Once Again - TechCrunch: Verizon iPhone Due In January
If you've been following iPhone news for a while, you probably know there is one rumor that just won't die: the iPhone on Verizon. We're back at it once again today, with something a bit more serious than some random analyst projection.
TechCrunch is going out on a limb this time, saying they're sure it will really happen, and it will be around January when it finally does. Their source is very aware of the CDMA mobile chipset supply chain. According to this source, Apple has just placed a large order of CDMA chipsets for a production run due to occur in December 2010:
Sources with knowledge of this entire situation have assured me that Apple has submitted orders for millions of units of Qualcomm CDMA chipsets for a Verizon iPhone run due in December. This production run would likely be for a January launch, and I'd bet the phone is nearly 100% consistent with the current iPhone 4 (with a fixed internal insulator on the antenna).
Techcrunch is normally a serious news outlet, and while the timing of this would be strange (Verizon is going 4G by the end of the year), it's probably time for Apple to make the big step. To add to the chatter, Macrumors also points out that AT&T has been particularly bullish in their latest quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In that statement, AT&T said the loss of exclusivity agreements in the future won't hurt them financially.
Ouch. Who will ever buy a Droid after this?