Verizon Cell Phones

Cell Phones

A quick look at the lineup from Verizon Wireless and you'll notice that it seems the provider has a fetish for flip phones. Candybars are so yesterday, it seems, with just about everyone doing the clamshell dance these days. Some of the notable cell phones offered through Verizon include:

• Verizon Wireless PN-215 entry-level flip phone: Perhaps the biggest selling point of this self-branded clamshell from Verizon is that you can have it absolutely free... after you sign a two-year contract. With an external display, integrated camera, speakerphone, and voice activated dialing, the PN-215 covers all the basics at a price that can't be beat.

• Motorola V325 feature-ful clamshell: Don't let the rather bland exterior fool you, this $50 (with 2-year contract) flip phone from Motorola comes with some pretty nifty functions. In addition to the run-of-the-mill Bluetooth and integrated camera, the V325 is also capable of giving "real-time audible directions", map viewing, and the locations for points of interest thanks to verizon's VZ Navigator service. Another key feature is Advanced Speech recognition.

Something a Little Different

These next three phones are exactly standard issue units, each offering something a little extra or different than anything else on the market.

• LG Migo basic phone for children: Designed with concerned parents in mind, the Migo from LG is designed for use by school age children. The cute green shell and pair of ear-like antennas add to the child-like appeal, and the simple interface makes sure that your kids don't rack up the charges. There is no free dialing; instead, only four phone numbers can be programmed into the handset (e.g., your home, your cell, your work, and, oh I don't know, grandma's house). Priced at $50 with a two-year contract, the LG Migo doesn't support SMS, voicemail, Get It Now, or any of those other goodies you've grown accustomed to.

• Samsung SCH-a950 V CAST Music phone: They're calling his internal antenna'd flip phone "red hot", and for good reason, because it features Verizon's signature V CAST service. Get music on the go! Above and beyond that, you'll get to enjoy Bluetooth wireless technology, an integrated 1.3 megapixel camera (with video recording), and a stereo speakerphone to share your tunes with those around you. Priced at $50 with a two-year contract, the Samsung SCH-a950 is easily one of the company's more popular handsets.

• Verizon Wireless CDM 180 tiny clamshell: At only 3-inches long, this has got to be one of the smallest phones on the market. This all-digital handset, however, doesn't come with too many high-end features. The widescreen display is a nice touch, but the integrated digital camera (with flash) isn't the most powerful unit out there. Other key notables include voice activated dialing, two-way speakerphone, and TTY support. The CDM 180 is only $20 with a two-year contract.

Smartphones

• Motorola Q smartphone: The public has been awaiting the world's slimmest smartphone for quite some time, so it is with a certain sigh of relief that we, the adoring electronics junkies, can finally get our hands on the Motorola Q. Touted by some as the BlackBerry killer, the Q is powered by Windows Mobile 5.0 and features a full QWERTY keyboard, email (though not push email, out of the box at least), a thumb wheel for easy navigation, a 1.3 megapixel camera with flash, and a miniSD expansion slot. Available for $200 with rebates, this hot, 0.45-inch thick handheld will likely be a popular unit among business users.

• Palm Treo 700w and 700p: There are fundamentally no differences between these two units both aesthetically and on a functionality standpoint. Both are capable of email, BroadbandAccess, and speakerphone, in addition to featuring a Bluetooth wireless technology, a full QWERTY keyboard, and video messaging. The only thing that separates the two -- which could be important to several users -- is the operating system: the 700w, as its name implies, runs on Windows Mobile, whereas the 700p runs on a Palm OS. The choice is largely personal preference. Both phones are currently selling for $400 with a 2-year contract.

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