Verizon's 2009: BlackBerrys, HTCs, netbooks, and loads of data
by Chris Ziegler 
posted Jan 29th 2009 at 3:25PM
Excitement's in the air over at Verizon, where customers (and would-be customers) of all types have reason to count on 2009 to be an action-packed year. We've managed to get some early details on what Big Red expects to do over the next 11 months, and seriously -- we're pretty stoked. Maybe not Pre stoked, but stoked nonetheless. Read on.- There will be a big emphasis on data plans this year, both domestic and global. There's some jealousy that AT&T is making major inroads with global roaming (a task made far easier when your entire lineup is GSM based, of course) and Verizon wants to catch up. At least one global EV-DO / HSPA modem will be launched -- we'd expected one late last year, but it never materialized.
- Domestic prepaid data plans will be rolled out, available for both phones and modems. No details on pricing.
- All of the rumored Motorolas are confirmed real and on the roadmap for 2009.
- There will be at least two HTCs released this year: a version of the Touch Diamond and an unnamed handset closely resembling the Touch HD.
- Verizon will be selling netbooks with integrated 3G in-store. It's not known whether these will be heavily subsidized, but it's a safe bet. The launch model may be an HP, though this is unconfirmed.
- There will be a global BlackBerry replacing the 8830 that takes styling cues from the Bold (this is likely the device known internally as "Niagara").
- The VX9600 Versa is said to be a killer gaming machine; it helps that one of the add-on modules is a gamepad, but additionally, it's being demonstrated with accelerometer control and apparently has some wicked fast, smooth graphics. With a module attached and open, it's about the size of an enV; closed, it's about the size of a Dare.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pete @ Jan 29th 2009 3:36PM
Does anyone know how long Sprint's exclusivity agreement is for the Palm Pre? Could Verizon customers get it by Christmas 2009?
Palm Pre @ Jan 29th 2009 3:45PM
Minimum of 180 days is what i am now hearing (depends on sales #'s). If sales numbers are poor, they will open up to VZW (NEVER ATT or Tmobile). If sales are good it will go to a minimum of 365 days of exclusive for the device. Sprint signed a 6 year exclusive 1st to market agreemement with Palm..which will include the NEW Centro as well. (1st with the 755, Centro, 800w, Pro, Pre, Centro 2, etc). Early reports between Palm/Sprint are that over 8 million customers have PRE registered. Also the Instinct MINI and Insinct 2 are SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...can you say ANDROID INSTINCT?? =), its on its way!
Pete @ Jan 29th 2009 3:49PM
When did Palm sign that agreement? Its no wonder they've been struggling over the past few years, hitching their wagon to Sprint like that. Can you imagine if the Pre was set to launch on Verizon instead?
bubbatex @ Jan 29th 2009 4:17PM
Pete - I am afraid that if Plam had gone to Verizon, they possibly could not have rolled the Pre out this YEAR.
burton1976 @ Jan 29th 2009 4:46PM
For the last time - I wish all of you Palm / Sprint haters out there would just look at numbers. Palm signed the deal with Sprint because no one...NO ONE...can sell Palm devices like Sprint has / will. There are more Palm devices sold / in use on the Sprint network than ANY other network / carrier in the world. That's why Sprint gets all the Palm devices (minus the first WinMo Treo 700w) before any other carrier - they have proved that they can sell them like hotcakes.
Brett P @ Jan 29th 2009 3:53PM
I wish they would give some kind of release date for the Bold or Niagara, whatever it is going to be called
m3nphls @ Jan 30th 2009 12:05PM
I'm waiting for that phone too since I like to have a actual keyboard and I'm not that much into the Storm touch screen to type and I don't like the 8830 because its not quadband. In the meantime i'll stick with my voyager.
Mills @ Jan 29th 2009 3:37PM
this is awesome news. wonder about the LTE devices....
d889 @ Jan 29th 2009 3:40PM
i have faith in verizon over the long run, the bold might be decent with them. until then my 3 year old razr does everything i need
Palm pre @ Jan 29th 2009 3:45PM
And Sprint will also be getting the Niagra AND the new Curve early summer 09.
Proghog @ Jan 29th 2009 4:14PM
I'll just import a GSM Pre if it is as good as everybody thinks it's going to be and use it on my AT&T service cuz there is no way I'll use it on Sprint or go to Verizon and get a locked down version of the phone. O, you want to use the built in GPS give us some money first.
