Beginning in early February, iPhone lovers will have a choice of carriers when purchasing the popular device. Verizon (NYSE: VZ) said this week that it will go head-to-head with AT&T (NYSE: T), which has carried the iPhone exclusively since it was introduced.

For IT departments, the new choices may further complicate the challenge of managing consumer-oriented devices. The iPhone 4 sold by Verizon will be different from the iPhone 4 sold by AT&T. The AT&T version will work in more countries across the globe, and it will still allow simultaneous calling and data usage. Verizon's network does not carry voice and data at the same time, so its iPhone users won't be able to use apps while talking. However, Verizon's iPhone will be able to share a WiFi connection with up to five laptops or other devices.  

All eyes are on Verizon's network as the company takes on the popular iPhone and its data-happy users. Industry observers are asking whether it will fare better than AT&T has under the pressure of so much data traffic.

"If it can handle the load, Verizon stands to gain millions of new wireless subscribers and the resulting revenue from device sales and data services," writes Jenna Wortham at The New York Times. "If not, the company could suffer a colossal blow to its reputation as a reliable carrier."

Some analysts expect Verizon's entry into the iPhone game to slow the growth of Android phones. As Jacqui Cheng notes in a post at Ars Technica, some are asking whether the uptick in Android use lately can be credited to users seeking a smartphone on the Verizon network.

Others, however, predict that Verizon is not about to watch its investment in Android handsets go by the wayside. "Droid was followed up again and again with top-notch Android phones, and Verizon spent millions of advertising dollars to make the Droid brand synonymous with Google Android," writes Kevin C. Tofel at GigaOm.

"At the same time, in anticipation of losing iPhone exclusivity, AT&T has been beefing up its handset portfolio with new Android devices. One of the most impressive ones at CES, the Motorola Atrix 4G, is an AT&T exclusive."

For more:
- see Jenna Wortham's article at The New York Times
- see Jacqui Cheng's post at Ars Technica
- see Kevin C. Togel's post at GigaOm

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