Verizon's Seidenberg: Someday, Steve Jobs will get old

Sometimes a major CEO seems like a foolish child more than a competitive leader. And sometimes the head of Verizon Communications, Inc. (NYSE: VZ), Ivan Seidenberg, has said things that make many of us scratch our collective heads. With Apple, Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) 3G iPhone about to hit the street (but not the Verizon network), Seidenberg must have been driven by jealousy to say something silly.

In response to the impending release of the 3G iPhone, Seidenberg said: "There goes the conspiracy again. You're declaring them a winner before they've earned it on the field." This in response to a reporter's question about the new iPhone achieving mass market appeal due to the lower entry price of $199. The iPhone does not have a huge market share when all sold phones are considered, but the new $199 price tag could sure put the Cupertino company in a position to ramp up that share pretty fast. This apparently concerns Seidenberg.

Sometimes waiting out the competition is a strategy that doesn't involve much R&D. Seidenberg went on to say, "Steve Jobs eventually will get old . . . I like our chances." Instead of trying to find some innovation to provide to the Verizon customer, maybe Verizon (along with all the other wireless carriers) will just try to wait out Apple's wireless offerings until Steve Jobs retires. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success to me. But then again, Seidenberg has said some pretty clueless things before. Maybe this is just another example of a corporate leader who's out of touch with his industry.