[jsz0]

CDMA speeds are good enough for most people right now. LTE is exciting but it will probably be years before consumers are making buying choices based on LTE support. Apple did launch the original iPhone without 3G so they have a track record of making some conservative engineering choices. Verizon is doing an LTE overlay on top of their existing CDMA network so any future Verizon iPhone will almost certainly be an LTE/CDMA hybrid. From an RF perspective I would think engineering a handset to operate at 700-850Mhz for CDMA and LTE in the future is easier than even current GSM designs around the world. A future LTE/GSM iPhone is going to need antennas tuned for 850Mhz, 1900Mhz, 2.6Ghz, etc.

[Judson]

I had always been under the impression that LTE would create an ubiquitous network that would finally consolidate all of the extra man-power of cdma / GSM engineering, but I stand corrected.

I do, however, think that 2011 will be when the Verizon iPhone is debuted. The supposed deal Apple has with AT&T is lucrative now, and as time passes, Verizon will offer a sweeter deal since it stands to get more and more wireless "switchers" as the iPhone attracts more users and gains more momentum.