An enterprising Forbes reporter dug up a job posting from Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), asking for network engineers with CDMA skills. The posting turned viral right away because, you know, CDMA engineers would be required for working on Verizon (NYSE: VZ) iPhone support. Hence, this is irrefutable proof that the mythical Verizon iPhone is coming Any Day Now! (Cue thunder, cannonades, and fireworks.)

But not so fast.

What Forbes reports -- but many re-postings gloss over --  is the fact that Apple has been looking for CDMA engineers for years. One job posting still available on the board was put up in September 2008, and the wording on that highlights CDMA skills more than the job posting from this week does.

Moreover, CDMA does not automatically translate into "Verizon technology." In fact, Verizon's technology is more correctly named CDMA2000, or EV-DO. Plain old CDMA is a very basic networking technology, one of many standards also supported by the GSM network of AT&T, along with the next-generation LTE and WiMax networks. In looking for a CDMA engineer, Apple could very well wish to improve how its phones work with AT&T's network services.

The anecdotal and incidental evidence for a Verizon iPhone has been piling up lately:

  • AT&T (NYSE: T) seems to be preparing for a future without iPhone exclusivity.
  • Verizon already sells iPads, so there's a working relationship available to build on.
  • Taiwanese media has been investigating how CDMA guru Qualcomm (Nasdaq: QCOM) would benefit from a Verizon iPhone. Mark this one down as circumstantial evidence.

And then there's this job posting, which might not mean anything at all. Will Verizon eventually ship an iPhone? Most likely. There will be more substantial warning signs before it happens; FCC approvals would typically come to light a few weeks beforehand. And when it happens, Apple's phone sales will skyrocket once again, while AT&T may or may not suffer from this monumental event.

Besides, Verizon is busy promoting its 4G services now, and a 3G iPhone doesn't exactly jibe with that message. It may still be in Verizon's best interest to wait for a 4G iPhone, possibly not available until 2012, when the minuscule LTE networks of 2011 have expanded to cover a lot more real estate.

Still not a great idea to hold your breath here, folks.

When do you expect to see Verizon iPhones in the wild? Conjecture and speculation is welcome in the comments below.