advantages like having better apps sooner, iPhone has a big leg up. The guys I work with hate the iPhone but it drives them crazy that they don’t have the games and apps I have.
I think it will be minimal or zero impact on Verizon androids due to some of the powerhouse phones coming out but what’s gonna be interesting is how Verizon is going to market both iphone and android at the same time when they used to pit one against the other…
I’m wondering if Verizon will be able to get away with stuffing the IPhone full of bloatware or if Apple will refuse to let them, pull the phone and we won’t have to worry about it anymore. For anyone who want’s to argue with that statement, don’t, Verizion took a large, and getting larger, number of GOOGLE Android devices and shoved MICROSOFT BING on them. HTC, Samsung, and LG Devices.
I feel like these people who buy the iphone with verizon were not going to buy an android anyway, they were just waiting for it to hit verizon to do so. If some one wanted android they would have already done so as it is already available on all the carriers already, verizon especially.
Not to rock the boat, but I seem to know many more people that have bought an Android phone solely because they grew frustrated with waiting for a Verizon iPhone. I think that Android is going lose the short-term market share battle if Verizon announces tomorrow.
Now, if the iPhone starts dropping calls left and right on Verizon’s network you will see Android progress further. If Apple decides not to release an LTE version of the iPhone until AT&T catches up, Android will progress. Overall, however, I think Android will win the long-term market share battle due to the availability of cheaper devices.
That being said, Apple is not in it for the market share, they are in it for the profit margins and Job’s overall vision of an Apple ecosystem. You either buy into it or you don’t. Either way, as a result of the competition, consumers are the one’s that win.
expecting a lot of flaming here, but i honestly think the Verizon iPhone will deal a horrible blow to android….a lot of people see android has a great OS but with too many different versions floating around, and the time to get updates (unless your root and do it yourself) is really shady (look at the samsung users out there)…Apple is in all media outlets just about with iTunes and their App store…everyone is familiar with Apple. I predict this iPhone will be LTE equipped and will grab several jumpers from ATT and a great deal of people will pay the ETF to get the iPhone on Verizon. Android will suffer, i promise you. It will go back to the days where droidgeeks (i’m one of them) will take the droid phone over the iPhone just because we hate apple….but has far as standard casual users go, they will choose the iPhone over a droid phone simply because it’s an Apple iPhone.
The real pain will go to Sprint and T-Mobile. I don’t know what Sprint has planned for this summer, but I predict an iPhone announcement by them as well later this year, with WiMax enabled. They have not speculated on a new android beast and they only announced two smart devices during CES (the Shift and the Playbook). T-mobile is always last to the party so they won’t get it til next year.
In the end, i am predicting a apple to be on 3 of the 4 major US carriers by years end. AND Apple to basically dominate the smart phone arena. I hate Apple and love android, but there are not enough flashers and modders to save android from this beating.
flame away!
How will the Verizon iPhone affect sales of Verizon Droid devices?
— Sales maybe slow. But I dont foresee a drastic decrease. Verizon CDMA cant multi-task like AT&T GSM can. Therefore, iPhone fanboys on AT&T will have a huge upset when they cant talk & Surf at the same time, which is one of the top 3 iphone gimmicks. “Can your phone and carrier do that?”. Again, with any new phone, sales may slow. Then again, Sales may be non-affected due to the fact that AT&T iphone fanboys will have to purchase a new iphone and only have 14 days (new BR policy after 1-16-2011) to try it out or get a $325 ETF fee. Moreover, the new android hardware from LG, Moto, HTC, and Samsung from CES will sway iphone newcomers. Cuase if you cant multi-task, and there is no new hardware on the CDMA version (per rumor) then all iphone has going for them is the 100K AppMarket, which is DroidMarket is quickly catching up too.
Will many former Verizon Android owners defect to the iPhone when it launches just because it’s the iPhone?
—I seriously doubt it. Maybe some, as in 5-10K… but not millions… then quickly defect back to Droid for obvious “Apple Controlling” reasons. LOL
Will AT&T iPhone users lead a mass exodus to Verizon?
—Per projections… Highly doubtful… again, no multi-task ability, ETF fee worries from ATT, new iphone costs, credit checks, possible deposits, and everything that is associated with getting new service on a new carrier. Projections show AT&T to loose only 15% of its iphone wireless market (if I remember correctly).. which, based on AT&T’s size… and if it made $50,000/yr like a normal american… its like $20 in pocket change.. AT&T execs are yawning at Verizon’s iphone… topple that with AT&T new droids… and bam… no hurting… sure it will decrease revenue, but not profits.
I think all that will happen is those people who leave Android for iPhone will find out that the grass isn’t REALLY greener and those people who didn’t buy an Android phone because they wanted and iPhone will finally get to buy an iPhone. It’s not like worlds are going to colapse people. It’s not like EVERYONE in the world wants and f-ing iPhone… I don’t and I know hundreds of others who don’t either. There was room for Blackberry AND iPhone… there’s also room for Android. I know who I’ll be sticking with.
I think that the initial sales will be a bit disappointing for Verizon because most people won’t want to go through all the early termination fees. BUT once the iPhone 5 comes out then it will be interesting because of the popularity of the “iStuff” so it will depend a lot on the upgrade the iPhone 5 will be. Until then, Android should continue to pull away. The bottom line it that most people that know technology, know that Android is better.
I own a Fascinate. It is my first android phone and I love it! But I don’t understand what all this “walled garden” Apple talk is about. My phone is just as locked down as the IPhone is. Suuuuuuurrrre, I can root my phone but IPhone owners can jailbreak. What’s the diff? How about we promote android by boasting its qualities and not bashing competitors.
I say Duck Apple & the iPhone… open is the only way to go. Android makes several awesome phones by many manufactures. Apple makes the iPhone and control everything about it. Selling them from Verizon is a smart choice but they will not be able to keep up. I will take my Droid Inc. Or the next great Droid over an iPhone any day… simply Droid will win.
Now we know why Verizon’s return policy is going from 30 to 15 days. Crappy Apple Phone….
I think android will be on top in the end
the thing that confuses me is why people are hyping up a phone that has been out since what? June? That’s like att people going crazy over the incredible
@James – I am a current iPhone 4 user and my father uses a Droid X. Why do you think your Droid is a better phone? I found my father’s the X’s GUI to be choppy and less intuitive than iOS. Just curious…
It’s going to hurt Android, but I think it will be a speed bump, not a major blow. Sure, there are going to be a lot of Verizon customers that migrate to iPhone, but I also expect AT&T to push the new Atrix like they have never pushed an Android phone before.
But the thing is that Android _development_ is not going to slow down even if there is a month or two sales blip in the US from the Verizon iPhone. There are so many more companies working on it with so much competitive urgency that it is improving so fast. And niches? – Android fills them like no other. Want a keyboard? You’re not getting an iPhone. Want a phone that docks and becomes a computer? Atrix is coming. Want a phone that plays real games? Sony PSP is coming. Want a larger screen phone so you don’t have to squint at a web page on a 3.5″ screen? Take your pick. Want a phone you can hook up to a TV without some specialized, expensive dongle? Again, take your pick.
Android is inevitable.
I think alot of users from att will switch to verizon. Why?
If you look at the price plans for att and verizon, they are very comparable. Almost exactly the same as far as price. Then you look at the coverage. With verizon having the best coverage nation wide, and FAR better customer service than att. I think that alot of iphone customers from att will switch to verizon. That being said, maybe when they go to get the iphone for verizon, they may see the plethora of android devices on the verizon lineup. (which they havent seen on att) They may switch to android. Who knows, time will tell i guess.
