Thursday,November 4, 2010 The Daily Aztec 5SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYiPhone rumored to come to Verizon soon

For months, people have been speculating:When is it going to happen? Who is this goingto affect? Can I make the switch?

They are talking, of course, about the AppleiPhone and it’s impending future.

The wireless world is abuzz with gossip theiPhone will soon be available through wirelesscarrier Verizon Communications Inc. Foryears, a contract has bound the iPhone toAT&T Inc., which has caused many a droppedcall or missed text message. The notoriouslybad coverage and customer service fromAT&T may soon become a thing of the past,as millions of iPhone users will soon be ableto change cell phone companies.

But not so fast — the rumors are not con-firmed. However, many notable sourceshave said it is only a matter of time beforethe three-year marriage between Apple andAT&T is terminated.

The evidence is pretty solid. First, Applechose not to resign its contract with AT&T,which will expire at the end of this year. Thisincreases the possibility the iPhone will beable to move to other service providers, includ-ing Verizon and possibly T-Mobile.

Second, The Wall Street Journal recentlyreported the iPhone would be available to Ver-izon early next year. WSJ spoke to “peoplefamiliar with the matter,” who confirmed theiPhone is undergoing a bit of a makeover to fitinto Verizon’s technology scheme.

AT&T will likely suffer should the switchoccur. According to a Davenport & Co. ana-lyst, “When Verizon gets the iPhone, asmany as six million of AT&T’s iPhone sub-scribers could defect.”

But AT&T is not the only group that couldbe affected by the looming switch. Other cellphone creators, such as BlackBerry andMotorola, could take a hit. Google, whichmakes the Android, may also feel the reper-cussions of the switch. Many people considerthe Android an equal rival to the iPhone, andthe popular Google phone is already availablethrough Verizon.

Whether or not the switch happens,iPhone users will have a couple moremonths of trepidation. Because Apple isnotorious for keeping inventions a secret(except when certain staffers accidentallyleave their new gadgets in seedy Silicon Val-ley bars), people will likely not hear aboutthe grand plan from Apple CEO Steve Jobsuntil a week before it is released.

Until then, let the speculation continue.

SSAARRAAHH GGRR II EECCOOM A N AG I N G E D I TO R

The notoriously badcoverage and customerservice from AT&Tmay soon become athing of the past, asmillions of iPhoneusers will soon be ableto change cell phonecompanies.

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The popular smartphonemight switch cellular

networks in a few months