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Apple iPhone 5 will set up 4G LTE Android showdown

Summary: Verizon sold 2.7 million iPhones in the second quarter and 2.9 million Android devices. How will that equation change when the iPhone also goes 4G LTE?

Larry Dignan

By for Between the Lines |

droidmaxx

Verizon continues to sell more Droid devices over Apple's iPhone largely due to 4G LTE capability. The Apple-Android duel will be become a lot more interesting when the iPhone 5 launches with LTE.

The iPhone 5 is still a few months away, but analysts are already upbeat. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster argued in a research note that 80 million iPhone 5 units are in the bag.

Munster said:

Our recent survey of 400 consumers confirms our belief that the iPhone will take share over the next few years. In our survey, 65% of phone owners said that their next phone is expected to be an iPhone, which compared to 52% total iPhone ownership in the survey. We also note that the re-buy rate of iPhone users increased slightly y/y to 94% from 93%. Most importantly, 51% of consumers that planned on making the iPhone their next smartphone (whether current iPhone users or not) said they were waiting for the iPhone 5. We believe this suggests that as much as 50% of our estimated iPhone units for FY13 are in the bag (~170 million iPhone users x 94% re-buy x 51% iPhone 5 planned purchase).

Now let's connect a few 4G dots.

Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said that the wireless giant activated 2.7 million Apple iPhone devices in the second quarter and 2.9 million Android phones. Of those Android devices, 2.5 million were 4G LTE capable.

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More: Verizon's Q2 highlights need for new growth markets | CNET: Verizon sells 2.7M iPhones 2.9M Droids in Q2 | Verizon's Q2 profit up 13 percent on wireless strength | Verizon statement

In other words, 4G is driving Android sales as customers opt for bandwidth. Meanwhile, upgrades were a continuing question on Verizon's conference call. Referring to upgrade fluctuations, Shammo said:

"There is always that rumor mill out there with a new phone coming out in the fourth quarter, and so people may be waiting."

That new phone is the iPhone 5.

If you play the second half out for Verizon, it will have LTE iPhones as well as Android devices. Then the battle between the two dominant mobile platforms will really be enjoined.

Surely, some of the Android 4G customers will go with the iPhone in the future. The big unknown is how many go iOS over Android. One thing is clear, the iOS vs. Android market share statistics may be in play once both sides are on the same 4G LTE footing at Verizon and other carriers, notably AT&T.

Topics: Mobility, Android, Apple, Hardware, Smartphones

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41 comments
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  • Doesn't matter to moi.

    As long as Apple does not allow users to change the battery...like ALL other cell phone manufacturers do...there will never be an iPhone in my hands.
    IT_Fella
    Reply 12 Votes

    • Removable batteries

      Ever heard of the Droid Razr? Or HTC One X? How about the Droid Razr Maxx? Or the HTC One S? Or Maybe the HTC One V? Yeah, Apple isn't the only one making phones with non-removable batteries. Seems like the best, slim, most solid feeling phones DON'T have removable batteries with flimsy pieces of plastic holding them in. *ehhhmGalaxy S3ehhhm*
      Matt34533
      Reply 9 Votes

      • What smartphone allows users to change the battery?

        Can the battery be replaced by the phone owner for any smartphone?
        thomascwaters
        Reply Vote

        • ur clueless!

          my htc evo 3d from sprint and still with unlimited service so there apple sux ass
          rlk123go
          Reply 2 Votes

        • Most do - Get a clue

          Complete Galaxy line does.
          rhonin
          Reply 1 Vote

      • Removable Batteries

        I used to be in the "why doesn't apple provide a removable battery" camp. But I used to keep my phones a lot longer than I do now and an extra battery or replacement battery was something nice to have. Plus, in the old days, it wasn't uncommon to need to remove a battery to reset a phone. Now days, my phones last all day on a single charge, all my recent phones are stable and don't require a battery removal to reset and I get a new one every year; so, the fixed battery hasn't been a problem for me in my latest phone, Nokia Lumia 900. However, if I were keeping phones long enough for them to need battery replacements, I would feel much differently about this for certain. As you alluded, it seems like phone manufacturers are trending away from removable batteries lately. But, to each his own. I'm okay with my latest phone not having a removable battery, my first; but if IT_Fella requires that feature, that's okay with me.
        kb5ynf
        Reply Vote

    • Battery replacement is not an issue any longer in most smart phones

      Battery replacement is a thing of the past, and this is why most of the newer phones no longer have a battery compartment to access the battery. I was concerned as well when I switched from original Droid to Razr, but then again, I had my Droid for over four years as I recall, and never replaced battery. How many people even keep a phone for more than a couple years these days? With two year contract incentives you can usually pick up the latest phone for less than some batteries cost. lol
      TamPogo
      Reply 1 Vote

      • BS

        Most well used smartphones start having reduced battery effectiveness by month 15.
        A replaceable battery allows you great usage time all the way to monthn24 or 36 depending on your contract.
        rhonin
        Reply Vote

    • Batteries

      The entire battery thing is hysterically funny to me. I had an unforgettable conversation with someone working at a Sprint kiosk a few months back, who said, and I quote: "I'll always use an Android because anytime it freezes, crashes, or gets all buggy and slow all you have to do is remove the battery and it fixes the problem."

