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Originally Posted by akosnitzky
Any new devices for Verizon in 2007?
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Geez! The
8703e only JUST came out, back in October, and you already want to know about new devices?
Man, some people are never happy!
But seriously, I don't know how long you've been with Verizon. Maybe you've been with 'em for years, maybe you just signed up yesterday. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on this one.
Verizon Wireless and Sprint both use CDMA network technology. CDMA's biggest downfall is that the main chipsets in the phones are manufactured by only 1 company: Qualcomm. That's why you usually see a label along the lines of "CDMA by Qualcomm" on Verizon's phones. The reason this is a problem is that Qualcomm makes the phone manufacturers go through all kinds of
red tape BS just to license the chipsets necessary to make their new phones. The process takes so long that Verizon and Sprint generally get the "latest & greatest" BlackBerry model anywhere from 6 months to a full YEAR after the GSM carriers get it, usually closer to the year side of that.
Let's use the 8700 as an example. Here's the dates it was released on the various US carriers:
- Cingular: 8700c launched November '05.
- T-Mobile: 8700g launched Spring '06 (I think in March or April)
- Verizon: 8703e launched September '06 for online purchase, October '06 in brick & mortar stores.
- Sprint: 8703e launched October '06.
This type of timetable is pretty standard, with the 2 GSM carriers getting first crack & CDMA versions coming along much later.
The model that's being rolled out to carriers now is the BB 8100 "Pearl". The 2 GSM carriers have it available now. Realistically speaking, the CDMA carriers will most likely get it in '07, but not until the second half of the year. And the 8800's a long ways off for Verizon. Again, this is all an educated guess based on the usual timetable we've seen time and again.
