iPhone on Verizon deal – 'up to Apple', carrier states

Verizon may be playing hardball with the advertising for the new Droid device, but that’s just business – not so deep down the company would still like to offer the iPhone, Verizon Communications CEO, Ivan Seidenberg, confirmed today.

Speaking up during the carrier’s Q3 financial call, he said the company would be interested in carrying the device, but that, “This is a decision that is exclusively in Apple’s court.”

He also said, “We obviously would be interested at any point in the future they thought it would make sense for them to have us as a partner. And so we will leave it with them on that score.”

Seidenberg observed that his company had to “sit back” and give them “credit” for success, stressing the network wants to offer as broad a choice of devices as it can, and that would include Apple’s iPhone.

In the background we were told last week that Apple is already testing some form of future iPhone-class device on Verizon’s 4G network. “Tests have been taking place for the last couple of months,” the report said.