image via gadgetreview.com.

Here's a sure thing. Apple is having a major press event on Wednesday. And it sounds like an iTablet (or iPad or some other i-something) will be announced. But the rumors are that AT&T will lose its exclusivity of the iPhone, and Verizon will add the iPhone to its lineup. It's a 50/50 prediction. Not that it will happen, but that it might be announced on Wednesday.

This is good news for Apple as it will no doubt gain new iPhone buyers/users from Verizon who held out all this time, for whatever their reason, including the 'perceived' notion that Verizon has better coverage/quality than AT&T.

Some of the unanswered questions remain. For one thing, AT&T is GSM, whereas Verizon is built on CDMA technology. Will this mean the Verizon iPhone will not be a true 'World Phone'? I am assuming the AT&T iPhone will not work with Verizon, and that there has to be a new version, a Verizon iPhone, which may or may not be available right away? Also, will the new Verizon iPhone be a 4G version, or is that still some time away?

I am not sure why this hasn't been tried: Why not incorporate the cost of the iPhone into the 24-month contract, like they do in Europe, at say $15 a month? If AT&T does that, they may at least prevent some of their own consumers (like me) to switch.

Bottom line: Competition is good. By having more options, the consumer will probably win in the end. So, let the games begin!