3:00 PM -- There's a big announcement from Verizon Communications Inc. tomorrow. In case you haven't heard, have a look at these stories:
See where this is going? Yes, the world is waiting to see if Apple will pull off the ultimate smart-phone-finishing move by willing the second-largest U.S. wireless network to join its list of worldwide resellers.
Maybe I'm just in a contrarian mood, but I don't think we'll be hearing anything about a new iPhone -- or an old iPhone on a new network -- at that meeting.
For a moment, let's ignore the unnamed sources and the gadget blogs. Instead, think about what Apple Inc. does instead of listening to what people say it's going to do.
Some questions to consider:
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Who makes all of Apple's major announcements? Apple.
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Where are all of its major announcements made? In San Francisco or near its headquarters in Silicon Valley.
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Would a new iPhone capable of running on Verizon's network be a big deal? Yes. It's not a new thing for Apple, per se, but it would help Apple's market penetration against all the Android-based devices coming online this year.
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If Apple won't show up at such Apple-friendly venues as 2011 International CES or the AT&T Developer's Summit, how likely is it that Apple's execs will hop a plane to New York to let a service provider who hasn't made it billions of dollars take credit for its greatness?
My official answer to that last question is: Not likely. After watching the Seahawks beat the Saints, I'm trying to shy away from definitive statements.
— Phil Harvey, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading
