You gotta hand it to the folks over at AT&T, if they are nothing more, they are persistent.

Despite being ranked as the United State’s worst mobile carrier a few months ago, they are trying harder and harder, maybe out of desperation at this point, to convince perspective, and current, customers not to switch to the Verizon iPhone once it releases.

Today AT&T has spent precious time to send an email to multiple, if not all, of its current customers with a simple subject line: “Feel free to make a call while reading this email.

This, as you might already have guessed, is aimed at pointing out the fact that, with AT&T, users can: browse the web; check email; update Twitter and much more, all while still chatting away in a call with a friend or three.

With Verizon’s iPhone you will be able to: pretend to update your Twitter, or check email; watch over your friend’s shoulder as he or she browses the web (and laugh at the jokes they are reading, and when questioned by the friend, your reply would be something along the lines of “oh, no, it was something else th-yeah, erm, something my friend said.) all while chatting away in a call with a friend, or maybe three.

The, perhaps largest, difference between AT&T and Verizon is that the AT&T iPhone can handle both data and voice at the same time, Verizon’s iPhone, although nearly the exact same iPhone, can only handle voice or data at once. This limitation is due to the fact that Verizon runs all of its devices in CDMA.

To get back on track, AT&T’s mass email contains (see above) a picture of a woman yammering on her iPhone through a Bluetooth headset, while surfing the web at the same time. Floating in front of the woman is a speech bubble stating “ I’m online buying movie tickets now. Is the 3 o’clock showing okay?” Near the bottom, AT&T adds “only AT&T’s network lets you talk and surf the web at the same time on your iPhone.”

Just to add a bit of laughter, I speculate, AT&T closes with “On the nations fastest mobile broadband network.”

Do I find this petty? No. Personally, I think that CDMA limitations is a huge issue with Verizon, and it is fair for AT&T to try to capitalize on Verizon’s failure, however, I’m not sure how much good it will do, considering the fact that “apparently” most AT&T customers are not happy with it’s service.

Ah, AT&T goes just a step further in its attempt to beg-erm, persuade it’s iPhone customers not to switch, by offering a coupon in the email for current users to receive a 25% discount on any mobile accessory at any AT&T store.

The Verizon iPhone launches Thursday for all current customers, and next Thursday for everyone else, dare I say thousands, no, millions of former AT&T customer too?

All I can say is, to all who purchase the Verizon iPhone, go ahead, walk around asking “Can you hear me now?” but remember, while AT&T is doing the same thing, they are Tweeting their location too.

What do you think? Is AT&T tryig to save a sinking ship, or is there just too much hype around Verizon getting the iPhone? Let us know by leaving a comment or twelve, or, come on over to our forum, and talk it out with us, and other members!