There were a few Verizon Wireless smartphones on display at CTIA this year, but the real news might be the phones that are just around the corner. As we reported earlier this week, just before the start of the Fall CTIA 2009 show in San Diego, Verizon Wireless made a surprise joint announcement with Google. The Network will officially be getting Android soon, but for now, Windows Mobile is dominating the Verizon Wireless landscape, and we got our hands on a couple of impressive looking Windows Phones.
HTC Imagio, a smartphone for watching the idiot box
 We reviewed the HTC Imagio on the eve of Windows Mobile 6.5's launch, and you can check out our full review here. Needless to say, the Imagio turned out to be a nice addition to Verizon Wirleess' lineup, and in the context of all the new Windows Phones we've seen, the HTC Imagio is easily the most interesting, if not the best overall. With support for V Cast Mobile TV, the HTC Imagio managed to upstage the rest of the Windows Mobile pack. Of course, Verizon Wireless may have stepped on their own toes announcing upcoming Android devices just as the buying public was getting interested in their available smartphone lineup again, but we think the HTC Imagio will hold its own this holiday season.
Samsung Omnia II will have 2 app stores on board
 Verizon Wireless has been surprisingly quiet about the upcoming Samsung Omnia II. The carrier is still mum on any details, even though Samsung has been clear that the Omnia II will be coming to The Network. In fact, at Samsung's CTIA 2009 booth, the Omnia II was being shown in full Verizon Wireless regalia. So, we weren't surprised by the Verizon Wireless angle, but we weren't expecting to find a working Samsung Widget store available on the Omnia II's TouchWiz interface.
This was the first time we've seen Samsung's new Widget store in action. The Omnia II, like numerous other Samsung mobile phones, runs the TouchWiz interface, which relies on widgets to enhance the home screen experience. In the past, these widgets were limited to Samsung's or the carrier's own offerings, but now Samsung has opened up access to outside developers.
It's interesting to see a Verizon Wireless phone with a Widget Store from Samsung and a Windows Mobile Marketplace from Microsoft, not to mention whatever app distribution Verizon Wireless will offer. Verizon Wireless recently made clear their intention to allow open access to the Android Market, and the carrier seems to be taking a very open tack in terms of network usage on upcoming devices. We think the Samsung Widget store is just the tip of the iceberg. We also worry what will happen when manufacturers, operating system makers and carriers all have competing and confusing app stores running on the same device, affecting different features and hardware controls.
In any case, though the Samsung Omnia II is official and looking feature complete, there's still no official word yet on when Verizon fans will be able to snatch this one up. We're guessing it will appear before the holidays with a price tag of $200 with a 2-year contract.
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