Will Verizon finally reveal plans to carry Apple's iPhone?

Verizon Wireless delivered cryptic nontransferable invitations on Friday to an event to be held in New York on Tuesday, January 11. Shares of Verizon rose 2.3 percent in after-hours trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The in-box invite to journalists was skimpy on details: Join us as we share the latest news from Verizon Wireless.

The email stoked speculation that Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group Plc, will at last announce plans to carry the iPhone.

AT&T Inc is currently the exclusive carrier of the iPhone but it is widely anticipated that Apple will extend the partnership to Verizon.

On January 6, AT&T announced it will cut the price of its older iPhone model, the 3GS, to $49 from $99.

Apple's iPad is available through Verizon.

Earlier this week at the Consumer Electronics Show, the annual gadget extravaganza in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless said it plans to have 10 new devices -- including four smartphones and new tablets -- on store shelves by midyear for its high speed wireless data service.

(Reporting by Jennifer Saba; Editing by Gary Hill and Gunna Dickson)

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