Verizon Wireless branded Windows Phone 7 apps surface in Marketplace

If you’re waiting for a Windows Phone 7 device on Big Red, we have some encouraging news for you. It appears as though Verizon compatible WP7 applications are starting to make their way into the Windows Phone Marketplace. VZW is rumored to be launching a Windows Phone handset sometime after the New Year, but the presence of these Verizon-specific applications seems to hint that the timeframe could be shortly after January 1st. Anyone have plans to pickup a Windows Phone 7 set from Verizon Wireless?