Twitter updated its official iPhone and iPad apps Thursday, offering enhanced photo options, auto-link shortening and the ability to follow friends via the contacts in your address book. Twitter for iPhone also added a new feature called the Quick Bar, a way to quickly browse through trending topics at the top of the timeline.

We used Social Radar to run analysis around conversations online mentioning both Twitter and iPhone.

Twitter for iPhone buzz

Conversations around Twitter for iPhone were up 300% following Thursday’s app update.

Twitter for iPhone sentiment

Conversations around Twitter for iPhone had been around 80% positive for the month of February, but spiked above 50% negative following yesterday’s update.

Twitter for iPhone conversation topic cloud

The new Quick Bar trending topic bar was the major source of negative conversation, with words like ‘annoying’ being mentioned frequently. The word ‘trending’ appeared in 21% of conversations around Twitter for iPhone, and the conversations were 85% negative.

As of now, there does not appear to be a way to disable the Quick Bar. Will Twitter give frustrated users the option to remove the Quick Bar before users begin abandoning the app?

After nearly four years of rumors and speculation, Verizon announced this week that the iPhone will be available on the Verizon network beginning February 10.

Verizon vs. AT&T chatter

Chatter around Verizon spiked following the announcement.

iPhone mentions within Verizon and AT&T conversations

We measured the number of times iPhone was mentioned in each conversation around both Verizon and AT&T. On average, iPhone was mentioned in 33.8% of Verizon conversations and 5.75% of AT&T conversations within the last month.

AT&T vs Verizon mentions within iPhone posts

When we look at overall conversations around the iPhone, Verizon has appeared in around 11% of iPhone conversations, while AT&T has appeared in less than 4% of iPhone conversations overall so far in 2011. Following yesterday’s announcement, the word Verizon appeared in 41% of iPhone conversations.

Verizon vs. AT&T conversation sentiment

Conversations around Verizon have been 77% positive so far in 2011, while conversations around AT&T have been only 69% positive.

Verizon conversation topic cloud

In the days since the Verizon iPhone announcement, the only word even remotely negative (in grey) appearing in Verizon conversations is AT&T.

AT&T conversation sentiment around service, reception and calls

Conversely, negative sentiment around the words service, reception and calls within AT&T conversations spiked following the Verizon iPhone announcement.

What will the Verizon iPhone mean for Verizon and AT&T moving forward? The Wall Street Journal reported analyst estimates that Verizon could add more than 10 million U.S. iPhone customers in 2011. How will AT&T respond?

Last night’s lunar eclipse, which coincided with the winter solstice for the first time since 1638, was a hot topic of conversation. The eclipse surged past NFL, WikiLeaks, Facebook, iPhone, Twitter and even Christmas to become one of the most discussed topics online. Eclipse was mentioned in nearly nearly 1.5% of ALL online conversations through yesterday and today.

Three of the highly anticipated Windows Phone 7 devices went on sale in the U.S. this week: HTC HD7, HTC Surround, Samsung Focus. Engadget posted reviews Monday.

We used Social Radar to run analysis on chatter around Windows Phone 7 and all three models, compared to iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

The HTC Surround is currently generating the most positive chatter, while the HTC HD7 is the most negative.

Overall chatter around Windows Phone 7 was 80% positive. The word ‘impressive’ appeared in 16% of Windows 7 posts, ‘beautiful’ appeared in 14%, ‘intuitive’ in 13%, and ‘cheap’ in 13% of Windows 7 posts.

However, when we analyzed overall chatter this week, we found that Windows 7 Phone devices were receiving miniscule chatter compared to iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

Will the Windows 7 Phone be a viable competitor in the smart phone market?

Reports surfaced this morning that total shipments of Android phones in the U.S. during the third quarter were nearly twice as large as iPhone shipments.

We used Social Radar to run analysis of conversations online to reveal that iPhone is generating double the amount of chatter compared to Android and all of its smart phone models combined.

iPhone vs. Android online chatter

Pictures surfaced yesterday on the popular tech blog Engadget providing evidence that the rumored PlayStation Phone does exist.

The word PlayStation is currently appearing in 21% of conversations online around the word ‘phone.’

