Despite increasing speculation that Apple will share its iPhone with Verizon in 2010, an analyst believes the partnership would be too complicated to become a reality so soon.

In a note to investors Wednesday, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu said Apple and Verizon have similarities that would raise conflicts. Both companies built their success around “customer control,” Wu said.

“Apple runs its own App Store and VZ has aspirations to do so,” Wu said. “Apple controls the media experience with iTunes and VZ with its V CAST service.”

Wu added that Apple gets “very favorable economics” by working with AT&T: He estimates the average selling price for the iPhone through AT&T is roughly $700. By way of comparison, Research In Motion, Verizon’s largest handset supplier, has an average selling price of $340, he said.

Given all these reasons, Wu said a deal between Verizon and Apple would likely take longer than many currently expect. He said it would be more realistic for Apple to make deals with T-Mobile or Sprint before Verizon.

A more realistic ETA for a Verizon iPhone? No sooner than 2012, when networks roll out the next-generation 4G network, Wu said.

“While we believe VZ is likely inevitable at some point when 4G technology rolls out in 2012 or so, we believe Sprint and/or T-Mobile are more willing partners for Apple in helping maintain margins and customer controls,” he said. “From a technology perspective, we believe T-Mobile may have an advantage with a similar 3G UMTS/WCDMA network as AT&T.”

Conflicting reports in recent months have cited analysts claiming a Verizon iPhone is due for launch next year and is already being tested, while others, like Wu, say it’s unlikely.

Given the scarce amount of evidence that a Verizon iPhone is in the works, we’re leaning toward agreeing with Wu. Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg told The Wall Street Journal earlier this year that Apple would be more likely to share the iPhone with Verizon once 4G networks were implemented. Verizon will begin deploying its 4G network in 2010. The cellular standard is also called Long Term Evolution (LTE), which many domestic and international carriers plan to use for their next-generation networks as well. For Apple, that should mean more potential iPhone customers and fewer troubles in terms of hardware production.

Though Verizon has said it would begin deploying its 4G in 2010, it would be naive to expect the network to be up and running immediately. Cellular networks take several years to install and optimize; even 3G networks in the United States are far from mature. Therefore, Wu’s estimate of 2012 is reasonable albeit conservative.

Update: Interpret analyst Michael Gartenberg points out to me via Twitter that Wu’s argument is slightly flawed: Verizon doesn’t run the Android Market app store on the Droid, so why would Verizon have a problem with Apple’s App Store? However, Wu is correct that Verizon enjoys an element of customer control, and the company would likely wish to control some aspects of the iPhone OS — which Apple would not allow. Still, Gartenberg and I agree that a Verizon iPhone in 2010 is unlikely for various reasons. The point about 4G not being ready by 2010 is valid.

Via AppleInsider

See Also:

• Verizon iPhone? Don’t Hold Your Breath
• Verizon iPhone Could Arrive Next Year After All
• Verizon iPhone Could be Here Next Year
• Verizon Attacks the iPhone, Hints at Upcoming Droid

Photo: Mac Users Guide/Flickr

From everything we can tell, this new Droid Eris deal has nothing to do with the day after Thanksgiving and everything to do with the pure insanity of Walmart Wireless / LetsTalk.com. The same people that brought us the $30 Pixi have slashed the $99 Eris down to $30, which does wonders for removing the Eris from regular Droid comparisons. Judged purely on its own merits, $30 is a pretty smashing price for this handset, but in two years when that hefty Verizon contract is up it’s probably going to seem even more outdated by new versions of Android and faster processors than it does now.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Droid Eris available for $30, shuns Black Friday theatrics originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For the first time ever, every major carrier in the US actually has smartphones worth buying, meaning you don’t have to break up to get a good phone. Here’s the best phones on each one, along with the best deals.

If you hate the gallery format, click here.

All pricing shown is with a new 2-year contract, and some deals may be temporary.

