If you've been scouring the dictionary for sour grapes, chances are you'll find
Ivan Seidenberg's picture. Verizon Communications' chairman and chief executive recently sat down for an interview with
Financial Times, and while he spent the vast majority of his time boasting of just how amazing Verizon is, he did stop to remark about Cupertino ever so briefly. Granted, he did start off by admitting that Apple was a "great company," but that didn't stop him from pillorying the iPhone as well as Dear Leader himself. He actually accused the interviewer of "declaring [Apple] a winner before it had earned it on the field," suggesting that the iPhone wouldn't become a mass-market handset simply because the
next iteration will be subsidized. He also stated that "Mr. Jobs had no monopoly on innovation," and took the conversation even further off track by blurting that "Steve Jobs eventually will get old." At least Keystone knows where to find its next bitter beer face, right?
[Via
The Inquirer, image courtesy of
Pace, thanks Frank]
posted Jul 1st 2008 9:41AM
Is it a typo? I thought it should read "...he did stoop to remark..." :-0
Wow, I can't wait for the perfect storm of Verizon fanboys and iPhone haters on this one.
Verizon needs to focus on their own phones. Complaining about the iPhone won't fix the way they cripple all of their phones and put that standard 1982 UI on everything or how they'll be charging for visual voicemail lol. Way to go Verizon. I can't wait to leave you next month.
I think this is huge regret being masked....Big Red had their chance on the iPhone and decided not to play....now I think they regret it and are reaching to come up with self justification for that move....
I agree! I think Ivan is making a huge mistake by spouting of about this... Verizon had their chance and they turned it down. I think all the market power is getting to their head.
Hey Ivan... I'm moving 5 lines from Verizon to AT&T and getting 3 new iPhones.
I too am switching from Verizon on the 11th when I get a iPhone 3G. I can't stand the way verizon ruins their handsets with Vcast. Note to all those who are switching... make sure to get a new handset from verizon if you have insurance so you can sell it for more when you switch to AT&T. I'm going to get my replacement on the 10th.
If iamright wants to sell a refurbished insurance replacement to some moron then more power to him. Also if it's Insurance, as you claim, then you are paying a 50.00 deductible to acquire it. You sound soooo...smart.
momo, you sound like one of those over zealous verizon employees. I know you're not though because if you were you'd know that there is no $50 deductible to replace a phone. I've already had to get two new ones. This tip was intended for those who may be in my situation, not for ignorant idiots trying to be funny. Maybe you being so smart yourself would just keep an old phone rather than getting a replacement at no charge. That sounds soooooo. smart - Moron!
um, iamright (aka: moron), insurance claims at verizon go thru a company called Asurion... and there IS a deductible.
tra la la, (aka momo's bff), extended warranty and insurance are integrated and if there is a defect in the phone (any problem that is not physical damage) you can get the phone replaced at NO CHARGE!!! In my original comment I never said to make a claim, I said get a replacement... all you have to do is tell them that the phone keeps shutting off randomly or any other real defect that is not physical damage and you get a new phone at no charge! Why don't you learn how to read and why don't both of you retards do some research before making yourselves look stupid. I've had two phones replaced at a verizon store at no charge, yeah I actually did it in reality, yeah thats right, are you idiots telling me I didn't do that? Give me a break, You two like so many others don't think before you type! Just because you're not smart enough to figure this out doesn't mean everyone else needs to read your idiotic comments! Morons!
@ iamright
just ... shut ... up ...
YOUR post said "if you have insurance". You didn't say "if you have extended warranty" or "if you're still in warranty", then say something is wrong with the phone and get a new one.
So why don't you read YOUR writing?!
Also, most often when you get that "new" phone in warranty, it's a refurbished or remanufactured phone because asses like you say your phone doesn't work when in reality it works ok. And I'm sure it's asses like you who call into customer service and say "My phone doesn't work at all; I can't make calls or anything", at which point they said "I'm sure I can help you fix that. Are you on the phone?" and you say "well, yeah... it's my only phone!"
hahahaha,
tra la la, that was the best laugh I've had in a long time! I am right, you do work for the nasty Verizon company. Do you get a lot of those people calling in?
