Yes, I finally took the plunge.

Regular readers of this blog think I hate the iPhone. That is not the case. I hate AT&T. From their crappy coverage to their even crappier customer service, I won’t voluntarily give that company another dime of my money ever again. Hell, when I made my split with them years ago, I even sold my stock.

I actually like the iPhone. And, since buying an iPad last April, I like it even more. After all, isn’t an iPad like a big, fat iPhone without calling capabilities or a camera?

I was eligible for a new phone on my Verizon plan on December 23. I’d been considering several Android phones and the Motorola Droid 2 was likely to be the winner.

And then the Verizon iPhone announcement came.

I gave it a lot of thought. I was worried that Verizon would attempt to squeeze higher fees out of customers for the privilege of using the most coveted smartphone in the world. So I waited to learn more about pricing, etc. Hell, I’d lived with the BlackBerry — which still worked fine — for nearly two years; I could wait another few weeks.

This morning, I went online to the Verizon site. When I logged in, I was greeted with a message telling me that as a “valued customer,” I was eligible to upgrade to an iPhone first and could get the phone as soon as February 10. I followed a trail of information by clicking a bunch of buttons. I was surprised that the 16GB iPhone 4 would cost me the same as the Droid 2. I clicked some more. I was surprised that an unlimited voice/text plan was available. And that adding up the plans I needed would cost me less per month than I was already paying with my 2-year-old BlackBerry Storm.

When I began entering a credit card number, I knew they had me. Moments later, it was too late to turn back.

But I do have five valid reasons why my next phone will be an iPhone.

• Smart Phone. It was absolutely necessary for me to buy a smartphone — and the iPhone is one hell of a smart phone. It gives me access to my address book and calendar data and lets me add the apps that I needed to get my work done. And there are plenty of apps. (No, Angry Birds will never be installed on any of my devices.)
• Easy Syncing. The iPhone will sync address book, calendar, and e-mail data transparently with my Macs. The Droid would have required 3rd party software or clunky syncing with Google services that I don’t currently use. The syncing alone was enough to sell me on the phone, even if it cost more.
• Familiar Interface. I have an iPad. I struggled with the interface for a short time when it was new. Why? Because it’s based on the iPhone interface, which I didn’t know. So my knowledge of the iPad interface means I already know 95% of what I need to use the iPhone. I admit that I dreaded facing the learning process for an Android phone; now I don’t have to worry about it.
• The price is right. The iPhone cost me the same as the Droid would have but gives me so much more (see previous three bullets).
• I am an Apple User (and stockholder). I’ve been using Macs since 1989 and have been writing about them since 1991. People who know me for my Mac-related work are always shocked to learn that I don’t have an iPhone. It isn’t individualism, I tell them. It’s the simple fact that AT&T cannot deliver the kind of service I need for my only means of communication. (Yes, we dumped the land lines at least two years ago.) Now I can meet the expectations of my peers without sacrificing my own communication needs.

February 10 is just a week away. Four years and two phones — Palm Treo 700p and BlackBerry Storm — after the original iPhone was announced, I’m finally joining the throng.

I feel oddly unexcited. Could it be because I know what so many others won’t admit?

It’s just a phone.