There's a Good Chance the iPhone Will Come to Verizon in 2010

A well-known Apple watcher is sticking with his earlier prediction that Verizon Wireless will get the iPhone next year, ending AT&T's long-held role as exclusive U.S. provider of this smartphone.

Gene Munster, a senior analyst with Piper Jaffray, now thinks there is a 70% chance that Apple will make Verizon the second U.S. carrier to offer this device.

This will allegedly happen next summer, when the next-generation iPhone is introduced.

There would be advantages and disadvantages to this move. Verizon has more subscribers than AT&T, and so would more than double the number of potential customers. On the other hand, these companies use incompatible wireless networks, so Apple would be forced to add support for CDMA to the iPhone line.

What the Rumors Say
Apple has generally been very good at preventing solid information about its products from leaking out well ahead of their unveiling. As the next-generation iPhone isn't expected to be announced for months, any details on this device are very unreliable.

An unconfirmed report says this upcoming smartphone will have a 2.8-inch display. All previous phones from Apple have had 3.5-inch touchscreens, so the company may be planning to noticeably reduce the size of this product line.

Source: CNET