There have been no official announcements as of yet, but all signs point to Apple announcing their offering of the iPhone on multiple carriers. The rumors have been circling for quite some time now, but with the latest news of AT&T raising their early termination fee (ETF) from $175 to $325, the talk of a Verizon iPhone is heating up again.
For those who have been contemplating whether or not to cut their AT&T service early, might want to do so now. The wireless carrier will be increasing their ETF(s) on June 1st. Experts have been questioning the timing of the announcement, many believing that AT&T already knows of Apple’s plans to end exclusivity with the carrier.
It is expected that Apple will be announcing the next gen iPhone around the end of June, and beginning of July. With the next gen iPhone, this provides a good time to make their Verizon partnership announcement. And with AT&T increasing ETF(s) one month before the speculated next-gen iPhone announcement, it appears the perfect storm is brewing.
All this speculation has left consumers very confused. With AT&T raising their ETF(s) in a full weeks time, this could lead to a mass exodus from AT&T. With the speculation of Verizon carrying the iPhone, and AT&T increasing fees even further this could be the prime time for those on the fence to finally jump ship. This of course leaves iPhone users in a pickle.
For those who have had trouble with their service using the iPhone, leaving now might be a gamble worth the trouble. Then again, it might not be. Everything being thrown around the internet is speculation at this point. There’s a good chance AT&T will continue to remain the exclusive carrier of the iPhone. So, if a user decides to leave AT&T then they’re banking on the Verizon rumors to be true. If they turn out to be false, then they’ll be left in a tricky situation.
All of this speculation, and backlash from consumers has both Google and Motorola smiling. For those looking to jump ship, but still want a good smartphone might take to the Android capable smart phones. Consumers won’t entirely be without options if they decide to leave AT&T before the ETF hike, but if they still want an iPhone they’re certainly leaving things to chance.
This situation is a prime example of massive companies not being able to keep things in order. AT&T stands by their statement that the ETF increase has nothing to do with the iPhone going to Verizon; but why time it now? They couldn’t have been oblivious to the fact that making that decision now would lead to wide speculation with the next-gen iPhone coming out soon. Unfortunately, we’ll all be in the dark for quite some time. It’s going to be a long June for some consumers, here’s hoping Apple will have some news in about a month or so.
