What iPhone Will Verizon Announce?What iPhone Will Verizon Announce?

Verizon and Apple could announce just about anything tomorrow, and it will likely be a hit as long as it has the word "iPhone" thrown in there somewhere. There are a lot of unknown details, however, that will play a crucial role in the Verizon iPhone's true success. Let's explore some issues.

What Cellular Radio Will Be Inside?

At the very least, the Verizon iPhone will need to have a CDMA cellular radio inside to make voice calls and provide mobile data access. CDMA is the technology Verizon uses for its network, which differs from AT&T's GSM-based iPhone. We should expect it to include Verizon's 3G services on board, which means EVDO Rev. A, the same type of 3G that's in the Motorola Droid X, HTC Incredible, and other smartphones on Verizon's network.

Verizon and Apple would be smarter, however, to do more than simply make a CDMA version of the iPhone 4.

Verizon would convert a lot more AT&T iPhone owners to Verizon iPhone owners if its iPhone is a "World Edition" device. Verizon has made a number of smartphones -- such as the Blackberry Storm/Storm2 -- capable of working with its 3G network here in the U.S., as well as able to roam on the 3G networks of European and Asian carriers. If the Verizon iPhone is CDMA-only, customers won't be able to use it overseas, it will only work in the U.S. That will be a big hindrance if Verizon wants to score business users who sometimes travel overseas.

The smartest move Verizon and Apple could make would be to endow the Verizon iPhone with Long Term Evolution 4G. Verizon's LTE network is just getting off the ground. The company announced 10 new LTE devices at the Consumer Electronics Show last week in Las Vegas. None of them will be available for weeks and/or months. Giving the new iPhone a head start with LTE could make it a smash hit.

Will the Verizon have LTE on board? Unfortunately, I doubt it. More likely, it will be either CDMA-only, or a GSM/CDMA World Phone. I'd rate the possibility of these options at 50/50.

Other Considerations

Verizon Wireless is pretty aggressive with crapware on its handsets. Will it do the same with the iPhone? Will Apple let it? I surely hope not. That last thing we need from Verizon Wireless is an iPhone that automatically downloads and installs applications we don't want or need. What about Verizon's branded services, such as V CAST Music, Video, Rhapsody, and other similar products?

Will the Verizon iPhone have the same dimensions? CDMA cellular radios are different from GSM cellular radios, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Verizon iPhone will be a different size when compared to the iPhone 4. For example, the Verizon iPhone will not require a SIM card slot, which frees up Apple's engineers to take advantage of the vacated internal space. Of course, it could be an entirely new piece of hardware, but I doubt it.

Will the Verizon iPhone correct some of the issues that the iPhone 4 has? Will the antenna situation be resolved? Will the front and rear surfaces be less prone to breaking when dropped? Will the Verizon iPhone be able to do FaceTime over 3G, or will it still only work over Wi-Fi? And, most importantly, will it be a better device for making phone calls?!?

How much will it cost? Verizon Wireless could probably get away with charging a slight premium over the AT&T version of the iPhone 4, but I'd say certain conditions apply. First, it would have to be a World Phone or offer some other significant upgrade compared to the AT&T version. Verizon could probably charge $100 more per iPhone if it comes with LTE on board when compared to a similarly equipped iPhone 4.

Will Verizon allow iPhone users to tether their iPhone to laptops, or give it a mobile hotspot capability? A number of Verizon's top Android smartphones can serve as mobile hotspots. Android would cling onto an advantage if the iPhone can't tether or provide a hotspot on Verizon Wireless.

With 24 hours to go until the announcement, the questions continue to pile up...