So how did that first week go?

According to Wired, data from the Speedtest.net iPhone app shows that AT&T iPhone data transfer rates were roughly 2 times faster than those of the Verizon iPhone.

There are a few caveats though; the post notes “results did not provide data on coverage reliability or dropped connections,” and the number of AT&T phones providing data outnumbered the Verizon iPhones providing data 3 to 1.

When it comes to sales of that Verizon iPhone, it’s still attractive to new buyers but not in the overwhelming numbers many anticipated.

Boy Genius Report published sales figures from the first 5 days of the Verizon iPhone’s initial launch that “are performing a little under what Apple and Verizon anticipated.”

• Thursday: Verizon = 909, AT&T = 539
• Friday: Verizon = 916, AT&T = 680
• Saturday: Verizon = 660, AT&T = 471
• Sunday: Verizon = 796, AT&T = 701
• Monday: Verizon = 711, AT&T = 618

On the first day, the five Apple stores included in this data (including “very, very prominent” Apple stores which we can guess refer to their San Francisco and New York stores) were selling 68% more Verizon iPhones than AT&T iPhones, but by that Monday the difference in sales shrunk considerably, though the Verizon iPhone is still slightly more popular.

Perhaps that’s because AT&T’s fees helped to stem any mass exodus of customers. According to BGR:

30% of people buying Verizon iPhones were Android users, just over 25% of people buying iPhone 4 were BlackBerry users, and only 14% of people buying the Verizon iPhone were AT&T iPhone owners. The remaining percent didnâ€t want to say, didnâ€t have a smartphone, or didnâ€t have a phone prior to making their iPhone 4 purchases last week.

Now these numbers don’t take into account the estimated 550,000 pre-sales made online, or sales from Verizon stores, but overall it seems to actually be a good thing for Apple.

The fact that people are still buying AT&T iPhones with 2 options available means that even if demand is less than anticipated, the Verizon iPhone represents a new market, not one entirely cannibalized from existing AT&T customers. The real test will come when the next generation iPhones are released though.

Some expected Steve Jobs to be on stage for the announcement, but perhaps the Apple CEO didn’t want to run the risk of encountering travel delays forecast by many meteorologists. Regardless of which C-suite Apple exec did the formal announcing, it was the expected conclusion to months of speculation.

At the press conference to announce the launch, Cook said that it marked “just the beginning of a relationship between Apple and Verizon.” {Mashable}

The Verizon iPhone will be in stores February 10th, but existing customers can order from February 3rd. Costs are almost exactly the same as the AT&T version with a 16GB iPhone 4 coming in at $199.99 and a 32GB version costing $299.99, both with the purchase of a 2-year contract and data plan.

In addition to the unlimited data that Verizon currently offers (compared to AT&T’s capped 2GB), Verizon customers will be able to use their phone as a mobile hotspot.

Now that the iPhone is no longer a one-network pony in the US, will this mean a more equal competition with Android devices? It’s hard to say if the wider availability means the iPhone will take market share away from any of the smartphone competitors, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 who seem more likely to suffer. Also worth watching, Verizon’s reliability. Some are wondering if the network, which still has a number of Droids and Blackberry devices to support, can hold up to the extra strain iPhone users are expected to place on data services.

Nearly everyone agrees that the date means that the Verizon iPhone will be similar to the iPhone 4 on AT&T, just configured to work on a CDMA network. The logic goes that if there were significant changes, Apple would be making the announcement themselves. Plus, following the normal Apple release pattern, January is just too soon to expect a new version of a product released in June of the previous year. All Things D reports that a Steve Jobs appearance is likely though, so Apple does find the announcement important. While it’s not uncommon for the iPhone to be available on multiple carriers in countries outside the US, inside the US where Android is gaining market share in part due to the sheer number of handsets and wide range of carriers, adding another carrier is a big deal. By the time the iPhone 5 (or whatever the next iteration is called) does arrive, it will mean a much larger audience and possibly a way to maintain a bit of smartphone market share.

Boy Genius Report has the actual CDMA iPhone going on sale somewhere between February 3rd and 6th based on employee vacation request blackout dates, so anyone foaming at the mouth to wait in a long line won’t have to wait too long for the wait. Verizon Wireless is the largest carrier in the US, so we’ll make the prediction that there will be at least a few lines similar to those that were seen when the iPhone 4 was first released. While standing outside in February isn’t the same as standing outside in June, we don’t doubt the dedication of iPhone admirers who just couldn’t bring themselves to map out dead spots on AT&T.

TechCrunch’s resident iPhone enthusiast also points to an additional selling point for the Verizon iPhone: unlimited data, which AT&T cut off last June. While it’s not expected that the “unlimited” data generosity (actually capped at 5GB) will continue, Verizon’s most expensive data and phone plan is still approximately $200 less than AT&T on a 2-year basis so it could be just one more incentive for new iPhone users to sign up sooner rather than later.

Want an international iPhone? Don't count on it with a Verizon iPhone

Now unless a manufacturing change is planned, you’d still have to learn how to hold your iPhone 4 (really, why should a phone require more instruction than most newborns come with?) in that special way that doesn’t kill reception due to the poor antenna placement. But assuming Apple loosens their stance on free bumpers (no free bumpers for you! {Boy Genius Report}), or that the Help Wanted postings for antenna developers {GeekSugar} produce an actual fix instead of denials of the problem, there’s still an issue.

If you travel internationally, an AT&T iPhone may be a better option than on on Verizon, and it comes down to the network. While many of Verizon’s customers are fans of the service across their CDMA network {Wikipedia}, AT&T’s GSM network {Wikipedia} is actually the more popular option around the world.

In many countries in Europe, CDMA networks simply don’t exist. Want to take your iPhone on a trip to London? Paris? While you may be able to get limited use by picking up on a wi-fi signal, you’d be out of luck for actually making calls or sending text messages with any reliability. If you’ve ever tried to take a Sprint phone out of the country, the experience is pretty much the same.

Now that’s not to say, AT&T makes international roaming a walk in the park. While you can expect your phone to work with on of AT&T’s international roaming partners, the over the air updates they use to ensure iPhones aren’t jailbroken mean that you’re pretty much restricted to the partner they choose, and the rates may not be all that great. Data plans in particular, can cost as much as you paid for the phone itself with even moderate use.

It’s not a flaw that’s unique to AT&T. Even though T-Mobile, the other US carrier with a GSM network, has a large network in Europe, roaming outside the country can still cost hundreds of dollars. At the end of the day, however, you at least have the option.

Now if your jaunts outside the States are limited to a brief vacation every other year, the offer of a Verizon iPhone is probably still strong. But if you’re as international as the iPhone 4 is, you might already be with the right carrier.

If despite the antenna problems, and rather ambivalent customer service, you’re still crazy about the iPhone 4, not a fan of AT&T, but need the freedom of a GSM network, there is an option. While countries like Hong Kong get unlocked iPhones by default, that’s quite a plane ride for a phone. Canadian and UK customers though, are also part of the unlocked phone club and can purchase the iPhone 4 legally unlocked and contract free. If you have a friend, or even just a mailing address in either country, you just may be able to have it all.