Best evidence yet that a Verizon iPhone will arrive this week

Verizon iPhone rumors go into overdrive as the carrier invites tech reporters to a special Tuesday announcement. But should we believe this anonymous Verizon iPhone gossip over all the rest?

Here's how Verizon iPhone rumors usually go: The Verizon iPhone will come next year – will arrive soon – could become a reality in the next few month – etc. Pretty vague, huh?

So it was a great surprise when the Wall Street Journal reported that the Verizon iPhone will emerge "at an event Tuesday."

That's right, the long-awaited phone could become official tomorrow.

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WSJ's article relies on the usual anonymous sources, but offers the best evidence yet that years of will-they-won't-they scuttlebutt may finally come to an end January 11.

"The Verizon phone will be similar to the iPhone 4 but run on the carrier's CDMA technology," the WSJ reports, dashing hopes that Verizon could get the first 4G iPhone. Many agree that Apple would be foolish to push its feature-heavy phone onto the brand new 4G networks. Zippier speeds will hack away at battery life, and few cities offer the new technology anyway.

However, Verizon iPhone customers could enjoy a few perks, according to All Things D. "The Verizon iPhone might also be available in white – something promised, but not yet delivered, for the iPhone 4. Less likely, but still possible is that the Verizon iPhone might have the ability to act as a portable hotspot, a popular feature on competing super-duper smartphones."

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If Apple does in fact unveil a Verizon iPhone this week, only one question remains: When will it go on sale? The WSJ suggests "around the end of January." But sources tell the Boy Genius Report a different story. As we reported last week, "Apple has 'blacked out employee vacation requests between February 3rd and February 6th' – a span of time that just happens to include the Feb. 6 air date for Super Bowl XLV, otherwise known as the most-watched TV event of the year."