Yesterday marked a pretty big day for Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ), as customers could finally walk into a Verizon store and pick up an iPhone. Some analysts had expected to see some long lines, but they did not materialize, creating the impression that the launch was less than successful, but looks can be deceiving.

It is easy to understand where the confusion comes from. In the past, whenever Apple released a new iPhone we saw long lines and often not even supply to cover the launch date demand, resulting in long waits for eager iPhone fanatics to get their hands on the new smartphone.

Tomorrow is a big day for Verizon (VZ) customers who have been waiting to get their chance to join the iPhone revolution, and we now learn that Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) will also be carrying the Verizon iPhone 4 at 600 retail stores across the nation.

As of today, when you visit Apple's (AAPL) website you are given the option to order an iPhone for use on either AT&T (T) or Verizon, with the price being the same for either option.

When Apple Inc. (AAPL) released its newest generation iPhone, the iPhone 4, it was received just as well as all the previous models. People waited in lines for hours, and those who were shut out on the first day had weeks of waiting to get their hands on the new precious iPhone.

Unfortunately users started to complain about the phone's reception which led Apple to launch a "free bumper case" program aimed at correcting the problem. The free bumper cases did appear to correct the problem, but now Apple has now decided to discontinue the program.

Google Inc. (GOOG) continues to broaden its reach in the technology sector, and today the company announced that it plans to launch its Google TV platform globally in 2011.

The company gave a demonstration of the new platform today in Berlin, illustrating how a Google search bar would appear on top of the TV and allow users to search both the internet and live TV listings.

Apple, Inc. (AAPL) launched its fourth generation iPhone this past weekend, and as was the case in the past, iPhone fanatics lined up across the country to get their hands on the new iPhone, leading to large sales volumes for the first three days the new smart phone has been on the market.

Everyone knew that the iPhone 4 would have a good opening weekend, but not even the most optimistic forecasts predicted that the company would sell 1.7 million units.

Ever since Apple Computer (NASDAQ: AAPL) introduced the iPhone to the world, other cell phone companies have been working hard to compete. Verizon (NYSE: VZ) is hoping to find success with the Motorola Droid, which will come with a $199 price tag.

The phone will be running on Google's Android operating system, and could be a serious contender against the iPhone, and while most people knew this phone was coming, the real news is that it will start to be sold next week at Verizon's across the nation.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) hit another big milestone today, announcing that its App Store had hit 2 billion total downloads.

The number is pretty impressive to say the least, and will continue to rise at a rapid pace. Apple now has 85,000 applications available for download, and its services are currently being offered in 77 different countries. That number is up from the 65,000 applications that were available this past July.

Shareholders of Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) are certainly having a good afternoon, as the stock has surged over 20% in after hours trading following stronger than expected quarterly earnings.

As Latif Lewis pointed out in this earnings preview, RIMM was expected to show earnings of 84 cents per share for its fiscal fourth quarter. This afternoon, the company shattered those estimates by posting earnings during the quarter of 90 cents per share.

Some great news for Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ: AAPL) revolutionary iPhone today, as a new study shows that for the first time ever, Apple has moved ahead of competitor Research in Motion Limited (NASDAQ: RIMM) for second place in overall smartphone market share.

Top slot remains firmly in the hands of Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE: NOK), but the current data may start to give the perennial champion some reason for concern. While its current lead in market share domination remains well above its next closest competitor, but the figures are much closer than what they were this time last year, another indication of just how popular the iPhone has become over the past year.

Last year at this time, Nokia had a very tight grip on the market, with a reported 51.4% control of the market. It's next closest competitor was Research in Motion, which had 10.6% market share.

Tech giant Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) put up some impressive numbers for its fiscal fourth quarter this afternoon as the company saw huge shipments of its iPhone and Macintosh products (wsj subscription required), but did forecast that its first quarter was going to be challenging.

Going into this afternoon's earnings announcement, analysts had been expecting the company to earn $1.11 a share, but the company shattered that estimate with a reported $1.26 per share, accompanied with a revenue jump of 27% to $7.9 billion.

