FOXNews.com’s Clayton Morris is speculating that Apple may announce two tablets: one for AT&T and the other for Verizon. He reports that carrier deals haven’t been finalized. And how does he know? AT&T told him? Verizon? He mentions that sources within these companies told him. My guess: he does not know; he is speculating.
Two? Nope: Why would Apple build two versions? Does Apple have an iPhone that works on CDMA networks? As of this writing and two and a half years since the first iPhone the answer is no. It certainly is not a question about the company’s ability. My guess is that it has everything to do with improving production yields, lowering production costs and therefore maximizing profits.
One! If Apple were to build a tablet that works on CDMA networks there would certainly be functional differences between it and the GSM version. The GSM version would most likely take advantage of the faster 3G network by AT&T. The CDMA version would definitely be slower but you do get the advantage of wider coverage. Apple will also have to deal with different component suppliers, manufacturing lines, payment structures, etc. It would be messy. Here’s my idea: there will be one tablet, but it will work on both GSM and CDMA networks. How? Gobi.
Apple’s the Gateway: It won’t matter that it connects to Verizon or AT&T or any other 3G connection. Gobi by Qualcomm would allow connections to any data network. I hope Apple up-ends the way we connect to and pay for 3G service. I would like the tablet to usher in a new way: Apple becomes the gateway and provides seamless 3G service to the tablet and the user would not know whether it is AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc. The user need not know and shouldn’t really care as long as there is a reliable connection. What the user will experience is the most dependable 3G connection wherever he/she happens to be. I would like that.
