There is a LOT that the WSJ article overlooks in the assumption that a CDMA iPhone is coming to Verizon.
First: CDMA is not only used by VZW and Sprint. There are at least a dozen other countries that have CDMA cell carriers (China and some countries in South America being the top of the list) that I'm positive would jump at the chance to have an iPhone.
Second: Estimates predict that only 3 million CDMA iPhones could be produced by the mythical launch date. That's not enough to even be a drop in the bucket for Verizon's customer base; especially if you include those that would immediately switch to get one. You'd be looking at Wii-like shortages.
Third: Verizon's CEO specifically told (the WSJ, even) that
there will not be a CDMA iPhone (on their network, at least) in 2009. The WSJ article was edited after-the-fact to state that it was "for sure" a Verizon phone, not just another CDMA carrier.
Fourth: As recently as last month, the Verizon CEO
reiterated that a Verizon iPhone would not come in the near future.
Also, why would Apple go out-of-cycle to release a new iPhone? In the past they have done mid-year releases.
I'm not saying that it won't happen, and competition would be healthy. We've seen other countries recently get multiple carriers with the iPhone, so why not the USA? I agree that it makes sense, and that Verizon would be a logical choice.
Don't hold your breath for a cheaper option, though. I moved 3 phones (2 Verizon and 1 from Cox) to AT&T so my wife and I could get iPhones in July and it's still cheaper for a 3 phone plan than it was for 2 on Verizon. Here's an additional kicker: If the Verizon iPhone happens to run on their LTE network, leaked documents have confirmed that Verizon's LTE data plan for smartphones will be $60/mo for capped data.