You are the type who criticizes before doing any research. My omitting info doesn't make me wrong, I am still right, if you fill in the blanks with erroneous assumptions then you are the ass. For future reference, if your not sure, ask for clarification before calling names... oh but wait, why would you do that? That might actually require more of a brain and less of an ego.
poor ivan. regret is such a terrible thing.
Maybe people would buy the similar VZ smartphones and PDA's if they weren't crippled by the pathetic VZ UI slapped on top.
It is slow, cumbersome, and removes native features.
I understand their desire to make it easy for most people who jump from handset to handset, but come on! Make it an OPTION to have that crap put on there. I still rock my e815 because it has the nice Moto UI and I modded the code to re-enable the features VZ decided I did not need like Bluetooth OBEX and tethering. How DARE they disable what I paid for.
Dont get me started on the ridiculous data fees VZ hits you with if you actually want a pda/crackberry/smartphone....
well look at all you guys, i am a verizon fan i giess as much as i love the i phone you should look at the network for the 3 g on the phone let alone the 3g data for just the i phone, you talk about a cripled handset if you dont live in a big city your not going to run fast. And yes verizon cripples the phone but we all know there are hacks and downloads we can put and get into the phone. If you are a real phone junkie you can make any thing work so good luck on droping calls and what not bec when limo and open network go into affect and you are still cripled by a pansy carrier you will either run to an android handset of some thing from over seas that has far surpassed the i phone, what a joke
You sound like a dumbass. Most people out there are not techies or junkies, and who should modify a device they paid for to gain all the features. You are just a crappy Verizon Fanboy so just shut up. And talking about Verizon's 3G network - guess what? There is no Verizon in my area, but there is AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint (and their company is dying), Alltel (a regional company), MetroPCS, US Cellular, and more. So talk about how Verizon isn't even available everywhere before you have to add your pathetic 2cents. And talking about an open network, your crappy phones can only work here in the US. You can get unlock codes from AT&T and T-Mobile and use them with any GSM carrier in the world - that's what an open network is. And another thing, just because you have a crappy CDMA device you don't have to hate on AT&T because we all know they have the "fewest dropped calls." And i think you are jealous because you just can't order a fancy phone from overseas, you have to wait for your crappy carrier to release a crippled, CDMA version, with all the features removed.
Yep. I decided yesterday I'm leaving Verizon for AT&T this month. I don't even care that I live in Northern California with all the dirty hippies and I don't get 3G here. Having a UI that is actually fun to use goes a long way. F* Vcast and their damn phone locking down ways. I'm over it.
He hates Steve Jobs? Ha! At least one thing for sure, Steve Jobs able to get a nice looking phone released. Can't say the same for VZW, always the last or often time miss the board on getting the device out.....
Sheesh..
If it werent for the signal service, byebye VZW...
As a Vz customer, who's been month to month for two years now as I weigh my options, I say STFU and give me better phone choices. I'm waiting to see how the BB Thunder (9500) turns out before leaving.
The only thing I have to say is that was an incredibly poor decision to speak of another company that way. Normally AT&T and Verizon Wireless are a bit more reserved when it comes to directly insulting another company or its management.
But it is kind of funny seeing the comments posted here. They are much more stupid and ill advised. If you are leaving vzw for its closed o/s on its phones, why would you jump over to the most closed phone in the cell phone industry. Tell us when Apple allows people to develop third party apps or allows you to get a 3rd party battery for your iphone. That is the most closed system around, as always by apple.
"Tell us when Apple allows people to develop third party apps"
Hello. I am simply following your request and am here to tell you that Apple is allowing people to develop third party apps.
That is all. Goodbye.
Where have you been? Apple is supporting third party apps on the iPhone. They announced that in January, expounded further in March and demoed it all in June. This is old news, man.
