Javamancy » Verizon

iPhone Coming to Verizon

Steve — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:00:10 +0000

It is anticipated that Verizon [VZ] will officially announce the availability of a CDMA-capable version of Apple’s [AAPL] iPhone device on their cellular network.

This is one of those stories that has been circulating for quite sometime, at this point. Various news outlets have reported that the network carrier issue has been the major obstacle for many consumers who otherwise would have purchased an iPhone years ago. Apparently, many consumers initially looking to acquire the iPhone in the US have gone elsewhere rather than deal with AT&T [T] as the wireless service provider.

It is expected that the launch date would be announced today, but it is not expected that the date would be today.

Ouch! Palm Devices Available on Verizon

Steve — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:00:16 +0000

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Ouch! That smarts!

Verizon [VZ] has now gotten two of Palm’s [PALM] flagship devices that Sprint [S] has been touting, although some may say unsuccessfully due to the odd way that software developers and consumers have been treated– or at least very mixed– there’s that new question as to how Verizon will position these smartphones.

The TV commercials for the devices are already rolling out… and this is certainly a new entryway for Verizon to cater to Palm enthusiasts who have given up on the Garnet/Palm OS.

Nat Says: “Yeah, Verizon is Getting the Pre…”

Steve — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:37:15 +0000

Natali del Conte (you remember her, right?) has mentioned in today’s Loaded episode that Verizon [VZ] is preparing to receive Palm [PALM] Pre devices on their network, sometime in 2010.

Of course, this makes sense, since there is not much retooling required for Palm, since both Sprint and Verizon run their cellular networks on CDMA/EvDO type networks. Unfortunately for Sprint [S], this spells the end of the exclusivity deal for the Pre device. And, unless they can successfully leverage the somewhat-buzz around the Mi-Fi device, particularly regarding its unusually steep pricing model for the product and its service plans, they will lose a lot of momentum once again.

Palm Treo Pro

Steve — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:41:27 +0000

Remember Palm’s [PALM] Treo Pro?

If not, you’re apparently in good company. The smartphone was initially rolled out to a very hum of fanfare, being essentially an unsubsidized GSM device.

Now, however, it comes available as an AllTel [VZ] subsidized phone, with plans to offer Sprint [S] service in the hopefully near future. Obviously, unlike the previous GSM phone, these new models provide support for CDMA2000 and EvDO Rev A, which makes supporting AllTel/Verizon and Sprint networks possible.

This seems to come in the shadow of the trickling of Palm Pre news yesterday. While it certainly appears that there is little to differentiate one WinMobile 6.1 phone from the rest, having a workhorse alternative to the whiz-bang new devices on the block helps the bottom line.

RIM BlackBerry Storm: Coming Soon

Steve — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 22:46:58 +0000

A Little Bit:

According to the Boy Genius Report blog, RIM’s [RIMM] BlackBerry Storm smartphone is coming soon (November 21, 2008) to Verizon [VZ] stores, with a subsidized price of $199 plus qualifying plan and a $50 MIR. Although BGR is claiming that there is a massive supply run for the Storm, it’ll be a first-come, first-served basis.

Anybody waiting to get one of these?

The Wireless War Redux: Apple vs. RIM vs. HTC-Google

Steve — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:00:36 +0000

The war for the hearts, minds, and hands of the wireless masses continues, this time with a new entrant (actually a duo) vying for an initial foothold (handhold?) in the ever-dynamic market for smartphones. Or, perhaps more accurately, it has taken on a new angle due to the new competitor.

Never mind the Samsung Instinct. Keep walking past the Palm Treo Pro. Hey, just ignore the expensive “feature phones”, the nutty Windows Mobile clonies, and the past-generation smartphones. For the price-performance point, just go straight to the current generation of smartphones (which the marketing folks euphemistically are terming “next generation” (and even I was guilty of the looseness of terminology once )).

