Sure, Apple alleges to have flipped over a million iPhone 3Gs at this point, but what does that mean? The devil's in the details, as always; yes, true, the first one took 74 days to reach that same milestone, but it was available in less than one-twentieth the number of countries and an even smaller fraction of carriers. Hell, the very definition of "sale" is under scrutiny here, with some suggesting that Apple's making reference to the number of phones it's sold to its carrier partners, not end users -- a metric that would make sense from Cupertino's perspective since Apple's payday technically ends there.

Here's where it gets interesting -- Engadget has obtained a handful of stats regarding number ports in and out of T-Mobile USA handled by a national wholesaler. Specifically, we have data surrounding the launch of the first-gen iPhone and the iPhone 3G, and get this: of more than 1,000 ports in total, ports to AT&T represented under 40 percent of the firm's total outflow in the days surrounding the 3G's launch, versus nearly 70 percent the last time around. Furthermore, they took roughly the same number of inbound ports from AT&T during the same period, meaning that T-Mobile effectively lost no net ground due to the 3G's launch. Granted, the porting stats from a single wholesaler represent just a microcosm of the big picture, but even accounting for some loss of precision when you extrapolate that data, you're looking at a pretty significant downturn in interest from T-Mobile subscribers. We still think Apple's probably laughing all the way to the bank either way -- and iPhone 3Gs are sold out virtually everywhere right now -- but you've got to wonder if AT&T's not freaking out a little bit at the number of new subscribers it managed to entice, and whether its competitors are all breathing cautious sighs of relief at some surprisingly reasonably churn rates.

Let's be honest: even if you like your carrier, being married to it sucks. Whether you're staring down the business end of a three-year contract (Canadian carriers, we're looking squarely at you), your company is engaged in some sort of business relationship with a particular carrier, or you can't take your beloved phone number with you -- whatever the reason may be, getting locked in instills a feeling of dread and unease that we'd personally rather be without. Contracts and business deals may be here to stay, but for our friends north of the border, your government has finally solved that whole number conundrum. As of today, carriers doing business in metropolitan areas are required to support wireless number portability (WNP, as the kids are calling it these days), opening the floodgates from Rogers to Telus, Telus to Bell, Bell to Fido, and so on. We're not sure what carrier(s) stand to benefit the most from the move, but if you've been waiting for today with bated breath, let us know all about your move in comments!

[Via Scott Robinson]

Americans have been enjoying number portability for a while now (though not without its fair share of hiccups), but some surprising names make the list of countries that haven't yet taken the plunge; Japan, for example, just flipped the switch for fickle customers this month. It appears that next up will be our neighbors to the North, with Fido noting on their website that all major Canadian carriers will be allowing number transfers in "all metropolitan areas" no later than March 14 of next year. Regional carriers will still be on the hook to allow outbound transfers by the same date, but are given a reprieve until next September to get the inbound side working. Any Canadian readers out there anxious to make the switch? Tell us all those heart-wrenching stories in comments!

[Thanks, Frank]