Storm 2, Touch Pro2, Omnia II and possibly the Pre - all in Verizon's inventory database
Published on: Today by PhoneArena Team — One of our most loyal tipsters has just shared some quite spicy info with us. Hi-end handset lovers will be delighted to know that the RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 …
Context & Ripple Effects
The Storm 2 had already appeared in April launch expectations and an unofficial hands-on, while a Verizon handset roundup days earlier also named it among the carrier's upcoming devices. The inventory claim is therefore a further, still-unconfirmed signal that the device is moving through Verizon's launch pipeline.
Verizon has also been clearing BlackBerry inventory through a second Buy One Get One promotion while building an app store and courting mobile developers. A broader high-end handset slate would give those platform efforts more devices and customer segments to target, though the reported database entries do not confirm launch timing or availability.
First-order effects
- If the reported entries are accurate, Verizon is preparing a more varied high-end lineup spanning BlackBerry, HTC and Samsung, with Palm's Pre still only a possibility.
- The prospective Storm 2 gives Verizon a newer BlackBerry model to position as it works through existing BlackBerry inventory.
Second-order effects
- A denser Verizon smartphone slate would make handset selection—not only carrier service—the immediate point of competition among BlackBerry, HTC and Samsung.
- More supported smartphone models would expand the addressable audience for Verizon's planned app store and its developer outreach.
Third-order effects
- The report fits a carrier strategy in which smartphone portfolio breadth and software distribution reinforce one another: more handset choices can make a carrier-run application platform more valuable to developers and buyers.
- If Verizon continues replacing discounted inventory with multiple high-end models, device launches will become more tightly tied to carrier platform strategy rather than stand-alone handset cycles.
The trend: Verizon is assembling a broader smartphone portfolio alongside its own developer and app-distribution efforts, making handset range part of platform competition.