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Yes, Verizon had first crack at the IPhone but Apple had so many restrictions they opted not to take it. They have their own phone which is comparable to it and new stuff all the time. They still have the best coverage of all the carriers and with the purchase of Alltel it will be even better. One other thing, Verizon is the only carrier that has a generator at every cellsite. Oh yes and with the purchase of the 700mHz there will be an improvement in coverage between the sites and equipment in the future.

They still have the best coverage of all the carriers and with the purchase of Alltel it will be even better.

It really depends on where you are. I have family with Verison and when they come to visit, there service is absolutely horrible. In fact, even where they live (just outside of Houston, TX), their service is hit-or-miss. I have been to their home and my AT&T service has been rock solid the whole time with no drops at all. Cell phone service is best shopped based on who is best in the particular area you will be using it the most. Just here in this state, the two primary carriers (those with the best coverage) have strong parts and weak parts - with one being stronger where the other is weaker. The only reason my step-father has insisted on staying with Verison was that they were the last provider to still have company stores where you could walk in and get your phone repaired or replaced without having to be mailed a new phone. But Verison announced a short while back that that was ending... With number portability, I suspect they will be leaving Verison.

Yes, Verizon had first crack at the IPhone but Apple had so many restrictions they opted not to take it.

Verizon was still thinking old-school, and they paid for it. Here were the major terms:

Apple gets to design the phone
Secrecy must be maintained
The carrier must change its system to enable better voice mail
The carrier does not subsidize the phone, in return Apple gets a chunk of the monthly fees (this has since changed)
The carrier gets a five year exclusive for doing all this

I hear the first one was a big problem since the carriers are used to being able to meddle in the design of the phone, which is probably why smart phones sucked until the iPhone came out.