@NMS16 – Larger screen 4.3″ (16:9) + HDMI out + WiFi hotspot, Direct file transfers, Removable and Replaceable batteries, Removable and Changable SD Storage cards, 8 MP camera (with a REAL High Speed shutter) Dual LED flash, Adobe Flash Support, MP3 support, DLNA support, Customizable and REPLACEABLE UI and Keyboard, Swipe Keyboard, Live Wallpaper support, Widgets, Nam-able and customizable folders, ShortCuts, shall I go on? iphone 4 and Droid X, not even in the same ball park much less the same league!
Just keep the iPhone off T-Mobile and I’ll be a happy camper.
If this would have happened last year when the last believable rumor was swirling around, Android would have suffered a whole lot more. Now, I think Android will be fine.
If the Iphone would have come to Verizon one year ago, the US android would have been in trouble. Thanks to the 100Million Verizon spent making the Droid a house hold name Joe average is now confused witch phone to buy.
Its sure been a fun battle to watch yet its pretty evident iphone sales are flat and android is surging world wide. I believe iphone sales are going to be disappointing especially if Apple only makes a 4GS type phone this year. Apple should be trilled to have some of that 100Million dollars in ads generating iOS sales not points out the iOS flaws.
It’s not the big deal (for Android) that everyone makes it out to be.. Some people with money and contracts to burn will swap carriers.. and because the antennae in the phone will be fixed for Verizon it’s going to continue the perception that the Verizon network is better., so yes it’s a big deal for AT&T. I don’t foresee any massive Android to Apple migration.. as it is, Apple has more worries to deal with the awesome pace of hardware and software changes.. I think the Apple to Android loss is, and will continue to be higher than the other way around. and offering Apple on Verizon now is not going to do much to change that.. too late. The majority of Apple users on Verizon will come over from AT&T.. but strangely AT&T has some awesome Android alternatives to make people think twice, and even some Verizon users consider maybe going the other way .. it’s going to be a wash and for Android.
I think it will be good for both because it will lead to more competition and hopefully better prices overall
Those that leave AT&T for Verizon will most likely also notice that Android has Dual-core phones, getting some of them to buy an Android phone!!!
The iPhone isn’t dual-core, it is severely locked down, and Android is starting to get the same high end games!!!
Doubt it’ll affect European prices :(
i think that alot of ppl will want a andrid 4G phone rather that and iphone runing o n 3G. but bothe parties will benifit from it. couple of iphone users will switch to verizon and a some will stick with att couse of there new 4G phones coming out and drop there iphones but for bb and windows. i feel sorry for them cause iphone and android will tear them a new hole that they wont be able to get out from
The biggest difference I see is gaining verizon some more off at&t customers who are die hard apple fans but tired of an inferior network. Some verizon loyalists may choose iphone over android but I don’t see android sales being affected significantly by this. let’s keep in mind, it’s the same iphone.
The biggest difference I see is gaining verizon some more off at&t customers who are die hard apple fans but tired of an inferior network. Some verizon loyalists may choose iphone over android but I don’t see android sales being affected significantly by this. let’s keep in mind, it’s the same iphone.
Hmm, this will be a hurdle for android. A new evo costs $200 and you get 8 gb but you get twice as much memory with the iphone with a better display. 3GSs are selling for $50 new now so apple is starting to get in on the low end market too. Then when you spend more money for an evo/droidx and a new update comes out, then you’re sitting around waiting for months or a whole year to use all the new features and new games. You can opt for a half assed nerd’s rendition of the update but all the bugs make that a pain in your arse and you can easily lose your data etc etc. Android is a waiting game, soon you’ll get your phone model’s update, soon you’ll get good games that take advantage of your hardware, soon you can have a lot of app choices, then once I do get the update another newer update comes out and I have to wait another year before getting it again, and on and on the vicious cycle continues…
Im definatly getting an iphone.I have an OG Droid now but want an iphone just for the heck of it.That is until the Droid Bionic is released hehehe then Ill hand over the iphone to my oldest son. :o) Droid all the way!!
With the flood of 4G LTE Android dual core phones coming during the next 2 months, anyone who would buy an outdated iPhone with a 2 year contract WITHOUT 4G LTE, and WITHOUT a dual core, has to be brain dead. Especially when the same money will get you a screaming dual core 4G LTE phone. IMO, if anything, once the iPhone is released with Verizon, will once and for all shut up all the idiot analysts who have been saying that that is the reason Android is kicking Apple’s behind. Like China and India and everywhere in the world where the iPhone is in multiple carriers and yet Androids are outselling Apples by 5 to 1 don’t count. Sheesh…
It is unfortunate that the general public recognizes iphone more than any other brand/type of phone in the US so IMO it will hurt android in some way. Almost all my friends who are not on AT&T wished they had an iphone. This including my girl friend. Most of them don’t even know what android is. They know what droid is though and really don’t know the advantage android has over the iphone4. So I really stopped preaching. It’s gonna be up to these Verizon sales rep if they can persuade customer to consider android phones but we all know how that’s gonna turn out. It’s all these marketing ads apple is good at. I think that is where android fails.
@ Larry. The general consumer I think won’t care for 4g specially if Verizon will tack on additional cost to it. Nor do they care for dual core. The iphone handles all of their games and apps perfectly and to most consumers, that is all they care about. I’m not trying to praise apple or hate on android but that’s just the reality with most general consumers.
There will be an inlfux over the first year if the iPhone is available on VZW as AT&T customers migrate and contracts expire. Then as T-Mo and Sprint fight to insure their survival as a carrier they will offer more Android handsets, more powerful Android handsets, and cheaper Android handsets. AT&T is already employing the tactic by getting the Motorola Atrix. However, that being said… Apple has a pretty definitive release cycle. Anyone jumping on the Big Red iPhone 4 is just inviting the slap in the face when the iPhone 5 is released this summer. And, it’s far to early to make an announcement now regarding a summer release as that would possibly cannibalize sales they could be making now.
All iPhone has at this point is mindshare…people thought they wanted it because it was the coolest thing two years ago. When people at Verizon can actually compare iOS and Android side by side, they will see that Android does so much more. Google Nav anyone? Widgets? People love to customize their phones with eye candy, and so the home screen experience will sell the grand majority of the people. If all users want is row after boring row of apps, then iPhone will win. But if they’d rather have a skinnable clock and a photo widget of their BFF or kids, then Android will win. Exactly.
I don’t think it will end up having much of an impact on Android. Any impact would be erased by the end of this year. Here’s why I see it that way. For starters just looking at the reactions around the internet I see much more of iPhone fans claiming their Android friends are going to switch than any Android users claiming their going to switch. I also see many iPhone fans coming up with this extremely backwards scenario for the average user switching. It usually boils down to Android users no actually liking or even knowing what Android is that aren’t tech savvy at all and don’t like it for the features. These people will walk into Verizon and switch to an iPhone. My question is why. If they don’t understand about smartphone OS’s and their features etc. do you really believe they are going to walk in and buy the phone with the smallest screen in the store that has one processor while the rest of the phones have two etc. etc.? I think it is pretty naive to think the iPhone still has the same mind/name share and marketing advantage it once had that the average joe doesn’t know anything but the iPhone. The other mistake I think iFans and analyst make is in forgetting that Verizon is no longer the only high end Android game in town. One of the biggest Android phones this year was the Evo…not on Verizon. The Galaxy S sold extremely well and they aren’t just on Verizon. In other words as usual the iFans haven’t kept up with the Android scene. They are speaking from the days of the original Droid. Android has expanded well beyond Verizon and they will have to do more than just stop Android on Verizon. As has been stated throughout the comments here Android is doing well globally. And thats not taking into consideration that now AT&T will offer real Android devices. To hell with an iPhone on Verizon. I’m almost ready to leave Verizon for the Atrix. If the iPhone could pull people to AT&T they need to stop with the ridiculous iPhone superiority beliefs and realize that these seriously superior Android devices can pull people to AT&T and other places as well.
