Kaufman Bros.
analyst Shaw Wu is never shy when it comes to disseminating Apple-related suppositions, and he had quite the interesting tidbit for investors on Monday. According to a Forbes report, Wu thinks Verizon Wireless may be willing to pay Apple to keep the iPhone away from Sprint and T-Mobile. Citing channel checks, Wu wrote to investors, “we are hearing that VZ does not want iPhone, the hottest selling smart phone, available on T-Mobile USA and/or Sprint and may be willing to pay for exclusivity to itself and AT&T.” Wu also claims that Apple got the terms it was looking for, and there will be a Verizon iPhone in 2011. Wu’s note is the latest in a long line of unconfirmed reports suggesting Apple’s iPhone will finally be launched by Verizon Wireless early next year. For the sake of anxious Verizon Wireless subscribers across the country, let’s hope that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
