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Verizon Wireless’ Android plans through the end of 2011 are beginning to come into focus thanks to the second major leak in less than a week. IGN has obtained a screenshot of what appears to be the carrier’s product names and launches starting in September and running through January 2012 (keep in mind that these are rumors, and any of this information could change). About half of the information confirms earlier reports, whereas the other half provides new device names and arrival dates.
August should offer no new product releases, but September should host to no less than four new smartphones. First up, the Droid Bionic should finally join the formerly unknown Samsung Stratosphere on September 8, giving subscribers a pair of 4G LTE-ready Gingerbread devices. It’s quite possible that the Stratosphere is Verizon’s version of the Galaxy S II, as recent rumors suggest the handset will offer support for 4G.
The 4G LTE version of the Motorola Xoom also makes its long-awaited debut September 8. Aside from the faster data connection, nothing new is expected in the Honeycomb tablet.
Jumping forward three weeks to September 21, Verizon has another pair of handsets: the Samsung Illusion and HTC Bliss. The Android 2.3-powered Illusion should have a sliding design with a QWERTY keyboard. Since data speeds will top out at 3G, I expect that the handset will come with a wallet-friendly price of about $99 or less.
The HTC Bliss is a female-oriented Android handset that first surfaced back in May. Early details include preinstalled apps for calorie-counting, shopping, and a “calming” wallpaper. This Is My Next, which first uncovered the phone, also tells us that the Bliss includes a “charm indicator” that lights up to notify users of new messages, missed calls, etc.
October 6 should see the arrival of the HTC Vigor as it replaces the ThunderBolt in the carrier’s lineup. As powerful as Verizon’s first 4G handset was when it arrived in early 2011, it will look antiquated next to the rumored dual-core 1.5GHz processor and 720p display.
Two weeks after that, the LG Revolution 2 looks to replace the, wait for it, LG Revolution. I’m most surprised here considering the Revolution became available only in late May. Details are sketchy at this point, but I might anticipate a minor bump in processor speed and memory.
November will see the arrival of a Samsung Galaxy Tab P8, which essentially sounds like a rebranded Tab 8.9. The Honeycomb tablet has yet to hit the market so it makes sense to debut it in time for the holiday buying season.
Finally, we have a new Samsung handset, the Plato, showing up in January 2012. The note on the road map indicates that the date has been changed, most likely getting pushed back. With the new version of Android, Ice Cream Sandwich, not expected until the end of this year, it’s possible this might be Verizon’s first smartphone to run this latest version of Google’s OS.
