Verizon-Palm Partnership Talk Sizzling as CES Nears

Is it more evidence that Verizon Wireless will be selling versions of the Palm Pre and Palm Pixi in the very near future?

Just last month we told you that the companies were planning to announce a partnership at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas later this week. Then last week came speculation that Verizon would offer upgrades of the Pre and the Pixi, aptly called the Pre Plus and the Pixi Plus. Today, Boy Genius is reporting that Verizon employees are beginning to see the phones show up on the company’s inventory systems. Futhermore, a Verizon tipster tells BGR that the phone giant has ordered 200,000 of each.

Until now, the Pre and the Pixi have been exclusively available through the Sprint wireless network. The industry has generally considered sales of the Pre and the Pixi to be lukewarm thus far. The company hopes teaming up with other carriers will be the key to giving those numbers a boost. No word yet if a rumored partnership with AT&T will happen this year.