Verizon and Google announced a new partnership that will bring Android powered devices to the cellular carrier in the coming weeks. While we knew that Android handsets were coming to Big Red, the press release suggests this partnership goes beyond Verizon slapping its branding on an HTC Hero. According to the announcement, the two companies, "plan to co-develop several Android-based devices that will be pre-loaded with innovative applications from both parties as well as third-party developers."

Google will likely be working closely with Verizon to ensure Android-based devices coming down the pipe aren't crippled. Verizon has been known in the past to disable access to features of GPS and Bluetooth. It also means there may be some exciting Verizon-specific apps coming in the future -- we're hoping for an Android app that will let you remotely control your FIOS DVR.

Whoa, folks, the week's barely started and already we have some big tech news. According to "people familiar with the situation," USA Today writes that Verizon and Apple have been in "high level" talks for months about developing an iPhone for the Verizon network. Although Verizon's 80 million customers would make an iPhone deal pretty attractive to Apple, this news flies in the face of Apple CEO Tim Clark's comments last week. Cook stated that Apple would keep its iPhone exclusive to AT&T, calling it the "best wireless provider in the U.S."

AT&T's contract with Apple gives it exclusive rights to distribute the iPhone in the U.S. through 2010, but it sounds like we could be seeing a Verizon iPhone in 2011. As far as mobile data accessibility (e.g. surfing the Web, checking Facebook, and using e-mail), Verizon's CDMA network offers slower speeds than AT&T's 3G network. Roger Entner, head of telecom research for Nielsen, told USA Today that, despite the speed difference, Verizon's CDMA network is perceived as more reliable than AT&T's 3G network. (Either way, we think 3G is overrated, speed-wise.)

AT&T stands to lose the most if Apple ends up in bed with Verizon, because many potential customers love the iPhone but are either disappointed by AT&T or already have a contract with another carrier. Customers could be the big winners here, since Apple is likely to continue selling iPhones on the AT&T network, finally giving customers the option to choose a carrier. [From: USA Today via Engadget]

Consumers buying gadgets and games sometimes discover questionable, and even illegal, items hidden in the packaging or sitting dormant in the device's memory. One eBay shopper, going by the name Lillian, recently noticed illicit material on a supposedly new cell phone, according to The Consumerist.

Lillian purchased her Verizon phone from a reputably reliable eBay source with almost impeccable feedback from previous sales. When the "new" LG Chocolate arrived, Lillian grew wary of its origins, as it came in packaging not associated with a new Verizon phone. The screen also possessed a few light scratches, and the phone came with a non-LG charger that fell apart when Lillian handled it. Lillian also noticed that the indicator in the phone's battery compartment revealed that the phone may have been dropped in water.

Still uncertain if she had been duped (C'mon, Lily!), Lillian scrolled through the device's "MyLinks," and discovered shortcuts to a variety of Spanish language sites, including some that displayed pornography. iQue lastima! At this point, Lillian finally realized something was amiss, and turned to The Consumerist for help. The Consumerist watchdogs wisely recommended she familiarize herself with eBay's security policy, and that she also file a complaint.

What's better than one addictive, relationship-ruining, confidential-information-releasing BlackBerry? Why, two of the things, of course! Right now, at Verizon Wireless, you can walk in, buy one BlackBerry, and get a second one gratis. You might even get a few bucks back in the process.

The deal covers BlackBerry's hot touch-screen Storm, the Curve, the Pearl, the old-school 8830, and even a few non-BlackBerry phones, like the Palm Centro. You'll also get a $70 gift card after rebate on everything but the Storm, and with the Pearl you'll get $100 back! The buy one, get one (or BOGO) deal starts this week and runs through the end of March, so you have a bit of time to get shopping. But, make sure you read the fine print, as you'll need two separate two-year contracts, one for each handset. Lame. [From: GeekSugar]



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Lo and behold, Verizon's taken a break from releasing low-end Nokias for just long enough to officially release its first Storm update -- which just happens to be the same one that's been floating around on the interwebs for a few days now, 4.7.0.75. Anyone unwilling or unable to connect to their PC to nab the update can wait until 9:30 Pacific this evening, when it's said that an over-the-air version of the same software will hit the airwaves. Best of luck, upgraders!

[Via CNET]

Update: We've given the update a shot, and Mac users should be warned that there doesn't seem to be a good way of shoehorning the goods on to the phone at this point -- probably better off to wait for the OTA.

If it's a 5-megapixel cameraphone you're looking for, there are decidedly cheaper entries on the market -- but if only a 5-megapixel WinMo Professional set will do, the Omnia's just about the best (read: only) deal you'll find on an American carrier these days. The CDMA translation of the smartphone that Samsung's been selling in other parts of the world for much of 2008 in GSM form carries over most of its key features, namely Windows Mobile 6.1 with TouchWiz, WiFi, DivX certification, the love-it-or-hate-it optical directional pad, and that beefy cam with flash and autofocus. It also nabs VZ Navigator support, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.2-inch 400 x 240 display, and 8GB of internal memory. Gives pause to that imminent Touch Pro purchase, doesn't it? Look for it to be available for order this week -- a full retail launch is expected come December 8 -- for $249.99 after rebate on a two-year contract.

It's been an exciting year for anyone who wants to upgrade to a smart phone, what with the iPhone, the G1 "Google" phone, and, on Friday, the BlackBerry Storm for Verizon Wireless. At last, BlackBerry lovers and loyal Verizon Wireless subscribers who have been resisting the switch to an iPhone can boast their very own touchscreen-enabled handheld that's as much about fun (high-quality camera, stunning screen, media player, fun apps) as it is about business (excellent e-mail, document editing, Web access). The Storm will cost $199 with a two-year contract (you'll need to send in a $50 rebate, too).

