Strong interest in the newly announced Verizon iPhone appears to have caused intermittent outages on the Verizon website Tuesday, resembling AT&T's iPhone 4 preorder woes from last year.
New iPhone users on Verizon's network won't find preloaded carrier software on their phones, but will be able to download carrier-specific apps from iTunes.
In addition to the new CDMA iPhone, Apple will also release a new iPad with a built-in CDMA radio to allow the touchscreen tablet to connect to Verizon's network, the carrier revealed on Tuesday.
iPhone competitors running the Google Android mobile operating system are expected by one Wall Street analyst to rapidly embrace Verizon's 4G long-term evolution high-speed data network, to fight off the presence of Apple's 3G-only smartphone.
Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook revealed on Tuesday that his company's agreement with Verizon for the CDMA iPhone is non-exclusive, meaning the new handset could also appear on Sprint's CDMA network.
The new Verizon-bound CDMA iPhone showed off at a press event on Tuesday also sports a new build of iOS, with version 4.2.5 featuring a built-in "Personal Hotspot" feature.
Verizon has answered a number of questions customers may have about the forthcoming launch of Apple's iPhone 4 on its network, addressing topics such as handset upgrade eligibility and data requirements.
The new iPhone 4 from Verizon will come preinstalled with a free 3G Mobile Hotspot application for Wi-Fi tethering, but the new handset will not offer simultaneous voice and data connections like AT&T [updated].
Ending years of anticipation, Apple and Verizon announced Tuesday that the iPhone 4 is coming to the largest wireless carrier in the U.S. on Feb. 10 at a starting price of $199.
The ongoing rivalry between AT&T and Verizon has picked up steam again, with the two companies trading jabs at one another before Verizon is expected to announce it will sell Apple's popular iPhone today.
On the eve of the expected Verizon iPhone launch, Wall Street analysts are chiming in with warnings that AT&T could be in for a rough year, with one analyst predicting that AT&T will "get demolished."
Analysts say Verizon will spend billions this year to make it easy for customers to sign up for data contracts with Apple's iPhone.
An analyst with UBS AG says Apple's Verizon iPhone will immediately become the carrier's top model, eating up sales of other devices, including Android licensees and RIM's BlackBerry.
Verizon's network is said to be more than capable of handling an influx of millions of iPhone users, even when offering them unlimited data service.
Responding to rumors of an imminent Verizon iPhone launch, AT&T has countered by touting the speed of its network, which a recent study found to be 20 percent to 60 percent faster than competitors.
Verizon may charge between $20 and $30 more than AT&T for the subsidized Apple iPhone price, due to the higher cost of CDMA wireless components, according to J.P. Morgan.
Though the arrival of the iPhone on Verizon is expected to increase overall U.S. iPhone sales for Apple, the effect on carrier AT&T is expected to be significant.
Analysts predict Apple's expansion of the iPhone to Verizon in the US will net 9 to 12 million iPhone subscribers this year, nearly as many as AT&T attracted in 2010.
Verizon will reportedly announce the iPhone on Tuesday paired with its existing service plans, including an all-you-can-eat data plan, and become available to subscribers later this month.
As speculation surrounding Verizon's iPhone reached a fevered pitch, the Wall Street Journal has confidently announced that the carrier has finally landed Apple's iPhone.
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AppleInsider Staff
Daniel Eran Dilger
Katie Marsal
Neil Hughes
Josh Ong
