I think there’s reasonable evidence that Apple and Verizon really hate each other, especially in light of recent developments. If I’m right, this may dash hopes of some loyal Verizon customers wishing that Verizon and Apple would strike a deal to bring the iPhone to Verizon. Below are the pieces of the puzzle that suggest the two companies aren’t fond of one another:
- Apple united with AT&T over Verizon for the iPhone and signed into a long-term exclusive deal.
- Verizon has twice tried to launch an iPhone killer, failing miserably both times. The first was the Blackberry Storm which was the brainchild of Verizon and never took in the marketplace. The second was the Motorola Droid and the heavy “iDon’t” campaign.
- Verizon and AT&T continue to take swipes at one another in their advertisements and, obviously, Apple is heavily invested in AT&T’s success.
- Despite rumors that sounded credible before the iPad launch that it would be offered on Verizon, Apple again signed an exclusive deal with AT&T.
- Apple’s recent patent lawsuit against HTC is really targeted at HTC, Google and Verizon collectively. Why didn’t Apple file the lawsuit when the Nexus One was launched on T-Mobile? Are Apple’s lawyers really that slow? Probably not. The lawsuit was filed just prior to the launch of the Google/HTC Nexus One launch on Verizon (around the same time the FCC approved the CDMA version of the Nexus One) and Apple seeks to enjoin the sale of the Nexus One phone in the U.S. Perhaps this could actually speed up the launch of the Nexus One on Verizon, which is expected within the next few weeks, because it may benefit the defendants to have the phone in the market before there is a ruling on the injunction. BGR is reporting that Verizon employees are already being trained on the Nexus One.
The contract between Apple and AT&T regarding iPhone exclusivity is expected to be up for renewal this summer. Will Apple renew it? Most of the speculation I have read is that iPhone exclusivity in the U.S. will end; nonetheless, I have become increasingly doubtful that Verizon and Apple could ever become friendly with one another, especially in light of Apple v. HTC.
Click to Visit MWC2010 Website
While certainly overshadowed by the Olympics, there is another international event taking place this week. It is the Mobile World Congress 2010 which takes place February 15-18. This is the premiere event for mobile device manufacturers. 47,000 attendees are expected and over 1,300 companies will exhibit products. Based on rumors and some bona fide news, we can expect the following:
Apple has approved the first VOIP app for the iPhone which enables voice calls over a 3G data connection. iCall is the first VOIP app to be allowed into the App Store but expect a flood of new apps. Obviously, Skype for the iPhone will rank among the most popular of the VOIP apps.
Curiously, it is unclear whether the Google Voice app will ever be available on the iPhone. Google Voice currently uses traditional land lines to route calls. Apple has rejected it from the App Store claiming that duplicates the phone’s existing functionality and would confuse customers. Arguably, VOIP apps duplicate the phone’s functionality as well. I suggest that neither would actually confuse customers but would rip profits from AT&T. The Google Voice vs. Apple showdown is before the FCC now.
In the future, Google Voice may become a VOIP service. As I relayed back in November, Google acquired Gizmo5, a VOIP outfit, and will integrate Gizmo5 technology with Google Voice. When this happens, Apple may have no choice but to approve a Google Voice app. In the meantime, Google is coding around Apple’s restrictions and thumbing its nose at the App Store. Google Voice can be accessed via the iPhone browser at m.google.com/voice.
[First VOIP App Approved via Gizmodo]
There’s a lot of buzz being generated about the MagicJack home cell tower gadget (femtocell) being demoed at CES. There’s also a lot of misinformation and confusion about the device. This post clears up some of the misinformation and confusion. Ultimately, it appears that many of the advantages of the MagicJack femtocell are overstated.
The rumors were right that the Google Nexus One will be launched on T-Mobile and T-Mobile alone. However, Mario Queiroz, a Google executive, has confirmed that Nexus One will be available on Verizon in the Spring.
Unless you are due for an upgrade now and cannot wait, the Nexus One is a far superior phone to the Motorola Droid (unless, of course, you are lost without a physical keyboard). Furthermore, the unsubsidized retail price of a Droid is currently higher than the unsubsidized retail price of a Nexus One.
Given that this did not leak as a rumor, perhaps the decision by Verizon came at the 11th hour. The decision by Verizon makes sense; Verizon customers who want the best available Android device might pack up for T-Mobile. By Spring, however, there should be many more Android choices.
P.S. Among other tidbits revealed about the Nexus One in Mountain View today, customers who order the Nexus One directly from Google will be able to custom engrave the back of the device with a short message. I’m thinking “#tmobilesux” could be popular.
Below is the official video of the Google Nexus One in action:
[via All Things Digital]
The relationship between Verizon and RIM, the Blackberry manufacturer, appears to have soured. Why? For the time being, Verizon is betting heavily on the Droid. Will that continue?
I have been using the Blackberry Tour 9630 since launch on July 12. Overall, I think it is a very good phone but I feel as if I were a guinea pig beta testing the Tour 2 which is expected to correct the two most significant problems with the Tour.
Although the Nokia N900 smartphone will the most powerful device in the market very soon, it has flown under the radar and NOK has been relatively flat. In the past 6 months, NOK is down 1.37%. This is somewhat of a surprise considering the run-up in Motorola (NYSE:MOT) of 51.89% over the same period, propelled almost exclusively by the Droid. I am not in the business of predicting stock prices nor do I have a position in either company. That said, is Wall Street overlooking the potential of the N900 and only wagering on market leaders and the Google Android device manufacturers? (Click the graphic on the upper right to show relative price changes in device manufacturers over the past 6 months.)
Earlier this week Google entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Gizmo5 for $30m. The Gimzo5’s VOIP services will be integrated with the Google Voice services.
This acquisition will add another critical piece to the Google Voice service which will make it more competitive with traditional telephone service providers. According to a post on the official Google blog, “while we don’t have any specific features to announce right now, Gizmo5’s engineers will be joining the Google Voice team to continue improving the Google Voice and Gizmo5 experience.”
Google Voice recently unveiled the new “lite” version of its phone service. It was warmly received but it is nothing new at all. In fact, it existed even when Grand Central operated the service prior to Google acquiring it back in July 2007. The “lite” version is touted as a keep-your-existing-phone-number variant of the service and it is somewhat confusing to some. You could always use your existing phone number and forward your unanswered calls to Google Voice. If you sign up for “lite,” you end up with a phone number arbitrarily assigned from Google’s portfolio of phone numbers — in any area code. You are simply instructed to forward your unanswered calls to the new number and it becomes a voicemail-only service. Instead, I recommend signing up for the full service because you can choose your area code and even search through the portfolio for numbers you like.
