iPhone 4 and Verizon Wireless consumate courtship

With the long-anticipated and finally confirmed debut of Apple Inc.‘s iPhone 4 on the Verizon Wireless network, the pressure will be on to deliver the smooth service some users have clamored for.

In about one month, the first Verizon Wireless customers will have the opportunity to join the ranks of iPhone-philes. Existing wireless contract holders with AT&T will have to decided if they want to pay the expense of switching to a new carrier or stick to their guns as a new market for the iPhone opens.

Apple iPad has its debut, crowd goes wild for now

Apple Inc.‘s much anticipated tablet device has landed in many eager hands.

More than 300,000 WiFi-only iPads were sold in the first day, though it did not sell out.

For some who pre-ordered the device online just shy of the launch, the wait will be longer. Days before the launch Apple shifted the delivery date back to April 12 for Web orders.

Apple plans to release 3G-enabled iPads in late April.

The rush is also on to deliver content for the iPad. Apple said iPad owners downloaded more than one million apps and 250,000 e-books after the launch.

While initial reviews are positive, how iPad plays on AT&T‘s wireless network will be a potent test. AT&T caught flak from iPhone users or for spotty service, a problem that arose in part after consumers glutted the network with apps for their smartphones.

As demand grows for iPad apps the strain on wireless data networks may rise. WiFi may alleviate some of the clogging though users looking for dedicated high-speed throughput from a wireless provider have little choice but AT&T.

We shall see how this strategy pans out for Apple and AT&T.

Waiting for Apple to share its secrets

The world is anxiously waiting for Steve Jobs to reveal one of the worst kept secrets in consumer electronics. Apple Inc. will host a special invite-only unveiling on Wednesday and most soothsayers expect Jobs to show off a new tablet computer and perhaps the latest iPhone model.

If Apple does unleash said gadgets, the odds are it will push rivals yet again to catch up. From a macro-perspective, Apple does not try to be the absolute first with features and gadgetry. They just try to do it better.

Some expect Apple’s tablet to redefine this class of devices. The anticipated tablet has been described by purported insides as comparable to an e-reader in form but with far more functions and access to apps than found in devices on the market.

After the curtain rises, it will be time to examine the ripples spreading through the market.