iPhone 4 pre-orders

The press release indicated that more than 600,000 iPhones were pre-ordered on June 15.  Will be interesting to learn how many more (and if 600k was understating or about right).  Given the difficulties of ordering, assuming that it wasn't due to the rumored AT&T security changes the weekend before, perhaps it was far higher?

Note that the iPad sold about 300,000 on its first day (I know this includes both walk-ins and pre-orders but I have to believe that for iPhones, pre-orders largely substitute for walk-ins) Which makes 600,000 seem somewhat unimpressive and, in fact, low.

Verizon and iPhone

I'd bet that this Businessweek article (claiming that Verizon is still serious about selling the iPhone) is 100% wrong.  My guess is that there are a lot of potential iPhone customers who are unwilling to switch to AT&T (and would prefer Verizon's service).  And that Verizon is dangling the idea of the iPhone on Verizon to keep them in limbo and waiting until the iPhone's allure wears off (or technology shifts such that Verizon can sell the iPhone because we are all on 4G).  A statement to the press is nearly free (and a lot cheaper than advertising).

AT&T wi-fi access for iPhone owners

Finally, after several false starts, we get the formal announcement of free wi-fi for iPhone users at AT&T wi-fi hotspots. Justifying AT&T's default hijacking of my wi-fi settings to treat "attwifi" as a trusted network and breaking my 3G connection as I pass five Starbucks on the way to work.

But, of course, it's not all sunshine and light - logging in is a multi-step, daily process so I can't skip from node to node as I walk past the quintet.

Someone needs to write an app that automates the login process ASAP.