With rumors still swirling that Verizon will at some point begin carrying the iPhone, Apple and Verizon today revealed that the wireless operator will start selling the iPad as of Oct. 28.
While some iPads come with wireless connections to the AT&T network, the models Verizon is selling are only the WiFi models, which Verizon will bundle with its MiFi hotspot product. The iPad-specific plan goes for $20 a month with 1 GB of data.
AT&T retains the wireless network exclusive with Apple but we now know that Verizon and Apple are indeed talking. The deal only further heightens expectations that a Verizon iPhone will be coming soon once AT&T’s exclusive deal expires, expected as early as this coming January.
Verizon is a powerful distribution force, with 2,000 retail locations nationwide. The deal is part of a broader expansion of iPad distribution points that also include AT&T’s retail stores, Wal-Mart and others.
As for a Verizon iPhone, AT&T’s exclusivity isn’t the only hindering factor. Today’s iPhones are made for AT&T, which uses a different wireless networking technology than Verizon, called GSM. Verizon operates a CDMA network, which will require Apple to manufacture completely different phones.
Verizon’s MiFi product is a portable WiFi device of sorts that acts as a bridge between its wireless network and devices that only have WiFi connectivity. While most WiFi routers connect to the internet through a landline modem, Verizon’s MiFi connects to Verizon’s wireless network.
