Samsung Omnia already reaching Verizon

Although Friday for Verizon will be dominated by the BlackBerry Storm, a second new touchscreen smartphone is already showing up at the carrier's stores, a leak from BGR shows. The carrier's rumored version of the Samsung Omnia has been spotted in boxed form ahead of any official word from Verizon itself and appears effectively ready to release, suggesting an imminent announcement.

Few clues are given as to the specific differences between the stock Windows Mobile 6.1 phone and Verizon's model other than the custom color scheme of the home screen and the needed switches to CDMA and EVDO for the cellular network. Both GPS and Wi-Fi are confirmed through the menuing viewed in the box shot, though whether the phone will represent the rumored US T*Omnia version with an 800x480 display and include a large amount of built-in storage is unknown. The TouchWiz widget-based interface should remain intact.

The cost and exact launch date of the Verizon Omnia aren't known, though a $70 rebate is believed planned to motivate early buyers. The rumored US T*Omnia was slated to ship before the end of November and so suggests Verizon may reveal the phone next week.