Verizon to offer Palm Pre, a new BlackBerry, and an Android phone

by Michelle L on June 3, 2009

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Just when Sprint thought they were making a comeback, Verizon has stolen a bit of their thunder by announcing plans to carry several new phones within the next six months. Among the phones listed is the Palm Pre, set to be released and carried exclusively by Sprint on June 6, and thought to be the key to helping Sprint regain some of its market share.

The exclusive agreement between Sprint and Palm lasts through the end of this year. After that, Palm would be free to allow any wireless carrier to sell the Pre, considered a worthy contender against the iPhone. If Sprint loses the right to be the sole Pre vendor, chances are they’ll end up right back where they were prior to the agreement with Palm—behind the other three major wireless carriers, struggling to stay afloat.

Verizon is currently the exclusive carrier of the BlackBerry Storm, launched late last year. That phone’s reviews have been mixed, but in January, Verizon claimed to have sold one million of them since the November launch. Plans are underway to release a second generation Storm, as well as a new BlackBerry—the Tour, an upscale model similar to the Curve and Bold, with 3G and GPS. The Tour is rumored to be slated for release in July.

After speculation that Verizon wasn’t willing to work with Google, the company’s CEO said the two companies have actually had “good dialogue.” So good, in fact, that Verizon is also planning to release at least one Android based phone. No details regarding features or a possible release date have been announced. Right now, T-Mobile is the only wireless carrier with exclusive rights to sell an Android based phone—the G1.

That would leave just AT&T as a serious competitor with its exclusive iPhone deal with Apple, a deal set to expire in 2010. While AT&T has been working hard to extend that deal, Apple has been in talks with another carrier to possibly provide the iPhone, either in addition to, or instead of AT&T. Guess who that carrier is. You got it—Verizon.

If Verizon manages to grab the Pre from Sprint, the iPhone from AT&T, and an Android phone that competes with T-Mobile’s offering, they may very well become an unbeatable force, perpetuating their current status as the number one wireless carrier in the United States.

Filed under : Verizon Wireless