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Droid killer?

Imperial storm troopers could have used one of THESE!

I have said before that I am not a strong believer in “coincidence,” particularly where humans are concerned. :-)

Today, while “Midnight Droid madness” struck Manhattan (they’re all mad THERE, too! :-) ), and while, coast to coast, customers were NOT lining up to get their hands on the Motorola Droid, THIS report is released on AppleInsider that Apple will launch a Verizon iPhone in Q3 2010!

Coincidence? :-)

Think that the report might interfere with some long-term contracts with AT&T and Droid purchases on Verizon? :-)

Today’s report cited sources in the “Taiwan handset supply chain that Apple has contracted to produce a UMTS/CDMA hybid iPhone due in the third quarter of next year that will enable the company to sell a single global handset to all carriers, and specifically to Verizon Wireless in the US.” The report was created by OTR Global and was provided to AppleInsider by an industry analyst.

The new “worldmode” iPhone reportedly will be compatible with CDMA2000 networks, including Verizon’s in the U.S. (now incompatible with existing iPhones) and yet retain compatibility with UMTS 3G networks globally by using a hybrid chip produced by Qualcomm! OTR sources reportedly disclosed that the new iPhones will be built by Asustek subsidiary Pegatron, to prevent Apple from being “constrained by a single-source assembler.”

The new iPhone will reportedly have a smaller 2.8″ screen, rather than the current 3.5″ display, while gaining worldwide compatibility. It appears, but has not been confirmed, that next year’s iPhone will be smaller while gaining compatibility with all major mobile networks.

The AppleInsider article presents a detailed and graphic description of the CDMA vs. WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), LTE, and UTMS. Nearly all mobile carriers have announced plans to move to UMTS or LTE in the future, leaving CDMA2000 as a dead end. The article also presents AppleInsider‘s analysis of this new hybrid phone in the battle between Verizon and AT&T. The article states that “AT&T’s 3G service is rated particularly poorly in San Francisco and New York City” with coverage holes made worse by a huge influx of data-hungry iPhone users. According to AppleInsider, “AT&T has struggled to keep up with the pace of iPhone development, failing to immediately implement iPhone 3.0’s MMS and tethering features, and remaining unable to take advantage of the faster 7.2 Mbps HSPA data potential of the iPhone 3GS. The threat posed by a “worldmode” iPhone should push AT&T to deliver a year of high priority network upgrades, and potentially result in more competitive service plans.

(Note added November 7, 2009: CNET picked up on the story today.)

-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™

You can view higher-resolution photos (*generally* 7-30 megabytes, compressed) at the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Pro Gallery on Shutterfly™, where you can also order prints and gifts decorated with the photos of your choice from the gallery. Apparel and other gifts decorated with some of our most popular photos can be ordered from the Cheshire Cat Photo™ Store on CafePress®. Both Shutterfly™ and CafePress® ship to most international locations worldwide! If you don’t see what you want or would like to receive an email when new photos are up on the site, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com.

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