Verizon has iPhone envy

Verizon wireless will not be outdone. So what if their biggest rival has the “it” phone? Verizon will cherry pick figures and pass them off as proof that they’re better, iPhone or not. The latest in this tactic comes from the LG Chocolate’s sales numbers. Verizon claims to have sold 3.4 million of the phones over the past year, which is just shy of Apple’s goal of one million iPhones per quarter. Apple met that goal earlier this month for the third quarter of 2007.

Verizon Wireless’ announcement, while falling into the “me too” category, is interesting because it takes some of the media-driven mystique out of Apple’s stated goal of one million units in the iPhone’s first quarter on the market. Apple’s iPhone sales would have to remain steady for a year to allow an “apples-to-apples” (no pun intended) comparison with Verizon Wireless’ sales of the Chocolate.

We disagree with this assessment by RCR Wireless News. We don’t think it takes away at all from the “media-driven mystique” of the iPhone. Our defense: price. Apple had been selling these units at $600. Verizon has been selling the new Chocolates at $130, including a $50 online discount. So Apple sold more units at 460 percent of the price. We fail to see Verizon’s play here. Still, we expect Verizon to continue its attempts to undercut the success of the iPhone. Was this their plan all along, even back when they declined to become the exclusive carrier of the iPhone? “No, we don’t want the device; we want to be the ones that destroy the device.” Fat freakin’ chance, Verizon. [RCR Wireless News]]]>