Healthy competition means consumers win. Great post.
some of you guys commenting seem to think its the end of the world for android when in fact the US isn’t the be all and end all of the smartphone market. (e.g. @Derek) – Dude get a hold of yourself. Both android and iphone devices have been non-exclusive to the rest of the world except for you guys. Read Larry’s post above me dude.
Let me also add that theres going to be a whole bunch of excuses to follow from iFans just like there was surround the iPhone 4. Before the iPhone 4 there were the same shouts of impending doom for Android. Android continued to rise and it was all about people supposedly waiting for the iPhone 4. It dropped and Android continued to grow. Now it will be because they are waiting on the iPhone 5 on Verizon. That will come and won’t top the Tegra dual cores and the cycle will continue.
I think it will split the smartphone market in Verizon more. For example, my roommate at college is not tech savvy at all and always complains about is d1 not working. I love technology(im majoring in Comp Sci) and I love my rooted d1 running MIUI 1.1.7.0 and never had an issue. The iPhone is for people like my roommate, you just want it to work(not caring about open/closed OS’s) and Android is for people who are more interested in technology. I think people like my roommate will switch to the iPhone and we will see more of a split between Android and iOS users on Verizon.
I believe it won’t go well with Verizon not because it’s the Iphone but because we are already seeing what Verizon is doing to pricing and contracts which many believe to be directly related to the Iphone coming to the network. The changes I speak of are of course the 2 year contract being held to 2 years no early upgrades, the NE2 program being taken out, and the return window on phones being dropped from 30 days to 14. I also see it causing data plans to skyrocket for Verizon to keep hardware coming up fast enough to handle the massive amounts of data users this will attract to the network just as it did to AT&T causing their network quality to plummet.
LOL @ porky validating my post. Comparing the first Droid to an iPhone 4 (like I said…being stuck on the days of the Droid) yes people would switch. But I don’t see non-tech savvy folk complaining that their Incredible, DX or Galaxy S phones don’t work. Nor do I see people walking in and looking at those screens vs the screen on an iPhone 4 and going with the iPhone. It will only get worse with phones like the Bionic, the LG phone and the next gen Galaxy S will only make it worse.
Thank you Omega Man, line 64 needed to be said. And for the guy whose line is above me, Droid Does. Yes I am a Phandroid! Android FTW!
Mass exodus, then AT&T will have to stop screwing over the android phones they try to sell just to keep alive in the mobile world.
–
Won’t affect android sales too greatly, people buy Google powered phones for the options, which Apple is stingy to release. Regardless, the next iPhone better work, the antenna problem plagued sales and left a lot of people with negative reactions over Steve’s tactics.
I think there will be a big influx of customers ditching AT&T for Verizon, but hopefully this won’t cause too much network congestion. Beyond that, you’ll probably see some Android users get iPhones when they renew their contracts, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if there was a fairly high return rate amongst users used to Android.
Also, you could maybe hope that AT&T might be a bit more aggressive about acquiring some high-end Android handsets, now that they are no longer the sole gatekeepers of the American iPhone. But who knows?
i dont bother scrolling up..just funny these itools comehere complaining,wow you should see the ifest in their forums..oh man i want to passout.choppy droid?my friends seems to be ok..never thought an iphone as anything better,slightly brighter screen hurray for you itools,ugh..my favorites..have to jailbreak…and when they say number 1 reason their apps and itunes.hahahahaha.imnot a kid like putting headphones on so music isnt big deal i love amazon,or whatever else.theyre getting their own music shop(meaning google) and actually if anyone really gave it a shot..zune is really good and better looking,point said..i love andriod,,i vote freedom.kids like iphones men love droids
“Verizon iPhone” this word is very hot now, I think many people would be full of curiosity, including a considerable part of the android users. So, I think this is a big threat to the android market. So, no matter which one you will get, don’t forget download Aneesoft Video converter.
Seriously, I doubt it will really affect Android now.
If it was 2 years ago, definitely. Not now, not anymore.
I a little concerned about the Verizon iPhone hurting Android in the short run. I’m cautiously optimistic that it will be short-term, however, this will depend heavily on the phone manufacturers and here’s why.
People want an iPhone. I wanted an iPhone. I owned two iPhones (3G and 3GS) and I loved my iPhones. The phones were polished, Apple introduced new features somewhat regularly AND they were updated to older phones. I left the iPhone and went Nexus One and now Nexus S for purely principled reasons (apple control, android open-ness, etc etc). Android has gotten good enough for me that I’m perfectly happy with it. I’m also a geek. If I gave my Nexus S to my wife and took her iPhone 3GS (my old phone) back, she’d kill me. Apple’s integration with iTunes and iPhoto and all that good stuff, is just too damn good. Yes, she could be retrained to do alot of the stuff on the phone, but she doesn’t want to be nor should she necessarily expect to want to be.
Right now, android is doing well because T-mobile, Verizon and Sprint don’t have an iPhone and android phones are the best alternative. Do they do what the iPhone does for most people? Yes they do, but they don’t have the cachet that the iPhone has.
One Verizon goes iPhone, alot of people who want iPhones will be able to get one, and likely will get one instead of an android phone.
Here’s where I’m hoping this is short term. With Froyo and now Gingerbread, android is at least as good as the iPhone. People haven’t necessarily caught on yet (geeks have) but there’s a reason why. Where are the froyo phones? Look at the mess of landscape where the manufacturers haven’t even released a froyo update for most of the phones out there. Froyo is on the horizon for many of them, but gingerbread is already out (and might I say, it kicks ass on my Nexus S). How long before they get to gingerbread?
Apple releases updates for their phones on a regular basis. The only android phones that get timely updates are the Nexus One and the Nexus S. Everything else is at the whim of the carrier and the manufacturer.
Until this model changes, Android is going to lag behind. And while it lags behinds, people are going to see Apple moving forward.
Hopefully, iPhone on Verizon biting into android sales will start to make manufacturers think, and once they do, maybe they’ll get their heads out of their asses and start treating our smartphones like the computing devices they are.
Android is now widespread, a small bump sure, but nothing major.
i dont think it wont do anything i just think all the people that have iphone now are gonna want it on verizon so im guessing they gonna swap.. but i do think alot of females will go to verizon iphone as NEW customers!!! not switching over. whatever good luck apple you gonna need it ANDROID GETS BETTER EVERYDAY
After seeing friends fed up with dropped calls and having to pay anything from $80. To 120. To get a battery replaced. I will stay with the droid. better OS, better product period. So much more yoy csn do with the droids. And with the new tegra phones, the iphone is no longer the leader butvthe follower
I’m just prepared to be annoyed at all of the people who can’t understand why their iphone won’t work with verizon
Iphone sucks period. I mean com on who the F would wanna upgrade their phone or cancel AT&T to switch to Verizon while Verizon already having their 4G phones line up. Just ridiculous.
@Andy. How many non geeks even know what a Froyo or Gingerbread is? To the type of people you’re talking about whatever they see on the phone when they pick it up is the latest. And if you tell them XYZ features are coming they’ll just be happy to know the phone will get even better. Again I’m just not seeing the case for geeks or non-geeks flocking to iPhones.
Droid Bionic any day of the week….
@Andy I could not agree more with your post! Apple releases updates ALL THE TIME! Why do I have a Galaxy S phone that STILL has 2.1??? Andy is right, the average user would not know, nor care what version of Android they have, but every time you sync your iPhone it checks to make sure you have the latest version of iOS. Wouldn’t that be sweet in Android?????
@whatever have you seen or heard of the Motorola Atrix 4G ? If not Google it. Enuf Said!
@Guardian452com – No problem! That’s what I’m here for! ;-)
I don’t know anything except i am really looking forward to this year and excited to figure out what duel core android phone I will be purchasing!
