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Wednesday, January 12, 2011, 01:25 pm
Inside the Apple-Verizon iPhone deal: technical planning took 6-9 months
While the commercial agreement with Apple and Verizon was finalized in just a day, the technical preparations to bring the iPhone to the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. took much longer.Verizon Communications President Lowell McAdam spoke with Bloomberg about the deal between Apple and Verizon for the iPhone, which took years to reach. He said each company agreed to trade "inside information" about each others' upcoming products and services.
Apple and Verizon also erected CDMA towers at the iPhone maker's Cupertino, Calif., campus, allowing both companies to do extensive testing with Apple's smartphone in an effort to avoid network issues. AT&T's own network issues have been a public relations concern for the company.
One of Verizon's top engineers worked at Apple's campus, helping the company learn CDMA technology, and McAdam himself even personally tested the new Verizon-compatible iPhone before it was announced on Tuesday. The phone is set to go on sale on Feb. 10, and existing Verizon customers will be able to preorder starting Feb. 3.
Negotiations between the two companies even personally involved Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs and Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg. McAdam also said the lack of a Verizon logo on the new iPhone 4 was not a "major issue" for the company.
"We worked probably six or nine months on the technical side of this and saw we could make this work," McAdam said in the interview. "Then we did the commercial side. The commercial side took us a day."
The new, close partnership with Verizon has already lead to information leaks, including numerous reports on the Verizon iPhone announcement well before Tuesday's press conference. And also this week, Verizon's chief financial officer, Francis Shammo, let slip that Apple is planning a new iPad with an integrated CDMA radio that will allow the touchscreen tablet to access Verizon's network without the need for a MiFi portable hotspot.
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Quote:
also erected CDMA towers at the iPhone maker's Cupertino, Calif., campus, allowing both companies to do extensive testing with Apple's smartphone in an effort to avoid network issues.
This is probably what AT&T did as well. What's the point of this? The purpose of the phone, regardless of carrier, is not just to work on Apple's campus - it's to work anywhere. Does Apple still think they can release phones without doing extensive testing in the real world? Because if they do, they're setting themselves up for another P.R. disaster if Verizon doesn't have enough bandwidth to support the users.
According to news reports, Verizon's website has already had problems. If they weren't smart enough to get more server capacity for the crush, do you really think they've expanded their network enough to support the crush of new iPhone users?
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoetmb 
This is probably what AT&T did as well. What's the point of this? The purpose of the phone, regardless of carrier, is not just to work on Apple's campus - it's to work anywhere. Does Apple still think they can release phones without doing extensive testing in the real world? Because if they do, they're setting themselves up for another P.R. disaster if Verizon doesn't have enough bandwidth to support the users.
According to news reports, Verizon's website has already had problems. If they weren't smart enough to get more server capacity for the crush, do you really think they've expanded their network enough to support the crush of new iPhone users?
This is probably what AT&T did as well. What's the point of this? The purpose of the phone, regardless of carrier, is not just to work on Apple's campus - it's to work anywhere. Does Apple still think they can release phones without doing extensive testing in the real world? Because if they do, they're setting themselves up for another P.R. disaster if Verizon doesn't have enough bandwidth to support the users.
According to news reports, Verizon's website has already had problems. If they weren't smart enough to get more server capacity for the crush, do you really think they've expanded their network enough to support the crush of new iPhone users?
They need a nearby tower to test within the Apple campus at full strength. They can then adjust the signal strength as need to do more testing (going into shielded rooms, etc). Apple has already acknowledged that they do a lot of real world testing all round the place and that it carries the risk of the phone be 'stolen' or misplaced (left at a bar). Don't think that Apple doesn't do a lot of real world testing on their phones. I would be there are engineers walking amongst us with 5th gen iPhones already if not very soon.
In other news, the CDMA ipad is cancelled.