Granted, apps are available primarily through Apple's App Store, but that's really no different than how Nokia handles S60 apps (or, um, ANY dumbphone on a US carrier). So it's hardly the "most locked" handset out there.
The iphone is the most open phone in the world. WWDC was basically centered around development for the iphone. Apple's made the simplest sdk available for 3rd party developers. Go to apple.com and watch the video of the last WWDC and you'll then be informed.
well watch out for you and all your big fancy words. you can take any comment you have made with a grain of salt. You can not even name any forieng carriers without looking at this site one of the biggest companys in the world for phones is a cdma network in korea foo. You need to do you r research before you go writting on a blog. You are probly one of those fat guys who sit around and have nothing better to do then trash on blogs, by the way if verizon was such a bad company why would have the i phone hit up verizon 1st. some people will never learn.
well it turned out to be best for apple with gsm cuz now they have a phone they can sell worldwide
The company you're thinking of is SK Telecom, and they just sold off part of their subscriber base to Virgin Mobile (Who did you think owned Helio?)
Nope, China Mobile, a GSM network, is now at the top.
The company you're thinking of is SK Telecom, and they just sold off part of their subscriber base to Virgin Mobile (Who did you think owned Helio?)
Nope, China Mobile, a GSM network, is now at the top. In fact, in the US I prefer to roam in with them than to locally sign up with any of the networks available here (because their roaming is cheap- about 1/4 of the prices that T-Mobile or AT&T charge to roam in China- their GPRS roaming is cheaper than getting a GoPhone SIM).
The company you're thinking of is SK Telecom, and they just sold off part of their subscriber base to Virgin Mobile (Who did you think owned Helio?)
Nope, China Mobile, a GSM network, is now at the top.
the Engadget commenting system really needs help- I didn't mean to do a triple post...
my dead grandparents could probably write better than 1/2 of you on here... but I digress. here's a few thoughts on these posts.
not once - as of this post, that I saw - has an VZW "Fanboy" come on here and blasted Apple or AT&T. Yet, you'll notice a few times (re: fatfat) that Apple/iPhone fanboys blast VZW and it's fans. hm... immaturity showing much?
Apple originally went to VZW for the release of the iPhone. So it would appear that Apple recognized VZW at the wireless leader. VZW turned them down because they - Apple - wanted to have too much of their hand in the proverbial cookie jar.
The iPhone REQUIRES AT&T's specific plan. VZW lets you choose whether or not you want to be able to use all that extra stuff. Maybe I want the slickest new phone, but don't care about the internet. I don't have to pay for it on VZW if I don't want to.
VZW camera phones= MMS capability. iPhone= no MMS. I don't want to HAVE to check my email to get a picture. 'nuff said.
VZW has the most reliable network. Maybe in SOME areas another carrier has better signal, but that can be said about any carrier. My girlfriend has AT&T and there's constant static or dropped calls when I talk to her... and my signal doesn't change. OVERALL, in the U.S., VZW is #1. Tried, tested, proved.
VZW is acquiring Alltel, so some people - cough*fatfat*cough - is proven yet again to have foot-in-mouth syndrome. So VZW will have better coverage in those "regional" areas, and the full digital coverage and broadband areas will only increase, not to mention get faster.
GSM/global capability is NOT that much of a factor. How many people do you honestly think go to AT&T *JUST BECAUSE* they can use the phone in other countries. If people are going to be doing that much international travel, chances are they are going to have a device that can do more than just make calls- a la Blackberry World Phone.
The iPhone is being released with 3G. So? VZW has had 3G capable phones for a while. Where's the recognition of that?! Oh yeah, that's right. They don't count because they're not the iPhone, or the UI is "crippled" because you can't do EVERYTHING that you could ever want. It's a business people- if companies let customer's do everything without limits, there would be no room for profit.
