Rumors of a Verizon iPhone have been buzzing all around the Web for quite some time and though some of us still have faith,others have given up completely coming to the realization that the iPhone may not be coming to the iPhone. AT&T has built up quite the reputation for themselves and many feel that if not for the iPhone AT&T would be at the bottom of the totem poll. And of course, others feel that once Verizon gets the iPhone, there will be celebrations across the US as most favor Verizon. Nevertheless, AT&T is going to loose their exclusivity soon and other carriers may swoop in.

Rumors of the Iphone Verizon are just that – rumors. There has been no confirmation from Apple or Verizon about the launch of this device. That said, there was never a question that AT&T’s exclusivity deal with Apple would end one day. The big question has simply been when. And considering that Verizon is the largest wireless operator in the U.S., it’s safe to assume that they’d be first in line when AT&T’s exclusivity with Apple ends. The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was readying a CDMA version of the iPhone. The article cited sources and speculated that this version of the phone could be sold by U.S. carrier Verizon Wireless and that sparked some interest in the online community.

PCMag says they more than likely will and it’ll be a win for everyone. “Opening up the phone to the nation’s other largest carrier would ultimately benefit everyone involved. Verizon gets the most popular phone around, and Apple sells units to consumers who have always wanted an iPhone but had been scared off by the AT&T horror stories. And AT&T itself relieves a bit of the congestion that comes with being the only carrier in the country to offer the iPhone—and hopefully gains back some of the good faith lost by irritated subscribers.”

iPhone 4 is being officially released tomorrow so as the next year comes up and rumors of an iPhone 5 start swirling, so will the rumors of Verizon getting the iPhone. Time will only tell.

Two displays? That is correct, the Motorola RAZR2 V9 on offer from AT&T has a large external screen (2 inches wide), allowing you to scroll through music libraries, adjust the volume, skip and pause tracks and also use the built-in camera. Once the phone is opened, there is an even larger screen on the inside, (2.2 inches)

On top of the usual cell phone features, the RAZR2 has a dedicated Opera browser key allowing access to the internet and another for cellular video.

It’s an extremely attractive phone and slightly better equipped than the V9m versions available from Sprint and Verizon. It’s slightly thicker than the others’ version, but makes up for that by featuring “Crystal Talk,” which uses noise-canceling technology to improve the call quality.

For me, the Motorloa RAZR2 V9 is perhaps the best clamshell available at the moment – it’s expensive, but you get what you pay for. Great design, simple user interface and as-good-as-it-gets-on-a-cellphone web surfing. Combined with extremely high voice quality and loads of multi media content, it’s hard to beat . I like it and the only issue I have, as usual is the button sizes, but it’s tiny, so that’s to be expected.

It’s official, the LG Shine is hitting stores now. This one is so shiny, you won’t need to reach for the diamond encrusted version. And that seems to be the major selling point. The LG Shine will be available from “select,” retail stores, which we assume to mean, “AT&T are attempting to create a buzz by pretending they are in short supply so people will think they are getting something special.” This is the full press release.

San Diego, California, November 26, 2007

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A. Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) today announced the availability of the new Shine™ by LG, a stylish new multimedia device for mobile phone users who want to stand out in a crowd. The Shine by LG arrived in stores Nov. 23, the day after Thanksgiving — “Black Friday.” The Shine by LG is a sliding form-factor device, offered exclusively through AT&T, that features a silver exterior and comes with video, music and camera features and a 2.2-inch mirror LCD screen.

The device is pre-loaded with the best of AT&T’s features, including AT&T Video Share, Mobile Banking, AT&T Mobile Music and more. The Shine by LG is designed to satisfy the needs of mobile phone users who want style and glamour in their state-of-the-art mobile device and wireless service.

“This is the kind of device that people will stop and ask if they can hold it,” said Carlton Hill, vice president of Product Development for AT&T’s wireless unit. “The Shine by LG will be appealing to anyone who believes that a mobile phone should work well and look great.”

“Metal is back and taking on a whole new look with this season’s must-have mobile phone, the Shine by LG,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of Product Strategy and Marketing at LG Mobile Phones. “Consumers will be captivated by the Shine’s brushed-metal body and mirror LCD, and they will be excited to find that the phone is more than just a pretty face.”

Additional features on the Shine by LG include a 2.0-megapixel camera with video record and Bluetooth® 2.0 capability for music and voice. The body of the Shine by LG is an elegant metal body surrounding the mirror LCD screen.The Shine by LG is available through select AT&T retail locations for $149.99 after a two-year contract-activation agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com.

It looks like a good phone, but I have a feeling my shiny metal “Shine,” will be “dull, burnished, scratched beyond recognition,” after a few months in my back pocket. Only time will tell.

Check these interesting products on Amazon.com:

AT&T describe the new Blackjack II as “A pocket sized Personal Computer,” which is not a million miles from the truth. Full QWERTY keyboard, QVGA color display screen and a front jog wheel mean fast, full access to your data. The full, updated specs include AT&T Video Share, enabling you to share live video over the wireless phones while on a voice call; Built-in GPS with support for location-based applications such as TeleNav GPS Navigator; Global phone capabilities – Tri-band 3G UMTS/HSDPA and Quad-band EDGE/GPRS, an RSS Reader Client; a 2.0-megapixel camera with video-capture capabilities; and increased standard memory.

And that’s just the extras. The Blackjack II is chock-a-block full of software, including Windows Mobile 6 and Mobile Device Manager 2008. MDM2008 allows companies to secure and manage multiple mobile devices remotely. We’re not sure exactly how popular this particular feature is going to be with the ground troops – the idea that head office can snoop in and take a look at your downloads might not appeal to everyone. In fact, along with the Palm Treo 500v, if my company gave me one of these, it would be inline for a little “accident,” on the way out the door. Let’s face it, who wants the bosses secretary being able to pinpoint your exact location via GPS 24 hours a day?

Apart from the MDM, I like the look of this, it’s small enough to carry around and big enough to be usable on a daily basis. Along with the blackberries, this one’s squarely aimed at the business user, but at less than 150 bucks, it might attract a few private sales.

Press release here.

Right before the announcement of the iPhone, I gave myself a choice of getting AT&T’s BlackJack or the Blackberry Pearl. I chose the Blackberry Pearl, only because it was smaller and lighter. The BlackJack is a cool device. There is great news for you BlackJack lovers out there – the second edition is coming soon, dubbed the BlackJack II.The BlackJack II has some impressive features:Features & Benefits

• Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 standard – stay connected with calendar, email, to-do list and more
• Tri-band HSDPA/quad-band world phone – work from virtually anywhere at 3G speeds
• Large 2.4″ 65K TFT display screen – enjoy easier reading with the large display
• Integrated GPS – find your next destination quickly with TeleNav Maps or TeleNav GPS Navigator^TM
• Microsoft Office Mobile® – access Word®, Excel®, or view PowerPoint® files
• 2.0 megapixel camera and video recorder – capture and share great moments
• Stereo Bluetooth® 2.0 connectivity – experience true hands-free communication
• Embedded Mobile Instant Messenger supporting Yahoo!®, AOL®, and Windows Live^TM
• AT&T Video & AT&T Music – stream music and video in real time
• Video Share Calling – talk on the phone and share live video instantly
• Embedded RSS Reader Client – customize news feeds direct to your device
• QWERTY keyboard with front jog wheel

Compared to the original, the keyboard and d-pad both look much better, Windows Mobile 6 comes installed, “faster 3G speeds” are being promised, and GPS capability is integrated. There will also be the option of Black or Red when it ships.