It's true that, for the most part, the cell phone carrier market is a zero-sum game--that is to say, most people have cell phone contracts for just one carrier. There are probably a few people who have contracts with multiple providers, whether it be for work and home use or for the parents of that teenager who just to have an iPhone, but for the most part it's one person per carrier.

AT&T certainly has a bad rap with iPhone owners: you don't have to look any further than to see that. And it's not all undeserved: the company , , and has had plenty of with and poor performance.

Of course, this isn't to say that Verizon will automatically swoop in and be the perfect network that iPhone owners have always wanted. Most cell phone carriers seem to be rated on par with politicians: people's opinions of their performance and effectiveness vary wildly, but most agree that they could all stand to be a bit better.

Not to mention that there are plenty of folks who are content with their AT&T service. own fearless leader, Jason Snell, --and I'm sure he's not alone.

And keep in mind that for Apple, which carrier you choose doesn't matter much to its bottom line: every iPhone sale is money in the bank for Cupertino.