Analyst: iPhone on Verizon? Don't Hold Your Breath

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple has two phones in the works: one is probably the super-fancy next-gen model that info has already been trickling out about, and the other is rumored to have a CDMA chip in it. That'd let it hop on over to AT&T competitors, including Verizon and Sprint.

This isn't the first time we've done this song and dance. An iPhone on Verizon would be awesome for folks who don't want to make the jump to AT&T. So will it finally happen? Not yet, according to UBS Investment Research's analyst Maynard J. Um. That CDMA chip is seen as an addition more likely to enable the phone to work in wider international markets, not so much in the U.S. And that next-gen iPhone? It sounds a little crazy.

From AppleInsider:

As it has done every year, Apple will introduce a new iPhone model this summer. Um said checks with industry sources indicate the next-generation model could feature a touch panel on the back of the phone, which would allow touch capabilities on both sides of the device. The new iPhone could also offer high definition video playback and recording with a 5-megapixel camera, 64GB of NAND flash storage, increased battery life, an AMOLED screen and new applications.

The analyst also expects the new iPhones to be priced the same as the current iPhone 3GS offerings, at $199 and $299. The current iPhone 3GS is also expected to drop to $99 and replace the existing iPhone 3G at that price point.

A second analyst, RBC Capital Markets' Mike Abramsky, sees a different fate for this rumored "second iPhone." He writes that a smaller, cheaper unit is more likely to appear alongside a meatier offering: "The entry-level iPhone may lack the faster processor, larger NAND memory, higher resolution screen, front-facing video camera and other features of the premium iPhone."

We'll just have to wait and see what happens next, but analysts seem to agree: Don't hold your breath if you're waiting for the iPhone on Verizon.

Wall Street Journal, via AppleInsider

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