(This post was originally posted on our miniListings blog. Since it contains pretty generic advice, we decided to post it here in case you missed it over there.)

After months (and months, and months, and months, and…) of rumors, Verizon and Apple announced yesterday that the iPhone will be available on Big Red starting February 10. The first question for many people now is what do I do? Well, it depends on your situation. Here are a few scenarios I’ve come up with and my personal recommendations based on reviewing the announcement and various media comments.

Scenario #1: I already have an iPhone, should I switch to Verizon?

I’ll spend the most time on this scenario, as it the one facing most of you. A lot of you are fed up with AT&T’s service, especially in cities like New York and San Francisco. However, in the majority of places, AT&T’s service has not been bad. My recommendation is that unless you are getting downright awful service from AT&T, don’t run out and switch. Keep in mind the following:

• If you upgraded to an iPhone 4 last summer, you will have to pay a hefty early termination fee to leave AT&T. Ask youself, is the AT&T service really that bad that I am willing to drop the $200 (or more) it may take to leave AT&T?
• Your existing iPhone is not compatible on the Verizon network, so you will also need to purchase a new phone when switching. This is going to cost you a minimum of $200 for the 16GB model. You may be able to offset some of the cost by selling your old phone, but I am guessing there will be a lot for sale in next couple of months, driving the price down.
• If you surf the net while on the phone, you will be very disappointed with the Verizon iPhone. Due to technology limitations on the Verizon network, you cannot access data services while talking on the iPhone.
• If you do a lot of travelling overseas, the Verizon iPhone will not work in countries that use GSM instead of Verizon’s CDMA technology. This includes all of Western Europe and the majority of Eastern Asia. Heavy overseas travelers are best served sticking it out with AT&T.
• In general, CDMA phones are slightly slower than GSM phones, so you may notice that the Verizon iPhone may be a little slower than your AT&T iPhone.

So when would it make sense to switch?

• Your iPhone is unusable in the places you need to use your phone most (like your home or office) because AT&T’s coverage is poor or non-existent. If Verizon’s coverage is better, spend the money so your phone is usable.
• If your company has a corporate Verizon plan, it may be cheaper to switch to Verizon rather than paying your own way on AT&T. You will need to do your own analysis to see how long it would take to break-even on the switch over.
• If you are no longer under contract with AT&T (meaning you have the iPhone 3G), then you are in the best position. AT&T and Verizon are in a brutal fight over market share to be #1, so you can play them off each other to get the best deal.

Scenario #2: I’m already a Verizon customer and have been waiting for the iPhone to upgrade.

To begin with, you are the big winner – your dreams have been answered! However, before getting caught up in the euphoria and immediately purchasing an iPhone, be aware that Apple regularly refreshes the iPhone every summer. I suspect this summer will be no different and that we will see the iPhone 5. What will it bring? It could bring support for Verizon’s upgraded LTE network, a faster processor, and/or a better form factor. No one knows for sure as Apple closely guards all future device plans. Rumor also has it that Verizon is putting some hefty termination fees and upgrade restrictions on the iPhone. Make sure you understand what the upgrade restrictions and fees are so you can make an informed decision about your purchase.

Consider this: The iPhone 5 will most likely be available in July. You’ve already waited 4 years for the iPhone to land on Verizon, what’s another 6 months?

Scenario #3: I just upgraded my phone on Verizon, should I switch to the iPhone?

In short, my answer is no, unless you are completely tied into the Apple environment with a Mac, iTunes, Apple TV and more. In other words, you are a die-hard Apple loyalist (or fanboy as many people refer to you). Android has significantly closed the gap on Apple in terms of functionality, and Verizon offers the best Android phones out there. Unless you have a really good reason for switching, you may be disappointed to find out that the iPhone is not that much better than the Android device you just got, and in some areas could even be worse (gasp!).

Scenario #4: I like the carrier I’m on (T-mobile or Sprint), but want the iPhone, should I jump to Verizon?

Wow, this is a good question and quite the dilemma to be in. Well, we know that the exclusivity with AT&T is over, so I would expect that it is only a matter of time before the iPhone shows up on Sprint and T-mobile. If you’re under contract, I would recommend waiting it out. If you’re not under contract, it’s a personal decision on how bad you want the iPhone. I suspect that if you weren’t already desperate enough to switch to AT&T, then you can wait – at least until the iPhone 5 comes out.

In summary

To be blunt, the iPhone showing up on Verizon is a bigger deal to the media and financial analysts than it should be to you. I am sure that you will see many pundits talking about how important this is for Apple and Verizon. I’m sure you will also see people lining up outside Verizon and Apple stores leading up to the February 10 launch.  Make sure you don’t get caught up in the hype and make an informed decision that you won’t soon after regret.

If there are any other scenarios you’d like me to weigh in on, feel free to ask in the comments. I’d be more than happy to give you my two cents and help you with your decision process!

After trying a few things with the HTC support folks (who, by the way, were very easy to deal with), they suggested I return the device. Reluctantly, I agreed, and within a couple of days I had my replacement device.

Little did I realize how far things have come in the smartphone world in the last year, particularly with Android. I inserted and installed my old SIM and SD cards into the device, powered it up, entered my google account name and password, and within 10 minutes, my new phone was setup nearly identical to my old phone. All of my contacts, emails, wifi and network settings (including hotspots and encryption keys), and applications were on the new phone. Outside of a few miscellaneous settings and icons that needed to be arranged on the home screen, everything was just like I had it on the old phone. Best of all, it was all done over the air. No need to find any cables, hook up the phone to a computer, sync with an App Store or desktop application, or any other extra steps. In short, I was blown away!

I then realized that with Android, you are storing all of your data in the cloud. So when you change phones, all of your important data moves with you. Given the advances that are occurring in smartphone hardware these days, this is an absolutely liberating feeling to know that I can go out, pick up the latest Android device (like a Nexus S or G2), and within minutes be up and running just like before. No longer am I locked into a device, manufacturer or carrier. Without a doubt, there is serious power in the marriage of mobile computing and the cloud.

By the way, to make sure this works, you need to have checked the “Back up my data” and “Automatic restore” boxes under the Privacy Settings in Android (Go to Settings -> Privacy). Yes, I know it is a little unsettling knowing that all of your data is being stored on someone else’s servers, but I’d say the convenience is worth it.

For anyone out there who has went through the upgrade process lately with an iPhone or BlackBerry, is it as simple as what I went through with Android, or is it painful and complex?

The G2 is T-mobile’s follow up to the first commercial Android device, the G1. In the two years since the release of the G1, cellphones have changes radically, and the differences between the G1 and G2 are a great example of the advancements. The G2 takes advantage of T-mobile’s HSPA+ network, which allows for download speeds in excess of 20Mbps (faster than most home internet connections), and has a “stock” version of Android. A “stock” version of Android allows the Android operating system to be upgraded faster, which I have found to be a major benefit of the Nexus One that I’ve been using. I consistently get Android operating system updates 2-3 months before anyone else. The bottom line, if you’re looking for a clean Android experience and can’t get your hand on a Nexus One, the G2 is the next best thing.

Nokia also began shipping its N8 smartphone last week. While still the leader in both overall and smartphone shipments, Nokia has become all but forgotten due to all the iPhone and Android hype. It’s quite an unfortunate situation as Nokia still makes great hardware, and the N8 is no exception. However, since Nokia does not have a strong relationship with any of the major US carriers, no one has launched a major marketing initiative around the device. Unless Nokia really steps up both their marketing effort and carrier relationship status in the US, I would suspect that Nokia will continue to fade away into a niche player in the US market, which is a shame based on the quality of their hardware. If you’re seriously interested in picking up the device, your best bet is going to be to shell out the cash and buy the N8 directly from Nokia.

While I am not a huge tablet fan, BlackBerry maker RIM announced their tablet called the PlayBook last week. My first reaction was that RIM is making a huge mistake, until RIM co-CEO Mike Lazardis spoke about it. RIM is positioning the PlayBook as a companion to their smartphones targeted directly at business users. I think BlackBerry may be onto something. Businesses may be hesitant to buy employees iPads due to the level of distraction from games and apps that are available. With the PlayBook, enterprises will be given more control and the majority of applications will be business oriented. I suspect that businesses will be more receptive to buying their employees PlayBooks, which could overflow into consumer sales, much like their BlackBerry smartphone platform. In essence, I like the strategy, now it is up to RIM to execute.

In other handset news, another interesting device released last week was the R2-D2 themed Droid 2 from Motorola. Themed cellphones is an untapped market in my opinion. People are always looking for a way to stand out from the crowd, and themed cellphones are a great way to achieve it. I’m very curious to see how well these R2-D2 themed units sell. If they sell as well as I think they should, I suspect that you will see a lot more themed cellphones making their way into the market.

Finally, if you are interested in what the future holds for mobile phones, then take a look at this Mozilla video for a concept phone called “Seabird – A Community-driven Concept Phone.” Mozilla does not have any intention to build the phone, but it is clearly a sign of what is possible and what could be coming to mobile phones in the near future. I particularly like the idea of the included Bluetooth headset/mouse as well as the projectors that allow you to turn any surface into an interactive screen. I suspect that you will see phones within the next 2 or3 years with this type of technology, and I can’t wait!

In other handset news, Nokia and BlackBerry maker RIM, two manufacturers that are falling out of favor with investors, made major announcements last week. At their self-hosted Nokia World Show, Nokia touted that they are still the industry leader with 260,000 smartphone activations a day (compared to Android’s 200,000 and iOS’ 80,000). Unfortunately, perception is reality, and while Nokia still has the lead, they are suffering from a perception problem that John Biggs at MobileCrunch so eloquently describes. Along those same lines, RIM announced earnings last week. While the results blew past analyst expectations and a bright future was painted by management, the reality remains that Android continues to rapidly close the gap on RIM’s dominance in North America according to the latest ComScore stats. Both RIM and Nokia had better not be content to rest on their laurels because as they say in the mutual fund world – “past performance is not an indication of future performance.” I’m not surprised that Nokia and RIM are doing well when you look at past and current stats. When you look at trends, though, both Nokia and RIM should be concerned, and I mean very concerned.

As usual, I wanted to wrap up this week on a fun note. Motorola is launching a Star Wars themed R2-D2 Droid handset later this year on Verizon. While the hardware and wallpapers for the device look cool, they are not nearly as cool as this prototype Star Trek Communicator themed Nokia device. It’s quite a shame that only 14 were made back in 2008. I’m not even a Star Trek fan, and I found this concept prototype just too cool. Definitely worth spending the 9 minutes to watch the video.

Kicking things off, rumors about the iPhone becoming available outside of AT&T continue to grow, which given the results of a JD Power and Associates study highlighting AT&T’s poor network performance, can’t happen soon enough for many people. The chic rumor is that the iPhone is coming to Verizon given Apple’s orders for CDMA chipsets. While this is what most people want, another possibility raised last week is that Apple is creating a “world-phone” iPhone. In other words, one device that is compatible with mobile networks around the world. I think this a better possibility than a Verizon iPhone. A “world-phone” iPhone could also lead to the phone landing on T-mobile, which is another rumor that is gaining momentum. Of course, Apple’s lips are sealed, so I don’t suspect that we will know anything until the day after it happens, at best!

Speaking of AT&T, executives at the company have implied that the new BlackBerry Torch sales are not meeting expectations. Not a good sign for BlackBerry, who is continuing to struggle against the rising tide of Android devices. It is also rumored that many of BlackBerry’s best customers, like financial institutions, are starting to experiment with iPhone and Android devices. As I mentioned before, BlackBerry would be best served to keep their “bread-and-butter” enterprise customers happy and forget about competing in the consumer market.

In Android news, T-mobile announced the G2 device – the follow-on to the G1 who many consider “the original” Android device. The device looks great on paper, but the best part could be that it will run a stock Android build. In other words, no carrier crapware or special UI’s like Sense, TouchWiz or MotoBlur. If my NexusOne is any indication, this means that it will be one of the first devices to get new Android builds, which I’ve found to be one of the best, if not the best, feature of the NexusOne.

Another hot rumor last week is that Microsoft will launch Windows Phone 7 October 11 in a flashy New York City event. Microsoft has committed over $500MM to the launch of their latest mobile OS, so I would expect this event to be quite the party. Unfortunately, I don’t think that I’ll be on the invite list, but I’m willing to tag along as someone’s guest if you need company for the week….

Finally, Nokia is preparing to launch the Nokia N8, their latest attempt to head off the iPhone and Android juggernaut. In order to build buzz for the device, they released a rather racy, but not over the top, interactive video featuring a self-described “sizzling hot” model. Is Nokia worried that the N8 cannot stand on its own, or is this a genius move by Nokia to create buzz about the device? I’ve embedded the video below, and I’ll let you be the judge.

Both companies really should be more concerned about potential new competitors. One such company is Huawei, the largest telecom equipment manufacturer in China. Huawei is releasing smartphones into the US market and is working on some very interesting concept phones (see video below from Andoid and Me). I have experienced working with Huawei firsthand in a previous career, and they are very aggressive when entering a market and determined to win, at any cost. With Huawei entering the market, all the current major players – Nokia, Apple, HTC, Samsung and Motorola – need to pay close attention to Huawei’s next move. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get very aggressive here in the US and Europe with their smartphone offerings, particularly on price. Make note of the name . Huawei’s first smartphones should show up on T-mobile later this year.

Finally, for those who like green initiatives, one innovative person came up with a new way to charge a cell phone – by hamster! I’ve seen phones that use solar to charge, or movement, but this is the first time I’ve seen a phone charged by hamster. Who knows if it’s real or not, but it sure makes for an entertaining video.

The prevailing opinion is that Verizon will help Apple sell a lot more iPhones. While I am sure that there would be an opening weekend feeding frenzy for the devices, I don’t see Apple as the big winner – Android will be.

Why?

1. The iPhone is a shiny object
Apple is exactly what Verizon wants to lure more people into its stores. Once there, they will see lots of great phones, Android phones: the Droid Incredible, the Droid X, the Fascinate, and the Droid 2. All of these devices can hold their own with the iPhone. Plus most of these phones will be cheaper than the iPhone. I’m willing to bet a lot of casual buyers will get drawn into a Verizon store because of the iPhone but leave with an Android device.

2. Verizon’s bait-and-switch strategy
Verizon will heavily market the iPhone to draw people into their stores, but once there, people will see signs pushing Android, and lots of them. Verizon has clearly aligned itself with Google. Verizon and Google’s joint net neutrality proposal and rumors of a Google Chrome tablet exclusive for Verizon should indicate who Verizon’s real partner is.

3. Just another face in the crowd
At an AT&T store, the best device was an iPhone, hands down. Not the case in the Verizon store. Instead of being the top dog, the iPhone will be just another smartphone. In fact, people will notice greater diversity with Android handsets with regards to form factor and screen size as well as features like a slide out keyboard. Android offers a lot more versatility over the one-size-fits-all iPhone approach.

4. There’s no reason to wait
If someone really wanted the iPhone, they should already have it from AT&T. Sure AT&T service on the iPhone is poor, but people who want the iPhone  have already moved past that and just sucked it up – they’ve had four years to switch carriers. The only place there could be some pent-up demand is on corporate Verizon accounts where it was cost prohibitive for people to switch.

5. New customers, but only for Verizon
The majority of people who want the iPhone on Verizon want to switch from AT&T. A recent study showed that 1 in 3 AT&T iPhone users want to switch. I believe this is the same group who are feeding the rumors as well. They must think that if they wish it hard enough, Verizon will pick up the iPhone and give them freedom from AT&T. In fact, if the Verizon iPhone winner is Android, the loser is AT&T.

The bottom line – it’s inevitable that the iPhone, or an Apple equivalent, will make it to Verizon. It would be silly for Apple not to let it happen. If I was Google, I wouldn’t be concerned. In fact, I’d relish it. It will only fuel Android’s rapid growth.

Following up on last week’s statistics, two more interesting reports were released last week. The first I’d like to highlight is from Chetan Sharma, a consultant in the mobile industry. He reports on mobile statistics quarterly, and his latest report indicated that mobile phone penetration is the US is nearing 100%. The number needs to be taken with a grain of salt as a lot of people these days are carrying two phones (me included), so the real number is likely lower – probably around 75-80%. Still yet, even at 80%, it’s clear that the mobile market in the US is nearing saturation and that brands and companies who do not have a mobile marketing strategy are missing out on a great opportunity to connect with consumers.