@Andy – “Until this model changes, Android is going to lag behind. And while it lags behinds, people are going to see Apple moving forward.” Hey Andy News Flash, do you know what the most purchased smartphone is in the US today and why? Do you know what platform it just had the distinction of passing in the U.S. smartphone market? Do you know which smartphone that most credible analyst predict will be number two and possibly number one in the future and why? Hint: Google it! ;-)
@Andy – “Hopefully, iPhone on Verizon biting into android sales will start to make manufacturers think, and once they do, maybe they’ll get their heads out of their asses and start treating our smartphones like the computing devices they are.” Your wish is their command: Google CES Best of Show Winners!
@InspectorGadget80 – “Iphone sucks period.” there are quite a few MILLION people out there that might disagree with you on this one buddy! 10 of millions of phones 300,000 alleged apps, premium price tag, mature eco-system, an incredibly loyal (arguably sheep-like) ifan base and Billions of dollars in the bank later, even I would have to debate the suck-i-ness of the i-product. In relative technical/functional terms to a typical 3rd gen Android based device, I do concur with this general sentiment, but not when taken as a whole. Google still has some growing to do here.
Hopefully it will expose the truth ATT network is actually good..its the iphone that doesn’t work. ATT won’t even have to take the blame for apple since they lost their exclusivity deal. That might actually turn to be a big blow for apple.
* How will the Verizon iPhone affect sales of Verizon Droid devices?
It can only help as iphone users will be those apple users who already believe they have a superior product. Anyone coming in that does not know much about smartphones will be sold on any android product over an iphone by Verizon sales reps who have been selling these superior products over the inferior iphones on at&t for the past year+. MOST current Android users will not switch because we are the type who do not like boundaries… the boundaries that jobs and apple like to put on all their products. There’s a reason the Android OS has become a household name. As the writer of this column has pointed out, apple did not have the leverage in their negotiations with Verizon as the Droid lineup has taken over. It won’t be long before iphone is as common as blackberry.. both of which will end up going nowhere.
* Will many former Verizon Android owners defect to the iPhone when it launches just because it’s the iPhone?
I like to give Verizon customers more credit than that, in a general sense of course. There will be some who will defect to the dark side because they think it’s the popular thing to do. More often than not, these will be the uneducated consumers.
* Will AT&T iPhone users lead a mass exodus to Verizon?
This is very likely. most iphone users HATE at&t and have been salivating at this potential birth. One real big possibility is that they are sold on an Android product once they make it in the door. We’ll see however, because I’m sure mr jobs will somehow be in every Verizon store trying to control things as usual.
iPhone4 on Verizon won’t be a blip on the global radar. The exclusive AT&T deal is a US only disadvantage to consumers. Verizon’s CDMA technology doesn’t mean squat outside the US. Verizon will be the biggest winner as it will steal AT&T subscribers who believe AT&T is responsible for the iPhone dropped call issue. Unfortunately most of the iPhone loyalists are stuck with an iPhone 4 AT&T contract so they won’t be jumping ship right away. I wonder if they will continue to blame the carrier (Verizon) if the iPhone continue to drop calls? I think most of those that wanted an iPhone have moved to AT&T to get one. I don’t see enough net new iPhone subscribers to slow Android’s US or global growth.
There will be some people that switch from an Android to an iPhone but at the same time some of those users will regret it and just want to go back. Some will switch and stay. Some will switch and come back.
Hmm now lets see a tablet/phone vs the iPhone4 that I honestly don’t think is going to be announced tomorrow? Especially when on a line up everything else is bigger than that pos I think android will be fine and you need to stop trying to find an excuse to report apple crap
Its over Android is dead!!!!!! Thank God!!! Ive had 5 android phones!!!! All un supportted!!!!
I think the point that a lot of people are missing is that it is to Verizon’s benefit to keep Android as a viable alternative to iOS. I think there is no doubt that Verizon got the iPhone (if that’s the announcement) to reduce the effect that their Android devices were having on the iPhone’s market share. If the iPhone dominates over Android, then Verizon loses the advantage they had and end up having to kiss Apple’s feet. Remember that Apple originally wanted Verizon to carry the iPhone, but Verizon would not hand over so much control to Apple. With the success of Verizon’s Droid franchise, it’s Apple that has had to make concessions to Verizon.
Then again. if Verizon is really getting the iPhone, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a standard offering for all carriers. Which leaves it as “just another smartphone”…
If the Iphone goes to VW and more people have the Ipohne(two big IF’s) then it won’t be exclusive. Maybe then people will switch to android to be “different”. If beening different is a reason that people buy phones. Just a thought……
I love my Droid X… BUT, it seems as though the manufacturers forget about their products after a certain length of time. Droid X was THE top of the line phone alongside the Evo but still hasn’t received 2.3. At least when Apple releases an update, you don’t have to worry about when you are going to get it because everyone will get it at the same time. Unlike Android manufacturers, Apple has found a way to make a phone last a year without having to update it and still be able to compete. Android phones are constantly being updated. Yes the Motorola Bionic looks sweet, but 2 months after it’s release there is going to be a better one. With Apple, I am not tempted to spend $500 every couple of months to keep up with the latest technology. Apple phones have a sleek operating system and hardware that won’t be outdated before the release of it’s predecessor a year later. That’s how I see this competition. Don’t get me wrong I love Google and my Android OS phone, but I think I am going to have to go with Apple once the iPhone 5 comes out.
The Droid iPhone? haha..
cant wait for the next year years CES to see what technology has in store for us. :)
honestly a few years ago this would’ve had a huge impression on VZW. Unless your living in a bubble….as some are…The staff I know for this company have been almost from day one extremely excited about android. It obvious with the push that’s happened since NOV 7th 2009 (the droid launch) that this is the current future of mobile. Iphone will be great to bring people in…it will be also next to something that if you consider the two…more open. This will help in the long term. Most people it’s still very new to them
Really comical to read all of the fandroids try to fool themselves into thintking
I believe a lot of AT&T users of the iPhone (like myself) will switch to verizon wireless as its more superior and less congested (for now) I know I will :)
@Storm14K: the case for non-geeks going to the iphone is simple. It’s an iphone. It’s “THE” phone people think of when they hear smartphone. For geeks it’s a little trickier. I know plenty of geeks that love the iPhone model and would go to it in a heartbeat if it was available on [insert their choice of carrier]. Verizon will capture a huge chunk of those at least initially is my guess. Will it make a ding in android sales? maybe, maybe not but I’m guessing it will for verizon.
@The_Omega_Man: I’m well aware that android has eclipsed iphone total share numbers. There’s a reason for that. Android runs on alot of phones (not all even remotely the same in terms of capabilities). The iPhone is a small handful of phones. I also fail to see how the CES best in show lists show that manufacturers are getting taht smartphones are computing devices. Yes, they’re releasing a boatload of android tablets. what’s that got to do with smartphones? Supporting products longterm is not cheap. Phone manufacturers in the past, sold a phone, and then had to deal with warranty claims, major fixes (on some cases they never bothered with fixes for anything) and that was it. With modern smartphones they need to deal with maintenance and keeping the OS up to date. That’s a model that neither manufacturers nor carriers really want. With android, you’re dealing with both many manufacturesrs and many carriers with their fingers in the pot. With the iphone you’re dealing with 1 manufacturer, apple, who has a vested interested in keeping it up to date, and the power apple and iphone’s cachet actually wields over carriers. Google hasn’t demonstrated that power with vendor-marketed phones, and manufacturers have also not demonstrated that power with android. The tablet market ain’t going to change that, especially since the OS is now forked to two separate lines, tablet and smartphone.
There will be a big impact.
Android is nice, but the quality is still not par with iPhone. Look into the SMS bugs, the Nexus S random reboot during phone call, random ring tones assigned, and what not.
