June 20, 2007 10:37 AM PDT
Verizon CEO: No need for iPhone killer
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Seidenberg, who took questions from reporters about the iPhone Wednesday during a press conference at the NXTcomm trade show here, said the company already has several new devices on the market and plans to continue adding to its lineup later in the year. But he also said Verizon plans to compete against AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone, by emphasizing the company's services.
"We just added four new devices in the past month," he said. "The new BlackBerry is flying off shelves. The way we see it, our customers have price points and service packaging that is different."
Specifically, he pointed to Verizon's V Cast music service that allows consumers to download songs over the air, and mobile video services including the new V Cast TV that uses the MediaFlo network built by Qualcomm to broadcast live TV.
When asked if he thinks the company will take a hit from subscribers ditching Verizon Wireless' service for AT&T's, he said he believes Verizon is in a very good position. Verizon Wireless has long enjoyed strong customer loyalty with one of the lowest churn rates of any major wireless operator in the country.
"The way we come at this is to let the iPhone hit the market," he said. "I don't think it changes the game plan for how we approach the market. But we need to see the impact. The burden is on (AT&T and Apple) to prove the market will change."
Seidenberg also added that he thinks the iPhone will actually help drive business for Verizon's high-end smart phones and advanced data services.
"The iPhone will add excitement and stimulation to the market," he said. "If we have done our job, then we will be a beneficiary. I hope it does reasonably well."
But a ban imposed earlier this month by the International Trade Commission on handsets that contain some 3G, or third-generation, Qualcomm technology could throw a monkey wrench into Seidenberg's plan, if the issue isn't resolved. On Wednesday, Qualcomm told Reuters that the ban could affect future versions of MediaFlo handsets.
"Broadcom's assertions were related to EV-DO and WCDMA chips and handsets. This ban is unrelated to MediaFlo technology, but will impact future models of MediaFlo handsets since they contain EV-DO or WCDMA technology," Reuters quoted a Qualcomm spokesman as saying.
Verizon Wireless and AT&T are using the MediaFlo technology for their mobile broadcast TV services. So far Verizon is the only one to have the service up and running. MediaFlo is currently available in 40 cities and will be in 120 cities by the end of the year, according to Seidenberg.
Fortunately for Verizon, it had already begun shipping MediaFlo handsets before June 7, the date the order was issued. So the worst-case scenario is that only future versions of these handsets would be affected and not handsets shipping today.
Qualcomm has filed for an emergency stay on the ITC ruling in federal court. And it's seeking a presidential veto.
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Verizon: Best call quality by far; best and most available customer service. Purposefully crippled phones and limited handset choices.
Sprint: Slightly worse call quality, but still good. Abysmal choice of phones and terrible customer service.
AT&T: Great selection of phones and features, but lackluster call coverage (especially inside buildings) and terrible customer service.
If someone could merge the call coverage and customer service of Verizon with the phone selection of AT&T, consumers in the US would be jumping for joy.
By the way, the FCC started this mess.
Manhattan-- but if you want to listen to music, I guess phone
calls are not so improtant. Improving coverage is the most
expensive and most basic thing AT&T has to do. I think
Seidenberg is right that the onus will really be on AT&T and
Apple to make the iPhone work-- it is a huge brand gamble for
both of them... right now we all remember Apple's hit, the iPod,
but we forget their misses, Lisa, Newton. If Apple needed to
delay other software to get the iPhone ready, there is real reason
to doubt they will be able to provide adequate customer
support. They are spreading themselves thin and moving into a
new business line where there are all ready well developed
platforms-- nothing in the MP3 player realm had the type of
user base that we see for blackberry, treo, and WM devices when
the iPod was first introduced. With such a high expectation of
success built up, anything short of domination will look like
failure and any bugs will be headline news. The iPhone will also
discourage other manufacturers from offering their best
products to AT&T-- with AT&T so focused on Apple, why would
RIM want to push a phone through AT&T when AT&T's web site
and store will be pushing Apple's product over all else?
will cost Verizon beginning 6:00 PM PST on June 29th. He doesn't
understand his customers and that Verizon is not going to be the
next iTunes. Over half of us have been with Verizon for 6 years
plus. At least a 1/3 are going to pay the early termination fee to
get the phone. What's truly funny to me is that only 5 of us use
Macs. The rest use Windows with their iPods. Oh well Verizon only
has to wait 5 years to possible sell the iPhone.
- NO USER-REPLACEABLE BATTERY
- ITUNES AND APPLE MONOPOLY
- NO INTEGRATION WITH CORPORATE APPLICATIONS
- NO THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS EXCEPT VIA BIMBO SAFARI BROWSER
- NO EXTERNAL MEMORY CARD
- CRIPPLED BROWSER
- NO VOICE RECORDER
- NO FM RADIO
- NO OUTLOOK, NO OFFICE, NO ACROBAT, NO FLASH
It's a BIMBO phone alright; a stupid piece of crap and you need both hands and eyes to use it. Only Mac fanatics and stupid bimbos will buy it.
For the rest of us, we can look at the iPhone with awe, but just as beautiful it is I am not sure it'll fit my bill.
Yes, the phone will fly off the shelves, good design does that, and many will be happy with its features.
But, with my SEMC w810i, I can listen to as good music as with an iPhone, it has a great FM radio (with RDS), can take pretty good pictures for a phone, and maybe most important: it has a keyboard and a very slim size.
I can even browse, but if I needed "pure" data capabilities, I'd still stick with the w810i (due to its size), and add a BBerry for the data side.
To those who want more freedom from their carriers, EVERYONE that is using GSM already have that power in your hand. You have a GSM handset and ANY GSM handset (given frequency support) will work. There is no "need" to accept the crappy phone your carrier throws at you, nor the two-year contract period. Buy/obtain a GSM phone to your liking, plug in your SIM, and you are good to go.
Try that with a CDMA phone (outside Korea)...
- Never been there
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by johms
June 22, 2007 10:01 PM PDT
- But I've been plenty of places where I thought there was no way I'd get coverage, but I did. I do know from having various cell phones that some phones pick up weak signals better than others. Maybe there's no service between Nebraska and Reno, but maybe the phone's reception of weak signals is poor.
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