Upcoming Conference Stokes Verizon Iphone Rumors

By Author: Steve Deiters
Total Articles: 18
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After remaining relatively quiet for several months, rumors of a CDMA-supported iPhone for Verizon Wireless have heated back up with the launch of the carrier's 4G LTE network and the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Neither Verizon nor Apple have confirmed any rumors, which really accelerated this fall at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association in San Francisco, but that hasn't halted speculation.

Bloomberg Businessweek is the culprit behind the latest stoking of the rumor mill. In a recent report citing an anonymous source, the news provider predicted a Verizon iPhone announcement would come some time in the next month. The device could debut between CES and Valentine's Day, according to Businessweek.

"Very soon, maybe by Valentine's Day, Apple will likely host one of its splashy product introductions to announce a new version of the iPhone that works on Verizon's network," author Peter Burrows opens the report.

Many agree that a Verizon iPhone would cannibalize AT&T subscriptions, but even that is speculation at this point as Apple is again not attending the consumer ...
... trade show. Still, industry analysts predict somewhere between 1 million and 6 million customers will leave AT&T for Verizon, should the rumors finally come true.

However, experts believe an announcement between CES and Valentine's Day makes sense judging by past Apple launches. The company traditionally holds its own events to launch products, making an announcement during the trade show unlikely.

Also, an ITworld report said the timeframe makes sense because the Mobile World Congress will meet in Barcelona on Valentine's Day. That would give Apple plenty of time to build hype and earn the spotlight between the two events.

"For now, we'll have to wait for Apple to send out its tantalizing media event invitations before we know exactly when the event will be," Ryan Faas wrote for ITworld.

Further tempering expectations of an announcement during CES, Verizon recently announced its lineup of speakers and product previews for the trade show, and the iPhone was not included. Instead, the mobile carrier said it will provide "a sneak peek of Android-based 4G LTE consumer devices" during a news conference.

That too is big news, as the company has yet to offer any smartphones that support its recently launched 4G LTE network. Currently, only mobile modems for laptops and netbooks run on the network.

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