Verizon Wireless is rounding out its product portfolio with the introduction of three new multimedia phones and a snazzy silver BlackBerry Pearl 8130 smartphone.
The devices, all designed to be in stores before Thanksgiving, include two with touch screens.
At the higher end and probably the one most comparable to the Apple iPhone is the Voyager by LG, which was in development for about 18 months. The handset is a true "wow" device, says Verizon Wireless Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Mike Lanman. It's got a full touch screen with icons for music and mobile TV. It has the usual camera and full V CAST capabilities, but also a full qwerty keyboard inside for heavy messaging. "The touch screen is implanted extremely well on the product," he says, adding he thinks it is like nothing else on the market.
The device could have been a pure touch-screen device, but the carrier heard from customers who like to have a real keyboard to enter phone numbers or do heavy messaging, Lanman says. Pricing has not yet been announced, but the Voyager will be at the higher end of the price spectrum.
At the lower end is the Juke from Samsung, which includes a pivot opening to expose a keypad, yet the device is small enough to fit into a pocket, Lanman says. The device comes in red, teal and blue. It also comes with 2 GB of internal storage for up to 1,000 songs. The target price is less than $100. It also can be used with services like VZ Navigator and Chaperone.
The LG Venus, another device exclusive to Verizon, comes in black and magenta pink. It has two dual-front screens. The lower one also has touch input with vibration feedback. Another music-centric device, it features a microSD memory port for up to 8 GB of expandable memory.
While the carrier's successful Chocolate sells for around $129, the LG Venus is likely to be higher than that but below $200.
More for the business/consumer user, the BlackBerry Pearl includes EV-DO connectivity and is tinted silver, a color exclusive to Verizon Wireless, according to the carrier. It also has built-in GPS capability and access to VZ Navigator.