All the signs for months have been pointing to the sad notion that Verizon may be holding out on Windows Phone 7.
They were noticeably absent from the February Barcelona announcement, kept quiet on any leaks and of course who could forget the KIN fiasco? (Through in a dash of iPhone rumors to boot as well). See our earlier coverage on the issue.
Today, sadly, Verizon has officially confirmed that news in an interview with Business Week:
Verizon Wireless won’t offer a device at the planned fall introduction or at any point this year, Brenda Raney, a Verizon spokeswoman, said today in an interview. The carrier plans to support the new operating system and will probably release a phone in 2011, she said.
Raney also went on to say that their relationship with Microsoft was "solid", exercising some PR spin for sure.
So, Verizon peeps, looks like you'll have to wait a bit for WP7 to land on Big Red...or will you defect to other carriers? Take the poll, rage on in comments!
Reader comments
Verizon on Windows Phone 7: Not happening this year, maybe 2011
Digital photo frames are common in 7 inch (17.8 cm) to 20 inch (50.8 cm) sizes.Digital Photo Frame Some digital photo frames can only display JPEG pictures. Most digital photo frames display the photos as a slideshow and usually with an adjustable time interval.Hiphone They may also be able send photos to a printer. Digital photo frames typically display the pictures directly from a camera's memory card, though certain frames also provide internal memory storage. Some allow users to upload pictures to the frame's memory via a USB connection, wirelessly via bluetooth technology. Few are able to send photos with cellular connectivity.car monitor Some frames allow photos to be shared from a frame to another.
Still upset! :(
Geez... that kind of puts a crimp into things for me.
I can't switch carriers (a work thing - Verizon w/full data is way cheap for me).
This just pushes me one more step closer to Android, or (if they ever start carrying them): an iPhone (gasp!).
If I were going to move from Verizon to AT&T it would be for the iPhone. I guess Verizon got their fill of Microsoft with the KIN for a while and face it, Verizon doesn't need Microsoft with a large selection of Android and quite possibly iPhone coming in January.
This sucks A**....Why Verizon????? Why????? Are they really that in love with the fragmented Android market??
:-)
Let's hope Big Red doesn't lose too much on this one.
I think they have about a year before my plan ends to get the Touch Pro3 out. :o]
CNet is reporting that the CDMA version of the OS isn't ready. Sprint won't have it at launch either. So while the Kin mess certainly didn't help, this may not have been VZW's call.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20016752-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&ta...
Mobiletechworld is reporting that at launch only GSM phones will be supported by Microsoft with CDMA support coming in the first half of 2011.
I don't really care cause I'll either go Android next, or withdraw entirely from the smartphone market. My 46-year old eyes are getting tired of reading text on sub-4-inch screens and what I really want is an HP slate like device instead.
My next upgrade isn't til next March so it's not a huge deal for me. I'll venture a guess that with the LTE launch around the corner releasing a new platform with EVDO at this point would be a waste because they'll be made redundant a lot faster than normal (which is already getting pretty fast). I'd rather wait and have 4G across the whole spread then regret my purchase because I didn't.
I'll reiterate/expand what I said above: 4G is going to take years to get the same reach as 3G--that's true on Sprint today and definitely true for Verizon.
You also won't see 3G phased out--it will run parallel on both networks for the next decade.
LTE is not right around the corner--yes, Verizon will make headlines when they turn it on, but you won't see viable services for quite sometime.
Even on my 4G EVO--I've used 4G just one time, for 5 minutes in Boston. It's more hype than substance right now, that's the reality and will be through 2011.
"...will probably release a phone in 2011, she said."
Wow, there's alot of corporate "hate" in that one carefully crafted phrase! "will probably release" indicates they're begrudgingly considering WP7. "a phone" instead of a series of phones further indicates their strategic interests lie elsewhere, ala Android and possibly iOS. Pity the poor VZN Wireless support staff that get assigned to the "backwaters" of WP7.
Sprint looks to be getting a WP7 soon, and looks to be 4G. That why i am choosing Sprint.
makes perfect sense due to their Nov 15th LTE launch for data devices followed by Q1 2011 LTE handset launch. Any "journalist" feel like following up with the question that WP7 handset will be LTE only instead of saying aww shucks and think it's due to relationships.
>Any "journalist" feel like following up with the question that WP7 handset will be LTE only instead of saying aww shucks and think it's due to relationships.
I think you're waaay to optimistic. Don't confuse throwing the switch with actually selling the service in a handset.
Sprint launched Wimax (flipped it on) September 29, 2008. Its first Wimax handset was 21 months later.
Twenty-one months.
That's because there's no point in selling a 4G phone with only a few markets--let them roll it out as a data-only service (laptops) first. Granted, Verizon may roll it out faster but I don't think you'll see a LTE phone till 3rd quarter 2011 on Verizon, at best.
So no, they're not holding out for LTE. This is something else.
After reading the rest of the comments I will likely be going Sprint and returning to Verizon if they get WP7 a year later. Especially if it was an LTE phone.
Looks like my family will be moving to sprint for the next year. We were hoping it would happen on our favorite network (only because they do have the best coverage and LTE looks promising), but we will definitely be moving to Sprint since ATT's 3G is saturated with isheeple and T-Mobile doesn't have the coverage we need. I think Verizon will see losses from not picking this, but they may be willing to accept this if they get the iphone customers from ATT.
This pretty much seals the deal. As soon as a phone I want shows up on another carrier I'm gone. I'm not going to get dicked around by Verizon waiting for a phone while everyone else gets theirs.
Why do US consumer always agonise about changing carriers,do they have an emotional bond with them? If another carrier has the device, coverage, comparable call quality and pricing why is it so hard to switch? All these posts around the web lamenting on how they've been with VZW for so long are silly, just move on, eventually carriers like Verizon will get the message.
Verizon has the best overall network with coverage. Its why I left ATT. Sprint is not going down the right path with WIMAX, but I'll probably choose them with a 1 year contract and then move back when Verizon picks up phones.
I am originally from Wyoming and my family lives there still. Verizon is the ONLY!!!! major carrier to have non-roaming coverage in Wyoming. They are the only Cell Phone Carrier to truly have cover in all 50 states period, end of story. This completely sucks for me, I am annoyed enough to drop Verizon but it will force me to be roaming no matter what other carrier I choose.
This is one of the worst moves Verizon could make. If there is no phone at launch/2010 then they will lose a ton of customers.
My gut says choose Sprint, but you never know maybe At&t will be my new carrier (all depends on the phones).
Probably have to move because I'm getting a WinPhone 7 handset and I'm not waiting around for Verizon to pull their head out. It's gonna be painful because I've been with Verizon since they became Verizon and hate to leave but I don't see having much choice.
Yeah, I have appreciated Verizon's service over the years, but I was fairly disappointed with their close relationship with Google. This just sucks even more.
I don't think I'll wait for "maybe they'll have A PHONE in 2011". When I'm ready to pick out my WP7 device, I'll move on from VZW.
So, how do you all feel about Sprint and T-mobile?
That is disappointing, I do understand why but at the same time, to be competitive carriers need to be willing ot offer a wide variety of phones to their customers...not just Andriod...although there is nothing wrong with the platform. If I didn't have an unlimitied plan with Verizon I would def switch to At&T... still may
I have a BlackBerry provided by my employer and the carrier is AT&T. The service coverage is horrible, even in big cities. Not clear if the lack of a signal is indicative of poor coverage or saturation due to the ubiquitous iPhones gobbling up bandwidth. Either way, if I have to pay out of my pocket for a personal phone, the service provider would never be AT&T.
This news ruined my day. Granted, I work for Microsoft so I'm getting a free phone, but I can't afford to pay the fees to move my 4-phone family plan over to another network. Plus, I LIKE Verizon's network. Painful news, especially from the comment "probably release a phone in 2011." I'm dying for my WP7.