Gosh! If Google does not fix this quickly, I will jump ship!
A Verizon iPhone is going to sting android for sure. There will be lines around the block the first day it drops. People will eat the cost of a new phone, and break contracts to jump on the bandwagon.
Lets be honest, Android was bolstered by AT&T’s monopoly. If the iPhone were to appear on Sprint, and T-mobile next, Android sales would drop dramatically without question.
I am on Sprint. I didn’t jump on the AT&T bandwagon for the iPhone, and I sure as hell wont be getting in bed with Verizon for an iPhone either. I will be getting an Evo Shift in 45 days, and will be perfectly fine.
@Andy – There were more than Tablets/Slates announced at this past CES. There were several new smartphones too!
What it did show there was that the mobile industry is definitely going to converge with general purpose computing and the carriers will be at the forefront of this convergence, by providing both the motive and the means to get there. at&t commissioned Motorola to build the Atrix 4G for them, to help lead the charge into the mobile nexus that is happening now, (as opposed to when apple says it should) thanks to products like Android.
Any CEM has to deal with maintenance & support and the carriers have accepted their role as the initial customer interface for both service and support. Their cost models take this into account.
“That’s a model that neither manufacturers nor carriers really want. With android, you’re dealing with both many manufacturers and many carriers with their fingers in the pot. With the iphone you’re dealing with 1 manufacturer, apple” This is both a good and a bad thing. IMHO Read On.
Note: You are talking apples and oranges when you attempt to compare apple’s and Google’s mobile models.
Personally, I get my support from two places, the carrier for any hardware issues and the support forums for any software issues.
Apple takes on SOME of the support burden themselves, but they also reap most of the profits and as a result THEY (apple) basically own the customer, not the carrier. However, the at&t customers can and do go to at&t and any other authorized retailer for support as well. How is this any different than someone going to Verizon or Sprint and then to HTC for support. Just because Google produces the base OS does not mean that Google is the go to entity for support of a given manufacture’s flavor of the base OS. Google is responsible for the base OS issues/releases, only. The typical Android customer is not figuratively hanging in the wind here, or Android would not have the level of popularity that it does today. The community has willfully filled in the support gaps, where applicable. With apple, a customer with a problem is solely at their mercy. I used to see early iphoners waiting weeks to get their phones back from apple. Paying to get batteries changed or cracked screens replaced. No phone insurance options, because apple and at&t said so. Thanks to competition like Android, many of these old policies are gone, but the apple problem denial thing is still there. Yea that is the great support that I only want to be able to go to ONE source to help me resolve! The source that puts the problem back on me (“Your holding it wrong!”) and wants us to pay to fix it!?! No thanks! BTW, how is that proximity sensor thing working out for ya? Don’t forget to call apple and tell them you need support! Oh and how much is MobileMe these days, i’m just curious?
Google does provide some of the back-end services, and does provide support for those specific services, that they provide. Some like the “One throat to choke,” mantra and assume that they will be spoon feed by that “throat” for any and all future updates. The reality is that that is your throat, that is really being choked, while your wallet is being picked and your choices being taken away!
In the Android OS model I have choices where I get my updates, apps, support and products. It is up to me to determine just how much risk I want to take and on what products that I want to take that risk on. As a crude example, I do not buy my PCs ready made. I do my research, then I build them using the parts that I like/want and I support my own PCs, not DELL, IBM, HP, Sony or apple. That gives me the flexibility to build my PC the way I want/need to use it, not the way some lame manufacture decided that I can or should. If don’t like the way my smartphone is working or functioning, I can flash a new ROM on it. Am I the average smartphone user, will probably not do this, but the Android market, as we know it, is really only 2+ years mature. Where was iOS @ version 2.3? Android is like a modern sports car not an old luxury sedan. It requires some effort to get the most out of it. But when you get it dialed-in the way you want, look out!
Note: Anything truly worth a damn is worth working hard to get! The lazy can simply cruse in the same old boring sedan. At least you have options. ;-)
apple’s “power,” that you mentioned, consists basically of play ball our way or screw you, you don’t get to play at all! Or, at least, it used to be that way! You can thank Google with Android for changing that attitude just a bit. Android is the playing field leveler, here. It put the carriers into the driver’s seat, for better or for worse. But hey, you and I are getting some GREAT mobile options and capabilities as a result, so it is not all bad.
Note: VZW does not really need i-products as much as apple needs VZW! Who has the power now? ;)
Google controls the base OS and the back end integrated services. The rest is up to the manufactures and carriers as part of the Open Android OS model, and so far that model seems to be working well for all of them.
FYI.. if your smartphone does what you need it to do well, why worry about all of the OS upgrades? These things only have a 6-12mo. life span at this stage anyway. The Pocket PCs have yet to arrive.
Initially there will be a lot of new iPhone users on Verizon. If they really want it, they will get it. In fact, if they really wanted an iPhone I really doubt they would have waited this long.
As someone in an earlier post stated, carrier exclusivity is really just a U.S. thing. In the rest of the world, where you can get an Android, iPhone and BB on all carriers Android has done extremely well.
With my home computers, I’m a huge Apple fan…but I’ve tried the iPhone before and for me (and surely others) it’s simply not an Android phone. There are some good reasons to switch to an iPhone (especially if you’re leaving AT&T) but to leave a paradigm of great free apps and move to one where equal apps cost on an average $2-7 isn’t a wise thing…at least I don’t think it is. Time will tell, but for those of us who live in the Google Cloud…I don’t see us holding an iPhone to our face in the near future.
What you guys are failing to realise is that in other countries, there is no exclusivity deals. Here you can get the iphone on any carrier and can get it unlocked for use on another carrier for free. (Australia is 100% GSM with telstra replacing the only CDMA network years ago). Yet android is still going strong here, particularly with the HTC desire and Galaxy S available. Id say any effect would be small and short lived. There will be a large number of iPhone users on your Verizon CDMA network, but most of these will be former AT&T. They will share the iPhone population between them
I saw many leave the IPhone for Android back in November of 2009 because they hated ATT network that much.
So, I expect even more will leave Iphone on ATT for Iphone on Verizon.
Having had my original Droid for over a year now, it will take some serious convincing to get me to opt for IPhone over Droid. I have my eye on the Droid Bionic(hate the name), but the phone looks awesome!!!
Last thought: I think now, IPhone needs Verizon WAY more than Verizon needs IPhone. I think Verizon could stay fat and happy with all the new Droid hardware coming down the pike will pretty much bitch-slap the IPhone(IMHO).
Those who are big users of Google services might find – if they switch to the iPhone – that they lose a fair amount of usability and convenient access to the said services. If the user isn’t a big music consumer, current iPod/Touch/iTunes user, or games player, again, the iPhone would not be a significant draw beyond the status symbol aspect. If a user liked the whole idea of widgets and live feed/data living on the desktop of the phone, iPhone would be a letdown. Ditto if they liked live notifications from various apps, and the status bar. So I would say it depends on a user’s profile and what they were interested in or already using on Android.
Well I have a Droid Incredible and an Ipod touch. If and when the iphone comes out..I will sell my Ipod touch and buy an iphone so I can switch back and forth between devices when i get bored. If google had an Itunes type program and similar player on their Android OS I wouldn’t need an iphone / ipod.
IPhone is great — if you like it get it.
Me — I like having options and chosing the hardware I want to use. I love the evolution of the larger screens — Iphone cant give me that. I like Android web browsing better as well.
If IPhone began evolving to meet my needs I would defintiely consider it, but they havent shown they will. Its quite simple — who ever gives the consumer what they want will do well.
