Android fever, catch it: Verizon joining Open Handset Alliance?
In a recent chat with clients, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster did a little name dropping regarding Google's Open Handset Alliance, casually mentioning in passing that Verizon "is a member." Hold up there, chief; last time we checked, that isn't the case. Among US national carriers, only T-Mobile and Sprint have publicly thrown their hats into the Android ring, so we're not sure whether Mr. Munster knows something we don't (which is entirely possible) or whether he's just a little confused. For what it's worth, we can understand why he'd be confused in light of Verizon's recent commitment to open its airwaves to all comers -- the initiative appears to share much of the same spirit as the OHA's charter, after all -- but by the same token, Google's intention to snap up 700MHz bandwidth would seemingly pit the two juggernauts against one another. We'll have to wait and see whether Big Red's name magically appears on the Alliance's member list, but if it does, the pressure's gonna get pretty high on AT&T to cave, eh?
Filed under: Software, Verizon Wireless, Android
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
androidguys @ Nov 30th 2007 1:00PM
We have seen nothing yet that indicates Verizon's participation in the OHA. Most likely scenario, Piper got confused when discussing the open network news from earlier this week.
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ShortFuse @ Nov 30th 2007 1:35PM
The dude's a banker/analyst, not an informant. I doubt he has inside information and it seems to be his mix-up naming Verizon. I think Verizon's new deal with Nokia and SonyEricsson (who are NOT OHA members) to open up devices is in RESPONSE to Google's OHA. They're doubt they're joining, and Verizon has a history of doing things their way instead.
elgee02 @ Nov 30th 2007 3:22PM
What he ^ said.
Look for VZW to start carrying Nokia (as in REAL Nokia, not Pantech branded Nokia) and perhaps Sony Ericsson by 2nd half 2008. Seriously.
Mark Richardson @ Nov 30th 2007 3:38PM
@elgee02
Are there any true Nokia CDMA phones being produced? I thought only Pantech was making them now. (And I haven't seen any from Pantech either, now that I think about it.)
elgee02 @ Nov 30th 2007 7:26PM
Mark:
VZW used to sell not too long ago a couple Pantech Nokia's (and they weren't all that good) but they are End of Life right now. I saw a snazzy looking CDMA Nokia on Cricket and it wasn't a Pantech cheapie either. I don't have a model # but it was nice.
I also heard rumor that Nokia (through Broadcom) is going to re-enter the CDMA side with VZW and I have no doubt this has a lot to do with VZW's new "any device" thing they announced.
Mark Richardson @ Nov 30th 2007 2:53PM
Isn't this Munster character the wacko that made some bizarre braggadocios prediction about the price of Apple stock or something a few months ago?
I think he claimed he was the first analyst to predict a certain price level for their stock to rise to, as if that was some analytical feat never attempted before.
Why do we care what he says?