It's not the only game in town
(Credit: Apple.com)With the iPhone completely dominating cell phone news this week, it's easy to forget that other cell phones exist. Crave wonders why any manufacturer or service provider would see the PR benefit in making an announcement this week, but that hasn't stopped T-Mobile from unveiling its Hotspot @Home and Sprint from taking the wraps off its new LG Muziq phone.
But today Verizon Wireless revealed that it was hosting its own party to match the Apple and AT&T events on the iPhone launch day. In a press release, the carrier invites shoppers to test-drive "the leading wireless company with the most reliable voice and data network". Meow.
The carrier also invites shoppers to check out its selection of music cell phones, including the LG VX9400, which is on sale for $99.99. That's a good deal for a cool phone, but the keep in mind that the spiffy V Cast Mobile TV service (something the VX9400 supports) is available only in a few cities. Yet unlike the iPhone, the LG handset does offer 3G.
Get 'em while they're hot
(Credit: CNET Networks)Buyers will also be able to download songs wirelessly at the stores from Verizon's V Cast Music service. As everyone knows, the iPhone will not support tune downloads over the air. But the best news is that customers will get a free Music Essentials kit, which normally sets you back $30. That's exceedingly generous of Verizon, considering the kit is needed to even sync a phone with a PC. We don't know why Verizon just doesn't give you the kit in the first place, but that another story.
So if you've decided you're too cool for the iPhone, or you refuse to leave Verizon for AT&T, you'll be pleased to know that Verizon has you covered. Verizon stores and kiosks will stay open until 9 p.m. And you can be sure these stores won't have a line.
LG VX9400
(Credit: CNET Networks)Crave got up close and personal with Verizon's latest cell phone for its new V Cast Mobile TV service. The LG VX9400 sports a unique form factor with a brilliant display that swivels up for comfortable viewing. Inside you'll find a host of features that are backed up by decent performance. Video sound quality could be a bit iffy at times, and the rotating display isn't conducive for making calls, but we like it better than the previous Samsung SCH-U620. For more, check out our VX9400 review and our slide show.
LG VX9400
(Credit: LG)Just last week, Crave was in a bit of fix over the launch of V Cast TV from Verizon Wireless. Though we were excited to see the service take off, we couldn't help but bemoan the fact that only the Samsung SCH-U620 was supported at launch. It's not that the SCH-U20 was particularly bad, but rather that the other V Cast TV phone, the LG VX9400, was especially good. Not only did the quality look better on the VX9400, but we also loved the nifty swivel design of the ample display. Now, thanks to an anonymous tipster, Engadget Mobile is reporting that the VX9400 will launch March 23. Pricing seems quite fair: From $200 with a two-year contract to up to $450 if you pay full price. Verizon is mum on the subject, but we'd welcome any news on the phone, even if it isn't verified. Of course, there is the problem that the San Francisco Bay Area isn't a V Cast TV launch market, but stop trying to kill our buzz.
Sure, everyone knew this was coming but Verizon Wireless formally switched on its new V Cast TV network today in 20 markets. As we told you earlier this week, the lucky locales for the Media Flo-powered service are concentrated mostly in the Midwest and West with Jacksonville, Fla., and Norfolk/Richmond, Va., being the sole outposts on the East Coast. The full list includes Tucson, Ariz.; Palm Springs, Calif.; Denver/Boulder and Colorado Springs, Colo.; Chicago, Ill.; Wichita, Kan.; New Orleans, La.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo.; Omaha/Lincoln Neb.; Albuquerque/Santa Fe, N.M.; Portland, Ore.; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Seattle/Tacoma and Spokane, Wash. Las Vegas also is on the list, which is not surprising, considering V Cast made its formal debut there earlier this year at CES.
Samsung SCH-U620
(Credit: Samsung)According to Engadget, coverage is planned for New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles, but Verizon isn't confirming when those cities will get it. And, as was the case with Verizon's initial 3G V Cast rollout, the San Francisco Bay Area is nowhere on the list. We're not thrilled about waiting again, but as Verizon spokesman Jeffrey Nelson told Wireless Week the carrier needs to clear more 700MHz spectrum, which V Cast TV uses.
LG VX9400
(Credit: LG)Though Verizon showed two supported devices at CES--the Samsung SCH-U620 Mobi and the LG VX9400--only the Samsung model will be available for now. That's a bit disappointing as we liked the VX4900 better. What's more, we have no clear idea when the VX9400 will launch. As for programming, the eight launch channels include MTV, Nickelodeon, Fox Mobile, Comedy Central, NBC, ESPN, CBS Mobile, and NBC News.
Pricing plans include three options at start and they're more varied than we expected originally. The $25 per month Select plan gives you all eight V Cast TV Channels and the V Cast Pack service, which includes unlimited streamed video clips from the V Cast service, access to the carrier's mobile Web 2.0 application, and unlimited data and e-mail. The Basic $15 per month includes only the eight V cast TV channels (V Cast content is extra), while the $13 per month limited package gives you just four channels: Fox Mobile NBC, NBC News, and CBS Mobile.
Samsung SCH-U620
(Credit: Samsung)Though the iPhone announcement at Macworld completely trumped any cell phone news at CES, we did mange to find a few gems in Las Vegas. In fact, we liked Verizon's V Cast TV so much that we chose it as our pick for CNET's Best of CES in the cell phones category. The sharpness of the picture quality did wow us, and the supported handsets--the LG VX9400 and the Samsung SCH-U620--were pretty cool in their own right.
LG VX9400
(Credit: LG)Now, of course, we have to wait until March for the service to launch. But even when it arrives, there's no telling whether San Francisco will be on the first list. Engadget is reporting that Minneapolis, Chicago, and Kansas City will be launch cities but that's all we know at this time. That, and it will cost $15 a month--and Verizon will have an exclusive on the service through October.
LG VX9400 swivels to a horizontal display
(Credit: LG)With the Verizon press conference a few hours away, we have a little sneak peek into the big announcement that's about to unfold. We're expecting to see the LG VX9400 to debut as the first MediaFlo phone in the U.S., meaning it will be the first phone to receive full-length programming of television shows via a dedicated broadcast network.
LG VX9400 in its candy bar form
(Credit: LG)Unlike that of Verizon's own V Cast, which mostly shows short clips via its EV-DO network, MediaFlo aims to offer high-quality, end-to-end television programming from media channels like NBC, ESPN, and CNN. It won't have as many channels as V Cast, but the video will presumably be of much higher quality and with faster loading times. This will mark the first of many steps to allow people to watch real-time television on their mobile phones.
Here are a few more stunning images of the VX9400 that we managed to grab from a press kit. We'll have more detailed information about the VX9400 after the Verizon press conference.
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