Rumors surfaced again today, citing the Verizon CFO as the source

Verizon dropped a bomb today, but it was a bomb everyone was expecting. Apple and Verizon have finally partnered and the iPhone will be available to Verizon customers on February 10th. Naturally, my phone has not stopped ringing and everyone wants to know what I think. I have many, many thoughts on this topic.

First, I was a little surprised to see that this partnership happened with a CDMA version of the phone while Verizon touts the forthcoming 4G LTE network. Then again there are carriers in South Korea that still use CDMA which opens other markets for a phone with that technology. Japan is also all CDMA. Also, LTE is just coming around now and won’t be outside of major cities for a while. Then there’s the fact that LTE chipsets still have battery drain issues and are physically larger. Still, it’s a little strange to see an innovator like Apple investing in a dying technology. That can only mean that LTE is still a bit of a far away pipe dream.

Note: There is one tremendous downside. CDMA, unlike GSM, does not allow simultaneously voice and data. That means you cannot surf the web while on the phone. Dan Dee and Tim Cook have already spoken about users putting emphasis on certain things and “tradeoffs.” Definite drawback.

People are asking me how I feel about this move, as if I should be betrayed that my beloved iPhone has moved to Verizon. It is not sleeping with the enemy. It isn’t like Derek Jeter plays for the Boston Red Sox now. I’m actually very happy about this.

I love my iPhone. I loved the 2G, 3G, 3GS and now my 4. They keep getting better. i’ll never go anywhere else. Should I move to an area where AT&T’s coverage is subpar, I can still have an iPhone. Ubiquity of iPhone ownership just went up.

There are many more users that will be holding this device now. That means more ideas, more developers, more feedback, more user interaction, more needs to be met and more use cases. Apple makes great products that their customers will love. When you up your set of data point by an order of magnitude, you can really gain vision for the future iterations to make customers happy.

The most important issue is that the iPhone is the most innovative and important development in the mobile space… ever. People who were die hard Verizon supporters actually left Verizon and moved to AT&T just to get an iPhone. Those people will, more than likely, go back to Verizon. That means that when AT&T’s customer base shrinks, the available bandwidth for the remaining customers will go up. The increases the value of the experience.

When the iPhone launched in 2007 and more specifically iPhone 3G in 2008, AT&T’s network was immediately crippled by the data consumption. Everyone complained that the network couldn’t handle it and AT&T was miserable. That was not the case. There was an unprecedented level of usage that no carrier would have been ready for. Verizon was able to look at this empirical data and prepare for it in a way that AT&T was never able to. We will see that iPhone will soar on Verizon just as it will on AT&T with the lightened load. Remember, AT&T launched the iPhone 2G on an EDGE network while 3G was already around.

This was a long time coming. Verizon passed on the iPhone initially and took the time to get their network ready. A phone like this deserves to be everywhere. I think this is a major blow to RIM and Google, but more on that later. Today was a definite game changer as the mobile landscape was redefined in just 42 short minutes.

I, however, will be staying on AT&T. I have been with them for over 10 years and, despite some hiccups, have had a good experience. Make no mistake though, I’ll always have an iPhone so if or when Verizon suits my needs better, I’ll make the move.

The phone will be available for pre-order on February 3rd and will arrive or be ready for in-store purchase on February 10th. The 16gb will be $199 and the 32gb will be $299.

Congratulations to Apple, Verizon and the many Verizon customers who now have the availability of the #1 mobile phone on their choice network. It is an amazing day in technology.

Everyone is waiting for the iPhone to leave AT&T and make its way to Verizon. It has been the hottest rumor for a long time. It come and goes but no matter what, it’s something that people keep talking about. There are even reports (of varying degree) of a CDMA iPhone. Some say it’s been decided. Some say it’s in production. Some say it’s not happening at all or ever.

The even bigger news and the part that Verizon hinges on is the exclusivity contract between Apple and AT&T. When the first iPhone came out in 2007, it was reported that there was a 5-year contract. Over subsequent years, the validity of that news has been brought into question. Many analyst were claiming that the relationship came to an end this year and that a Verizon model of the iPhone was not far behind.

Apple is in the middle of a lawsuit over its practices. A court found it worthwhile to investigate against claims of monopolies created by Apple. One such monopoly has to do with the tight control that Apple keeps over the AppStore and the other is based on this exclusive contract with AT&T. Apple maintains they offered the iPhone to Verizon and they passed.

News came out today that the initial contract between the two companies was, in fact, five years and set to expire in 2012. This should be an open and shut case and normally it would be. However, there’s one more possibility.

With the release of the iPad, things get a little confusing. Clearly Apple has found a home with AT&T to some degree in order to offer the iPad on that network. Does that mean it is the only carrier they will use? There is no way to tell.

One thing is for sure, in order to hammer our the details of the iPad 3G service, the two companies sat down and negotiated a relationship. This could mean that the terms of the exclusivity for the iPhone were included in those talks. And it could mean that they were shortened, lengthened or discussed and left alone. Only time will tell.

Anyone could bet that another carrier will see the iPhone at some point or another. Will it be Verizon? Possibly. Will it be 2010? That seems next to impossible. Reengineering the device for a CDMA network seems unlikely in a short time.

Maybe it’ll happen for the rollout of the 4g LTE network. Nobody knows for sure. If you have to rely on any information though, it’s safest to rely on the fact that the initial deal went into 2012. If nothing changed, then the iPhone is secure in the hands of AT&T for years. The rest is just rumor.