Apple iPhone 3G (AT&T)

The Apple [AAPL] iPhone 3G is now the elder stateman of the current-gen smartphones. It is also, by far, the frontrunner in the wireless war, by virtue of brand recognition, timing, and production scale. It also has received the vast majority of public scrutiny, and it has managed to successfully weather both its own past successes, the bugs that popped up since its release, the current economic downturn, and its competition.

Even better, since its initial launch, the product has dropped in price under the current AT&T subsidy, and the network performance has improved, both due to a phone software update and incremental 3G network upgrades. Couple these with the product’s inherent strengths, and you’re looking at a very compelling product. Touch screen, “learning” touch typing, plethora of free vetted applications, iPod functionality, Wi-Fi as well as 3G data transmission, an established development platform with APIs, stylish sleek profile… yep, it’s all good.

HTC Dream/G1 (T-Mobile)

The HTC Dream, branded as the T-Mobile [DT] G1 in the U.S. and other parts of the world, is the infamous first Google [GOOG] “GPhone” implementation released into the wild.

Think “anti-iPhone”, and the G1 may be quite close: it has a physical slider keyboard; it has a definite thickness and blockiness to it, instead of the sleek elongated iPhone design; and while it has a sizable display screen, it is not a tactile touch screen like the iPhone 3G’s. It also does not have quite the same polished UI that approaches that of the iPhone. On the other hand, it has the backing of Google, and it includes several Google mobile applications that have been tailored for the G1. Let’s also not discount the allure of developing for a somewhat open source device platform like the G1, as well as the potential for creating and maintaining an integration between Android devices of varying structural formats.

It should be noted that there does not seem to be that massive flood of other Android phones that were expected by year’s end, or at the latest, the beginning of next year. At least, no new or even revised commitments.

RIM BlackBerry Storm (Verizon)

This promising competitor has not yet been released, but we’ve already seen some details publicized, including the launch date and pricing. The smartphone is the latest of RIM’s [RIMM] offerings, and it will be subsidized by Verizon [VZ], its exclusive wireless carrier– at least, for now.

A clicking-button touch screen that is not a plasma membrane, so that when you’re “typing” along the screen, it is essentially one giant button? Rotating (portrait/landscape) visualization on the touch screen? Revamped UI? RIM has tried to take a few pages from Apple’s playbook and “one-up” a bit. It is questionable whether having the entire screen click in order to capture user finger impressions is a good thing… it may hamper fast typists and pro-level users. But it’s still a BlackBerry device, so developing applications for it is somewhat similar to that of previous BlackBerry types, including using the Java variant for coding.

Guess Who’s Not Invited to the Party?

So, seeing the three competitors discussed above, you may be wondering: who’s not represented? It’s somewhat obvious: there’s Palm [PALM] the manufacturer, and there’s Sprint [S] the wireless carrier. Not surprisingly, these two have partnered in the past with their own subsidized phone combinations. And certainly, the Palm Centro has been a commercial success this year; however, it does appear as if the target audience that Sprint and Palm are aiming for is no longer among the population that everybody else wants.

What’s Next

Given the economic climate, the prevailing thought concerning high-ticket tech purchases is that many companies are not loosening their purse strings to allow the rank and file to acquire the smartphones; these products are going to the limited to tech-savvy consumers and the tech-heavy professionals instead.

It is clear that, with the continued cost-cutting observed across the various industries, this is unlikely to change soon. This also means that every single sale and accompanying service sign-up is much more valuable, since every active user becomes a walking billboard for future sales. It also means that newer, more cost-effective smartphones are needed to capture mainstream interest.

RIM BlackBerry Storm

Steve — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:00:54 +0000

It’s been in the press for several weeks now… the game-changing BlackBerry device that will premiere on a cellular carrier that has been long shut out of this latest smartphone wave (at least in the U.S.)…

Yep, that’s right: Verizon [VZ] will be getting the initial rights to the BlackBerry Storm, RIM’s [RIMM] shot across Apple’s [AAPL] bow, signaling their (somewhat belated) entry into the touchscreen next-gen smartphone.

We’re still waiting on the official launch date and pricing/availability data. More on that when it’s available.