Verizon slashes smartphone prices to $99

August 3, 2009 — 1:46pm ET | By Lynnette Luna

Verizon Wireless is having a fire sale of smartphones, slashing prices to $99 or less on nearly all of its smartphone models when customers sign a two-year contract. Could it be that newer models of smartphones are on the horizon?

Every BlackBerry device from Research in Motion is now selling for $100 or less with the exception of the BlackBerry Tour, which Verizon launched on July 12. All other smartphone brands are selling for cheap too. The existing Touch Pro, considered a solid Windows Mobile device, has dropped from $419 to $99. The only phones selling for more than $99 are the Tour and the Samsung Saga, which are selling for $200 with a two-year contract.

The question is: Is this type of pricing going to be the norm as Verizon looks to compete with the $99 version of the iPhone? Or is it just making way for new devices like the HTC Touch Pro 2 and the BlackBerry Storm 2 coming later this year?

For more:
- check out this CruchGear post
- read this SlashGear post