Verizon passed up Apple iPhone deal

[T Sizzles]

Verizon passed up Apple iPhone deal

Posted Jan 29th 2007 11:02AM by Paul Miller
Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

While Cingular (er, AT&T, but you know what we mean) couldn't seem prouder of its iPhone exclusivity, apparently Apple's first choice was Verizon, but the two companies couldn't agree on a deal that worked for both companies. "We said no." Said Jim Gerace, a VZW VP. "We have nothing bad to say about the Apple iPhone. We just couldn't reach a deal that was mutually beneficial." Talks began as far back as two years ago, but Apple's demands were steep. They also give us an idea of what exactly is behind the Apple / Cingular agreement: Apple wanted a percentage of monthly service fees, control over distribution that would limit iPhone sales to Apple and Verizon stores, and even some control over service and support for iPhone customers. "They would have been stepping in between us and our customers to the point where we would have almost had to take a back seat ... on hardware and service support," say Gerace. Cingular doesn't quite see it that way, so perhaps Apple changed its conditions a bit when it started courting Cingy. Says Mark Siegel, a Cingular spokesman, "I don't want to leave the impression that these (iPhone) customers are not ours. They are." Mark also mentioned that Cingular would field calls related to wireless service, and that "We think this is a win for Apple, and it is a win for Cingular." Whether consumers -- who would have presumably had a fair shot at an EV-DO iPhone with Verizon as a service provider -- will win in the end is yet to be seen.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/29/v...e-iphone-deal/

[T Sizzles]

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/0...e-iphone-deal/

[Yankees368]

DOH!

Talk about the possibility of a ton of lost revenure

[jones]

http://www.mad4mobilephones.com/news/382/

[bobolito]

Verizon didn't want to lose control of how and where the iPhone will be distributed. They also wanted to strip down the wonderful OS that Apple put in the iPhone to replace it with the communist red Verizon UI. They are control freaks and Apple didn't want to fall for that. At least Cingular has never shown signs of being a control freak with their phones and so they were able to reach an agreement with Apple.

[walkguru]

communist red Verizon UI


ha ha, thats good, bobo,

[AnthroMatt]

Originally Posted by bobolito Verizon didn't want to lose control of how and where the iPhone will be distributed. They also wanted to strip down the wonderful OS that Apple put in the iPhone to replace it with the communist red Verizon UI. They are control freaks and Apple didn't want to fall for that. At least Cingular has never shown signs of being a control freak with their phones and so they were able to reach an agreement with Apple.

Bobo, that sounds like a pro-Cingular, anti-Verizon cheerleader-like rant.

Only thing is, I am certain it is right on target.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by bobolito Verizon didn't want to lose control of how and where the iPhone will be distributed. They also wanted to strip down the wonderful OS that Apple put in the iPhone to replace it with the communist red Verizon UI. They are control freaks and Apple didn't want to fall for that. At least Cingular has never shown signs of being a control freak with their phones and so they were able to reach an agreement with Apple.

It's a good thing Apple isn't a control freak

[AnthroMatt]

Originally Posted by Matt It's a good thing Apple isn't a control freak

I'm inclined to let the people that built something have most of the control.

However, I agree with the premise of your statement.

[jones]

http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/07...3_id.html?.v=1

VZW may Team w/ Microsoft and Call it the XPhone.

[bobolito]

Sorry if stating the fact that Cingular isn't as control freak as Verizon is sounds like a cheerleading comment. Although that was not my intention, we all know it's true anyway. On the other hand, let's not forget how many times I've shot at Cingular when they screw up. So I thought it is also good to recognize their good points as well.

I also know that Apple is another control freak over their devices and distribution channels, but that wasn't the point of my post. I was simply comparing Cingular and Verizon in that aspect.

However, now that you've brought Apple to the mix, I have to say that this is the reason they would never get along with Verizon. When two companies are control-freaks over their products, there can't be any balance in the relationship, hence it won't work.

Although I wasn't happy to read somewhere that there are rumors that Cingular wants to jump into the control-freak bandwagon with a unified UI. I don't know how much of that is true or if/when it will start happening. It has to do with reducing device support costs. I also read in the past that Sprint was pursuing a unified UI as well. Whatever happened to that?

[Quint101]

I'm not sure about Sprint; I thought that the RAZRs have the new UI. Alltel also debuted its new UI; its Samsung U520 is the first handset on Alltel to have this new UI.

[dmapr]

Originally Posted by jones http://biz.yahoo.com/seekingalpha/07...3_id.html?.v=1 VZW may Team w/ Microsoft and Call it the XPhone.

Will MS have to replace the Blue Screen of Death with Red Screen Of Death for VZW UI conformance?

BTW, now that VZW is releasing a Windows Mobile phone, what'll happen to the common UI?

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by bobolito Although I wasn't happy to read somewhere that there are rumors that Cingular wants to jump into the control-freak bandwagon with a unified UI. I don't know how much of that is true or if/when it will start happening. It has to do with reducing device support costs. I also read in the past that Sprint was pursuing a unified UI as well. Whatever happened to that?

I heard that rumor to about Cingular looking into a Unified UI and wasn't happy either, and think this would be another mistake them may make.

They need to stop following Verizon on the bad stuff (they don't seem to follow the good stuff) & start being more of an original leader, especially being the #1 carrier in the country. It's starting to make them look bad following Verizon & not coming up with their own ideas.

Originally Posted by dmapr Will MS have to replace the Blue Screen of Death with Red Screen Of Death for VZW UI conformance? BTW, now that VZW is releasing a Windows Mobile phone, what'll happen to the common UI?

Guess they will be seperate from each other, and maybe they can do a green screen of death or even a multi color version.

[hf1khal]

Originally Posted by Fire14 I heard that rumor to about Cingular looking into a Unified UI and wasn't happy either, and think this would be another mistake them may make. They need to stop following Verizon on the bad stuff (they don't seem to follow the good stuff) & start being more of an original leader, especially being the #1 carrier in the country. It's starting to make them look bad following Verizon & not coming up with their own ideas. Guess they will be seperate from each other, and maybe they can do a green screen of death or even a multi color version.

I honestly think that VZW passed on it because of the dollar issue and as we know one needs to buy the music from them to get it on their phones. They are money hungry and if the IPhone was to make it to VZW that would mean that using your Itunes is then no good. I am glad Aple stuck to its guns and refused to go along with VZW.

As to a universal UI by Cingular, I think this would be an imposible task for them to do and will for sure be a limited one if they insisted on it.

[Fire14]

Originally Posted by hf1khal As to a universal UI by Cingular, I think this would be an imposible task for them to do and will for sure be a limited one if they insisted on it.

I don't believe they plan on doing it with the iPhone, but with all the other ones the rumor is they are looking into it.
I don't think Apple would go for Cingular adding their own UI.

[ctk74]

Originally Posted by Fire14 I don't believe they plan on doing it with the iPhone, but with all the other ones the rumor is they are looking into it. I don't think Apple would go for Cingular adding their own UI.

Apple isn't even letting Cingular paint their logo on the phone let alone customize the interface.

[T Sizzles]

if Cingular puts a unified UI in place, i'll just buy an unlocked phone on eBay.