Patience Pays When Buying an iPhone

5. Maintain unlimited data plans

Current Verizon customers will want to keep their unlimited data plans as long as they can. Verizon, unlike AT&T, doesn't yet insist on data caps. But it's not a stretch to presume the company is watching AT&T's strategy. If it's successful, Verizon might soon be forcing new customers into capped data plans. But current Verizon customers with unlimited plans will probably have the option of switching. Unlimited data is ideal for iPhone customers. And if Verizon gives them the chance to keep those plans, customers should seize it.

6. Be ready for preorders

As Apple's and AT&T's preorder problems have shown, trying to reserve an iPhone 4 is going to be extremely difficult. Realizing that, those who want a Verizon iPhone should be ready on their computers the very second preorders start. Luckily, Apple provides ample time between the announcement date and when preorders begin, so consumers can prepare. Preordering could mean the difference between getting the iPhone on launch day and being forced to wait until the next shipment is in. If consumers are serious about getting a Verizon iPhone, they need to be ready to preorder.

7. Ditch the Android idea

HTC's Droid Incredible might look like an ideal device for those who want to wait for the Verizon iPhone, but getting it now would be a major mistake. As nice as the phone is, it doesn't compare to the iPhone 4. And if consumers get the Droid Incredible today, they will be locked into it for two years. The Droid Incredible just isn't the iPhone and it will likely never be comparable. Consolation prizes don't help customers get the phone they really desire. And they need to remember that.

8. Read up on AT&T's iPhone policies

Verizon customers should know AT&T's iPhone policies inside and out. Carriers have a tendency to engage in some practices that make customers cringe. And although Apple has done a good job of keeping AT&T within bounds, the company might not have the same success with Verizon. Realizing that, it's important for customers to know what they can and can't do (tethering for free, for example) with AT&T's iPhone. Those same policies might be enforced on Verizon's plans, but there is a chance that they won't. Knowing exactly what will happen with an AT&T or a Verizon iPhone makes for a more informed, happier customer.

9. Don't buy an iPad

Before Apple's tablet was announced, several reports suggested that the iPad would run on Verizon's 3G network. Since then, all that talk has gone away. But if Apple finally announces that it has ditched its exclusivity agreement with AT&T and partnered with Verizon, it's entirely possible that an iPad running on Verizon's network will also come along. If that happens, Verizon customers will be happy that they waited to hear all the details before jumping for an AT&T iPad 3G and being forced to pay not one, but two carriers. Believe it or not, there are fringe benefits to a Verizon iPhone. And the iPad is one of them.

10. Wait for Apple to show its hand

No decisions should be made about buying a Verizon iPhone until Apple reveals all the details. It's impossible to know now if Apple will offer the same iPhone 4 to Verizon customers. Depending on the arrangement Apple has with AT&T and Verizon, it's possible that one of the devices will be hobbled compared with the other. Plus, if Apple has software agreements with companies in place, one version might be running a more capable version of iOS than the other. At this point, no one knows a single detail about a Verizon iPhone for certain, including whether it will ever exist. So, choosing one or the other now just doesn't make sense. When it comes to Apple, patience is everything.