Why Apple must announce the Verizon iPhone

By Wilson Rothman
Tomorrow Apple is presenting the next version of Mac OS X, nicknamed "Lion." Apple CEO Steve Jobs is expected  to reveal a brand new MacBook Air, too. But will he confirm the existence of the long-rumored Verizon iPhone? It'd be dumb if he didn't. Here's why:
In a well-publicized rant during the latest earnings call, Jobs ripped into Google's Android, providing many reasons why it's not as good as Apple. If the two mobile kingpins weren't in a shooting war before, they are now. And what better way to screw with Android than to tell everyone shopping for one of Verizon's hot Droid models to wait just two and a half months for an iPhone?


Verizon's latest publicity push has been about its LTE network, something it will be busily building out throughout 2011. Until 2012, all but early adopters will avoid it. The Verizon iPhone will definitely not have LTE, so it's a great way to divert customers while troubleshooting the next generation.
Verizon updated its Droid lineup in the summer, not in the fall when other carriers did. Either way, the consumer-friendly part of the lineup should last well through the holidays, but may not pose much competition for the iPhone in January. By then, Verizon will be in the business of selling iPhones. Motorola, whose comeback owes much to Android and Verizon, appears to be ready to start ramping up the sale of cheaper, underpowered Android phones — ones that can't be directly compared to an iPhone.
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