VZW @ Jan 29th 2009 6:54PM
Please get your information right.
We no longer lock down our phones.
You are allowed to use GPS, Bluetooth for sending pictures, ringtones, ect., WiFi, and any other stuff the phone makes wants on the phone.
bdenglish @ Jan 29th 2009 5:56PM
I have an 8330 and the GPS isn't locked down. Verizon has been unlocking GPS on a lot of phones recently. Have fun paying full price and importing that Pre.
Kenny @ Jan 29th 2009 9:13PM
I have an 8330 and the GPS is locked, It's only unlocked for BB Maps. The Storm's GPS is unlocked but not A-GPS.
AT&T @ Jan 30th 2009 10:53AM
@VZW
Yeah, but at least we don't cripple our phone's capabilities in terms of hardware specifications...
*cough*TOUCH PRO*cough*
Nick S. @ Jan 30th 2009 6:03PM
uh-oh, mobile carrier fight!! anyway, verizon, im not sure what lock down means and all that but i DO understand that your company does water down (for the lack of a better word) their phones and it got soo annoying that i moved to AT&T and got the IPHONE. sound familiar? you could have had the iphone plus the millions of users but you said no... stupid. and i agree with AT&T, i had a choice of either the touch pro or the storm, i wanted the touch pro but i heard u made it suck so i went with the storm... VZW's "AMAZING" EXCLUSIVE SMARTPHONE!!!!! well yeah, it totally BLOWED! im selling it on ebay ASAP. VZW, i had enough of your sh*t waiting for you to get better phones, but its been about 3 years now, and ive gone thru about 5 phones, and deff over 1k, so i decided to fix it myself once and for all, SWITCH TO AT&T! they are amazing and so is the iphone ( not to sound like a fanboy, i love windows but the iphone itself is a grate phone for me at least)
VZW @ Jan 30th 2009 9:54PM
AT&T, sorry too see that 85% of your customers HATE your service.
Grow up, or shall I say Grow Out as in Service, 3G service, & customer service.
We don't cripple our phones anymore, but we did cripple your reputation.
orbital @ Jan 31st 2009 10:09AM
Touch Pro's GPS has been locked down to VZnav plus the XV6800 (mogul or titan) got a VZ firmware update to WM 6.1 this summer which opened GPS - but only for VZnav. can't run any other GPS program without a hack.
yes, VZW still locks down their phones, not as much, but they still do.
VZW @ Jan 31st 2009 12:06PM
Heres some information you might like.
"Steve Schwed of Verizon said:
In the case of open standalone GPS, we are partnering with the Windows Mobile device manufacturers to provide a software upgrade that will add this capability to the existing assisted GPS capability. This is a complex development project to provide open standalone GPS while maintaining the assisted GPS capability with the level of performance and security that our customers expect. The recently introduced Windows Mobile devices including Omnia, Saga, and Touch Pro are targeted to add open standalone GPS in the 1st half of 2009."
egoviri @ Feb 1st 2009 3:59PM
A lot of fanboys on today...
Whoaaaa VZW, the greatest warrior for Verizon Wireless (possible wireline and FiOS), but some of the devices are still locked down. It's ok, no carrier is perfect, I know this may possibly vary from your opinion.
As for all the hate, AT&T has about 77 mil customers and now Verizon, with the merger, will have a give or take 80-90 mil customer base. Obviously someone likes AT&T enough to have the service, due to the iPhone or whatever you want to pick. I would say that since there is an unlocked GSM Pre in existence and both Verizon and AT&T has a flagship touch device now, if Sprint falls through then they both have a pretty good chance. I know possibly both carriers with the device!!! Blows the mind.
Maybe when LTE is up for both carriers in a few years, I don't want to think what your reaction will be if there are roaming agreements for business purposes...
Grace @ Jan 29th 2009 4:38PM
I love you verizon, you too engadget
Jack @ Jan 29th 2009 4:37PM
Touch HD! Hot dog!
..too bad I'm not paying for the data charges. Curse you, money!!!
ekimagem @ Jan 29th 2009 4:48PM
I thought that That Exclusivity Agreement Was similar to How the Iphone wont be sold on Anyone Other than At&t And the G1 on anyone other Than T-Mobile. So i would say No. The Pre Is Exclusive to sprint this Year, Next, and the One after that.