AT&T

iPhone 3GS
The iPhone 3GS is the best overall smartphone you can buy. It’s really that simple. Best user interface, best internet, best apps, best media support—the list goes on. Okay, not the best network, but nothing’s perfect. $199

BlackBerry Bold 9700
I miss the original BlackBerry Bold’s king-sized keyboard, but the Bold 9700 squeezes the best of the BlackBerry for CEOs into an impressively tight form factor—faux leather back included—making it very possibly the best BlackBerry you can buy. $10

Bonus: Nokia e71x
It’s free, and an actually good smartphone—my favorite Nokia phone on the planet. Free

Verizon

Droid
It’s a terminator. A huge, disgustingly high-res screen, Batman-worthy industrial design, and the full power of Android 2.0 make it the best phone on Verizon—and the fact that it’s running on arguably the best network in the US make it the second best smartphone you can buy, period. $150

BlackBerry Tour
Sure, it’s notorious for trackball problems and it’s missing Wi-Fi, but this is the BlackBerry of choice for email warriors if they’re not on AT&T or T-Mobile—and it sure as hell beats anything running Windows Mobile. $50

Bonus: Droid Eris
If you’re desperate to save $100 over the Droid, the Droid Eris will run Android 2.0 soon enough, and is smoother, smaller, and friendlier, if a little blander. $100

Sprint

Palm Pre
The Pre offers one of the best user experiences of any smartphone with Palm’s webOS, and it’s probably the best phone on Sprint, hardware build issues and comparatively dinky App Catalog aside. $80

HTC Hero
The best Android phone not running Android 2.0, HTC’s Sense UI makes the sometimes confusing Android interface more digestible and has a few nifty tricks of its own, like integrated social networking. $100

Bonus: There is none. The Pixi’s close ($25), but the fact that you can get the Pre for nearly as cheap undercuts a lot of the value, as much as we like the design and form factor.

T-Mobile

Motorola Cliq
Motorola’s other Android phone is gussied up with Blur, a custom interface that’s bright and friendly, with widgets for keeping track of everything happening on your social network. It’s our favorite Android phone on T-Mobile. $100

Unlocked iPhone
No, I’m not kidding. A jailbroken and unlocked iPhone, even without 3G powers, is the second best smartphone you can use on T-Mobile.

Bonus: BlackBerry Bold 9700
The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the first BlackBerry with 3G on T-Mobile, which is reason enough, really, but it’s good the reasons listed above, too. $130

As expected, Verizon has chosen December 2 as the Samsung Omnia II’s date with destiny, bringing an interesting full-touch WinMo alternative to the HTC Imagio that launched back in October alongside Windows Mobile 6.5. Speaking of 6.5, there were some early concerns that Verizon’s version of the Omnia II would launch on stale 6.1 code, but fear not — it’s now confirmed that you’ll be looking at Microsoft’s latest and greatest stuff when you gaze upon that 3.7-inch AMOLED WVGA display. It’s also got a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, WiFi, and 8GB of internal storage along with microSD expansion — good news for anyone who plans on making much use of that cam, especially in video mode. Verizon’s site and retail locations both take delivery of the device on the same 12/2 date, pushing it for $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. Considering the pricing, we’ve gotta ask: Droid or Omnia II?

Verizon announces Samsung Omnia II: December 2 for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It may no longer be the first to launch in North America (that distinct honor now belongs to Bell), but we can finally say with some confidence that Verizon’s version of the Samsung Omnia II isn’t that far off. No, seriously: we’ve managed to get a peek at the carrier’s launch pack for the phone, and the big details here are that it’ll be launching in all channels (meaning telesales, online, and in-store) on December 2 for $199.99 on contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. That pricing puts it solidly in the upper echelon of Verizon’s offerings these days, yes — but when you consider that it’s got a 3.7-inch WVGA AMOLED display, 8GB of internal storage plus microSD expansion, 5 megapixel cam, and WinMo 6.5 Professional (allaying earlier concerns that 6.1 would be on shipping units), we think they can justify the outlay. Especially if you can resist the pull of a Droid Eris for a Benjamin cheaper once you set foot in the store, of course.

[Thanks, WC]

Verizon’s Samsung Omnia II launching December 2 for $200 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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