Verizon CEO Plays Down Expectations for Imminent iPhone Launch [Updated]
While claims continue to build regarding a release for a Verizon iPhone early next year, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg is continuing to play things close to the vest by once again refusing to acknowledge that any deal might be imminent. In fact, Seidenberg is going as far as to say that he hopes the carrier's 4G network that it is preparing to launch in the next few months will be the impetus to bring Apple on board.
Speaking to an investor conference Thursday, Seidenberg said nothing about an iPhone for the company's current network, but said he hopes Apple Inc. will come around and allow Verizon to sell the phone for a new network it's building. The "4G" network hasn't yet opened for service and won't be complete next year.
Seidenberg would of course not reveal any news regarding a Verizon iPhone launch prior to an official launch, which would presumably involve Apple and Steve Jobs in some manner. Consequently, it is difficult to take his comments at face value, as the companies are almost certainly working more closely together than he is suggesting in his comments.
The Verizon CEO has noted several times in the past that Verizon is interested in carrying the iPhone, claiming in October 2009 that the decision was "exclusively in Apple's court" and confirming for the first time back in April that the carrier had specifically requested the right to carry the iPhone.
Seidenberg is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at next January's CES 2011 conference, leading to speculation that an announcement regarding a Verizon iPhone could take place there.
Update: Seidenberg also noted that Verizon will shift to tiered pricing for cellular data access within the next four-to-six months, following in the footsteps of AT&T's shift made at the time of the iPhone 4 launch earlier this year. One report had pegged Verizon's change to tiered pricing as set to occur as early as this past July, but it has yet to make an appearance.
Update 2: All Things Digital offers an interesting direct quote from Seidenberg about Verizon's need to "earn" the right to offer the iPhone:
"We don't feel like we have an iPhone deficit. We would love to carry it, but we have to earn it. I can't speak for Apple."
Popular Stories
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself.
Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed.
Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles."
If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues.
We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
iPhone 17 ...
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes.
The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps.
In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
