The drumbeat around Palm Pre's availability on the Verizon Wireless network had been steadily getting louder in the last few weeks. And now Verizon has confirmed that Sprint's exclusive stranglehold on the Pre is unlikely to last beyond the end of the year.

"We plan to offer the Palm Pre early next year," Dennis Strigl, president and chief operating officer of Verizon told analysts on a conference call late Monday.

Palm made the Pre available starting June 6 exclusively on Sprint's wireless network. The handset costs $300, excluding a $100 rebate on a two-year contract and has gathered fairly positive reviews for its design, ability to multi-task and offer an integrated contacts and browsing experience. Sprint and Palm haven't disclosed how long the exclusive deal between the two carriers. Now it is certain that Verizon will get its hands on the device soon.

Verizon is also promising to offer other new handsets in the next few months. The company plans to refresh the Storm later this year, said Strigl.

There's also an Android handset on the way. "Android is on our roadmap," said Strigl. "We have a great device lineup."

But will the combined power of the Pre, Storm and an Android phone at Verizon be enough to fight Apple and AT&T's iPhone?

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Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com