Verizon is apparently joining AT&T and requiring smart or at least smart-ish phones (Enhanced Multimedia Phones) to have a data plan associated with (from the Boy Genius Report)...

Verizon "Enhanced Multimedia Phones" to require data plans, death of the Vpak, and more

Here's what I found most interesting about the requirements for defining an Enhanced Multimedia Phone though: The first two requirements are innocuous - 1. Premium HTML browser & 2. Rev A (3G data). The second pair of requirements are more interesting though: QWERTY keyboard and phones launched on or after September 8. Guess what is happening on September 9? Apple has scheduled a press gathering for that day. Most of us (me included) have long assumed it is its annual iPod refresh with an outside chance of a tablet form factor announcement. Now, I wonder if Apple will release a much requested phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard on Verizon's network? To be quite honest, I think this has even less of a chance than a tablet release. But, still...