Once again, Verizon Wireless has made its desire to carry the iPhone known, confirming that the decision is entirely up to Apple.
There aren't many details on Verizon Chief Executive Ivan Seidenberg's remarks, just a paraphrased report from CBS News and a paywall-blocked story in the Wall Street Journal, but he did reportedly say that Verizon is "open to getting the device." He also reiterated claims that Verizon's network is capable of handling the massive amounts of data iPhone users consume.
But, Seidenberg said, a Verizon iPhone is "Apple's call." He wouldn't say when the phone would be available for Verizon customers, if at all.
It seems many of the tech blogs reporting this story have a short memory, as Seidenberg basically said the exact same thing last October. "We obviously would be interested at any point in the future that they would be interested in having us as a partner," Seidenberg said in a conference call, as reported by the New York Times. “This is a decision that is exclusively in Apple’s court.”
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was developing an iPhone that runs on CDMA, the type of network used in the United States by Verizon and Sprint. Sources said the phone could enter production in September for a holiday launch, but exact timing was still up in the air.
Keep in mind, however, that the iPhone was rumored to be Verizon-bound in 2009, and then was rumored to be announced at Apple's iPad event in January. And AppleInsider cited an analyst who thinks a CDMA iPhone will hit other countries, such as China and Japan, before it reaches Verizon in 2011.
So basically, little, if anything, has changed. Verizon still wants the iPhone, and whether the carrier will get it is as murky as ever. But I guess there's always a chance.
