New reports Friday added to growing speculation a CDMA version of Apple’s popular iPhone 4 may appear in early 2011. Industry publication Digitimes, citing “industry sources”, claims supplier Pegatron will begin building the handset in November. The new iPhone version will hit 3 million to 4 million units in the first three months, and 10 million by mid-2011.
The 10 million figure may suggest the phone is targeted at Verizon, often-cited as the first U.S. carrier to sell the device once AT&T’s exclusivity expires. Many believe Verizon could get a CDMA iPhone as early as January. The 10 million initial shipment would not be enough to also support a CDMA iPhone 4 going to a second carrier, such as China Telecom or Sprint, reasons the web site.
Friday’s report appears to backup an Digitimes article in June claiming Pegatron would begin shipping a CDMA iPhone 4 in the fourth quarter, using plants in Shangha, China. Thursday, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg attempted to put brakes on such talk, telling financial analysts only that he “hoped” Apple will allow the carrier to sell the iPhone to use on his 4G network. Unlike an LTE network expected to be ready in 30 cities by the end of 2010, Verizon’s 4G network won’t be ready until the end of 2011, according to Seidenberg.
Although most clues appear to point Verizon as the most likely candidate to get a CDMA iPhone, Cult of Mac still believes T-Mobile could be in the running. A highly-placed T-Mobile source told us a deal could appear in the third quarter. Earlier this month, Wired Editor Chris Anderson seemed to buttress that belief, telling his Twitter audience a T-Mobile store manager told him the carrier would begin selling the iPhone 3GS – not the iPhone 4 – later this year.
