Andre Yoskowitz
9 Jan 2011 3:27
One day after the Wall Street Journal reported that a Verizon iPhone 4 was coming on Tuesday, sources speaking to Reuters have confirmed the claims.
Sales of the device are expected to launch in early February.
As with all prior reports, Apple and Verizon have not commented on the "speculation."
AT&T has been the exclusive American carrier for the iPhone since its inception in 2007. Analysts have warned that losing the exclusivity pact, and the strong growth driver that is the iPhone, may affect the company's bottom line for some time. Other analysts have warned that frustrated AT&T iPhone owners may jump ship to Verizon, who is known to have the most reliable network of the major carriers.
On the other hand, analysts also claim that a majority of AT&T's iPhone owners are part of family plans, which are much harder to cancel as they involve, on average, three family members.
Furthermore, many are new upgraders or purchasers, and AT&T charges very heavy early termination fees.