EXCLUSIVE: Verizon upcoming phones – 10MP Android, Storm 3, two tablets and more by the end of the year

We have obtained some exclusive Verizon-related information from a trusty source that leads us to believe the carrier is gearing up for some quite intriguing launches later this year. There are many devices involved in this, with a bit of valuable info for each one. Still, keep in mind as you're reading that these release dates are not 100% certain, since, you know... unpleasant stuff happens such as delays, change of plans, etc.

September:
To start with, in September we should see a global-ready World Edition of the Motorola DROID 2, which will come in the same black/blue color scheme available now, as well as white. Yep, you heard that right – the first global Android smartphone is on the way!

The other interesting September launch will present us with the youth-oriented Motorola Citrus WX445 Android phone, which will probably impress more with an affordable price tag than features.

We'll also see a bunch of unpretending phones such as the LG Octane VN530 (touchscreen feature phone), LG VN270 (some kind of replacement to the Cosmos), Pantech Crux and ZTE Salute, both of which would be basic entry-level handsets looking for their place to call home in this smartphone-dominated world.

In addition, Verizon seems to be looking at extending its netbook lineup by adding the Dell Vostro V13 and HP Pavilion DM1-2010.

October:
Mid to late October is where it's supposed to get exciting, with a possible launch of the RIM BlackBerry Storm 3 9570. Interestingly, our source mentioned that the Storm3 will run BB OS 6, but will still feature a Sure Press touchscreen like the Storm2. That would be strange, given the Torch has made the move to the far more proven capacitive-only tech. The other surprise for BlackBerry fans will be the new Curve 3 9330.

The Samsung Fascinate, Verizon's version of the Galaxy S, should debut at that time, according to our info. While we have reasons to believe our tipster, this is one detail we certainly hope to be wrong, as it is quite a delay compared to the other carriers' releases of the Galaxy S. Never mind that, along the Fascinate comes the mid-end Android-powered Samsung Continuum I400 and the low-end, but still Android-based and QWERTY-packing Samsung Gem I100. The latter sounds to us like the most affordable Android handset possible.

There's more to be coming in October though, including the Motorola XT610. According to our info, this one will have screen similarly sized to the one of the DROID X, but the handset itself will feature less powerful specs (3.2 or 5MP camera and slower processor). On the other hand, it should be priced accordingly as a mid-range smartphone at $100-$130 on contract. We definitely like the idea of a more affordable 4.3-inch offering, but hope that its slower hardware won't hamper the experience... too much.

Another possible October launch would be the Motorola A957, possibly named Sick. We sure expect this to be one “sick” handset, if you know what we mean. However, further info is still unavailable on it. *UPDATE*:Our source has updated us with new info, going the so-called Sick would probably be no other handset but the Motorola DROID Pro.

Our source indicates that we might see the Palm Pre 2 doing its thing at this time, however, every bit of info regarding this possible successor seems to be held pretty tightly right now.

Finally, the Casio Ravine should come to refresh the line of PTT rugged phones of the carrier.

November:
As we venture later into the year, more and more exciting devices start to show up. Sometime during the second or third week of November, Big Red is said to push the Launch button for the enTourage eDGe (a dual-screen e-reader + tablet Android device), as well as an enTourage Pocket device.

Saving what's most interesting for last, the HTC Mergeshould emerge from the water carrying a 10MP camera and faster than 1GHz processor.

Tablet lovers and AT&T haters would surely jump with joy upon learning that two tablets are expected to become available on their favorite carrier, namely the Motorola Z600 (rumored to be called Stingray) and the Samsung I800, with the latter reportedly packing the bigger screen (about 10 inches). Unfortunately though, we do not have exact numbers right now.

Last but not least, the first 4G LTE cards will appear in the form of the PCD 290 and the LG 600.

Summary:
So there you have it, folks! If this doesn't make your day, then you are no true cell phone fanatics! Now seriously, let us summarize the important launches that we learned about:

September: Motorola Citrus (affordable Android phone).

October: RIM BlackBerry Storm3, Samsung Fascinate, Motorola XT610 and Sick (DROID Pro), as well as Palm Pre 2.

November: HTC Merge, Motorola Z600 (tablet) and Samsung I800 (tablet).

Which one gets your attention the most? Do you recognize your next purchase among some of these devices? Feel free to tell us in the comments!

Big thanks to our anonymous tipster!

Upcoming Verizon phones for the rest of 2010:

Model	Scheduled Release	Key Features
Motorola DROID 2 World	September	Android, CDMA+GSM, Black and White color solutions
Motorola Citrus WX445	September	Android, Affordable
LG Octane VN530	September	Touch screen, Feature phone
LG VN270	September	Successor to the LG Cosmos, QWERTY is possible
Pantech Crux	September	Entry-level feature phone
ZTE Salute	September	Entry-level feature phone, 2.4" display, 1.3MP camera
Dell Vostro V13	September	Laptop, 13.3" display
HP Pavilion DM1-2010	September	Laptop, 11.6" display
RIM BlackBerry Storm3	Mid to Late October	BlackBerry OS 6, SurePress/Capacitive screen
RIM BlackBerry Curve 3 9330	Mid to Late October	Probably BlackBerry OS 6, QWERTY keyboard
Samsung Fascinate	Mid to Late October	Android, 4" Super AMOLED display
Samsung Continuum I400	Mid to Late October	Mid-end Android
Samsung Gem I100	Mid to Late October	Low-end Android, QWERTY keyboard
Motorola XT610	Mid to Late October	Mid-end Android, 4.3" display
Motorola DROID Pro	Mid to Late October	Android, 4" display, Global CDMA+GSM
Palm Pre 2	Mid to Late October	webOS, Successor to Palm Pre
Casio Ravine	Mid to Late October	PTT, Rugged
enTourage eDGe	Mid November	Android, e-reader + tablet
enTourage Pocket	Mid November	N/A
HTC Merge	Mid November	Android, 10MP camera, Above 1GHz processor
Motorola Stingray Z600	Mid November	Android, Tablet
Samsung I800	Mid November	Android, Tablet
PCD 290	Mid November	4G LTE card
LG 600	Mid November	4G LTE card