We ran analysis around all smart phones chatter for the last month. Today, PlayStation spiked above Palm, Windows Phone and BlackBerry, and is only trailing Android and iPhone in chatter.

The Android-based gaming PlayStation phone is still a prototype and will likely be released in Q1 or Q2 2011.

Microsoft announced yesterday its answer to the iPhone and Android devices: Windows Phone 7. After initially releasing Windows Mobile 10 years ago, Microsoft has finally embraced the new smartphone philosophy. It threw away the stylus and created a completely new, finger-friendly UI, coupled with an OS that enables easy integration with Microsoft services Xbox Live and Bing, as well as social networks such as Facebook.

Windows Phone 7 is a sprawling mobile platform that, by year’s end, will power about a dozen devices, from four manufacturers, spanning 60 carriers through 30 countries.

Buzz around the new Windows Phone spiked yesterday.

Windows 7 chatter trend

But chatter around Windows Phone is minuscule compared to iPhone and Android.

Window Phone 7 vs. iPhone vs. Android chatter

Windows Phone 7 has six “hubs” organized around common tasks. The first is “people,” and includes things like speed dial, speed text and “speed wall postings.” The second is “pictures,” which organizes photos. There are also hubs for “office mobile,” “music and videos,” “apps” and “games.”

Apps were the most talked about feature within the Windows Phone conversation, followed by games, people, office, videos, pictures and movies.

Windows Phone 7 “hubs” chatter

How does the phone perform? Techcrunch claims that while Android phones can often feel like a cheap imitation of an iPhone, the Windows Phone 7 feels completely different, and better than Android.

What are people saying online? Sentiment around Windows Phone 7 has been 75% positive the past two days. Comparatively, iPhone was 84% positive, Android was 83% positive, and BlackBerry chatter was 75% positive.

Windows Phone 7 vs. iPhone vs. Android vs. BlackBerry sentiment

Microsoft is positioning the phone as “the phone to save us from our phones,” with ads for the new phone mocking smartphone addiction, as well as entrenched leaders BlackBerry, iPhone and Android. Interesting brand message. Is Microsoft claiming that it will make a phone that customers will want to use less?

Facebook and Skype are working on a deal that would integrate Facebook Connect with Skype accounts, which will enable users to SMS, chat or call Facebook friends directly from Skype.

Chatter around Skype has already doubled today in the hours since the announcement.

Skype chatter trend

Chatter around Skype is currently 79% positive.

Skype sentiment

We also compared chatter around Skype to Google Voice, a new service that provides a single phone number for all a user’s cell, home, and work numbers, and lets the users manage voice services online.

Skype vs. Google Voice chatter trend

Unlike Skype, Google Voice is a browser-based service. Google Voice is not tied to a geographical location nor linked to a specific handset nor matched with an IP address; it’s tied to a person.

After rejecting the Google Voice app last year, Apple has now approved and will offer Google Voice via the iTunes app store. The Google Voice mobile app would allow a caller to send and receive free SMS and use cheap long-distance calling.

The future of communication is coming fast, it will be interesting to watch how innovative companies and providers prepare and react to new opportunities.

Nike unveiled its all new Pro Combat uniform series for the 2010 NCAA college football season to much fanfare in New York during a fashion show hosted by ESPN College Game Day Host Chris Fowler. Ten Top 25 teams were selected for the special uniforms reflecting the teams’ traditions, character and culture. Two of the schools, #10 Virginia Tech and #3 Boise State, were the first to wear the uniforms during the biggest game of opening weekend Monday night.

Then, Tuesday, Nike released an iPhone app, Nike+ GPS, a new app for runners that provides incentives to improve training.

We decided to run analysis on Nike and determine which generated more buzz.

Analysis of posts within Nike comparing the words ‘iPhone’, ‘app’, ‘jersey’, ‘Boise’, and ‘uniforms’ tell us the story. The iPhone app was clearly the biggest news of the month for Nike. The topic cloud below provides further evidence.

iPhone, app, Nike+ GPS, and runners are the words being used most often in Nike posts, all generating more buzz than uniforms.

Interestingly, Wayne Rooney is the only negative topic in the conversation. Further research shows us reports that British soccer star Wayne Rooney cheated on his pregnant wife.

Overall buzz around Nike was 82% positive since the weekend.