Verizon Schedules Suspicious Press Conference On Jan. 11Verizon Schedules Suspicious Press Conference On Jan. 11

Verizon Wireless hosted one of the largest press conferences at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It announced no less than 10 new Long Term Evolution (LTE) devices, including smartphones, tablets and modems. Apparently there was at least one product it didn't want to get lost in the sea of headlines streaming from CES. Verizon Wireless has scheduled a new press conference on Tuesday, January 11, at the Lincoln Center jazz hall.

What's so important that Verizon Wireless decided to schedule a separate event in New York, rather than just announce it at its press conference in Las Vegas?

Verizon iPhone rumors have flared up like mad over the last few weeks. This morning, Boy Genius Report tagged Thursday, February 3, as the launch date for the Verizon iPhone. Boy Genius' sources are "close to Apple."

Other reports state that Apple has restricted vacation time for its retail employees. The reports note that Apple retail employees aren't allowed to take vacation during the last two weeks of January and the first week of February.

But this doesn't feel right to me.

Looking at Apple's historical product announcements, it seems unlikely that this new press conference will indeed be for the Verizon iPhone. Apple announces all its own products, with CEO Steve Jobs the one most often making the introduction to the new hardware. Why would it let Verizon Wireless' CEO announce the Verizon iPhone? Apple also makes its product announcements from its own headquarters in Cupertino, or at other venues in the San Francisco / Bay Area. I can't remember the last time Apple announced a new product in New York City.

For this event to be the Verizon iPhone is completely out of character for Apple.

But it still might happen. After all, what else could it be?