You know, sometimes dreams really do come true! MacLife reported yesterday that the iPhone will not remain exclusive to AT&T, as reported by the company’s CEO, Randall Stephenson. “There will be a day when you are not exclusive with the iPhone,” he told CNET, so now the question remains of when a change will actually occur. For me, this is expected but great news. I think we all knew that AT&T would not be able to hold onto an exclusive iPhone contract forever, but I am now beginning to worry if Verizon (the carrier I use) will actually ever see the iPhone. I know that Verizon’s lack of a sim card system could possibly be a problem, but hopefully that won’t keep the iPhone away. Apple would be smart to branch out into another carrier like Verizon since it represents another large chunk of the cell phone using population in the U.S. At the end of the day, although the iPhone saw many people switch to AT&T for the popular device, many were still bound by contracts they didn’t want to buy out and expanding carriers would certainly increase iPhone sales.
For me, the fact that the iPhone was not a Verizon device really held me back from switching. I am lucky enough to get away with needing only the smallest talk plan Verizon has because all my friends and family use Verizon as well. So the switch to AT&T would have meant I would have needed an unlimited iPhone talk plan (yes, I talk on the phone a lot) which would cost me $150 a month. Right now, with a discount I get at work I pay $45 for my monthly phone service. The iPhone would triple my phone bill, and that is an expense I am not sure if I can sustain for a two year contract. At least if the iPhone came to Verizon, I would be able to keep my minimal amount of monthly minutes, relying on IN Calling to keep my bill at bay. I project that if this were to occur I would be paying $75 a month with a plan that works better for me! So, please Apple, expand your horizons and see other carriers, like, ahem Verizon!
{Images via Apple}
Just an FYI, Verizon DOES have an existing sim card phone. The BB Storm has one. VZW says it’s for “international use” reasons, but they have other phones that are world wide capable and aren’t sim card phones.
Anyhow, the Sim Card wont be a make it or break it point with VZW, it will probably come down to a power struggle between who gets to control the phone.