Worldmode iPhone headed to Verizon

November 6, 7:15 PMSF Business Tech ExaminerJeffrey Fritz

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Is the iPhone ready to say "Hello Verizon"?
Image credit: iPhonAsia

The rumors appear to be true. Sometime late in 2010, the Apple iPhone will apparently be available on the “We Have A Map For That” network—Verizon.

This means that the iPhone, currently only supporting AT&T’s 3G cellular network in the US, will transition over to Verizon’s 3G—an entirely different type of cellular network.

We’ve previously discussed the competitive and technical differences between CDMA networks such as those offered by Sprint and Verizon and the GSM/UMTS networks offered by T-Mobile and AT&T. These competing and non-compatible networks will move right into further incompatibility with 4G. They will do so with AT&T and Verizon transitioning to LTE, the next generation of UMTS service, while Sprint bets its future on WiMax.

Help may be on the way even before 4G arrives. It will apparently come from chip maker and one of the early cellular manufacturers, Qualcomm. According to AppleInsider, “The report by OTR Global, provided to AppleInsider by an industry analyst, says the new "worldmode" iPhone will gain compatibility with CDMA2000 networks (including Verizon's US network, which is currently incompatible with existing iPhone models) while retaining compatibility with UMTS 3G (AT&T) networks globally using a new hybrid chip produced by Qualcomm.”

So what’s the deal with worldmode? Only that worldmode could break down the “carrier barrier.” As AppleInsider points out, “Qualcomm's new hybrid…chip offers the potential for a single, global iPhone that users can take to any major carrier…With one phone that works on both types of networks, any differences…will be more apparently tied to the provider's network rather than to an iPhone model itself.”

This kind of cross-carrier compatibility would be very good news for mobile business users who don’t wish to be forever tied to a single carrier for the life of their device.

Also of note is that along with the change in networks, the next gen iPhone may also contain certain physical changes.

Although unconfirmed, AppleInsider reports that the new iPhone will have a smaller form factor with a 2.8-inch LCD display. The current iPhone has the larger 3.5-inch display. With digital camera LCD displays getting larger all the time, it’s strange to consider Apple moving in the exact opposite direction with the iPhone’s display. So the challenge that Apple has to conquer would be to provide the same or better user experience in a smaller, more compact space. And can they do that with cross-carrier compatibility? Now that will be interesting to watch!