Android is now the most popular...

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by =X=

I'm not sure if that is the real reason or even the only reason. Verizon's Droid brand have seriously cut into Apple and AT&T. Those Android phones are fantastic. I'm sure with the Droid Verizon gets a lot more control over the phone details and a bigger cut of the revenue. I'm sure with the success of the Droid it's Apple that is more willing to negotiate as they see their market lead dwindle away because of an exclusive deal.

The Droid has certainly been successful. It has put Moto back into the cell phone race, and before the Droid, there were industry rumors Moto was looking at exiting that business, as they couldn't compete with RIM, Nokia, Samsung and the like.

The longer term question will be what they do for an encore. Moto's previous big hit was the Razor, but they couldn't come up with a follow on product to build on the momentum and retain the market share. What will they do in a year of so when the Droid is "last year" and there are all manner of new devices out there?

As I stated earlier I don't see VZW folding to Apple. They have done well without the iPhone and will continue to do so esp with their Droid platform.

Why should they have to "fold"? Verizon wants to sell service contracts. Apple wants to sell phones. If Verizon thinks it can sell more contracts offering an iPhone, and Apple thinks Verizon call sell a lot of iPhones for them, I don't see much obstacle to a deal.
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Dennis

[devilsadvocate]

Originally Posted by =X=

I'm not sure if that is the real reason or even the only reason. Verizon's Droid brand have seriously cut into Apple and AT&T. Those Android phones are fantastic. I'm sure with the Droid Verizon gets a lot more control over the phone details and a bigger cut of the revenue. I'm sure with the success of the Droid it's Apple that is more willing to negotiate as they see their market lead dwindle away because of an exclusive deal.

Not the only reason, but definitely a contributing factor though. According to Apple they've moved 51.15 million iPhones since 2007. Even considering a number of newer subscribers will not want to pay the early-term fee, that's a pretty big chunk of revenue for AT&T. They're not going to make that up on service alone.

Originally Posted by =X=

Well sprint really has two halo phones as you put it. Evo and Epic. And aside from the screen size and OS Evo and Droid X have next to nothing in common. Moto makes the X and HTC makes the Evo.

...And Apple makes the iPhone but they're still direct competitors, aren't they?

http://blog.laptopmag.com/motorola-d...s-htc-evo-4g/1

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365639,00.asp

http://phandroid.com/2010/06/23/droi...i-fi-hotspots/

That was just off the top of a Google search. From that last link:

"The Motorola Droid X lends itself to some pretty easy comparisons the HTC EVO 4G, and why not? The two devices easily class each other on most aspects (most obviously size), and the one that comes out on top boils down to personal preference."

...their words, not mine. From an Android site no less.

Originally Posted by =X=

As I stated earlier I don't see VZW folding to Apple. They have done well without the iPhone and will continue to do so esp with their Droid platform.

=X=

I agree, but stranger things have happened.