Update:  We just heard via a Verizon spokesperson that the Verizon iPhone will not come in white…

This should come as no secret to those that read blogs about cell phones…  Verizon has officially announced the iPhone 4 and that it will be available starting Feb. 10th.  The Verizon iPhone 4 will come in both white and black, starts at $199.99 for the 16 GB model, and, unlike AT&T, will support Wi-Fi tethering.

A lot of Verizon BlackBerry users have been saying that they are going to switch to the iPhone as soon as it comes out.  Now that it is here are you sticking to your guns and making the move?

It’s Official… iPhone 4 Head To Verizon Feb. 10th is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

Video: Atomic Tom Plays “Take Me Out” On Their iPhones Live On A NYC Subway is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

I know that this is a BlackBerry site, but, Apple is holding a pretty important press conference today, presumably about the iPhone 4 antenna issues many users have been complaining about.

I am guessing that Apple will fall short of issuing an iPhone 4 recall, however, will probably offer some type of cheap bumper case that prohibits physical contact with the antenna.

Here are some of the thoughts of a few of my pals over on SMR and I would love to hear what you think Apple will say here in the comments.

What Will Apple Say In Their Press Conference Today? is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

According to two (unnamed)  people said to be familiar with the plans, the iPhone, currently exclusive to AT&T in the United States, will become available to Verizon subscribers starting in January of next year.  This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard this rumor.  It is, however, the first time that we’ve heard it from a news organization as big as Bloomberg.

The question for me was never one of “if” the iPhone would come to Verizon, but, more of “when” would the iPhone come to Verizon.  The big questions that I have now are:

• How will Verizon’s network stand up? –  I think that Verizon could break the 1.7 million iPhones sold mark in the first day, and, if there is one thing that we know about iPhones, their owners use ridiculous amounts of data.
• How will BlackBerry sales be adversely affected –  I am absolutely fanatical about the BlackBerry, but, not blind to fact many current BlackBerry users are more loyal to Verizon than they are to RIM.
• Will a Verizon iPhone slow Android Momentum? –  We all know that every carrier has Android devices.  Verizon just sells the lions share of them.  A lot of people that would otherwise have gotten and Android device will definitely give the iPhone the once over.

These are just a few thoughts running through my head when I think about the iPhone coming to Verizon but I’d love to hear what you think…

Bloomberg: iPhone Coming To Verizon In January is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

You’ve got to love reason number one…

Video: Top Ten Excuses Of The Guy That Lost The iPhone 4 Prototype is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

When it comes to smartphone market share in the United States, the BlackBerry is still king of the hill according to a recent report by comScore, however, Android is coming on strong.

For the three month period ending Feb. 10, RIM’s percentage of market share was 42.1%, up 1.3% from the same period a year earlier.  Android is still just a fraction of the total smartphone market at 9%, however, they were the only other platform to actually increase share, up 5.2%  year over year.  Apple remained relatively flat, down 0.1%, and Palm and Microsoft lost share, with -1.8% and -4.0% drops year over year.

It will be interesting to the comScore report for the three month period ending May.  Android should still be on the rise , Apple should still be flat, Windows should still be a dog.  The big questions for me are will you see RIM take a dip and will Verizon’s webOS campaign turn Palm positive?

[Via comScore]

BlackBerry Still #1, But, Android Is Coming On Strong is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

So, if you haven’t gotten your fill of Apple news with all of the buzz surrounding the launch of the iPad this past weekend, Apple is offering Sneak Peak of the next version of the iPhone operating system Thursday, April 8th at 10:00 a.m. PST.

[Via Engadget]

Apple Holding iPhone OS 4 “Sneak Peek” Event Thursday, April 8th is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

According to a report on the Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to release an iPhone that runs on CDMA network technology that could end AT&T’s exclusivity on the device in the United States.  To make a long story short, the iPhone may be coming to Verizon.

If the rumor is true, it doesn’t look like Apple is going to completely screw AT&T…  At least not initially.  The fourth generation iPhone is still expected to come out this summer on AT&T as usual.  Pegatron Technology Corp, the manufacture of the CDMA iPhone, isn’t expected to start mass producing the device until September.

A fall release of a Verizon iPhone may keep a few people from getting the new AT&T model in the summer, however, the company that will really suffer from this is not AT&T…  It is Research in Motion.  Fall and winter are usually dominated by BlackBerry sales as RIM generally releases several devices, however, throwing a Verizon iPhone into the mix could make for a long cold winter for RIM.

Is The iPhone Coming To Verizon? RIM Certainly Hopes Not… is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...

When it comes to U.S. based mobile web traffic there are really only two players in the game.  The iPhone  sits atop the hill with over 40% total share and Adroid is right on the iPhone’s heels just a few percentage points behind.  The other dogs in the race, Palm and Microsoft, simply don’t hunt and what’s really telling is that the BlackBerry, even though it’s the number one smartphone in America, has seen a ridiculous decline since October, 2008 when it was just a few points behind the iPhone.

Web browsing on the BlackBerry is an embarrassment!

I am not sure which is the worst embarrassment…  How bad web browsing on the BlackBerry is compared to pretty much everything else, or, how long it is taking RIM to do something about it.  I know that RIM will soon release the new and improved WebKit based BlackBerry Browser, but, RIM, quite honestly, should have released a BlackBerry Browser with legs when the original BlackBerry Storm came out.  Most definitely by the time that the Storm2 came out.

What will RIM do?

I love the BlackBerry, but, I think that RIM is running out of time.  There is just too much cool stuff that you can do on these other devices that you can’t even think about doing on a BlackBerry.  There is a new iPhone coming out this summer.  Windows Mobile 7 is coming this fall.  Android keeps getting updates regularly and someone is going to eventually buy Palm, if for nothing more than the intellectual property.  (webOS is strong)  I think that we have a good idea of what everyone else is doing.  The big question for me is what will RIM do?

[Via ARS Technica]

Android Aims To Knock Apple From The Top Spot In U.S. Based Mobile Web Traffic… The BlackBerry’s Decline Is Telling is a post from: RIMarkable, the Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog...