Apple's iPhone 4 lands on Verizon's wireless network on February 10th. Three days from this writing, millions of potential customers can finally get the long-awaited, and highly coveted handset on arguably the "strongest" of all the wireless networks in the United States. There's no arguing that the iPhone's launch for Verizon has been a long time coming, with people spreading rumor after rumor that the handset would arrive as early as 2008. But, here we are in 2011, and four iterations later, and we can finally say it's really happening. To make it real, Verizon allowed for pre-existing Verizon customers to start pre-ordering the device on February 3rd, and in a matter of two hours the wireless carrier had to stop allowing people to pre-order, due to the massive demand.
The result probably isn't surprising. Considering how long people have been talking about the iPhone's launch on Verizon's network, it was just a matter of time before it finally happened. And now that it has, people are jumping at the chance to get their hands on it. Yesterday, Verizon sent out a press release that informed all those who cared that, in a matter of two hours, sales records had already been crushed. So much so, in fact, that the two hour span saw the iPhone 4 surpass the sales of all other phones launched for Verizon in the past, in their first day on sale. That means, in just two hours, the iPhone 4 has squashed all other high-profile devices in sales that have ever launched on Verizon's network.
Is anyone surprised by this? Truth be told, I'm not at all. Considering all the pent-up energy regarding the Verizon iPhone, the only way it wouldn't have sold in such a fashion is if it were the original iPhone, and not the current generation device. Even then, had Apple managed to make some minor tweaks to the old design of the original iPhone, I imagine that there would have been a few people out there waiting in line to get their hands on one.
Why? Because it's the iPhone. On Verizon. To some, this has been one thing they've been waiting for for at least three years, if not longer for others. This was an inevitable crash landing of two juggernaut companies, and it more than likely would not have mattered which version of the iPhone Apple provided to Verizon to sell. Luckily for the general consumer, they're getting the iPhone 4.
Or, perhaps that's not too lucky. Only time will tell, or maybe just a few hours after launch and how ever many people start activating their devices, whether or not the iPhone 4 really does suffer from some of the old "quirks" that the original iPhone 4 that launched on AT&T suffered from. We've already seen that the "death grip" isn't really an issue, but that was one test on one device. Once the phone is available to hundreds of thousands, if not more customers, the real test will begin.
Those numbers are pure conjecture, of course. It would help me in my estimation if Verizon, or even Apple, came forward and told all of us how many, even roughly, they sold through their pre-order stage. Unfortunately though, we aren't so lucky. Their press release was all about praise for the handset and the staggering amount of sales, but not a single number was dropped as to how many devices were promised to customers. Hopefully after the launch, Verizon will still be confident enough to post the exact number of units sold, and we can all marvel at the spectacle that is the Verizon iPhone 4.
So, are you surprised? Are the record-breaking sales of the iPhone 4 on Verizon something you weren't expecting, whether it be because it's the iPhone 4, or that it isn't LTE-capable? Were you expecting more? Less? Or is that unlimited data plan (for now) something you just can't pass up? Let me know in the comments. And of course, let me know if you plan on getting one for yourself, or if you think the device is too disappointing to give a second look.
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