Most of the attention that Apple has received over the past six months has surrounded its upgraded iPhone, the iPhone 3G. During the quarter, iPhone shipments shot through the roof, rising six times to 6.9 million units.

As expected, Apple announced today the launch of its next generation iPhone, and the new phone will come with a price tag that is $200 less than the current model. The new 3G iPhones are going to hit the market with a $199 price tag.

A big reason for the release of the the new iPhones is the desire by Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to hit their goal of selling 10 million phones by the end of the year. The new phone will have faster Internet connection and satellite navigation capabilities. If you are like me, and have been postponing the purchase of a new phone in anticipation of today's announcement, you will have to wait a bit longer. The new phones will be available on July 11.

While the new phones will be about half the price of the current models, the monthly service plans will be a bit higher. Look for a $39.99 monthly plan, plus another $30 monthly fee for unlimited data. This works out to be about a $10 monthly increase, but considering the improvements of the new phones, not too bad of a deal if you ask me. Supposedly the new iPhones will be able to download data twice as fast as the current model.

As cell phone usage continues to spread, more and more Americans are rarely, if ever, talking on landlines anymore. According to a new study, 3 out of 10 homes in the country are virtually completely relying on cell phones.

Cell phones are definitely more convenient, and the more we use them, the more we want to put the days of landlines in our past. According to the study, 16 percent of all homes in the country did not even have a landline installed during the second half of last year.

In addition to the 16 percent of homes that did not even have a landline, 13% of homes in the country had landlines, but reportedly never use them. For the most part, these lines are used exclusively for computers, or to have in the case of an emergency. Whenever you need to call an emergency service number it is advisable to use a landline, because it makes it much easier to identify your location.

Handset maker Sony Ericsson beat analysts' estimates for the fourth quarter of 2007 and said that the company is gaining market share. In a surprising development, the company said, "The average sales price (ASP) of its mobile phones, a key indicator for profitability, rose to 123 euros from 120 euros in the third quarter," according to Reuters.

The company's share of the global handset market is now close to 10%. Units shipped in the quarter reached 30.8 million, an 18% increase from a year earlier.

The news may be good for Motorola (NYSE: MOT) and Nokia (NYSE: NOK). Even if the economy is slowing, consumers may be willing to spend $200 for a new phone. Increasing business in regions like China and India is not driving down "price per handset." It may be that the emergence of more expensive "smartphones" is helping keep average prices high.

As 3G networks continue to be built out, consumers may find it necessary to upgrade their handsets to take advantage of higher connection speeds.

It is an early indication, but the cellphone industry may be bucking the trend of an economic slowdown.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

It was certainly an exciting year for wireless. Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iPhone was a game changer, there were some big announcements from Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and even Nokia (NYSE: NOK) made an impressive comeback.

As for 2008, it's a good bet we'll continue to see some big headlines.

I interviewed Frank Dickson, who is the chief research officer at MultiMedia Intelligence. According to him:

The handset as a platform: The introduction of the iPhone was the first example of this. It did not create the trend, but it did add fuel to the fire. Google's Android and a rumored Java-based OS are elements of the developing trend. Essentially, we are seeing the rise of a new class of mobile devices that are applications centric with voice functionality. These devices are internet browsers, music players, text messengers, and e-mail devices. Yes, they still make voice calls, but they are clearly optimized for other uses. Operators such as Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) are seeing the coming explosion of this product class and have embraced it by opening their networks to these devices.

The question of whether or not Americans would be willing to dish out close to $600 for a new iPhone has already been answered. The iPhone was definitely one of the (if not the) biggest product launches of 2007, and just how successful Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s new iPhone has been doing was made even more obvious with its third quarter sales figures.

Sales have been so good in fact, that in its first full quarter of sales, the revolutionary iPhone outsold all other smartphones with the exception of the BlackBerry from Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM). This is an accomplishment that is even more impressive when you consider the obstacles that the iPhone was up against:

• iPhones have been placed on sale only in the United States
• iPhones are available for service only with AT&T (NYSE: T)
• iPhones were not available in some pretty large markets inside the United States, including much of Vermont, North Dakota, South Dakota and Alaska