Verizon got burned with the Kin, so yea they are not jumping on the WP7 bandwagon. They are taking a wait-and-see stand.
Some may say that Microsoft got burned by Verizon. Putting Smartphone data plan on a super feature phone just doesn't make sense. Would they have put on the same data costs as their other Media Phones I think the story would have been a little different.
Are you crazy. So you just expected Verizon to put a phone with YouTube integrated social networking etc. On a feature phone plan. Why should Verizon give Microsoft Kin special treatment? The Kim was shit. Period.
It was ugly both software and hardware. And if Verizon is responsible how come no other carriers came to the rescue? Think before you speak bub
How about you know what your talking about before you speak. Last time I checked the Kin did not have any youtube intergration. And if that is all that is needed to get a Smartphone plan then a lot of their multimedia devices would be considered smartphones as well. But guess what, they are not. They have their own category with a cheaper but still mandatory data plan.
Hmmm srry I forgot that I have to dumb things down for most of you win mobile fanboys.
I was talking about integrated social networking clearly. When was the last time you saw a phone with youtube integration? So maaybe you should read more carefully before you speak. No other phone on verizon is so closely tied in with facebook and twitter so ill repeat once again. Why the hell would verizon make adjustments to their data packages for that kin pos?
Actually my phone has Youtube intergration, Verizon has a few phones that are capable of twitter and facebook(but I think they just link to the mobile site). I know for a fact that this is true. BUT they aren't the same as the Kin obviously. Either way Data usage on one of those Kins are nothing compared to Someone with a Smartphone especially android(Blackberry users don't use as much data as android ones) So I really see no reason for the lack of better pricing on the data plans. Every site that is in the know, knows that this is the biggest problem with the whole Kin situation. And at no point did I mention I was pro-kin or pro-microsoft and everyone know that they had other flaws. Just telling you what I heard from many respected blogs.
Well of course! almost every phone with a web browser can connect to facebook and twitter! But you not see enV touches, and samsung alias' with deep social networking integration like the kin. and what phone do you have thats based/built around youtube? youtube integration and youtube capabilities are two different things. And of course kin doesnt use as much data, BECAUSE IT WAS SOME SHIT!!!! Period. So stop blaming Verizon. Thats all...
The KIN didn't use much data because they didn't want it to be as data-hungry as a smartphone. It was supposed to be a different class of phone (i.e., more than a feature phone and less than smartphone; a "social phone"). Anyone with brains should have been able to figure out that, if you wanted to help it succeed, you should come up with a different plan for it. I doubt doing so would have caused Verizon a big loss and trouble. Get your head out of your ass.
And Heaven forbid a phone company try to customize a plan for a different class of phone that behaves differently than any other class of phones. Well, except the way T-Mobile handled the Sidekick series that they were quite successful with. Hmmm... At least we all have the same taste in aesthetics, right? No? Darn... Well, at least there are no such things as possible exclusivity deals with phones and carriers in the US. Uhhh...?
I doubt carriers still carry excusive contracts on DEAD discontinued phones! With the exception of the iphone of course. But as I recall verizon was the carrier kin was to go to first and then it was supposed to branch out to at&t and sprint. So where is it now?
No need to move, I'm on T-Mo already! GSM rules baby!
Indeed and the fact you're *probably* [getting the HD7](http://www.wmexperts.com/t-mobiles-accessory-roadmap-leaked) ain't too bad either.
Hoping for a Lightning actually, but I'll take what I can get if no import options are available. Its actually good this info came out now, so it wont be something that comes as a nasty surprise at launch.
Screw Verizon I am looking to move form At&t to Sprint. Sprint has better plans.
Sprint has better customer service, plans and devices. AT&T and Verizon have both gotten too big and are nickel and diming everyone. Their customer service is really starting to suck as well.
4G? Sprint has it!!