Although Verizon has been selling the Apple iPad in its retail stores for a little while, the company is only offering the Wi-Fi version of the device, encouraging customers to pair it with a Mi-Fi hotspot that connects Wi-Fi devices to Verizon Wireless’s 3G network. Now, just as Verizon Wireless officially announces it will begin selling a CDMA version of the Apple iPhone, Verizon CFO Francis Shammo said in an interview with Bloomberg that Verizon Wireless will also be offering a CDMA-equipped version of the Apple iPad.
Shammo did not offer any dates or pricing information about then CDMA versions of the iPad might be available from Verizon. Industry speculation is centering on the anticipated “iPad 2,” widely expected to be announced by Apple in the first half of 2011.
Although confirmation that Apple and Verizon are working on a CDMA-enabled version of the iPad isn’t exactly shocking to anyone in the mobile industry, it does highlight some of the cultural disparities between Verizon and Apple: Apple would never pre-announce information about products and carries, whereas Verizon no doubt sees the disclosure as a smart move to undermine sales of AT&T iPads before Verizon Wireless starts offering their own.
