Island of Misfit Toys

If it’s not abundantly clear yet to the average consumer, it is to industry professionals that the iPhone in its current form will not be available with Verizon Wireless.  Period.  The latest “there’s a map for that” commercial and the “island of misfit toys” spot should make it clear.  Here’s the skinny.

Verizon Wireless was in talks with Apple, Inc. to try and get the iPhone and when the talks got stalled, Verizon Wireless lashed out at Apple (no, not ATT) with their “there’s a map for that” commercial and the “island of misfit toys” spots.  Notice the unabashed bashing of the iPhone in the latter commercial, also.  The timing of the commercials; the airing of the new Droid commercials, and it’s subsequent launch, is also curious.  Both came out within days of the talks breaking down with Apple, Inc.

To answer the question that all Verizon Wireless customers have been asking, if not out loud, quietly; what about the iPhone with Verizon Wireless?  The real question should be, “What is Verizon Wireless doing to offer a product that competes with and perhaps exceeds the performance of the iPhone?”  Welcome to open-source and the Droid.  This industry professional never thought I would see the day that Verizon Wireless would abandon its proprietary software stance and embrace an open-sourch phone in its line-up, but the time has come.  The average Verizon Wireless customer has no idea what they have been missing by being locked into Verizon’s own software, and how much this move could potentially cost the major carrier, but most officials with the company would probably admit that the revenue generated by internet packages being required on the new Droid and others, should cover the short-fall in revenue from proprietary programs such as “VZ Navigator”.  Typically, a VZ customer would pay a subscription price to Verizon Wireless every month to access this very useful feature (which btw is probably the best-yet and easiest to use of all offered by wireless carriers), but now with the advent of an open-source market, a Verizon Wireless customer can get access to free or other low-cost applications that may work just as well for them.

Some of the questions that I have been seeing on the web about the iPhone on Verizon Wireless deal with the issue of the “power” of the phone.  To answer your question about “powerful”, I would have to ask, what defines power?   Will the Droid work better than the iPhone as a phone?  ABSOLUTELY.  It’s the network that defines a phones’ ability to make phone calls and send text or MMS messages.  Will the Droid work as well as a media player?  Probably not, since the original design of the iPhone was a spin-off of the iPod which is that of a media player. (However, anyone savvy with the internet will be able to find applications that will be cheaper in the long run, and more convenient than the iStore, such as Pandora or Slacker)  Will it work as well an internet interface?  Holy cow, does Google know the web?  Does a bear do it in the woods?  This is where HTC and Moto are going to really make hay.  Ultimately, there will be no more need for customers to ask the question, “When will Verizon Wireless get the iPhone?”