If images that reportedly reveal an internal Best Buy training document end up being real, it looks like the giant nationwide retailer will not be carrying Verizon Wireless’ new iPhone 4 at launch. The images supposedly show a section of Best Buy’s playbook intended to help guide sales reps’ interactions with shoppers. In this particular section, employees are given some fodder for customers inquiring about Verizon Wireless’ iPhone 4. The first leaked page covers data speeds and the Verizon iPhone’s potential lack thereof:
Verizon’s entire presence at CES last week was focused on one thing and one thing alone: 4G. Its LTE network is now live in 38 markets and a flurry of 4G phones will launch in the coming months. But the iPhone… the smartphone millions of Verizon Wireless subscribers have been dying for… is a 3G device.
We knew Verizon’s iPhone 4 would be a CDMA phone for a number of reasons, but 3G is so 2010. Sprint launched its first 4G phone with minimal WiMAX coverage and it ended up being the fastest-selling phone in the carrier’s history. Now, we won’t see a 4G iPhone from Verizon until 2012. That means while millions of Android phones are surfing Verizon’s 4G airwaves later this year, iPhones will still be puttering along at EVDO speeds.
Sound familiar? That might be because Best Buy pulled this passage directly from our piece entitled Here’s where the Verizon iPhone falls short. It’s not the first time we’ve seen Best Buy use excerpts from BGR content though, so it actually lends a bit of credibility to the images. The next shot shows a passage that delves into Verizon Wireless’ recent policy changes, and we’re sure the document goes on to cover a few more key points. Hit the break for the pair of purported pics, and if you plan on visiting a Best Buy store to inquire about Verizon’s iPhone 4 in the coming weeks, get ready for a fight.