But i wouldnt get too excited about Verizon Getting A new Curve and A Bold Variant this year cuz the Sprint Versions are never Stripped of their Dignity and Sprints New Curve & Bold Are due this Year As well. Plus a new Instinct i hear. And the Touch Diamond is Old news now. The same as Verizon getting the Original Touch 6 Months After Sprint but taking a YEAR to provide an Update.
My only question is how likely it is that a "Touch HD" would come to Verizon. And from the looks of the Storm, Verizon Exclusive Devices dont fare so well especially considering their stingy about software
Epsilon-Not @ Jan 29th 2009 5:07PM
Pretty much all Palm smartphones in the past have had exclusivity agreements that were only a few months in length. The Centro is the prominent example- it started out as a Sprint exclusive but is now on all major carriers except T-Mobile. (which hasn't released a Treo since the 600, who knows why) So it's not unreasonable to think that the Pre deal could be similar.
Esquire0399 @ Jan 29th 2009 5:15PM
I absolutely agree with you about the Touch Diamond. I can't argue with the fact that VZW has a terrible reputation for releasing phones rather late. What I can argue, however, are the following statements about VZW (and for the record, I am nothing close to a fan of VZW whatsoever, however this has nothing to do with my personal feelings):
1) This is the second mention of a VZW Touch HD (or something similar). VZW releases a new HTC device to replace the previous year's annually. The Touch HD would be the next logical step so there is no doubt that it will come to VZW, and it is very likely that this will occur around Q4 of this year.
2) The limitations of the Storm have absolutely ZERO to do with VZW and their stingy attitude towards software (which doesn't even apply to smartphones anyway, so this point is moot). The problems with the Storm are 100% the result of RIM's apparent rush to get the product released, hence the severe software issues present on all versions of the device, whether they be on VZW, Vodafone, etc. As far as capabilities, the Storm is essentially the same device as the one released by Vodafone.
3) The fact that Sprint will likely release the same Blackberries as VZW has nothing to do with anything. That fact does nothing to deter the excitement of VZW customers looking forward to them so I don't see why that was even worth posting.
This leaves me with a question for you: why exactly are you defending Sprint to the death in your comment when this article has absolutely nothing to do with Sprint (with the exception of the very positive mention of the highly anticipated Pre)? You seem extremely defensive for no reason whatsoever and you've left me confused.
ekimagem @ Jan 29th 2009 6:15PM
Well i love the Analysis.
Anyway....Me nor anyone else thats brought up Sprints releases are defending sprint at all. Simply making soon comparisons of phones coming to CDMA networks that were previously GSM only. Nobody is defending anyone "To the death" simply noting the reality that Smartphones and Blackberry's on Verizon as compared to the same exact phone available on other networks are severely handicapped software wise and do not perform as well with lesser capabilities. Even verizon customers wish their PDA's could include the same features allowed on At&T & Sprint Models.
But like you said "That doesnt apply to Smartphones anyway" I guess thats exactly why a Verizon Touch Pro Is just as Fast as A Sprint Pro or a AT&T Fuze....No wait...nevermind verizons never are cuz Engadet and CNET comparisons always say the opposite.
And No, RIM rushing a phone out to Meet Verizons Black Friday request is Also Verizons Responsability to Test the Phone to make sure it meets their requirements which THEY failed to do. Its called delaying a release, which they couldve easily done. and nobody is talkin about Vodafone.
There is nothing to be confused about. Thats just your problem. As well as your time wasted "Replying" to tell someone about a wasted Post
m3nphls @ Jan 30th 2009 12:05PM
ekimagem, Verizon phones are not exactly handicapped...3yrs ago when I used to sell t-mo, cingular & nextel i thought verizon phones and UI were crap and their phones compared to the old ones are much better software than before; not to mention easy to navigate.
Since I switched to verizon i can tell ya i won't switch to any other company because the service is reliable and the only think i don't like is the ability to transfer ringtones from one cell to another through bluetooth but as someone commented they changed that so i'll give that a try.
APPLEFAN @ Jan 29th 2009 5:45PM
HE PALM PRE do you know when the pre is coming out? im a verizon customer and i want pre ill be leaving big red.
Jack @ Jan 29th 2009 7:35PM
Wow. Based on your username and the fact you jack off to pics of the PALM Pre is amazing! Somebody has been attending all their AA meetings (Apple Anonymous).
Jason @ Jan 29th 2009 6:45PM
So the Diamond may be old news by now, but when is it coming out? February? It seems ridiculous to wait a year after Sprint offered it.
