As of 3:01 this morning, you can now pre-order your iPhone 4S from Verizon. For more information, check out Verizon's press release below.

BASKING RIDGE, N. J. - Verizon Wireless today announced the new iPhone 4S will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning on Friday, October 14.  Verizon Wireless customers, as well as those who want to make iPhone 4S their reason to switch to the nation’s most reliable network, will be able to pre-order iPhone 4S online beginning on Friday, October 7 at 3:01 a.m. EDT at: www.verizonwireless.com/iPhone.  In addition, the company announced the iPhone 4 8 GB model is available now for $99.99 and has lowered pricing for iPhone 4 16 GB and 32 GB models.

iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking.  With the launch of iPhone 4S also comes the launch of iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features; and iCloud, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.

“Verizon Wireless customers have embraced iPhone 4 on our network and we fully expect the enthusiasm will continue to grow for iPhone 4S,” said Dan Mead, president and chief executive officer for Verizon Wireless.  “With more and more customers depending on their iPhone every day, it is important that they have the device they can count on and a network that delivers.  As millions of customers can attest - reliability matters.”

Verizon iPhone 4S customers can travel globally and seamlessly in over 220 countries for voice and over 205 countries for data with 140 of those countries offering 3G data speeds. Global service at Verizon Wireless includes 24 hour customer service from trained Verizon Wireless U.S.-based employees.  Verizon Wireless global service was selected by readers of Global Traveler Magazine as the Best Wireless Service in the World in the 2010 GT Tested Reader Survey.

Pricing & Availability 

iPhone will be available starting at $199.99 for the 16 GB model, $299.99 for the 32 GB model and $399.99 for the 64 GB model with a new two-year customer agreement. 

Customers will need to purchase a voice plan beginning at $39.99 for 450 minutes and a data plan beginning at $30 for 2 GB monthly access.  The iPhone 4 8 GB model is available now for $99.99 with a new two-year customer agreement. iPhone 4 16 GB model is $149.99 and the 32 GB model is now $199.99 with a new two year contract.

iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 will be available at more than 2,200 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide, online at  www.verizonwireless.com/iphone and by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN. 

MacRumors.com is reporting that, as of July 17th, AT&T will be offering a new mobile insurance program that will include iPhones for the first time. In the past, AT&T has treated iPhones differently from other devices on their network.  For more information, check out the post at:

AT&T to Offer Standard Insurance for iPhone Starting July 17th

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/07/04/att-to-offer-standard-insurance-for-iphone-starting-july-17th/

VERIZON WIRELESS OFFERS EXCLUSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR CUSTOMERS TO PRE-ORDER IPHONE 4 ON FEB. 3
Pre-registered Customers Can Order iPhone 4 One Week Before General Availability

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless and Apple today announced an exclusive opportunity for Verizon Wireless’ 94 million customers to pre-order an iPhone 4 online beginning at 3 a.m. EST on Feb. 3. In an unprecedented move, Verizon Wireless has set aside a limited quantity of iPhone 4 smartphones solely for existing customers. Orders will be shipped to arrive on or before Feb. 10.

“We appreciate our many customers who told us that iPhone 4 should be on the nation’s most reliable network,” said Dan Mead, chief executive officer for Verizon Wireless. “We heard them and we agreed, which is why we are letting them be among the first to own an iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network. We thought it fitting to say thank you to our customers by giving them the phone they want, a week before the general population.”

Pricing and Availability iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network is priced at $199.99 for the 16 GB iPhone 4 or $299.99 for the 32 GB iPhone 4 with a new two-year customer agreement. Beginning at 3 a.m. EST on Thursday, customers can go to www.verizonwireless.com/iphone to order their iPhone 4.

To enjoy all the features of their new iPhone 4 smartphone, customers can subscribe to a Nationwide Talk plan (beginning at $39.99 for 450 minutes) or a Nationwide Talk and Text plan (beginning at $59.99 and includes unlimited text, picture and video messaging) as well as an unlimited Email and Web data plan, available for $29.99 per month.

The iPhone 4 also gives customers a unique 3G Mobile Hotspot feature that can power up to 5 devices over Wi-Fi. The 3G Mobile Hotspot plan is $20 per month for 2 GB. iPhone 4 will be available to the general population on Feb. 10. For more information about the iPhone 4 on the nation’s most reliable network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/iphone.

Press release on today's Verizon iPhone announcement

BASKING RIDGE, New Jersey and CUPERTINO, California—January 11, 2011—Verizon Wireless and Apple® today announced that the iPhone® 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning on Thursday, February 10. Qualified Verizon Wireless customers will be given the exclusive opportunity to pre-order iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability.

 

iPhone 4 is the most innovative phone in the world, featuring Apple’s stunning Retina™ display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone resulting in super crisp text, images and video, and FaceTime®, which makes video calling a reality. iPhone 4 on Verizon Wireless will also include new Personal Hotspot capabilities allowing customers to use iPhone 4 to connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices.

“We are pleased to introduce millions of wireless users to the industry leading iPhone 4 on the nation’s most reliable network,” said Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon. “This is an important step for the industry as two great companies join forces to give wireless customers one of the most important technological additions to the mobile landscape this century.”

“Verizon Wireless customers have told us they can't wait to get their hands on iPhone 4, and we think they are going to love it,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We have enormous respect for the company Verizon has built and the loyalty they have earned from their customers.”

iPhone 4 features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, HD video recording, Apple’s A4 chip, a 3-axis gyro and a beautiful glass and stainless steel design like no other mobile phone. iPhone 4 also comes with iOS 4, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes multitasking, folders, Game Center, AirPlay® and AirPrint wireless printing.  iPhone 4 customers have access to the world’s most popular App Store℠ with more than 300,000 apps available in an incredible range of 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health and reference.