Just kidding. Apple may have told them it was OK to spill. It changes nothing, really.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoetmb
This is probably what AT&T did as well. What's the point of this? The purpose of the phone, regardless of carrier, is not just to work on Apple's campus - it's to work anywhere. Does Apple still think they can release phones without doing extensive testing in the real world? Because if they do, they're setting themselves up for another P.R. disaster if Verizon doesn't have enough bandwidth to support the users.
According to news reports, Verizon's website has already had problems. If they weren't smart enough to get more server capacity for the crush, do you really think they've expanded their network enough to support the crush of new iPhone users?
This is probably what AT&T did as well. What's the point of this? The purpose of the phone, regardless of carrier, is not just to work on Apple's campus - it's to work anywhere. Does Apple still think they can release phones without doing extensive testing in the real world? Because if they do, they're setting themselves up for another P.R. disaster if Verizon doesn't have enough bandwidth to support the users.
According to news reports, Verizon's website has already had problems. If they weren't smart enough to get more server capacity for the crush, do you really think they've expanded their network enough to support the crush of new iPhone users?
Of course they do extensive testing. I suppose you haven't heard of the Gizmoto phone story?
But in order to do prototype testing under ideal conditions, which must be done first, they need a real tower outside of their own labs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by zoetmb
This is probably what AT&T did as well. What's the point of this? The purpose of the phone, regardless of carrier, is not just to work on Apple's campus - it's to work anywhere. Does Apple still think they can release phones without doing extensive testing in the real world? Because if they do, they're setting themselves up for another P.R. disaster if Verizon doesn't have enough bandwidth to support the users.
According to news reports, Verizon's website has already had problems. If they weren't smart enough to get more server capacity for the crush, do you really think they've expanded their network enough to support the crush of new iPhone users?
This is probably what AT&T did as well. What's the point of this? The purpose of the phone, regardless of carrier, is not just to work on Apple's campus - it's to work anywhere. Does Apple still think they can release phones without doing extensive testing in the real world? Because if they do, they're setting themselves up for another P.R. disaster if Verizon doesn't have enough bandwidth to support the users.
According to news reports, Verizon's website has already had problems. If they weren't smart enough to get more server capacity for the crush, do you really think they've expanded their network enough to support the crush of new iPhone users?
the network traffic is probably routed to preserve secrecy and through all kinds of network diagnostics devices for debugging purposes
69 months, that's a long time.
When AT&T was getting really bashed for lack of bandwidth from iPhone users they swooped-in and took over the WiFi hotspots at Starbucks, McDonalds, etc. At first they controlled free access to AT&T users with an SMS authentication method. Later they relaxed this and now you can use any device at Starbucks for free internet even Android, Palm, Symbian, laptops, etc.
Now that Verizon Wireless will have the iPhone will AT&T roll-back their WiFi hotspot policy limiting use to AT&T devices? Even though I'm an AT&T iPhone user having easy access for my laptop would be nice to continue. And even though I may be 'subsidizing' Verizon iPhone users bandwidth there, with my AT&T fees, being able to do Facetime chats with Verizon iPhone users, since FT is WiFi only, would be good.
How much does companies like Starbucks pay AT&T for providing hotspots? Maybe their fees will go up?
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
McAdam also said the lack of a Verizon logo on the new iPhone 4 was not a "major issue" for the company.
McAdam also said the lack of a Verizon logo on the new iPhone 4 was not a "major issue" for the company.
Verizon is one of the most notorious in terms of crippling phones and plastering their junk all over phones. McAdam I'm sure is downplaying this to save face.
It's nice to know that Verizon is finally someone else's lapdog for a change. McAdam probably had to bite his lower-lip numerous times due be being told "No" by Jobs / Apple in terms of iPhone deals.
In the end, this is very exciting times for Apple the the smartphone industry. I'm eagerly waiting to see about CDMA use in China / India. This is going to be huge for Apple and AAPL!
Quote:
Originally Posted by iLoveStuff
69 months, that's a long time.
69 months, that's a long time.
But a great position for them to be in.
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Since it's been said that they didn't sign an exclusivity agreement, I'd like to see Sprint and T-Mobile signed on when the new iPhone is announced this summer. That would seem to be the right time.