Best Buy prepares to battle Verizon’s iPhone 4; BGR gets caught in the crossfire

By on Jan 19, 2011 at 1:30 PM
mobile January 19, 2011

If images that reportedly reveal an internal Best Buy training document end up being real, it looks like the giant nationwide retailer will not be carrying Verizon Wireless’ new iPhone 4 at launch. The images supposedly show a section of Best Buy’s playbook intended to help guide sales reps’ interactions with shoppers. In this particular section, employees are given some fodder for customers inquiring about Verizon Wireless’ iPhone 4. The first leaked page covers data speeds and the Verizon iPhone’s potential lack thereof:

Verizon’s entire presence at CES last week was focused on one thing and one thing alone: 4G. Its LTE network is now live in 38 markets and a flurry of 4G phones will launch in the coming months. But the iPhone… the smartphone millions of Verizon Wireless subscribers have been dying for… is a 3G device.

We knew Verizon’s iPhone 4 would be a CDMA phone for a number of reasons, but 3G is so 2010. Sprint launched its first 4G phone with minimal WiMAX coverage and it ended up being the fastest-selling phone in the carrier’s history. Now, we won’t see a 4G iPhone from Verizon until 2012. That means while millions of Android phones are surfing Verizon’s 4G airwaves later this year, iPhones will still be puttering along at EVDO speeds.

Sound familiar? That might be because Best Buy pulled this passage directly from our piece entitled Here’s where the Verizon iPhone falls short. It’s not the first time we’ve seen Best Buy use excerpts from BGR content though, so it actually lends a bit of credibility to the images. The next shot shows a passage that delves into Verizon Wireless’ recent policy changes, and we’re sure the document goes on to cover a few more key points. Hit the break for the pair of purported pics, and if you plan on visiting a Best Buy store to inquire about Verizon’s iPhone 4 in the coming weeks, get ready for a fight.

Read

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
54 Comments

Related Articles

  • Jake

    The Verizon iPhone can only be ordered from Verizon. As far as i know they will not be in stores, ive been told that i would have to order it in store and Apple would ship it to my house.

    • Anonymous

      It can also be ordered from Apple.

    • Anonymous

      It’s going to be sold at Apple Stores also. . .their EasyPay systems have already been updated to enable Verizon upgrade eligibility checks. The Verizon iPhone 4 will eventually arrive at Best Buy, just not at launch.

      • VirginMerry

        and then it will be the greatest thing since sliced bread…..

  • lurch

    In the words of Obi-Wan: “Who’s more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him?”

  • http://twitter.com/BiggiePhat JG

    well i agree with best buy…and maybe not even on the 4g, but the fact apple will release a new iphone early summer with the new chip capable of gsm and cdma so duh its coming to verizon, why would you buy one now.

    …(or at all)

    • Dumbdroid

      is the same reason why would you buy any Android phone now when there will be a new one releasing every month or 2.

      • Chuggie13

        That is not a valid point. Android device changes are more incremental, several release per year. A user purchases an Android device base on personal preference for a particular device. Apple’s updates are all at once and tend to be big. I own the original Droid, but still have my upgrade available. I have not seen a phone to make me want to drop this one for another. However, my friends who own 3GS’s wish they had held out for the iPhone 4. Good just you lived up to the first part of your name.

  • Anonymous

    Is it just me, or does the text not actually sit atop the paper it’s purportedly printed on? Look where it says “No 4G” – the text is flat but the page is curved.

    • 3vil

      I think you are absolutely correct. That was the first thing I noticed when I looked at that page… obviously photoshopped

  • Triagebay

    guess no one cares that Verizon is still not reveling the data plan cost. Really, they don’t know the cost just 3 weeks before the launch. We are being played

    • JAiro

      uhh you big dummy , if its still on 3g it will still be at 29.99 5gb datas. Ass monkey

      • Anonymous

        So much love up in here

  • http://twitter.com/Davva360 David Moore

    I think with a new version of iphone almost certain to be released in summer it makes no sense to buy a Verizon one now, or a white one if that rumor is true. Wait a few more months to find out what new features the latest version has to offer and then decide what you want to do.

    I would even suggest wait until next year if you can. By then both AT&T and Verizon will have LTE networks at least in some places and then would be the better time to decide what phone, what carrier and renew your contract.

    If I was going to order one on Verizon I would definitely wait until the plans are announced.

