TechCrunch is claiming that the ever popular "sources with knowledge of the situation" have told them that Apple has submitted an order to Qualcomm for millions of CDMA chipsets to supply a Verizon iPhone 4 manufacturing run this December:
This production run would likely be for a January launch, and I’d bet the phone is nearly 100% consistent with the current iPhone 4 (with a fixed internal insulator on the antenna).
They suggest CES 2011, where Verizon's CEO is scheduled to keynote, might be the perfect place for an announcement, but also think he might have to hold off for Macworld in February, "Apple’s historical launching pad". However, Apple stopped attending Macworld after 2009 and in 2010 held their own iPad event during a similar time period instead.
Yes, the on again, off again rumors are on again. Sigh. Real, fake, really fake? When it comes to Verizon iPhone rumors TiPb believes now what we heard back at CES 2010 -- Apple has the technology in place and can launch whenever their exclusivity with AT&T expires, and they can come to terms with Verizon (no small feat, given how stubborn and controlling both Apple and Verizon have historically been).
