Everybody awaited the release of the original iPhone with great anticipation, and for many, it lived up to its hype and became the center of their high-tech universe.

This is not to say that the iPhone had no flaws or shortcomings, however. One major complaint was the iPhone’s exclusive use of AT&T’s network, one that was sometimes sluggish as compared to other networks available.

Despite the fact that this is a relaunch of a eight-month-old product, the release of the new Verizon model has drawn some lines outside Apple stores of those wishing to claim a reservation, or to get lucky and make an immediate purchase.

It’s always nice to have more than one option when it comes to carriers. The Verizon network will give some users a much better connectivity experience than AT&T, whose signal strength can vary depending on location.

Apple offers three main ways to purchase the iPhone. You can order it from the Apple online store and enjoy free shipping; you can reserve your iPhone for in-store pickup (available as of February 10) or you can take your chances on getting an iPhone 4 at your favorite Apple retail store (they will be available on a first-come first-served basis). The CDMA iPhone 4 is also available at Best Buy and Walmart.

Prices start at $199 for the 16 GB AT&T or Verizon models, with a 32 GB model starting at $299. This requires the purchase, of course, of a two-year wireless service contract.

It is important to keep in mind that the iPhone model you purchase will be configured to work with either the AT&T network or the Verizon network, but not both. If you already have an AT&T model iPhone and you wish to switch to the Verizon network, in addition to paying a cancellation fee based on the number of months remaining on your contract, you will have to purchase a new iPhone.

The early termination fee to get out of an AT&T contract will be as much as $250. Maybe more. Add this to the purchase price of a completely new iPhone model and it will start to add up.

The question for those who do not already have an iPhone, however, will be whether they should purchase an AT&T or Verizon model, and when. It is important to note that a new iPhone model—the iPhone 5—will likely come out this summer, and it will undoubtedly sport a number of “must have,” drool-worthy new features.

It will also undoubtedly be available in AT&T and Verizon models, so many current iPhone users will likely want to wait before canceling their current contract to get a Verizon iPhone 5, and not a few new buyers may choose to wait as well.

Tim Arends offers a roundup of some of the many business applications available for the iPhone on his website at http://www.internetmacmarketing.com/iphone.html