Just the other day BBHub reported that Sprints upcoming BlackBerry 8702 will be CDMA and already the rumors about a Verizon CDMA 8700 series BlackBerry have started to fly.
We don’t have any confirmation of Verizon BlackBerry 8700 as of yet, however, Verizon often comes out with its branded version of BlackBerry devices shortly after Sprint. “Shortly” is a relative term, especially when talking about Verizon, however, some of the rumors are saying that the device could come as soon as late July or early August.
I don’t know if a Verizon BlackBerry 8700 series device will be out that soon as Verizon is generally not the good at keep secrets about upcoming BlackBerry devices. One thing we know for sure, however, is that time will definitely tell.
Interesting speculation…it would be great if Verizon got the 8700 with its 3G EVDO network.
And who knows, Verizon may get the 8700 before Sprint, or at least at the same time.
They sold the 7130 well before Sprint. I also recall that with the recent release of the Treo 700p, everyone thought that Sprint was going to be first with this device, and Verizon surprised everyone by releasing at the exact same time. In fact, Verizon actually shipped to customers before Sprint did with the device.
VZW has gotten far more agressive in terms of coming to the market with the newest devices first. With regards to smartphones, they’ve done quite well, with regards to being first with the Treo 700w, the 700p, and the Q.
I would also think that to RIM there is more value in VZW releasing this device first. VZW has a larger subscriber base, and a better reputation with the enterprise segment of the market.