Apple Making Smaller, CDMA-Compatible "World Phone" for Verizon, Launching Q3 2010?

Is Apple making a smaller, CDMA-compatible "world phone" for Verizon, and readying it for Q3, 2010? Maybe. And TiPb's sure this "report" coming out on Droid Day is purely coincidental, given Google and Verizon's moment in the sun. AppleInsider, however, claims a new report, with the prerequisite "sources in Taiwan" (SiT) say it's so:
Qualcomm's new hybrid CDMA/WCDMA chip offers the potential for a single, global iPhone that users can take to any major carrier, solving the network fractionalization problem. It also solves other issues that had served as roadblocks, including the issue of user confusion that would result from Apple selling separate CDMA and GSM/UMTS versions of the iPhone.
And that it will have a smaller 2.8 inch screen to go with it. (We make fun in the concept picture above, because we had such lingering hopes for a 480p iPhone HD...) With the Android Droid, Windows Mobile HD2, and even the BlackBerry Storm2 going for bigger screens and pixels, however, we're hoping Apple doesn't trend completely the other way...
Since it's only a rumor, however, and a suspiciously timed one at that, we recommend you take it with a full iPhone-sized grain of salt... but let us know what you think!
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Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.