There have been a lot of rumors and speculation swirling around a Verizon-Apple partnership. Apple has hinted in the past that Verizon would one day join AT&T as an official coverage provider for the iPhone. Now it appears that Verizon will be an official provider for an Apple product. That product, though, will not be the iPhone (not yet, anyway) but rather Apples new tablet which is now expected to debut as early as October.
For the last five years, techies have followed patent development (and the rumor mill) in hopes of discovering Apples next product. The tablet would offer features now familiar to users of Apples iPhone and iTouch, including gesture recognition and an on-screen keyboard
The change to watch for, however, is the growing relationship between Apple and Verizon, which threatens AT&Ts exclusive coverage of Apples iPhone (their contract ends in 2010). Losing this exclusivity would, would send shivers into AT&T’s stock and senior leadership,” says head of telecom research for Nielsen, Roger Entner, USAToday reports. Its all good news for Apple, who will gain access to an estimated 80 million Verizon customers. Apple customers stand to benefit from the budding partnership with Verizon, and will enjoy greater choice when selecting a carrier for their iPhone. The Streets Scott Moritz reports that Verizons will keep costs down on the pricey new Apple device, though the exact details of this subsidy remain unclear.