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Verizon CEO Talks Smack About Sprint, Hints At 4G iPhone

Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg recently said during an interview that he can't understand Sprint's current strategy, and predicts Sprint to implode at some point. He also said that a 4G iPhone is a possibility once Verizon gets its LTE network up and running.

Seidenberg had some unkind things to say about its chief CDMA competitor, Sprint. Sprint's pre-paid arm, Boost Mobile, recently announced an all-you-can-eat plan for $50 per month. Seidenberg doesn't think Sprint's network can handle it. He said, "I don't know what Sprint thinks it is," and he believes the increased network demand will cause Sprint to "eventually self-destruct."

Sprint stands by the strength of its network.

Seidenberg told the Wall Street Journal that the $50 plans have not impacted Verizon's business at all.

The real juicy part of the interview comes at the end, however, when Seidenberg discusses the iPhone. He said that it is much more likely that Apple will discuss the idea with Verizon once its Long Term Evolution 4G network is up and running. LTE is being adopted by wireless network operators around the globe.

If you were hoping to see a CDMA version of the iPhone, don't get your hopes up. Seidenberg notes that Apple never seriously considered building a CDMA variant of the iPhone, as CDMA's installed base doesn't match that of the GSM-based technology that the iPhone already uses.

The bottom line: An LTE-based 4G iPhone that runs on Verizon's network is a possibility.

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