Motorola Z6c CDMA/GSM hybrid phone reaches Verizon

Verizon today provided a new alternative for world roaming through the Motorola Z6c world edition. Like the earlier BlackBerry 8830, the Z6c supports both the carrier's native CDMA and also GSM networks: with a good SIM card, the phone can operate in Europe and other areas where CDMA service is non-existent, the company says. The slider drops the digital broadcast reception of the similar Z6tv but retains 3G access for downloading and streaming music or video over the Internet.

The new take on the Z6 shares the 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth wireless audio, and 4GB-capable microSD slot of the reference edition. The phone itself is listed online today and for businesses, and will ship to retail by December 12th. Pricing is fixed at $180 after including a two-year contract and a rebate. Verizon asks users to add global service to their calling plans to make full use of the phone but does not say whether GSM portion of the Z6c is unlocked, which would potentially open service in Europe to pre-paid SIM cards from local providers.