The iPhone was recently announced for Verizon, and the tech world is predictably aflutter.  I have to ask though, in all honesty, who really cares?  Is it worth this much coverage?  Is this really news?

I don’t think so.

The tech world has anticipated the arrival of (pined for?) the arrival of the iPhone on Verizon for a long time.  And beyond the lame tech details, (it’s pretty much the same phone) this “story” deserves only a very limited lifecycle.  No company out there gets as much life out of an announcement than Apple.  It’s free press for Apple, and it is rather lame, in my opinion.  If we keep playing into their game, this is exactly what we are going to get: the same exact thing, over and over again.

If you look at their product cycles, they’ve become pretty predictable:  Partial delivery with giant hype.  All the enthusiasts and fanboys run out and buy a slickly packaged, ultra-hyped product that is short of what it should be.  Don’t think so?   The first-generation iPad is a good example.  There are numerous devices out there that have all the right features that the iPad is missing, and should have had in the beginning.  Take a look at the coming Android Honeycomb previews from CES like the Motorola Xoom.  The Xoom features front and rear facing camera, Flash, Memory Expansion, USB and on and on.  Motorola is swinging out of the gate with this thing.

Now, before too much rotten fruit is thrown in my direction, I must disclose I am a former AT&T and iPhone customer (2008), and it was a pleasant experience, but it didn’t change my world.  I use an Android phone now, I have measure of control and customization I never had back then.

That said, while the iPhone is a fine product, This story  is incredibly boring and it won’t change the world. There will be some “leakage” and some people will change carriers, but it’s not worth this much press.

I went from conventional to synthetic oil in my Yukon last week. That wasn’t news, and neither is this.