iPhone News Updated

Can the iPhone keep its cool?

Can the iPhone keep its cool?

MY “When Everyone Has an iPhone, They Will Cease to Be Cool” theory is about to be put to the test.

According to All Things Digital, R.W. Baird & Co. analyst William Power says Verizon Wireless could sell 24 million iPhone 4s this year. (Verizon finally gets the iPhone on Feb. 10.)

Other analysts are estimating half that number. Power qualifies that, telling All Things Digital he’s unsure if Apple could even deliver that many iPhones to Verizon subscribers.

Sales of 24 million Verizon iPhones wouldn’t shock me–especially if reports that Verizon may allow people coming over to trade in their AT&T iPhones turn out to be true.

It also wouldn’t surprise me if Apple turned around and gave AT&T an iPhone 5 later this year, pumping sales back up on that end as well.

Just speculation. But it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.

If that scenario plays out, then people really may begin rolling their eyes when someone proudly pulls an iPhone out of his pocket at Starbucks.

In my opinion, an Android backlash was already under way last year. (Not Androids like “Star Trek’s” Mr. Data, Androids like Verizon’s Droid X smart phone. Although I do think Mr. Data would opt for a Droid.) I think a lot of the people in the same demographic who would would have been standing in line for the latest iPhone a year or so ago are starting to see Apple as corporate, controlling, manipulative and uncool.

I could be wrong about that, though. Very, very wrong. Motorola is reporting a slight decline in Droid sales since the announcement that Verizon is getting an iPhone.

In addition to making good products that are stylish and easy to use, Apple plays things so cleverly that even the specter of the heavyset woman in front of you at the Walmart Supercenter pulling a $49 iPhone 3GS out her windbreaker pocket as she yells at her kids “Shut up or I’ll take you back to the trailer!” won’t diminish the cool factor.

It has also been my contention that once the Verizon network is groaning under the weight of millions and millions of iPhones, AT&T’s network might not look so bad. And 24 million Verizon iPhones would be just about the right number to put that theory to the test as well.

Both AT&T and Verizon are working hard to improve their networks. But when there are two iPhones on every home’s charging table–or three or four–we’ll see what happens.

[Thanks: http://fredericksburg.com]

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