Verizon exec suggests Apple's next iPhone will be a GSM-CDMA world phone

In comments made during his company's earnings call Thursday morning, Verizon's chief financial officer suggested that Apple's next iPhone will be a "world" phone with both GSM and CDMA integrated radios.

While on the conference call, Fran Shammo was asked about why his company's average revenue per unit slowed in the previous quarter. According to Barron's, he said part of the reason was the launch of an iPhone at a time separate from rival AT&T.

"The fluctuation, I believe, will come when a new device from Apple is launched, whenever that may be, and that we will be, on the first time, on equal footing with our competitors on a new phone hitting the market, which will also be a global device."

A dual-mode phone with both CDMA and GSM radios would negate the need for Apple to build a separate CDMA model for carriers like Verizon. Currently, Apple builds a special phone for carriers like Verizon that is internally different from the GSM-based model that operates on networks such as AT&T.

Thursday's comments from Shammo are not the first time he let information slip about future Apple products. In January, after the Verizon-compatible iPhone was announced, he said Apple planned to build a new iPad with an integrated 3G radio that would also be compatible with Verizon's network. The iPad 2, announced in March, comes in two 3G varieties: GSM and CDMA.

Rumors of a dual-mode iPhone are not new, but Shammo's comments would be the first semi-official confirmation that Apple plans to build a handset that would be compatible with both network types. However, it was also incorrectly rumored that the iPad 2 would be a "world mode" device, given the increased space behind the 9.7-inch display.