MemeStreams | iPhone 5 - 4G For AT&T, Not Verizon

Many say it’s too soon to tell, but AT&T might have weathered the storm of losing iPhone exclusivity. While speculation runs wild – again – as to whether Apple will announce the fifth-generation iPhone at its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, at least one analyst says AT&T has not only held its own since the release of the Verizon iPhone earlier this year, but its future against its wireless rival is bright. Analyst firm Hudson Square predicts the next-generation iPhone 5 – which most are calling the 4G S – will be compatible with AT&T’s 4G LTE network, but not Verizon’s, according to Dow Jones Newswires. The two networks operate on different spectrum bands. AT&T announced last week that its high-speed LTE network would make its debut in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio this summer, reaching 70 million Americans by the end of the year. The iPhone has been one reason for Verizon’s stock jump in the past year – up 36 percent. But surprisingly, AT&T hasn’t lagged far behind, approaching a 30 percent hike in the past 12 months. And Hudson Square expects a new iPhone that favors AT&T’s 4G speeds over Verizon’s 3G would be a major coup for the carrier – enough so that it has upgraded AT&T’s stock-investment rating from “hold" to “buy" and downgraded Verizon’s from “hold" to “sell." We might argue that this prognosis of AT&T’s health in relation to the iPhone is a bit premature. Many owners are still tied up in AT&T contracts and haven’t had a chance to switch to Verizon without taking on a significant cancellation fee. But AT&T might be able to wash away all talk of its oft-bashed, unreliable network if its LTE debut is successful this summer, and if indeed there’s better reason to pick the carrier over its prime competitor when the iPhone 5 comes out.

iPhone 5 - 4G For AT&T, Not Verizon