The fandroids are in denial! If you don’t think that the Verizon iPhone will negatively affect Android sales then you are absolutely fooling yourself. Newsflash: it already has! Don’t believe me?? Here’s the proof: http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2011/01/09/weak-android-sales-mean-verizon-needs-iphone/
Some people will probably switch, but it won’t be the end of Android like Apple fanboys hope. It has already proven itself to be a worthy competitor that in many ways is superior to iOS.
@The_Omega_Mann I think you and I are approaching this from different segments. I agree with most of what you say about android. However, that’s me, as a geek. When I put myself in my wifes shoes (or other non-geek friends) I think completely differently:
“What it did show there was that the mobile industry is definitely going to converge with general purpose computing and the carriers will be at the forefront of this convergence, by providing both the motive and the means to get there. at&t commissioned Motorola to build the Atrix 4G for them, to help lead the charge into the mobile nexus that is happening now”
Funny you mention at&t. Outside of the iphone which they don’t have that much control over, their android offerings suck. They’re mostly polluted with carrier based crap, have application sideloading restrictions. But that’s the case with nearly all of the carrier provided phones, AT&T just happens to be one of the more annoying ones now.
“Personally, I get my support from two places, the carrier for any hardware issues and the support forums for any software issue.”
This is a problem. Yes, with two points of support, theoreitcally you could get better support. I will argue that the iPhone has much better support from a single source. Yes, there are anecdotal cases where that’s not the case, but
1) google support unfortunately isn’t alot better than apples, it takes large media attention sometimes to get major bugs fixed, contacting google isn’t as easy as it is contacting apple
2) hardware support varies depending on manufacturer and carrier. And I for one do not trust the carriers.
“FYI.. if your smartphone does what you need it to do well, why worry about all of the OS upgrades? These things only have a 6-12mo. life span at this stage anyway.”
This is a mentality that gadget geeks have. My wife, and most of my friends, don’t want to replace their phones every 6-12 months. Hell, alot of my friends don’t ever want to replace their phones. they replace them out of necessity. (phone dies, is lost or whatever). the Iphone 3GS i keep on talking about is about 18 months old, guess what, it works as well as most of the android phones out there. Why? Apple knows that people don’t necessarily want to upgrade, and knows that people won’t necessarily upgrade right away. making the hardware last, and keeping it up to date is a huge piece to keep loyal customers.
If you look at the vast majority of android phones of the same age as the iphone 3gs they are mostly still running android 1.6/1.5. That’s pathetic. In some cases, there are hardware limitations preventing them from moving forward, but hey, apple did it with the 3GS. The mytouch 3g is probably the best example, and even running froyo, it’s a pretty pathetic piece of hardware compared to what the iphone 3gs is. Ever try playing angry birds on a mytouch 3g? :)
You’re putting your hands into the carriers and the manufacturers and trusting them. I’m not. the carriers and manufacturers (at least here in the US) have not had a history of understanding the consumer. Manufacturers don’t market to the consumers here. US consumers want free/cheap phones, so manufacturers cater to the demands of the carriers to provide them with phones they can subsidize. They’re not used to giving the people what they want becuase that’s not the market. The carriers here just don’t give a damn. You have 4 big carriers. In many parts of the country, you have only access to 2 of them (or 2 total carriers if you count some smaller carriers). They don’t care if they piss you off, where are you going to go? Apple on the other hand has a proven track record marketing to consumers. Sure they don’t always do what we geeks want, but for the average consumer, apple does a pretty damn good job. And with the iphone 3GS they did it with a phone that will easily go 2 years. My wife is still very happy with our 1 1/2 year old iphone 3GS. I asked her if she wanted to get an iphone 4 and the response was, “why? this one does everything i want and does it well’.
@ Omega Man
-Larger screen? Couldn’t make the same argument for smaller screen? I know I would not want to carry something of that size in my pocket.
-WiFi hotspot – you can tether with an iPhone
-Removable and Changeable SD Storage cards (max 32 GB)- why is this an benefit? My iPhone has 32GB flash memory – and it was not an aftermarket purchase.
-8MP camera – as a photography enthusiast, I can say, that higher MP count does not mean better pictures. But don’t take my word on it, hear is what PC Mag had to say: http://www.pcworld.com/article/199844/iphone_4_vs_droid_x_a_headtohead_comparison.html -MP3 support? I am not sure what you mean here. I have hundreds, if not thousands of MP3s on my iPhone.
-HDMI out – ok point taken but I have component out so this does not really impact me.
-Adobe Flash support – that is kind of funny considering that the support provided is limited.
-As for widgets, I would rather use the app and save the battery – just my opinion. If you are someone that wants live updating, this is a valid point.
-Love the openness…especially when trying to find something simple like the Wall St Journal app – nothing like getting 20 hits for it, 19 of which are bs and are trolling. Damn you Jobs!!!
-How come you never mention video, video editing or screen resolution? How come you never mention a second forward facing camera?
-So what you are saying is that the Droid X is not just better better than the iPhone, but in a different sport altogether, because of limited Adobe support, DLNA, Replaceable keyboards, Live Wallpaper and Widgets? That these qualities trump, better battery life, more native memory, snappier OS (and by that I mean more fluid), higher screen resolution, facetime/second camera, an app ecosystem that is less fragmented and the ability to just jailbreak an iPhone and obtain all of the Droid X benefits on your own?
I am not persuaded that these two devices are not in the same ballpark, let alone the same league.
Guys, please take a look at the rest of the world, more specifically Europe. All carriers have the iPhone and still Android is leading the way. AT&T will not go easily out of the equation, they will at last offer new high end phones that will do (they did it already in CES11). on a statistical graphic, Apple will have an upward bump for 3 months (same as the one they had after the iPhone 4 launch, oh wait.. this is exactly a simulation of what the situation of the Verizon iPhone will be, everyone believed that the iphone will have a devastating effect on the market share but it only managed to stabilize it and keep the line horizontal ), but the Android Juggernaut will keep rolling with amazing new devices and software boosts of Android. What Android gives us is choice, & I love the freedom of doing anything with my phone without a guy with a turtle neck keeps dictating how I can use my phone.
Android users won’t switch to the iphone, main reason – they are all cheap bastards! LOL. They already complain about the 15 minute refund window, and on iPhone they would have NO return window….hypocrites if they do switch…
-Brad
@SIGINT.
Sorry, but there won’t be “lines around the block”. The only reason there are such things when Apple releases a phone is they keep the door locked on purpose to make the lines look long, to portray that image. Verizon doesn’t do that bullcrap, you go in, get your phone, and get out. None of this “fake line” BS.
-B
This is GREAT news for Android users. It means that Google and the Android manufacturers cannot sit back and expect Verizon to play ball. Android can and should improve. It’s a wonderful platform but there are ways it can be improved, particularly in the area of media play.
I can’t wait to see the Android response.
feb 10,2011!!
Oh, and if it wasn’t obvious….I have no intention of switching to iPhone now but I’ll certainly consider my options in 2 years.
However, now my “must haves” are informed by Android’s…real multitasking, tight integration with Google, widgets, customizable launchers. If iPhone doesn’t have all those and more, I’ll probably still be with Android for my next contract.
I love living in the future.
Is there any word as to whether this will support mobile wifi?
R.I.P. Droid…..
Its not gonna do anything to android because it cant do voice and data simultaneously BUUUhahahahahahahahahahah what a F up !!!!
The immediate impact will be on AT&T. Those iPhone users who hate the AT&T network will blindly jump ship, expecting Big Red to save the day. They have a big network, but their 3G service in many areas is worse that EDGE.
Some android people will go over to iPhone, but those people were going to leave the android platform anyway. Android, unfortunately, still needs quite a bit of “polishing” in order to please the average “I just want my phone to work out of the box” user. Users like us who enjoy tinkering and tweaking will not defect.
I honestly think the VZW switch could hurt Apple long term. There have been “rumors” that have persisted for years that its not just AT&T making the iPhone look bad. It could be a crappy device in some areas. We’ll see!
