Verizon's iPhone Attack Ads Dash Verizon iPhone Hopes?

If you were holding out for a Verizon Wireless-compatible variant of the iPhone, you just might want to give up. Verizon Wireless' new iPhone attack ads pretty much confirm that Verizon will never sell an Apple iPhone.One question I get over and over again is, "When will Verizon get the iPhone?" My answer used to be, "Not for a long time." Now, my answer is going to be, "Never."

Why the change of opinion?

Over the weekend, Verizon Wireless unleashed a new attack ad that takes the iPhone's faults head-on. The text that flashes across the screen during the commercial reads:

• iDon't have a real keyboard
• iDon't run simultaneous apps
• iDon't take night shots
• iDon't allow open development
• iDon't customize
• iDon't run widgets
• iDon't have interchangeable batteries
• Everything iDon't -- Droid Does

This is just a guess here, but I'd bet Apple doesn't take too kindly to having its core product bashed so openly by a competitor on primetime TV. Given the way Verizon Wireless is playing on the iPhone's faults, it's obvious that the two companies haven't been able to come to terms on selling a Verizon-compatible version of the iPhone. Further, they probably never will.

One of the lines in the email I received from Verizon Wireless about the Droid says, "You know there's no phone like that. And it ticks you off. But there will be. Droid is coming." Verizon is saying that even Apple hasn't been able to conquer all the issues that users of smartphones face or need solved. It's betting heavily that the Motorola Droid does (or will).

Here's the commercial, again, so you can see how Verizon is sticking it to Apple: