The end is near. We never thought it would happen but the day is finally arriving in January. AT&T has had the iPhone monopoly in its hip pocket but as early as January 2011, it will have to share the iPhone with Verizon, thus increasing the odds of being able to make a call (reception burn #1). Reception or not, Let’s get Reaaaady tooooo Repaaaaaiirrrrrrrrr. It should not be any secret that those of us focusing on iPhone repair are happy about the announcement but nobody should be surprised.

It is being predicted by UBS AG analyst John Hodlik that the merger would provide Verizon with a boost in sales.

There are over 92 million Verizon customers, so while Verizon will get increased sales, Apple is really looking to get the big boom, boost or bump. They want to avoid a boo boo, which happens when you drop your phone on the ground, or hit your head on the kitchen cabinets. Hodulik went on to speculate Verizon customer might buy 3 million iPhones a quarter.  My hunch is that it will be higher than that.

The smartphone competition is getting heated as of late and this was the obvious move. This move was more obvious than Nebraska going to the Big Ten. Or Lindsay Lohans ‘drinking’ problem.  Or AT&T reception problems (reception burn #2).

The Apple iPhone elite have decided they can wait no longer. My thinking it has nothing to do with reception, although as burn #1 & 2 indicate, the punchlines just never get old.  It has everything to do with the market.

Enter the Google Android, which is becoming a bigger part of the marketplace. The Android Galaxy S is going to be pimped by every cell phone coverage carrier this side of the milky way (“Hey baby, touch screen all night”). The names are pretty cool too: T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant, Verizon Samsung Fascinate, Sprint Epic 4G, AT&T Samsung Captivate. With names like that, what is the iPhone to do? Not to mention the specs and other confusing information that even the most dedicated iPhone fanatic would admit are ‘comparable’ to Steve Jobs Wizardry.

You Must be the Change you Wish to see in the World – Mahatma Gandhi

As for me,  I’m liking the changes. I have been glued to AT&T like the new iPhone 4 Screen is to the LCD display. This is to say that if AT&T receptions dies I go with it. Of course, I don’t typically have reception problems but I have a problem with those dedicated to loving their phone on message boards, as opposed to paying attention to their families, homework or whatever ignored responsibility to instead boast randomly about a toy. It can be likened to the ‘my daddy can beat up your daddy’ syndrome that haunts our poor helpless tormented ashamed souls up until the time we realize our dad’s don’t know jack about cell phone technology, and as such, all related annoying behaviors should be terminated.

It is on me to be the change I want to see. It is on me to start playing around with the Android (and all the rest) to really know what I like. Or, just switch it up on the next upgrade, be happy (or frustrated) with my decision and document the experience. The ‘my phone is cooler than your phone’ line is only rewarding when taunting little kids who don’t even know how to use a phone. Or really old people, who have basically lost their hearing and all senses to communicate. But when dealing with other grown ups through blog comments or forum postings, the bickering is best left to the propaganda war machine, also known as anonymous posters disguised as one of us, hurling personal insults at someone who uses an a devise that may  not be their preferred choice.

Heres how it goes: it’s time to take the gloves off and sit around a campfire singing songs until our smartphone alarms go off in the morning. When someone loses reception, just pass your smart phone to the left hand side and be happy, verbal quirks silenced by the tranquil spirits of cell phone harmony.

In all seriousness though, the game has just changed and the gloves have come off by the cell phone gods, waiting for the big hook to influence the current swell of competition. Something tells me the people who had benefited from the AT&T long standing exclusivity are telling themselves now they knew the party could not last forever. Everybody else is waiting on the tremors, so we can tweet about it.