What? Me worry? That would appear to be at least the public attitude of Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg toward the iPhone mania that has some convinced next week’s delivery of the Apple gadget – exclusively over AT&T’s network – will spell trouble for other carriers.
“We need to let iPhone hit the market and see what then reaction is,” Seidenberg said today in this Network World story. “It doesn’t change our game plan. The burden is on (AT&T and Apple) to see if the market will change.”
It’s been suggested that Verizon Wireless could lose a million customers, although Seidenberg certainly isn’t the least bit concerned.
“We have a bunch of devices introduced that we think customers will be interested in,” he said. “You should buy a ticket to the game and see what happens.”
Try as I might, I am currently unable to conjure up a name of one of those devices – but I’m not a gadget guy.
Meanwhile, Apple today announced a deal with YouTube that will give iPhone users a front-row seat for a big bunch of videos. Associated Press reports: “About 10,000 YouTube videos will be available for the iPhone’s launch, according to Apple’s release. YouTube, a subsidiary of Google Inc., will be recoding the rest of its videos into the H.264 format used by the iPhone by fall. The iPhone will be the first cell phone to use H.264, Apple said.”
Verizon Seidenberg was equally dismissive of this latest iPhone wrinkle:
“YouTube? Piffle,” Seidenberg said. “Who gives a rat’s behind about 30-second clips of get-a-lifers dropping Mentos into Pepsi bottles?”
OK, I made up that last quote, but the rest of what Seidenberg said is on the up and up. As for how much of it he actually believes, well, your guess is as good as mine.
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