Canadian Diamond @ Jan 30th 2009 2:26AM
You guys are still waiting for the Touch Diamond? We had ours in Canada in August, and they're such old news up here i can't find someone to take mine for $250 and it is in mint condition, everyone wants a Bold, Storm, New Curve, iPhone, or Touch Pro. Even the Pearl, and Pearl Flips are selling more then the Touch Diamond right now.
Steve.G @ Jan 29th 2009 6:45PM
Verizon hasn't really done much in the way of developing decent games.. they're all pretty much plain vanilla games that are portable across most of their models. They're all plain vanilla, and none of them take advantage of various phone features. I don't understand therefore how you get off calling the Versa a gaming powerhouse. Is Verizon suddenly going to break from their pattern of mediocre(at best) games?
If they can roll out a few games that take advantage of the accelerometer it will be a miracle.
VZW @ Jan 31st 2009 12:08PM
I understand where your comming from Steve. G.
But we do have games like Guitar Hero on our Multimedia phones (Voyager ect.)
Im not a fan of BREW eather.
But Verizon hasn't switch to Java because of our V Cast service which runs on BREW.
But Java is on BlackBerry phones ect (Which is why BlackBerrys and all PDA phones dont have V Cast.)
But Java will be used on ALL of our LTE phones which will start later on this year.
And if you don't like Verizons phones, then bring one over from another network (Sprint, Alltel, US Cellular) and we will test it to see if it can be used, which most of the time (90%) i can be.
Greg @ Jan 29th 2009 6:52PM
I'm just glad that Verizon is finally not getting good device exclusives anymore; that was the one thing that pissed me off about being a Sprint customer.
ProwlerTM @ Jan 29th 2009 7:55PM
Interesting....no real discussion on Samsung devices. It seems Verizon and Samsung are currently in bed together.
mricpx @ Jan 29th 2009 9:03PM
Any clue if the HTC Diamond or any of the Moto's going to be available within the next month?
palmme @ Jan 30th 2009 8:19AM
I don't see the Palm Treo Pro mentioned on this list. I know there aren't many of us Palm lovers left out there, but I was looking forward to it as a follow-on to my 700wx. Want a winmo device for business and will be ready in April to change out my phone. Looks like the touchPro may be my only choice in that time frame.
egloskerry @ Jan 30th 2009 12:03PM
Prepaid aircards will be huge. There's a LOT of poor people with bad credit that want prepaid aircards.
Dakota @ Jan 30th 2009 3:16PM
SO agreed.
Not so much on the whole bad credit deal, but I need a cheap data card to tote along in the summer on roadtrips and such.
I see it like this: Should I really have to pay $60/mo for something I may use once or twice on an occasional trip when I've got WiFi and other connectivity at home, where I mainly am?
Brett P @ Jan 30th 2009 1:18PM
soooo...anyone have any idea what month the bold is comin out for VZW?
Jeff @ Jan 30th 2009 1:32PM
When is Verizon going to get some android based phones? my contract is due up in the summer and either I'm switching carriers or waiting till they release an Android based phone.
Scott @ Jan 30th 2009 3:23PM
PLEASE VZW --> TREO!!! 800w or Pro - Just freakin get one!
mike @ Jan 30th 2009 9:16PM
verizon has the treo 800w- thing is they bought it from samsung and call it the "saga"
kidding aside
the saga is so similar to the palm WM offerings I'd say there's little chance of current generations of palm WM devices hitting VZ.
mulda @ Jan 30th 2009 10:24PM
is the touch hd going to be worth waiting for? I'm on Verizon but i hate all their smartphones... thinking of going ATT for the iphone... just seems so much easier... tried every phone VZ has and i swear none of them operated right.. slow and non responsive. I really don't want to jump ship and if this phone has potential, i might stick it out.
Cody @ Feb 1st 2009 9:08AM
with VZW you get amazing service, coverage and customer service. you also however get crippled phones.
with AT&T you get bad service, coverage, and customer service. you do however get to download GMail & GMaps to your phone along with many other applications.
which would you rather have?
im going to stick with VZW. if they have to sacrifice letting me download GMail & GMaps for letting me text and call in more places, then im ok with that. they are working on becoming more open and once they do, they'll be unstoppable. 80 million customers and growing! =P
i've had almost every u.s. carrier you can think of. nothing beats VZW!