iTablet And-Or iPhone On All Major Wireless Networks (Including

I think we ought to have a moratorium on any and all rumors (speculations are okay) 24 hours before any major Apple event. Nah, I couldn't stand the silence. But there is one rumor that I would like to move into the speculation category just so that I can talk about it here.

As you know, Apple will be holding a special media event on the Wednesday morning, January 27th, at 10am PST to introduce their "latest creation" (I wonder what might be).

But many folks believe there will be other announcements as well. According to one analyst, the Wall Street kind (hissss), from Oppenheimer, Apple will be making the iPhone available to the four major wirless providers in the United States, plus one that I previously didn't consider if not only because it just doesn't seem plausible.

This particular Wall Street "analyst" believes that the following networks will be seeing the iPhone running on their networks in 2010:

• ATT - we already know them well.  Apple currently has an exclusive deal with them and as with any deal, it'll end.  Many folks thinks it's this year.  
• Verizon Wireless - the next likely candidate.  Well, legend has it that Apple previously went to them before going to speak with ATT but VW wasn't keen on ceding control to Apple.  But since the iPhone's introduction and the quarter after quarter of bloody noses the Apple-ATT combo has given them, VW is finally coming around.  Plus, it's got more than 80 million users and many of them are hungry for the iPhone.
• T-Mobile - I think they've got just as good a chance of getting the iPhone as VW because of the network they use -GSM which is the same as ATT (different wireless frequency).  The only ding against them is that they're got a small 3G footprint.  However, Apple has worked with T-Mobile USA's German parent company and that probably helps a bit.  
• Sprint - I like Sprint before I went to ATT and then T-Mobile now.  Sprint works for me.  However, it's not exactly healthy at the moment.  Maybe the iPhone will help.  
• Last, Clearwire.  Just WiMax service.  No voice.  I think this most unlikely in 2010.  But I included Clearwire only because of its association with Sprint and because it was mentioned as part of this Oppenheimer prediction.

Those are the five networks (other than ATT which already has the iPhone) that Apple will make the iPhone available in 2010.

What's interesting is that the iPhone is being sold by ATT with a voice plan.  For Clearwire, it would need to also offer some sort of a voice plan to match what's already on the market from ATT.  Otherwise, we're talking about an all data service here.  That would mean a lot of things that Apple and Clearwire would need to provide to supplement the lack of a voice function.  Things like VOIP or, dare I say, video conferencing.

Anyway, Macrumors turned the original colorful artwork from Apple's invitation and put a spin on it with the colors representing these 5 networks.

Doesn't that make sense?  I ran this by Dave The Mobile Warrior.  Frankly, I think Apple used just about every bright  and cheerful color possible in their event invitation.  It's likely a coincidence but I think we can all hope right?

With less than 48 hours before Apple's main event, I doubt we have reached the crescendo of rumors and wild speculations.  No, no moratorium on rumors.  I wouldn't be able to survive tomorrow without specks of false hopes, wild innuendos, and improbable predictions to get me through the day.

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