Verizon-Compatible iPhone Rumored to be In Final Testing Phase

Posted by Brad Hilderbrand on October 19th, 2010

We all believe that the iPhone yearns to be free to be sold by multiple carriers, and it would seem that this once-mythical day is nearly upon us. According to reports, iPhone model 3,2 (the CDMA-compatible model) is in the "AP" field testing phase. That basically means the hardware is all done, the software is practically done, and if these final tests go well then the phone will be ready for retail release. For those keeping score at home, a CDMA-compatible phone means that carriers such as Verizon would be able to carry the device and offer the same (or better) service as AT&T.

If you want to be a pessimist then there's also the distinct possibility that this new model of iPhone isn't the "Verizon version" at all, but rather a minor hardware redesign that will simply solve some of the antenna problems plaguing current phones. Because of our boundless hope that someday the iPhone will be untethered from AT&T we don't want to believe this is the true reason for the new hardware, but it's very likely that Occam's Razor will come back to bite us if we claim otherwise. For now, we'll just treat the whole thing with tempered enthusiasm.

Traditional iPhone users will also be pleased to hear that the iPhone 5 is apparently in EVT (engineering verification testing) right now. While we don't have an approximate ETA for this next major hardware refresh, don't go thinking you've got the top-of-the-line phone just because you have an iPhone 4. Apple definitely plans to make you upgrade yet again, it's just a matter of time.

[via BGR]