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/splash/iphone.jsp
In response to Jdub,
“R.I.P Droid…..”
Yep, iPhone is definitely an Android Killer.
BTW, there were no iPhone Killers and there are no iPad Killers. ‘Nuf said.
@andrea
android cant do that either smh
@Chris
Android most definitely can use data and voice at the same time, you have to be on 3G to take advantage of it.
@chris
thats incorrect, i do it on my evo all the time.
I view this as great news. At& t is forced to change to stay competitive. This was shown at CES a ton of android phones were announced. I only hope att loosen up it’s restriction but fear not cause the consumers have xda and other developers to unlock all the potential these new phones announced at ces. This to me is great news.
@omar
not with verizon you cant
its not a 4g phone and no voice and data simultaneously… Isnt that the point of a smartphone…
What is going to happen to the Droid commercials? Those really gave Android a boost in the US. Now that Verizon is selling the iPhone, will it still have the ad budget for Droid? Will AT&T pick up the slack?
AT&T’s ads stink. Windows 7 ads stink. Blackberry’s ads stink. Apple’s ads are great. Droid ads are great. I hope someone picks up the spirit of the Droid ads as Verizon lowers their profile (in favor of “Rule the Air” & whatever iPhone ad they put put).
@Omar – the limitation of simultaneous voice and data is inherent in all CDMA phones. With the CDMA standard you just can’t do it. So if you’re on Sprint on Verizon voice is given priority over data. If you want data and voice simultaneously use wifi.
I already see people on facebook saying they will drop their
incredibles and evos for am iphone…..
People are definitely excited
Forgive me, folks…but the moment I can get an iPhone through Sprint, my EVO gets sold/thrown away/etc once that iOS goodness gets in my hands.
I love my EVO, and Android does indeed rock…but I just like the iOS more. *shrug* Of course, that doesn’t mean I HATE Android, I just prefer the iPhone far more.
No hating, please. Just stating my opinion. Of course, till the iPhone DOES come to Sprint, you can pry my EVO from my cold, dead hands. ;)
I don’t think the verizon Iphone will do much harm to android lovers. We are a large and loyal crew with the exception of those who don’t really know what their smartphone can do and would get an iphone just because it’s an iphone. i can see people leaving at&t by the masses to get their iphone on the best network. as for me personally and i know i speak for millions like me.. i love android because of it’s openness. they are innovating the way we use our phones everyday from custom roms to remote pc. i think this will only have positive effects because as rob put it competition is healthy and we as consumers will benefit..
Verizon’s iphone 3g! Why would anyone in their right mind buy that outdated phone when you can have a droid bionic, motorola Atrix, HTC Evo…..those who lock themselves into a 2 year contract for a 3G iphone are probably those who prefer style over substance. Verizon is smiling cause they can get a few more years out of their “superior” 3g network. Meanwhile, within another year the 4g iphone will be available on all 4 carriers. Apple will have to allow it if they hope to continually grow market share. I predict that Atrix will blaze on ATT 4G network, and i’m no fan of ATT. Verizon’s illusion about having this superior network will continue to fade as people realize that all 4 carriers will have comparable 4g speeds and reliability. There will come a time that the iphone will reach its saturation point, and its coming soon. Verizon will get a bump initially at ATT’s expense, but savvy consumers see they the hype and will realize that there are better phones and cheaper plans out there. Verizon is cap happy anyway, so that will alienate alot of heavy users. To me this is no big deal, just an outdated phone for Verizon. Would have been more sexy if they were offering a 4g iphone right now. Outdated phone with exhorbitant verizon bills? No thanks!
What more does android have to offer? Im just curious? I hope you all are not talking about some stupid widgets. If so LMFAO. I have an android phone now because I have to. Its second best to an IPhone. Im sorry to say that, but its true. I used to have and Iphone 2G and I liked way better than the Samsung Fascinate I have now. All the rooting and crap. IOS is way more polished and elegant. A drop down status bar and widgets do no define customization. Sorry. Dont even get me started on the Apps. No matter what anyone says, I can tell you from first hand experience that the Iphone has the best Apps. The Android market always gets watered down versions of IOS apps at a later time.(Xfinity Mobile). I am getting this phone, and so are thousands to millions of other people. Really who’s gonna be in line at verizon and be like “Is this dual core? Oh and will LTE hit at least 21 MBPS”. NO ONE CARES! This is the freaking IPHONE PEOPLE. This changes everything, AGAIN.
Android will last if for at least one reason: you can’t get a keyboard setup on the iPhone.
“This changes everything, AGAIN.”
Wow, some idiot screaming about how awesome the iPhone is is also quoting Apple adds. What are the odds?
Walter, I will answer your question. Who’s gonna be in line at the Verizon store? You and all the other suckers who worship at the altar of Steve Jobs…… ;)
Actually no, this doesn’t change everything. It changes something, but hardly everything. It’s still the same device. As many, many, many analysts have already stated the vast majority of people who wanted iphones have already switched. What it really does is it keeps Verizon from bleeding customers to ATT just for the iphone. Someone just like yourself. You have a fascinate, now you’ll get an iphone. Total number of changes to subscriber count for Vzw? 0. It will pull people from ATT to Vzw that’s certain, but certainly won’t be a torrent. If you doubt this, Engadget’s poll “Will you get Verion’s iphone 4” poll as of 1 PM PST has 42% stating they will not be getting an Vzw iphone 4. The next closest category is 20% saying they’ll wait for iphone5. As for the apps, they’re ports. That’s it and that’s also to be expected since Apple had a significant head start in user count. As Android surpasses ios in total user count the incentive to develop first for ios and then port to Android will lessen. I had my doubts about this too, but in most markets outside of the US the iphone is available on multiple carriers and Android activations are still increasing. Total user count is why you see the vast majority of desktop apps written for Windows then ported to Mac, though that’s easier now since they’re on Intel chips. I don’t know if Android will be the largest OS, but whoever it is, app developers will inevitably write for that OS first and then port to others later.
Oh and I should also point out there’s a reason for apps in the first place: the iphone didn’t have enough resources to run full blown applications due SOC resource limitations. So they created apps that took the functionality out of a full blown browser or desktop OS and placed it in to the phone OS. This the real paradigm shift. The iphone is a mobile computing platform that developers made successful. But we’ll see how well the need for apps holds up because as you can tell from the Android hardware, the SOC’s are rapidly catching up in terms of processor power to laptops. If this fully happens, as it looks like it will, then the need for apps evaporates. Everything will move back to the public cloud again via a browser, just like it’s been doing on the desktop space. You can already see this transition happening now as the mobile browsers are slowly ditching the mobile websites and going straight to the content heavy full sites. This what Blackberry and Google are both betting on. As the hardware and the networks increase in functionality the need for apps will go away. As the transition continues, the importance of the branding on the hardware will also go away. There will always be consumers who want an Apple device because it’s viewed as a status symbol of sorts, but the vast majority will simply plug in for the functionality. Sorry this was a bit off topic…
@ Walter:
Could not have said it better myself! In the iPhone you have the most elegant, polished user interface with hands down the best available 3rd party software. The number one reason why people settle for fake iPhones has been addressed today…..the best phone on the best network…..what a combination
LOL. You people are real slow. Dont play like you dont know apple is a BEAST and what this will do. Wait till Jobs announces the numbers in June. Android doesn’t do its own hardware, has a ton of manufacturers, and the software upgrades for phones are just all fragmented. Oh just wait, The super duper atrix bionic galactic strawberry shortcake android delux phone with dual core will be the best. ROFL, LOL, LMFAO. Too Funny. Android can update and tweak all they want. Again, This is the Iphone, dont down play the facts. Android is still in Beta, Fugly ass OS. You need launchers and widgets to cover it up.
