Could the iPhone Be Coming to Verizon?

While the iPhone is inextricably tied to AT&T for now, there are rumors a-buzzin' that claim the two may not be synonymous in the future. Mac lovers and AT&T haters alike are saying the iPhone might be coming to Verizon before too much longer.



Of course, this makes perfect sense for Apple. Although AT&T would hate to let go of its iPhone exclusivity, there are a lot of consumers out there who would like the iPhone but are tied to contracts with other networks. Why wouldn't Apple want to take advantage of that consumer base?

It would be a huge boon for Verizon, too. Verizon seems to be missing out on all the exclusive deals with popular phones lately, what with the Palm Pre going to Sprint and the Android G1 (and probably the G2) residing with the T-Mobile clan. Verizon could really use a crowd-drawing smartphone in its lineup right now, and the iPhone would do just the trick.
Apple would need to manufacture a CDMA version of the iPhone in order for it to work on the Verizon network, but it was Apple's job postings for CDMA-knowledgable applicants that got the Verizon rumor rolling in the first place. Combine that with all the evidence pointing to a new version of the iPhone being announced in June, and it looks like the perfect opportunity for Apple to unshackle the iPhone from AT&T and offer it to multiple networks.

There's only one variable in this equation that remains a complete mystery. No one is sure how long the exclusive AT&T deal is supposed to last. It's possible that it might expire around the time Apple plans to unveil the latest iPhone, unless AT&T is able to convince Apple to extend the agreement.

If this rumor does turn out to be true, you can expect to see a lot of excited people dancing in the streets later this year. Okay, maybe not. But you'll probably see even more lines at the store.

For information on the iPhone, check out the smartphone review site. For more tech news, try the TTR Tech News Blog:

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