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"We think it'll be the best phone ... this year. It will kill the iPhone," Verizon (NYSE: VZ) Wireless Chief Marketing Officer Mike Lanman said of his company's new LG manufactured handset. Reuters writes that Verizon will launch the new phone for the holidays. It will have a touchscreen keypad and full web browser.
But, the new handheld will be from LG, not Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Verizon management decided to speak before they thought. Its new handset may do fine, but the iPhone is not a handset, it is an experience. Verizon should know that. The iPhone is part of the iPod and iTunes way of life. People don't just own an iPhone because it is a nice piece of equipment. They own it because Apple made it.
The new Verizon handset will have a hinge that opens to a second screen with a normal keypad. Just in case people want to go "old style." In other words, the new phone is a compromise, not part of a revolution to change the cellular industry.
As one analyst told Reuters, "People who want a high-end media phone and want to stay with Verizon will certainly give that one a hard look. I don't know that it would pull anybody away from an iPhone." Meaning, all Verizon is doing is keeping some of its own customers, which is a worthy goal all by itself. The LG handset may be no more than a defensive move to keep customers from leaving to AT&T (NYSE: T) to get the Apple product.
Verizon's LG phone is like the Zune. It may work fine, but it is not from Apple. It does not have access to iTunes. It's lame.
Douglas A. McIntyre is a partner at 24/7 Wall St.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-03-2007 @ 8:15AM
Mike said...
Doug, I seriously doubt any of this article after reading your last sentence.. "It's Lame." Just because it doesn't have Itunes?
In case your not familiar with the Iphone ... the Iphone doesn't officially have Itunes either. It has to sync with a computer in order to get the songs from Itunes..
A user could still download music from Apples Itune service.. hook up an LG MP3 player and download the music just the same. Also, Verizon I am speculating, would enable their phone to download songs "on the fly" instead of hearing a new song and having to run home, boot up their computer, start-up Itunes, download the song, tether it to their computer, and sync it to the Iphone. Sounds like too many steps if you ask me.
I love the spirit of competition, by Verizon attacking an shortcomings on the Iphone, it will force both to correct their faults! Which I know the I phone has many! No MMS, Video camera, 3g data, and this LG will probably have quite a few too.. but its a move in the right direction!
-Unbiased Mike
10-03-2007 @ 8:59AM
Jay said...
Mike,
You're wrong. The iPhone *can* download/buy songs via wifi now -- it does not need to sync to a computer to obtain new songs. This feature was introduced recently as a software update -- one of many updates that will arrive and further enhance the iPhone with exciting new features. Other phones can't compete because they're not built on Mac OS X and are nothing more than souped up handsets. The iPhone is a full-fledged handheld computer with all of the advantages such a platform affords. At this time there truly is no other handheld that competes in the same space as the iPhone.
10-03-2007 @ 10:31AM
george scandalis said...
This is Verizon saying Me Too!, Me Too ! We can be cool...see?
Face it, they missed the boat, they do not have the iPhone killer, they're got just another phone with the same feature set as everyone else on a network that charges 60.00 a month for unlimited data, 3 times more than AT&T.
By the way, according to a GSMworld.com/Ericsson white paper, 3G is only usable by less than 15% of the US.
Edge or 2.5G is closer to 75%.
Can you hear me now Verizon?
Perhaps not, you have no signal.
10-03-2007 @ 2:50PM
cintos said...
Greetings: Full disclosure: I am a Mac fan, and have been since 1989. I have also been a loyal Verizon fan for many years, but the network is NOT everything.
Today is my first full day with my new iPhone. I pulled it from the box last night and had it upgraded to the latest software release and synched within an hour, including nominating a bunch of media items to sych.
The keyboard is spectacular - makes me cringe to go back to my treo goose-bump keyboard.
Yes, the iTunes store is in there - I used it to buy one song to see the wheels turn. Apple's synergies around the iTunes application is the big leverage here.
12-29-2007 @ 11:33PM
NANDO said...
I AM A FAN OF BOTH BUT I LOVE MY VERIZON VOYAGER. ITS THE BEST GIFT I EVER RECEIVED. I HAVE THE IPHONE FOR MY BUSINESS LINE BUT MY PERSONAL IS VERIZON. I'M GLAD I HAD A CHANCE TO TRY THE VOYAGER. THE VOYAGER HAS MORE OPTIONS THAN THE IPHONE. HATE TO DISAPPOINT BUT IT DOES