    • Bringit

      “Now, we won’t see a 4G iPhone from Verizon until 2012.”

  • RH

    Verizon: surf & talk at the same time? NO
    AT&T: surf & talk at the same time? YES

    • Bringit

      Truly a VERY important thing. Much more important than the amount of dropped calls.

    • Anonymous

      I don’t know why people make such a big deal about surf & talking. Who really does this?

      When I’m on the phone, I want to talk to the person – not dilly dally around the net while replying ‘Uh huh’ ‘Yeah’ ‘Cool’ every few seconds. If something during the call needs to reference the net, I’ll wait till after the call to look it up. It baffles me why this is such a major argument in CDMA vs. GSM.

    • Anonymous

      You can do that nonsense on wifi, and now Lte. Who cares?

    • Anonymous

      I did that once when I owned a iPhone. Not that big of a deal.

    • troll

      verizon- can make a call /o dropping it? Yes
      ATT – can make a call….. shoot dropped again >.<

  • Anonymous

    We just got an email yesterday saying labor hours are being “adjusted to handle a new handset launching on verizon early February” iPhone or Thunderbolt are my guesses.

  • britwash

    Is no one concerned about Best Buy’s blatant plagiarism?

    • Ted

      Another reason I don’t like them and indirects in general

      • http://twitter.com/taficke Tim Ficke

        I dislike them as well. I certainly miss Circuit City however. They were always so much nicer, and seemed to know what they were talking about. In my area at least…

        I am shocked at the plagiarism too. Can BGR do anything about it?

  • StevenGlansburg

    I won’t need 4G if their is a jacked up price or lowered cap. Best Buy can suck one.

    • Sonya

      Agreed, and the average consumer could give 2 shits about 4G. They will see Verizon iPhone and that will be all there is to it, not Verizon iPhone with no 4G. I keep asking where you disappeared to but don’t ever remember to check back for a response. You ditched your Droid X?

    • Anonymous

      We have no reason to believe it is going to be jacked up, or capped. Their data card/usb plans DECREASED. Until they announce pricing, simmer down!

  • RealDeal

    How is the fact that it is CDMA only a shock to anyone? It make perfect business sense for them to do this. Sell CDMA iPhone now to millions of people not willing to wait for LTE. In 6-12 months release LTE iPhone and sell millions more to the same people that bought the CDMA iPhone a few month earlier. It is simple math, as a business would you rather sell 1 item to a customer or 2 items?

    • Robvandammmm

      And iPhone customers are the perfect shee… I mean people to pull this on. They’ll buy it and thank apple for releasing it for them! “THANK YOU STEVE JOBS FOR LETTING US USE YOUR IPHONE ON LTE” is what they’ll scream.

      • Drew

        Yay!!! Dumb and dumber…

      • Drew

        Sorry, that was supposed to be @RealDeal

    • AndroidWins

      You hit the nail on the head. People that buy apple products typically don’t care about the price, it’s some sort of status symbol to them. They could release a new iPhone every month and the same people would buy them over and over. That being said, I would take a guess that most people who buy iPhones have no idea what GSM or CDMA or LTE is. All they here is how reliable Verizon’s network is and how crappy ATT’s network is. They think they are winning by switching carriers.

      • Anonymous

        Your perfectly right, people who buys Apple product according to a survey, 87% makes over $50,000.00 a year and 47% makes over $100,000.00, these people don’t have time to tinker with their phones, they spend their time making money.

  • http://twitter.com/D4mi4n1988 Damian Wozniak

    No will will really cares if its 4G they just want an iPhone on Verizons network

  • http://twitter.com/Steelers7510 Ty Carlson

    I want to know what Best Buy has against Verizon?? Doesn’t make sense to me…

  • Protege

    “but 3G is so 2010″

    did a teenage girl write this memo?

    • Supercop

      More like 2007

  • http://caspan.com Caspan

    Hey look everyone BGR did something right! See here is the proof a Non tech store even used our text from an article we wrote.

    So a store that has no real technology background other then they sell technology copied what you posted and reposted it on an internal document so it must be correct then if someone copies it and republishes it? Thats like saying someone copied something I put on my webpage and posted it on Wikipedia so now that lends credibility to what I wrote on my site? No no no BGR no no no bad boy down… Sally get the gun BGR needs to be put down it’s out of control!