The other interesting report was released by the Gartner Group. The first statistic to highlight from the report is that mobile device sales grew 13.8% last quarter, so the market is definitely healthy and growing. A more telling statistic was that Android surpassed the iPhone in units sold worldwide last quarter, and outsold RIM in the US. As I pointed out in last week’s wrap-up, Android just keeps on rolling. Units sold is a clear trend of future overall marketshare, so I would expect to see Android make more gains in overall handset marketshare in the coming quarters.

Speaking of Android, two new Android handsets of note were released last week – the Motorola Droid 2 on Verizon and the Dell Streak on AT&T. The Droid 2 is a refresh of the original Droid while the Streak is an interesting “hybrid” device. I say “hybrid” because it sports a 5″ screen which makes it much larger than what people consider a phone but smaller than the new tablet form factor established by the iPad. It seems like an awkward tweener size, so I’m expecting it to be a device people will use a companion to a simple flip phone rather than their primary device. Either way, the diversity of Android devices in terms of screen sizes, features and form factors is exactly why Android is dominating the market. As opposed to the one size fits all Apple approach and the flavor of the month QWERTY keyboard BlackBerry approach, Android devices are available in all sorts of shapes and sizes at all types of price ranges. It’s easy to find an Android device that has the features you want to fit your budget.

Finally for this week is a fun survey that was released by dating site OK Cupid. The survey talks about how to make yourself look more attractive in digital photos (seems like it would be important for online dating). So what does this have to do with mobile? Well, about halfway down the page is a claim that iPhone users have more sex than Android and BlackBerry owners. So here’s the question, are the results of the survey accurate, or do iPhone users just tend to stretch the truth more than their smartphone counterparts?

One company that is seeing declines in market share is RIM with their BlackBerry platform. BlackBerry has been the dominant smartphone in the US for what seems like forever. However, unless you are addicted to email or are a business user, BlackBerry’s hardware and overall user experience lags behind the iPhone and Android. As BlackBerry users are coming off contract, it’s obvious they are switching platforms. BlackBerry attempted to stem their losses with last week’s launch of the BlackBerry Torch 9800. While it closed the gap on features, it still does not put it on the same level as the iPhone or Android. At this point, RIM needs to stay focused on its bread and butter, the enterprise. As I pointed out in an article last week, RIM cannot serve both enterprise users and consumers with the same platform. They have a dominant position in the enterprise that they need to protect. So while the consumer market is where all the media attention is, RIM needs to stay focused on who’s paying their bills.

In the end, I see Android winning the market share game by dominating the middle and low end of the smartphone market, Apple winning the high end of the market, which is the most profitable, and RIM winning the enterprise. Left on the outside looking in are Nokia, Microsoft and HP. I’m not so sure that any of these three can carve out a piece of the market as I don’t think the smartphone is big enough, at least today, to support more than three strong companies.

So do I plan to switch back to a BlackBerry?

No. Neither the device nor the OS offer compelling enough reasons.

Is this a bad thing? No it isn’t. RIM isn’t, and shouldn’t, be catering to my needs. I am not the big enterprise customer that needs the security and control functionality that RIM offers with its BlackBerry platform.

BlackBerry has foregone some of the features that make the iPhone and Android devices so popular among consumers, and they should. Many of these features create security issues and are not compatible with the goals of enterprise IT groups. Furthermore, RIM is not going to beat Android or Apple at the mass consumer market. They are wise to recognize this and focus on their strength - serving the enterprise.

The enterprise market is a large and profitable market. Sure, Apple and Android are trying to get a piece of it, but so long as RIM continues to provide the best security and control features, corporate IT groups will continue to embrace the platform, meaning that corporations will continue to buy BlackBerry devices for their employees. 

The media at large may claim that RIM is not adding features fast enough to win the consumer market, but they may be missing the big picture. It’s possible that RIM doesn’t want to win the consumer market and is not interested in going after consumers like me. RIM is adding new features, but in a way that doesn’t jeopardize the overall security and functionality of the BlackBerry platform.

On the other hand, if RIM does want to win the consumer market, they had better rethink their strategy. Creating a platform that serves both consumer and enterprise markets well is difficult, if not impossible. RIM needs to pick their path, and they should pick the path that they know best – the enterprise.