Rumors have been swirling around Apple developing a CDMA version of the iPhone, which several journalists have called a "Verizon iPhone." But several other carriers, including Cricket, MetroPCS, US Cellular, and Sprint, also run on CDMA networks and would be able to carry such a phone if it existed.
Best Microsoft MCTS Training – Microsoft MCITP Training at Certkingdom.com
Cricket is pushing much more heavily into smartphones over the next year, Stoiber said. The company debuted the $149 Huawei Ascend Android-powered smartphone here at CTIA show.
The Ascend follows the $299 BlackBerry 8530 and the $249 Kyocera Zio in Cricket's lineup. More Android phones will come next year, but Cricket would also like to carry both Apple and Microsoft devices, Stoiber said.
Microsoft's Windows Phone 7, which will be introduced on Monday, is anticipated to initially be for high-end phones only, but Microsoft has previously said that the company will have a version in 2011 which supports 320x480 screens.That's a screen resolution used by less expensive phones.
The big question around high-end phones like the iPhone and Windows Phone 7 is whether consumers would be willing to pay for unsubsidized units on no-contract carriers like Cricket. Stoiber said Cricket has had a good response with its $299 BlackBerry 8530 and $249 Kyocera Zio, and that consumers appreciate Cricket's low monthly rates and no-commitment deals. Cricket's smartphone service plans run $55 and $60/month for unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 1GB of 3G data.
Stoiber noted that Cricket hasn't had any discussions with Apple yet. Cricket is the nation's seventh-largest carrier with about 5.3 million customers, covering 94 million Americans with a 3G CDMA network. The company has recently said it plans to go national next year, borrowing Sprint's network where it doesn't have its own coverage.