    • http://twitter.com/livingbasehead Shelton

      “So a store that has no real technology background other then they sell technology” Are you HIGH??? A store that’s sole business is technology has no technological background. Do you also think car dealerships know nothing about the automotive industry?

      and No its not like someone copying what you wrote and posting it on wikipedia. thats like Ford copying a car review from a blog and putting it in a national ad campaign. Its a pretty big deal. you ignorant troll, now go back under your bridge and stop posting idiotic comments on bgr.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        LOL umm no and I love how every time someone hates what you say they just call you a troll. Look up the term there Shelton get schooled.

        The people in there are kids! They get told what to say by stupid sales manuals like this, they know nothing about technology unless its told to them or they happen to use it. Every time I ask one of those idiots a question I get the blank stare of death. So to publish what BGR said as real life it is taking a non verified source quote ad putting it in a credible location like a Best Buy sales manual.. You get the analogy now or is it to simple? Paragraph taken from non verified source, then put in credible location all of a sudden paragraph is credible. Man I get sick of explaining myself because people have no education on here. If BB is so smart why did they take the blurb from BGR instead of their tech sales actually writing it? Because they don’t know either!

      • http://twitter.com/livingbasehead Shelton

        No no no BGR no no no bad boy down… Sally get the gun BGR needs to be put down it’s out of control! That is a pretty trolly thing to say. Bgr just got quoted by a pretty major corperation all there saying is it lends credibility. and of course the people that work the front line are kids, go to there head office where those manuals get written I doubt you will find that is the case.

      • http://caspan.com Caspan

        So where is the line saying its every store sales manual! This is a one off and even if that! Corporate didn’t make it a crappy manager did. Beside that it looks photoshopped and is just a way for BGR to make some news IMO! Best Buy can’t prove it wrong cause then they would have to show the real manual. I’m waiting for the April Fool surprise in this :)

  • Rawbrtz

    Sprint i Phone on 4G? Big announce ment in 2 weeks?

    • Anonymous

      No.

  • Anonymous

    Ha!
    They didn’t even remove the line that read “Post updated to remove a reference to FaceTime over 3G, which will not be available on Verizon’s iPhone 4.”

  • Ted

    Incorrect ..Verizon was watching very closely on what went wrong (as right ) with the iPhone launch. You’ll be able to pick it Up Feb 10th at a store

  • VirginMerry

    Puttering?
    I rather a handset that putters along and can be sold for more than I paid for it after two years than a handset that surfs at 4g and is never upgraded and is ready for the trash heap after two years….

  • Lechero

    iphone on 3g is only an issue on verizon, im on att and my download speeds are faster than the launch 4g, so until they do the second overhaul on 4g im goood.

  • Anonymous

    That’s the oldest sales strategy in existence, it’s called “Bait and Switch”. Moving right along….

  • Cormac

    Is anyone else thinking that Verizon is getting “sloppy seconds” with the iPhone 4?

  • Really

    I hope that people shopping at Best Buy would expect to get more than an Iphone talking points memo read to them. Instead, they would want to learn about ALL their options in order to make an INFORMED decision on what phone to sign a 2 YEAR contract on. I for one would want to hear about any phones shortcomings and strengths BEFORE I purchase. People who just want the Iphone are going to get it no matter what…You Tube search Iphone vs Evo for details

  • Drew

    You mean, “…there’s no substitute for Verizon iPhone mania.” for YOU BGR… I’m sooo over it.

  • CMC

    I’m not a fan at all of CDMA, nor am I a fan of VZ. After all, they are the root of all thing evil in wireless with the creation of policies that harm customers. Anyway, while their data network may not be absolute fastest in the world, I have to say it’s quite solid. I have an air card from them and it stays logged in for hours at a time. I mean more than 12 hours at a time. I can stream hours of video/audio and it never misses a bit. ATT has moments of high throughput, but drops a lot, and frequently falls to barely functional at all. Whereas VZ will always steadily. VZ customers are ok with the lack of simultaneous voice/data, as are Sprint customers.

    As for 4G, it would have been nice to see that. Heck, Apple launched a 3G iphone on ATT’s network, knowing damned good and well that it was no where near able to handle it. Took down the network and labeled them as having the most pathetic service in America. I guess VZ just doesn’t want to risk that, and Apple won’t make the same mistake twice. At least they are finally teaming up with a partner that actually “HAS” a network to stand on.

blog comments powered by Disqus