I personally have the Voyager. aside from a few "it'd be nice" quirks, I'm completely satisfied. It does what it's supposed to do- make calls. The other stuff is, always has been, and always will be, a perk. And I have no compaints about any of it.
No room for profit? China Mobile sells GSM versions of a lot of Verizon's LG phones- they all let me do far more with the phone than Verizon's counterparts do (why for the love of all that is good and decent can't I load my own video and watch full-screen on any Verizon non-smartphone? or Youtube for that matter?) and no one can say that they're unprofitable (heck, they're the largest carrier in the world). (One exception- China Unicom sells the LG Dare- dual CDMA/GSM means that I get coverage practically anywhere and again, they're not unprofitable).
am I the only one who really, at this point, is able to point out that Seidenberg is the CEO of Verizon *Communications*, and not Verizon Wireless?!
Lowell McAdams is the CEO of VZW, and I must say he's done a pretty damned good job so far.
"I personally have the Voyager. aside from a few "it'd be nice" quirks, I'm completely satisfied. It does what it's supposed to do- make calls. The other stuff is, always has been, and always will be, a perk."
Thats nice, just because you are satisfied with a phone that "makes calls" doesn't mean that the millions of people switching to iphone are satisfied with such basic functionality. You're contentment with verizon is as irrelevant as it is subjective.... besides, who hired you to be the official defense of verizon?
"VZW is acquiring Alltel, so some people - cough*fatfat*cough - is proven yet again to have foot-in-mouth syndrome. So VZW will have better coverage in those "regional" areas, and the full digital coverage and broadband areas will only increase, not to mention get faster."
That is also nice. It means that verizon customers can use a crappy device to browse the web in the boonies. What about all those who want to use the worlds best mobile internet device in the cities (where most people actually live) You are content with a phone that "makes calls" so does broadband even matter?
In every game there comes a time for the most talented to take over...to notice the moment that is a "game changer". Ivan just simply miss that opportunity for verizon by turning down apple. Now, he just can't get over his mistake so he is constantly defending his decision...too bad...suck it up....move on...
This is ridiculous how most people are so bent out of shape over a phone. Last time I checked, it was about the coverages and will I be able to get my calls. If history is to repeat itself, maybe a better phone will be released on VZW network and then you will have people complaining about At&t and how they will take their 5 liners to VZW. I'm sure Ivan is bummed about the decision, but with the release of LTE in the near future and phones being open access, I'm sure people will be able to jump onto VZW with the iPhone. If the iPhone could be on any network, which network would you rather pick? I usually pick the network first over the phone, since I hate to keep my ladies waiting.
What ladies? What does that have to do with anything? For all we know you are a fat 14 year old kid. If you can't provide any evidence then don't make a claim.
VZW takes nearly 2 customer from AT&T for every 1 customer that leaves to AT&T (since LNP began). Most people in the US could care less about the UI etc. on a device. I'm a Mac user and the iPhone is nice but I don't flock to a cellular company just for a phone. I know people who worked for AT&T and had VZW service. I could care less about a UI on a phone. I don't spend my whole day playing with my phone like so people seem to do.
"Most people in the US could care less about the UI etc"
That is correct! Most people could care less. Perhaps what you meant to say was that most people couldn't care less... There are several million people who do care a lot about UI. Those are the several million who payed $500 plus for the original iphone. You'll see millions more leaving verizon and sprint etc on the 12th to get iphones slick UI. I predict that it will be the worst day for Verizon and Sprint ever for losing customers.
@ Jamar...
I guess my last comment didn't post, but here's basically what I said:
last time I checked, I wasn't in China. and even if I were, I wouldn't be able to get VZW service. just try to activate one of those phones you mentioned in VZW here in the states- not going to happen.
that being said, your argument is pointless.
Won't happen? Of course not- they're GSM (and would I even want to?). On the other hand, AT&T and T-Mobile will be quite happy to take me on as a customer (and with the Chinese version of the Dare, both at the same time and Verizon- that phone lost a lot crossing the Pacific).