Pricing & Availability

iPhone 4 will be available on the Verizon Wireless network beginning Thursday, February 10 for a suggested retail price of $199.99 for the 16GB model and $299.99 for the 32GB model with a new two year customer agreement. iPhone 4 will be available at more than 2,000 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide, online at  www.verizonwireless.com/iphone, at Apple Retail Stores, at the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), at Apple Authorized Resellers, and by calling 1-800-2 JOIN IN.

So, here’s the problem... I’ve wanted a new cell phone since Tom got his Droid back in late October.  But my New Every 2 date with Verizon was until May 6th. So, for a little over six months, I waited and watched and read everything I could find about the new cell phones that were coming out.  But I had definite criteria for this new cell phone of mine.

First of all, it had to have a bigger (and better) screen than my current Blackberry Curve.  It’s served me well, but it’s time to upgrade.  Touchscreen is also a must.  After using my iPod Touch and now my iPad, I catch myself trying to swipe something to move it on my Blackberry.  Oops!

That brings up another criteria.  I am a Mac fan and would love to have an iPhone.  But, I love my Verizon coverage and service even more.  Heck, I’ve been with Verizon so long it was AirTouch when I originally signed up for it back in 1998. So, unless Uncle Steve announces an iPhone on Verizon Monday at the WWDC keynote address, I don’t think an iPhone is in the cards for me right now.

As much as I want a touchscreen, I also would like a physical keyboard.  Again, after years with two different Blackberries, I’ve gotten to be a pretty fast typer on the BB keyboard.  Not so on most virtual keyboards I’ve tried.  The one exception is the virtual keyboard on the iPad, but that’s thanks to the large keys on it.

The ability to tether my MacBook Pro or my iPad to my phone would be nice, but not a deal breaker since we own a MiFi. But, then there’s only one MiFi and Tom is needing it more and more for his business trips.

Being able to easily set up all of my email accounts is a must.  That’s one thing I will give to Blackberry.  Their web interface for this made adding an email account a breeze.  No other smartphone that I’ve tried has been that easy.

And believe me, I’ve been trying lots of phones lately!  I’ve used Tom’s Motorola Droid many times and once, in a pinch, I even booked a client’s Walt Disney World vacation on it.  The physical keyboard was key for that.  But, since I had some time before I could upgrade, I wanted to try out some more phones.  

I also tried the HTC Droid Eris. This one, I loved how it felt in my hand.  When you think about how much time you spend holding your smartphone, this is an important consideration.  The one I tried out only had Android OS 1.5 on it and, at that time, it was unclear when it was going to be upgraded  (it is now).

Next was a Blackberry Storm2.  I tried this one out at a Gadget Happy Hour that Verizon had sponsored last fall.  At first glance, I was pleasantly surprised.  Since I was coming from a Blackberry, maybe this was the choice for me.  However, after using it for a while, the SurePress screen seemed too “clicky” and I got frustrated with it.  I tried to convince myself that it was just something new & different and that I’d get used to it, but I never did.  I handed it to a friend at lunch and her first response was “Eww.”  I’ve since learned that people either love it or hate it and I’ve even met co-workers who think it’s the best phone ever.  But, I think you can guess which camp I fell in.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that Tom and I tried out a Microsoft Kin Two last month.  When I had to pull out the instructions to figure out how to turn it on, I knew it wasn’t going to be good.

Currently, we have a Palm Pixi and a HTC Incredible for testing.  This is our second time trying the Incredible (see our First Look review).  It’s been nice to have it for more than 24 hours this time and I’ve finding things that I missed the first time.

The Palm Pixi Plus was a real surprise.  Prior to their acquisition by HP, I thought Palm was dead in the water.  Like many people, I had had a Palm Pilot and I couldn’t get past the idea that that was what a Palm device was like.  The Palm Pixi Plus is definitely not a Palm Pilot.

The Palm Pixi, like the Eris, feels great in your hand.  The calendar is easy to use and looks great.  Both Google and Yahoo mail accounts are easy to set up.  My other less common email accounts were trickier.  Since my school really wants off-campus users to use the web interface for email and doesn’t provide the information needed to set up your mail on a smart phone, setting up my Exchange email account was a pain.

There were several things that weren’t intuitive and I ended having to consult the user’s manual or even do a web search to figure out how to do.  Ultimately though, the thing that made the Palm Pixi Plus not the phone for me was the small screen size.  At only 2.6” diagonal, it’s not much better than my Blackberry Curve.  But, for someone moving up to their first smartphone, I think the Palm Pixi Plus would be a great one to start with. And the mobile hotspot is a definite plus!

With this second go round with the HTC Incredible, I’ve come to appreciate it more.  The Android 2.1 combined with the HTC Sense makes it a very snappy phone to use.  Unlike the Pixi, I was able to easily set up all of my email account, even the pesky Exchange one.  

I also like the on-screen hints it gives you.  For example, when you launch the camera app and start framing your subject up, the on-screen tip reminds you to “Press the optical joystick to take a photo.”  Simple, but nice.

I love the screen and the virtual keyboard isn’t too bad to use when you turn it to landscape view.  However, the virtual keyboard also takes up about half of the screen which makes inputting information into a web site a challenge at times.

So, where does this leave me?  Well, right now, I’m waiting to try out the LG Ally next.  It has an physical keyboard like the Droid, but the body of the phone is more rounded.  From all accounts, the Ally physicall keyboard is better than the one on the Droid, but the 3.2-megapixel camera is an issue with so many other phones shipping with 8-megepixel cameras.  And maybe I should check out the Palm Pre Plus too. The verdict?  Wait and see... There’s always Uncle Steve’s keynote at WWDC later today...