      Being an android user for the past 4 years, I can say without hesitation she is 100% correct; it DOES fix the problem, which occurs at least once every week or so. My one and only piece of non-Apple technology has crashed more often and had more problems than every piece of Apple gear I've owned for the past 15 years combined. I basically said to her, "You don't NEED to remove the battery if your phone never freezes or crashes to begin with." Her response? "That just wouldn't be right; I'm uncomfortable with something that doesn't have problems, because to me that means it's not working as well."

      True story. Unbelievable how so many would rather pay money for aesthetically ugly technology that has regular performance issues.
      noochy1
      Reply 3 Votes

      • Apple is so silly to waste their time

        "You don't NEED to remove the battery if your phone never freezes or crashes to begin with"

        http://www.apple.com/support/iphone/assistant/phone/#section_1
        "Is iPhone not responding? To reset iPhone, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Home button at the same time for at least 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears."

        Silly Apple for providing functionality and instructions to handle situations that, and I quote from you, "NEVER" happen.

        I'll happily admit that while I get a ton of application crashes:
        http://www.itproportal.com/2012/02/10/iphone-ipad-apps-crash-more-android-apps-stats-show/
        my iPhone 4 has only ever actually frozen a handful of times, forcing me to use the reset procedure that Apple so kindly implemented and documented. But don't pretend it never happens.
        toddbottom3
        Reply 7 Votes

        • Wow

          That was a fairly balanced and non biased post... congrats!
          athynz
          Reply 1 Vote

        • my iphone 4 froze yesterday

          I agree with toddbottom3. Yesterday my iphone 4 appeared to be receiving a phone call. It was vibrating but the screen did not light up. Pressing the home or sleep buttons buttons individually didn't do anything. The phone only responded to my simultaneously holding down the home/sleep buttons til it rebooted... and then it was fine. Also about monthly the iphone can start acting strange (not receiving phone calls) which a reboot resolves. I would say more prevalent though on my iphone 4 and ipad3 are app crashes which seem to happen a couple of time a week depending on the app.
          zdnet12345678
          Reply Vote

        • huh!

          my evo i just have to press on button and its on top!
          Apple sux!
          rlk123go
          Reply Vote

        • I've used the reset feature

          I used to use it on my iPhone 3 but have never needed it on my 4, 4s or my iPad.
          non-biased
          Reply Vote

    • You're high..

      What are you talking about? There are a ton of Droid phones that don't allow you to change the battery. Besides, it's pretty sad that changing a battery is so important to you. How many phones have you kept long enough to have a need to change the battery. If you answer is even 1, that's 1 too many.
      Walter Sobchek
      Reply 1 Vote

      • So?

        "There are a ton of Droid phones that don't allow you to change the battery."

        So the OP won't buy any of those phones either. What's your point? His point is clear. His point is that he won't buy a phone that doesn't have a removable battery. His point is that until Apple releases a phone with a removable battery, he won't buy an Apple phone. If Apple never releases such a phone, it doesn't matter to him.

        I'll never buy a car that can't seat 5+ and doesn't have good trunk space. Just because BMW sells the Z4 doesn't mean I won't consider the X5. Until Ferrarri releases a car that seats 5+ and has good trunk space, I won't buy a Ferrarri. So? Ferrarri doesn't care. I don't care. Why do you care?
        toddbottom3
        Reply 3 Votes

        • Be Real!

          You don't have a Ferrari, not because it can't seat 5+ people and has decent trunk space, but because you can't afford one. I don't know of a single Ferrari owner (or owner of any super car), who has not a vehicle fitting your description in his garage as well. A Ferrari is normally purchased as a 'TOY'! Just like your fancy smartphone. And down the road, at one point he will not be able to purchase a new phone with a replaceable battery, because sooner or later, no phone will have them anymore. Batteries will last for weeks without recharging. It's just a matter of time.
          8Limes
          Reply Vote

        • To each their own

          But I don't understand why somebody like yourself that lives in mommy's basement and has no friends even needs a car let alone one that seat five+.
          non-biased
          Reply Vote

      • If you use your phone a lot. . . .

        It's nice to know that you can install your spare battery
        and keep talking while your battery charges. I've never needed to but it's nice to know that the capability is there!

        And there is a first time for everything. . . .
        draco vulgaris
        Reply Vote

        • This is true

          But having a none replaceable battery does not mean there are not extended battery options and external batteries that alleviate the need of having a replaceable batter. To ignore this fact only come across as having a narrow view on the topic so that you can bash the company you hate that doesn't have the replaceable battery.
          non-biased
          Reply Vote
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