Today Apple releases the iPhone 4 to the masses. Or, at least it’s the release date. Stories abound of shortages, long lines, and people weeping either over the glories of their new device or devastating depression at not getting one yet. That’s all well and good – and getting a lot of press – but where does this ongoing battle actually stand?

Looks like the gloves are off in the smartphone battle. Apple is currently the undisputed leader. They reinvented the phone and we all know it. They set the bar very high, and everyone else is trying to catch up. Think of what your standard cell phone looked like before the iPhone and what all the latest ones look like now. An amazing evolution in a very short period of time, spurred in large because of Apple’s innovation. It’s going to be very interesting over the next several months, because Google appears to be a great contender for knocking the iPhone off its throne.