JDub drinking Verizon kool-aid. Best network? VZW is on their 3g network. I see people like you are very susceptible to advertising. If you happen to notice, VZ and ATT dont even have 4g network using handsets yet. There is no credible study proving that VZW has the best network, thats just called good advertising. People like you probably truly believe that VZ has no dropped calls or dead spots. Trust me, they have plenty.
Hey Wally, go buy the VZ iphone already! Get a two year contact and talk to me in 2013 about how you regretted buying a 3g phone when 4G is here! From a tech viewpoint, your “new” VZ iphone is ALREADY a dinosaur!
Well, in the desktop space there are many manufacturers and Windows PC’s consistently have the fastest processors, graphics cards and most powerful sounds cards available on them. If you miss these parallels, I hope you’re not a product planner because you’ll be out of a job soon. And no Apple isn’t a beast, it’s a company that’s been brought to it’s knees once before and under the exact same circumstances as what is unfolding right now. You don’t sound old enough to remember the first Mac, but in it’s desktop hey day the Mac division was doing very, very well. But PC’s kept on going and then MS released Windows 95 and Mac’s cratered. It was only after they re-made the company into a more a style company than a tech company that they recovered. It’s a lesson I think they’ve learned well. They’ve got lots of patents and are suing HTC, it’s likely their dominant position at stake in that case. I like the just wait for Jobs’s announcement…that’s very factual of you. Fragmentation isn’t such an issue with only 12% of phones now on 2.1 or less. If you want to take fragmentation then you need to address the manufacturers and the carriers role in determining that. Google and Android do not control that aspect of the product. If you purchased an Android device that did not have the features you wanted and bought on a promise of upgrades, then I have a bridge I’d like to sell you too. You speak of covering up the OS, but you know it’s designed for that right? It doesn’t have to have the same interface. You can make it look as nice and as pretty as you want Wally, no ones holding you back. Oh and if you want features, here’s one: Flash.
I don’t think this is going to sell on Verizon that great… Everyone on Verizon that has wanted an iphone “like” device has gotten an Android..
And after seeing all the things you CAN do with Android, I’m sure having a locked down iphone would bring them straight back to Android…
You fandroids are such GEEKS!!! Its so funny reading all of this geek-induced psycho babble, as if the average Joe Schmoe gives a damn about LTE, ABC, EFG, etc. They want an elegantly designed phone with an intuitive, easy to use interface with access to the BEST third party apps you can find. On these points, the iPhone has no equal….
Hey Jdub, go join Wally in a 2 year contract with VZ and lets see how happy you are come 2013! You can join my 87 yo grandmother and 10 year old niece who find the iphone UI very simple…yeah they need the iphone to play angry birds LMAO
You know, geeks designed these products you’re lusting after…just sayin’
2 year contracts.lol me and a bunch of other people buy phones at retail price or off ebay. if you think a contract is gonna stop people frpm buying verizon iphones, then you better think twice. remember, this is tax time people and apple knows what the hell they’re doing.
Yeah but the Apple geeks make products with the average consumer in mind; the Android geeks make products with the geeks in mind…..just sayin’
Hehehe…You’re wrong, Apple doesn’t make products with the average user in mind. Apple makes great products in general. You’ll notice I never said the iphone was a bad product, it’s an excellent product. If it was an average user product why do so many geeks have one? Who wrote the first killer app for an iphone? It was a geek who needed or wanted his iphone to do something cool, it was not and never will be an average consumer. Just because the UI makes it easier for average consumers doesn’t not mean it was targeted at the average consumer. Geeks are geeks, they will always create technology you will eventually want.
In the same way Windows grew to dominate the desktop space, you should expect Android to do the same. UI is very easily changed, as some have pointed out and tried to use as a knock against Android. But to be honest if you can’t figure out to use Android quickly, well I can’t help you with that.
But someone mentioned third party apps. What happens when you don’t need the app store? This is what Apple’s model is built on. What if you can get the same functionality by going to a website. If you’re connected you can just as easily go to a website and play AngryBirds for free and for viewing an ad as if you had paid for it. Based on this what is Apple going to do? Make sure you pay for apps. But Apple management sees the writing on the wall, app stores are going away. That’s why they bought iAd. What happens to those apps when they’re no longer written for ios? All that stuff about how the apps work better on the iphone also goes away. That’s the real reason why Apple doesn’t support Flash. Because it will give users the app experience without paying Apple for the apps. But if you’re cool with paying for the same stuff everyone else gets basically for free, that’s cool with me. There’s room for everyone. I’m not saying it’s a bad choice, it’s just yours and not mine. Nice conversing with you.
Zeo rocks! And Wally you are getting ripped off buying a VZ 3g iphone for retail price. Its already old technology!
Worst thing ever. I moved from att to verizon to get away from a bogged down network. Looks like I will have to deal with crappy sprint now. Verizons network is about to get murdered. Welcome to edge speeds everyone.
Also, Iphone 4g will be out within a year. Cannot wait to see the crying about upgrades. Belt.
I’m going to as reasonable as possible answering these questions.
How will the Verizon iPhone affect sales of Verizon Droid devices?
I will undoubtedly have an effect. I’m sure droid sales will slip, but I still feel they will be strong. If anything, More people are going to be leaving feature phones and dumbphones and upgrading to smartphones, so numbers on both sides won’t be hurting. However, if international sales are any hint at how things will go, Android will continue to grow at a faster rate.
Will many former Verizon Android owners defect to the iPhone when it launches just because it’s the iPhone?
Many android users are pretty hard core as far as I know. Sure, some little kids might of got an android phone cause they were on verizon and they wanted a smartphone. They might defect, but I think older users will start to transfer to android in the same way they did to blackberry. There are far more possibilities with android phones, and of course, a larger selection.
Will AT&T iPhone users lead a mass exodus to Verizon?
I think they may want to NOW, but when they learn about the high price it will come with, they may decide to stay and see what happens at the end of their contract. Of course, a lot of people left verizon for the Iphone, and i’m sure well see many of them come back, but people that were already on att, or people that started on att after the iphone probably will stay. I’m sure att will get better because of this too.
While I agree that the iphone is nice and simple and clean, what does it have to offer that is better then an Android phone? An Android phone has Google Maps, can do Flash in its browser ( which I use all the time), and is easier to program for. There are things that I can develop on an Android phone that you just aren’t allowed to do on an iPhone unless of course its jailbroken.
-B
While I understand fully well what android is capable of there’s just no denying the fact that most consumers NEED to be associated with a brand and in tech that is typically Apple.
I hardly think android is going to be damaged in any meaningful long term way (at&t will be short term tho), we’ll get to see if it was at&t or apple’s fault for the bad quality.
The last thing I want to point out is, while the 4g capability is nice on these new droids it’ll almost be entirely useless to most people for months so they’ll just be paying the premium for 2 years (that is guaranteed to be higher than sprint’s $10).
After my experience with the Vibrant….
FUCK YOU ANDROID!
If Apple gave me an iphone with a 4.5”Super Amoled screen, I’d bite.
Yea the iPhone is so easy to use, so intuitive….:
.
http://forums.macrumors.com/forumdisplay.php?f=109
.
Yea read thru that section. The iPhone is like ANY other smart phone. Perfect example:
.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=349908
.
Read the last 2 posts in that topic. Yea the fix was easy….but thats for ppl that say the iPhone is so easy, so elegant, so intuitive…lol
Oh and I see some ppl still have this crazy idea that Android is only available on Verizon…lol
.
Android on Verizon, sales will see a dent initially. Then Android on Verizon will bounce back and be fine.
.
Android overall? They are on other carriers folks. And just like everyone on AT&T didnt get an iPhone, everyone on Verizon wont get an iPhone.