Rumor: Apple has built, tested CDMA iPhone, but no Verizon deal yet

Responding to this week's report from Bloomberg which claimed that Apple will launch a Verizon iPhone in January of 2011, Jim Dalrymple of The Loop shared some information on the subject Thursday. He likened the CDMA iPhone allegedly being tested and perfected at Apple to the Intel-powered version of Mac OS X that the company kept under wraps for years.

"Apple already has a Verizon compatible iPhone," Dalrymple said. "It's not that they have to rush around Apple HQ and start building the thing for a January launch with Verizon."

But he went on to say that he does not believe that a deal with Verizon has been finalized. He said that it's likely the two companies are in negotiations, and the leak provided to Bloomberg may have been another negotiating tactic.

"I'm sure the negotiations are very tense, and I believe, ongoing," he wrote.

Also this week, John Gruber of Daring Fireball said that a new Verizon-compatible phone would not be a holdup for a potential deal with Apple. He, too, said that the CDMA iPhone is similar to the Intel-compatible version of Mac OS X.

"It's all strategy and negotiations," Gruber said. "I wouldn't have been shocked if they'd gone to Verizon a year ago, and wouldn't be shocked if it doesn't happen for another two or three years. But whenever the time comes, hardware won't hold it up."