And no VZW, but there is Vodafone (VZW's international counterpart)- the China Mobile I talked about. Again, they manage to be profitable (and the biggest carrier in the world) without any of the crippling that Verizon likes to do.
iamright - thanks for correcting me on that. We shall see on your comment about the switchers on 7/12. Believe me, I know plenty of people who shelled out $500+ on the iPhone and didn't like it. How much will the og iPhone be worth now? Its like Lexus putting out a model a year ago for 60gs and now the new model comes out (a year later) and it is only 20gs. Since the og iPhone came out VZW has still won with LNP so check back at the end of the 3rd qtr and let me know how much AT&Ts stock has risen - since of course your predicting so many net adds out of this 3g iPhone.
don't egg him on. it would appear to anybody who's read even 1/2 of his comments on here that he's got some smartass, illogical, retort for EVERYTHING that anybody says.
Verizon's business hasn't hurt at all. As a matter of fact, what you said before about the 2-to-1 ratio is right. VZW signs up more people than AT&T- and that's with opinionated "crappy UI". It's more about the network than the equipment.
I don't care if AT&T *currently* has more subs than VZW. Guess what- AT&T has been around longer, so that's bound to happen. the scales are tipping, and VZW is coming out the victor in EVERY way.
just let him go...
Yes iamright, I was a fat kid at 14 who grew up bitter and spent most of my adult life complaining about cellphones UI. Therefore, come July 11th, I will leave VZW and get an iPhone.
"I too am switching from Verizon on the 11th when I get a iPhone 3G. I can't stand the way verizon ruins their handsets with Vcast. Note to all those who are switching... make sure to get a new handset from verizon if you have insurance so you can sell it for more when you switch to AT&T. I'm going to get my replacement on the 10th." - IAMRIGHT (...that I have a small penis)
While Verizon bashes the iPhone they're furiously bringing out every iPhone pretender they can lay their hands on. Sour grapes anyone?
Hehe... lots of people said that a year ago... But it seems like those news never made it to Apple, because they did pretty well so far... :-)))
He has one point though... What happens when Jobs is gone...? I mean...: Bill just left MSFT and nothing there really changed because Microsoft kind of runs itself. But Apple is literally ran by Steve - when he didn't run it for a few years it went straight down to the stone age...
Gino, good one! iamright = iamwrong - "make sure to get a new handset from verizon if you have insurance so you can sell it for more when you switch to AT&T." - iamright thinks that VZW sells insurance so he believes he is doing harm to VZW.... LMAO - your getting your phone from Asurion and your probably getting a refurbished handset so I think that foils your plan.. - Bishop Lamont prod by Dr. Dre "Grow Up" - "you bought an iPhone but live in ya mama home, gotta wait till shes asleep before you can bone......grow up...." - Virtuous - VZW has never claimed to bring out anything close to an iPhone.....
Hmmm,
I really don't have an insult or an opinion. However, I have enjoyed reading the banter. I have a dilemma.
I have been a VZ customer for years and years. I hear great things about the i Phone.
They are releasing the new version tomorrow and I wanted to find out if it would be advisable for me to jump ship tomorrow.
Some people advised me to wait and see if there are glitches in the new phone before purchasing it. But I haven't heard ill reports about the first iPhone and my current phone is on its last leg.
an initial review I read says that it was worth the wait, but the only real benefit is the 2.0 software - which iPhone 1 users can get for free. the 3G only works in AT&T 3G areas - of which there are limited amounts, and usually only in large metro areas. also, the 3G saps the non-user-replaceable battery very quickly. the GPS is only good for seeing where you're at on the map, not for giving you voice prompt directions (not very useful for safety while you're driving as you'll have to keep looking down at the phone). there's still no MMS. you pay less initially for the phone, but get hit on the back-end with the plan you HAVE to have for it. (a plan, btw, which does not include texting, but is about the same price as VZW's premium plan that does.)
source:: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25608901/