The mythical Verizon iPhone has got to be one of the most rumored, desired phones in recent memory, and a recent article reports that the device has nearly come to fruition more than a few times in the past. Wired has exposed many of the more strained parts of AT&T and Apple's relationship since the release of the first iPhone in 2007, including AT&T reportedly asking Apple to limit features of the iPhone, like making YouTube use WiFi only, while AT&T built out its network. These requests obviously were denied by Apple, who refused to compromise the customer experience because of AT&T's network.
When to comes to the Verizon iPhone, Wired says that the discussion has been going on inside Apple since three months after the original iPhone launch and has considered at least half a dozen times since. Months after the iPhone launch in 2007, an Apple team visited Qualcomm, makers of CDMA chips for Verizon, but decided that the iPhone would need a total redesign to accommodate Verizon's chipsets and would probably involve a lawsuit with an angry AT&T. Back then, it's unclear how much of an improvement Verizon would have been over AT&T, as well.
The relationship between Apple and AT&T is definitely an interesting one, often resembling a "loveless celebrity marriage." It's not surprising that the idea of a Verizon iPhone has been kicked around by Apple so much, but it does seem like it would be more trouble than it's worth at this point. Requiring a complete redesign of the iPhone, it may be better to wait a few years and release an LTE-capable iPhone compatible with both AT&T and Verizon's networks. Check out the Wired link below for the full story on the somewhat tenuous relationship between AT&T and Apple, full of stories from unnamed sources familiar with the matter inside the two companies. So, when do you think we'll finally see a Verizon iPhone?
Via Wired
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