Why Verizon Passed on the iPhone

Posted in iPhone News by admin. Published November 9th, 2010

Why Verizon Passed on the iPhone

Verizon will finally be debuting its version of the iPhone early next year, but a report claims the carrier had the chance to offer the device five years ago—and turned it down.

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Disgruntled AT&T customers will finally get a choice when Verizon starts offering the iPhone in 2011, but the carrier could have been the first to sell the iconic device if they hadn’t had a beef with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. According to a report in Fortune, in 2005, Verizon was offered the opportunity to be the exclusive carrier for Apple’s entry into the cell phone field, but passed because Jobs wanted a large cut of monthly service fees and control over sales of the devices.

Verizon execs refused to cut a deal and in 2006, the iPhone went to AT&T—which has obviously done very well with it. That’s probably why in 2007, Verizon President and CEO Lowell McAdam asked Jobs to reconsider doing business together. Given the huge success of the iPhone, and the money it made for AT&T, the guys at Verizon just might be regretting that original decision.

[Thanks: http://www.iphoneuserguide.com/]