Just two days after The Wall Street Journal reports that AT&T is soon to lose it’s exclusive grip on Apple’s iPhone, The NY Times is now making a similar claim:
After more than three years of using only AT&T cellphone networks, Apple is now making a version of the iPhone 4 for Verizon’s network, according to a person who is in direct contact with Apple. Apple and Verizon will begin selling the phone early next year, said the person, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because the plans were supposed to be confidential and he did not want to alienate his contacts at Apple.
The iPhone/Verizon rumor is nothing new, of course, but having two major newspapers back the rumor gives it far more weight. While it is unknown if the WSJ and NYT have the same source or not, the very fact that two separate groups of editors decided the story was feasible enough to run is huge. Journalists at this level just don’t print rumors without significant backing.
While it isn’t hard to judge what long-term effects a Verizon iPhone would have on AT&T, such a device’s impact on Android is harder to gauge. While Verizon has historically offered Blackberrys as their high-end handsests, Android has dominated the carrier’s offerings since last year with the release of the original Motorola Droid. A Verizon iPhone would exist side-by-side with Android’s best offerings, giving customers a new set of choices, as most Android devices on other carriers aren’t as popular or full-featured as Big Red’s.
Time will tell if the stories about this device prove to be true, but if they do, it will — without a doubt — be a huge win for Apple.
Article via Mac Rumors
