(WIRED) — Why does the U.S. carrier known for the best network have the worst smartphones?

Verizon gets plaudits for its coverage and call quality, but consistently loses out to AT&T, T-Mobile and even Sprint when it comes to getting the newest high-end handsets.

“They lack the star products that their competitors have,” says Avi Greengart, research director, consumer devices for Current Analysis. “They recognize they don’t have compelling devices right now but feel they can make up for it with network quality.”

Case in point: Last week when Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha proudly showed off the company’s much-talked about first Android phone, the Cliq, he had his arms rather awkwardly around T-Mobile executive Cole Brodman.

“We never considered another carrier for this phone,” Jha told Wired.com.

The Cliq, a coup for T-Mobile, reinforces the new pecking order among wireless carriers. With the iPhone 3G and 3G S, AT&T is now at the top of the pack in its ability to attract new customers based willing to switch to the carrier’s network.

Sprint and T-Mobile are trying to catch up: Sprint launched the Palm Pre on its network in June and plans to introduce the HTC Hero later this year. And T-Mobile has carved out a niche as an Android-specialist with last year’s launch of the first Android phone (the G1), the HTC myTouch earlier this year and now with the Moto Cliq.

As for Verizon? The company has the popular but critically panned BlackBerry Storm and the rather staid and Wi-Fi-less BlackBerry Tour. The carrier known for the best network now has the least attractive line up of smart phones.

It’s a puzzling situation for Verizon. The wireless carrier has had the most customers of any cellular operator in the country since its 2008 acquisition of Alltel, and it’s widely regarded as having the largest network coverage area. So the fact that it can’t offer its customers better smartphones is a bit of a mystery.

Source: Zikkir World (blog)