We're not even two weeks into the new year and we've already enjoyed our first completely overhyped story of 2011: the Verizon iPhone.
Yesterday the Web was agog over the entirely unsurprising news that Verizon will soon be selling a CDMA version of the Jesus phone. Literally thousands of stories, six of the top ten Google trending topics, and a gazillion tweets later ...
[ Also on InfoWorld.com: What are the odds Verizon can avoid AT&T's mistakes with the iPhone? Place your bets now. | For a humorous take on the tech industry's shenanigans, subscribe to Robert X. Cringely's Notes from the Underground newsletter. ]
Sorry, I just lapsed into a coma. What was I saying again? Oh yeah, the Verizon iPhone, a six-month-old phone that won't do some of the things the current iPhone 4 does (like simultaneous voice and data) but will do some of the things it won't (create instant Wi-Fi hot spots).
And oh yeah: If you desperately crave an iPhone you no longer have to deal with AT&T. For some folks, that was a deal- breaker. (But miraculous and life-changing? Not so much.)
Last night on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart was so thrilled with the news he devoted a seven-minute segment to it, during which he trashed AT&T as thoroughly as humanly possible about its inability to make phone calls in New York, one of AT&T's more notoriously oversubscribed areas. It's worth watching:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Verizon iPhone Announcement | ||||
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As a former AT&T sufferer, I can relate. One of the reasons I quit AT&T was because I wanted a phone that actually makes phone calls. But I've never been all that keen about getting locked into the Apple ecosystem, either. It's kind of like joining a cult; once you're in, it's really hard to get out. (Also, they tell you what you can wear, how to hold things, and when you can go to the bathroom.) So I went with an Android phone from Motorola.








