The eventual release of a Verizon compatible iPhone is among the most persistent rumors in technology. There is mounting evidence, however, that the fabled device will finally release by January.
“Component purchases and manufacturing starts don t typically reveal strong links to individual handset OEMs. But in some cases components have a DNA which is traceable through the supply chain. For example, iPad rumors became much more concrete when we knew Apple was procuring large LCD screens,” writes Steve Cheney. “For typical refreshes of GSM-based iPhones (the model that works on AT&T’s network), suppliers and component product families remain fairly consistent between models. But a Verizon compatible iPhone would be CDMA-based, which would make its DNA distinct from other iPhones and traceable through the supply chain.”
“Sources with knowledge of this entire situation have assured me that Apple has submitted orders for millions of units of Qualcomm CDMA chipsets for a Verizon iPhone run due in December,” added Cheney. “This production run would likely be for a January launch, and I’d bet the phone is nearly 100 percent consistent with the current iPhone 4 (with a fixed internal insulator on the antenna).”
“I can’t say with 100 percent accuracy that an iPhone will hit Verizon store shelves in January, but all of the signals point that way, and it would give Verizon’s CEO some interesting things to talk about in his CES keynote (though he may have to refrain as CES comes before Apple’s typical January keynote). I may be proven wrong, but based on my history dealing with components and selling to Apple, a Verizon-compatible iPhone looks to be a done deal,” he concluded.
Source: TechCrunch
