CDMA iPhone 4 Sales Below Apple's Expectations? - MacRumors
Skip to Content

CDMA iPhone 4 Sales Below Apple's Expectations?

140418 cdma iphone 4

In an article about Pegatron's net losses for the first quarter of 2011, DigiTimes reveals that the iPhone 4 manufacturer is said to be lowering their production of CDMA (Verizon-compatible) iPhone 4s in 2011 from the originally expected 10 million units down to only 5 million units.

Meanwhile, Pegatron originally expected to ship 10 million CDMA iPhone 4s in 2011, but sources from upstream component makers pointed out that Apple's orders already saw a significant reduction and the volume is estimated to drop to only five million units.

CDMA refers to the radio technology used by Verizon for their mobile phones. The CDMA iPhone (aka Verizon iPhone) was launched in February of this year and saw 2.2 million activations in the partial first quarter of its launch. Despite the years of speculation about a Verizon-compatible iPhone, its reception may have been ultimately tempered by the late introduction in the iPhone 4's lifecycle as well as many customers still being locked into existing contracts.

Apple is widely expected to introduce a new iPhone later this year. That new iPhone will likely be a global device, incorporating both CDMA and GSM technologies into a single design.

Popular Stories

iPhone Duo Hinge Feature 1

Apple Reportedly Boosts iPhone Duo Orders by 44%

Wednesday October 21, 2026 11:23 pm PDT by
Strong pre-orders have reportedly prompted Apple to order millions more iPhone Duo units from suppliers, according to DigiTimes. Supply chain sources said Foxconn and component manufacturers had received instructions reflecting a roughly 44% increase from 9.7 million to 14 million devices. The revised target reportedly follows strong pre-orders for Apple's first foldable iPhone and covers a...
iPhone Duo Hinge Feature 3

iPhone Duo Demand Reportedly Exceeds Apple's Expectations

Thursday October 22, 2026 9:24 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone Duo has attracted more pre-orders than the company anticipated in several major markets, according to DigiTimes, with display chip suppliers hoping its reception will boost investment in foldable devices. Sources in the display driver industry believe the iPhone Duo could give other smartphone makers greater confidence in foldables, expanding the market for OLED touch and...
macbook neo pink

MacBook Neo Shipments Expected to Double in 2027

Thursday November 5, 2026 4:21 am PST by
Apple wants suppliers to make 16 million MacBook Neo laptops in 2027, or double the amount expected for this year, according to supply chain sources (via DigiTimes). Apple released its first MacBook Neo in March 2026, featuring an A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM, and coming in Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo colors. The laptop originally started at $599, but Apple raised the price to $699 in...

Top Rated Comments

203 months ago
No surprises here, the majority of people are waiting for the next iPhone.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popeye206 Avatar
203 months ago
I was really excited about the Verizon iPhone because I absolutely hate AT&T. I had Verizon for 7 years, and never dropped a single call. But I switched to AT&T when the iPhone 3GS came out, and now I drop the call on about 90% of the calls I make (no joke).

When the Verizon iPhone was announced, I was planning to decide whether to pay the ETF to AT&T and switch immediately, or wait until June when my contract was up. When I saw that the Verizon iPhone was just the iPhone 4 with a new wireless chip, it made my decision to wait a little easier.

That was Apple's first attempt at stretching the life of the iPhone 4, and apparently, people didn't bite (since CDMA phone sales didn't meet expectations). Now, they are making their second stab at extending the life of the iPhone 4 by finally releasing the white models. The problem is that they are trying to get longevity out of a design that was heavily flawed to begin with. Not only does the death grip reduce signal strength, but Apple is stubbornly refusing to integrate LTE.

I will not make the switch back to Verizon until Apple releases an iPhone with a 4G chip in it AND completely re-designs the antenna so that I can hold the phone any way I damn well please and still have good signal. It looks like I may not get that until September or Q1 2012. Well, so be it.

Apple is starting to get the attitude that they cannot make a mistake, and Android device makers are capitalizing on Apple's arrogance.

Dude... if you're dropping 90% of your calls on the iPhone 3G then you should have talked to AT&T. They would have given you a personal cell tower to fix your signal issue. Your iPhone has nothing to do with your poor signal strength.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Warbrain Avatar
203 months ago
Not surprising. Android is becoming the more dominant... thing.

Not the right reason...

I have a droid.(had iPhone on ATT but didnt get coverage at work/home) I payed an extra $100 to get the 1 year commitment in Nov 2009 just in case the CDMA iPhone came out a year later. Well it did come out a year later and my verizon contract was up. But I didnt get it because it was the same 8 month old phone and there is 0 chance I am going to get locked into a 2 year deal in january for a 8 month old phone that I wont be able to trade in until the June release 2.5 years later.

I'm surprised they are surprised.

This is. People who are or were with Verizon are now:

[LIST=1]
* Waiting for their contract to be up for renewal so they can upgrade
* Waiting for the iPhone 5
* Already switched to AT&T and may switch back once their AT&T contract is up


It's possible that once there's a new CDMA-capable iPhone and people's contracts are expiring with their Android smartphones they bought from Verizon as a stopgap that you'll see Android's share drop a bit.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OllyW Avatar
203 months ago
No surprises here, the majority of people are waiting for the next iPhone.

Too right.

The iPhone 4 is now 10 months old, that's getting a bit long in the tooth in the ever evolving tech world. :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Popeye206 Avatar
203 months ago
Too right.

The iPhone 4 is now 10 months old, that's getting a bit long in the tooth in the ever evolving tech world. :)

Agreed, and I think that Android devices finally grew up into a decent alternative many people got tired of waiting and are now under contract with something else. So the available market shrunk as more people got under contract.

Even though the iPhone4 is a great phone, the iPhone 5 is needed soon to energize things. Too many people realize that the iPhone4 is nearing the end of it's life cycle.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Warbrain Avatar
203 months ago
Agreed, and I think that Android devices finally grew up into a decent alternative many people got tired of waiting and are now under contract with something else. So the available market shrunk as more people got under contract.

Even though the iPhone4 is a great phone, the iPhone 5 is needed soon to energize things. Too many people realize that the iPhone4 is nearing the end of it's life cycle.

This is the issue with a yearly product cycle. People begin to understand when that cycle starts over, avoid new purchases of the product, and even tell their friends and family to not buy right now.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
46 minutes ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
2 hours ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
2 hours ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
4 hours ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
7 hours ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
7 hours ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
7 hours ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
8 hours ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
9 hours ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
9 hours ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
10 hours ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
10 hours ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
10 hours ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
11 hours ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
13 hours ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
1 day ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
1 day ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
1 day ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
1 day ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
1 day ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
1 day ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
1 day ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
1 day ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
1 day ago
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
Instagram's Edits Video Editor is Now Available on Mac
1 day ago
Prevent Siri and Search From Accessing Specific iPhone Apps
Prevent Siri and Search From Accessing Specific iPhone Apps
1 day ago
Best Early Black Friday Deals on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo
Best Early Black Friday Deals on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo
1 day ago
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Reviews Are In: Is the Touchscreen Worth It?
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR Reviews Are In: Is the Touchscreen Worth It?
1 day ago
Early Black Friday Accessory Deals at Amazon Include TVs, Headphones, and Charging Devices
Early Black Friday Accessory Deals at Amazon Include TVs, Headphones, and Charging Devices
1 day ago
Apple Creator Studio App Updates Rolling Out, Starting With Logic Pro
Apple Creator Studio App Updates Rolling Out, Starting With Logic Pro
1 day ago