No Verizon for the iPhone? No new iPhone, say those polled by Piper Jaffray. The firm found that for prospective buyers, not having the iPhone on Verizon's network — it's only available on AT&T's in the United States — is three times more of an issue than the antenna problem when it comes to holding back buyers.
Apple analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray had a team survey 258 cell phone users in Minneapolis (where Piper Jaffray is based) specifically about the iPhone 4's antenna issue as a hindrance to sales. Twenty percent of them said they were aware of it, but three times as many brought up the fact that the phone is not carried by Verizon Wireless.
"The antenna issue is removing upside potential for iPhone units, but Verizon is actually the most significant factor limiting demand," Munster said in a post-survey comments shared in Fortune magazine.
Since the iPhone came out in 2007, it has been carried only by AT&T in the United States. There have been reports in recent months that the phone will come to Verizon early next year, and some may be holding out hope — and their wallets — until then to see what happens.
The iPhone 4's antenna — which, in a design change, wraps around the exterior of the phone — has meant reduced signal strength for some users. Apple is giving all iPhone 4 purchasers free bumpers to offset the problem.
In the meantime, Verizon is shaping up to be a leading provider of the iPhone's nemesis — Google's Android-based phones, which are made by several manufacturers and supported by more than one wireless network. In the United States, Android-based smart phones were the top sellers among consumers in the second quarter, according to NPD.
Piper Jaffray's findings mirror those done mid-summer by ChangeWave Research. That firm's survey of 213 iPhone 4 owners found that the phone's "biggest Achilles' heel ... remains AT&T," with 27 percent of owners saying they don't like having to use the carrier in order to have the iPhone, and 24 percent saying they dislike the coverage, speed and quality of AT&T's network.
Twenty percent of iPhone 4 owners told ChangeWave that "the antenna has caused them problems, by an overwhelming margin they are satisfied with Apple's (bumper) solution."
Mind you, Apple doesn't need to push iPhone 4s: They're flying off the shelves. But Piper Jaffray's poll indicates they might move at supersonic speed if it weren't for the carrier and antenna issues.
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