Verizon wants the iPhone, but the decision is up to Apple

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg

With the Motorola Droid on the horizon, it’s no surprise to anyone that talk of the iPhone for Verizon would soon follow. While every somewhat-formidable touchscreen that has come after the iPhone has been labeled an “iPhone killer,” Verizon is well aware that that is not what the Droid is. As a matter of fact, Verizon’s CEO Ivan Seidenberg says, “We obviously would be interested at any point in the future they thought it would make sense for them to have us as a partner. And so we will leave it with them on that score.” Talk about stating the obvious.

Apple commands a certain amount of power with the iPhone that a carrier would be foolish to turn away. Last quarter sales saw the highest ever for the iPhone. During the course of that quarter, bloggers, developers and analysts were lambasting the iPhone’s exclusivity and the weak AT&T network. Blogs and news sites were filled with bitter diatribes against the iPhone and its closed platform. Clearly, sales were not hurt whatsoever by the negative PR and those who decried the iPhone still use the device or returned to it after a very brief hiatus.

There is no doubt that the Droid is going to be a decent handset. The phone, and the rumored series of phones in the Droid family, has caused a lot of buzz with consumers and even non-tech geeks have been considering switching to or staying on Verizon for the phone. But will it fare better than hyped devices of the past like the LG Voyager and BlackBerry Storm?

Via WSJ