But is the BlackBerry Storm fun enough to take on the iPhone, and will its incorporation of a touchscreen (albeit a moveable click-based one that you actually have to depress to in fact 'strike' a key) turn off those serious business (and heavy e-mailing) users? Well, we can't entirely answer that question, since we only had a day and a half with the thing, but we were able to get our first impressions down in the above video. We'll be back with more impressions in the coming days and weeks, since these newfangled smart phones have a tendency to either grow on you, or make you increasingly want to throw them out the window.

Once you're done watching our video, head on over to Engadget's in-depth review, where you can get more details on the first touchscreen BlackBerry ever.

We had a feeling we'd get a mixed bag of reviews as soon as we first saw the Motorola Krave ZN4 -- it's one of those love it or hate it type things, you know? In some cases, reviewers chose to focus on the positives, noting that it was cute, unique, a good music player and a phone that would last and last without a recharge. Another batch of critics couldn't hold back the whip, pointing out that it lacked Wi-Fi, packed a lackluster browser, included yawn-worthy software and offered a keyboard that was "straight-up awkward."

As expected, overall ratings hovered between just below average to just above average, and it seems this phone will be exactly what you make it out to be. Moto fans will likely have plenty to cheer about, but those without a dog in the fight may want to give the writeups below a more thorough glance before dropping $149.99 and agreeing to a super-sized 2-year commitment.

Read - PC Magazine
Read - PhoneScoop
Read - Laptop Mag
Read - DigitalTrends
Read - CNET

As expected, Verizon has announced today that its customers (and would-be customers) are welcome to sign up for month-to-month plans with no contract -- and thus, no early-termination fee -- involved, mimicking a move by AT&T earlier in the year.

Of course, anyone taking advantage of the new plans won't be able to get in on carrier subsidies (meaning you'll pay $500 for a BlackBerry), but the trade-off is that if you decide to bolt for greener pastures, you won't be slapped with one of those nasty prorated charges. Oh, and before you give customer service a ring, take note: you'll need to fulfill the terms of your existing contract before jumping, natch.

phoneArena is reporting that the latest incarnation of Verizon's Chocolate series, the clamshell Chocolate 3, will be available on July 14. It's said that the phone will run $129 on a two-year contract after the redemption of a $50 rebate -- not exactly cheap, but where else are you going to find a Verizon phone with an FM transmitter in baby blue? That's what we thought. [Source: Phone Arena]

Wouldn't you know it? Just as promised, that strikingly white XV6900 -- which is the HTC Touch -- has landed on Verizon Wireless' Web site and can be snapped up now by those in need. The pain? The touch-screen phone sells for $249.99 on contract after all applicable rebates -- oh, and knowing the Touch Dual is heading Stateside later this quarter. [Source: Verizon Wireless]

Verizon has announced, to the amazement of many of us cynics, that it will be opening up its wireless network to any device that meets a minimum set of technical standards, the specifics of which will be announced in early 2008. Those standards are likely to be something simple along the lines of connecting to the CDMA network that Verizon runs, and that don't interfere with wireless traffic.

In fact Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer, John Stratton, told a Dow Jones reporter that the devices in question need not be phones. He is quoted as saying the types of devices a customer could connect are "subject to the imagination of the marketplace." Hello, Kindle, Zune, and other wireless devices that are not phones.

This means that, if you so desired, you could build your own phone, or mobile Internet device, or even portable video game system with high-speed EV-DO capabilities in your basement on a breadboard, take it or send it to the Verizon labs, and, if it passes muster, connect it to the Verizon network. But that's for geeks like us (or maybe you) -- what's more likely is that people will buy themselves an unlocked phone, or perhaps a phone from a small name builder, or maybe just carry over their Sprint or Alltel handsets. (Phones from T-Mobile and AT&T will not work because those operators use GSM, a different technology than Verizon.)

Verizon also said it would allow users to surf the Web openly and download any independent, third-party applications. This kind of functionality has been available around the world for a while now, but it's a first for the United States. The long and short of it is you'll be able to pick and choose what you want to download to your phone, rather than rely on whatever Verizon offers you "on deck." It also means, most likely, that users will be able to download porn for the first time onto their phones (again, something that the rest of the world has been able to do for a while).

One risk that comes with all this extra access is the increased probability of viruses and other malware on your phone. Because only carrier-approved software has been allowed to be installed on most phones until now, the cell phone space has been relatively free of viruses. Our guess is, this won't be true for much longer.

Exact details on how Verizon plans to implement this groundbreaking new strategy are limited at this point, and what exactly this means for the consumer remains to be seen. But the decision by Verizon to open its network to any hardware or software a customer desires is a game changing event, and one that sends the industry in the right direction. In fact, this is one way for Verizon to allow devices running Google's Android mobile OS with out joining the Open Handset Alliance.

Open access, open source, open everything. Are we seeing the beginnings of the next big shift in the technology industry away from the traditional business models? Can customers expect more choices and more transparency from now on? Time will tell.

In the meantime, we've created a little gallery of our favorite phones that we hope, some day, may make it onto one of our favorite carriers. We've even included the iPhone (duh), but remember, since that phone works on GSM networks, it won't EVER work with Verizon unless Apple decides some day to make a CDMA version of the iPhone.





From BetaNews

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Verizon is finally paying up for disconnecting over 13,000 users due to their breach of an unpublished download cap on its cellular broadband service known as BroadbandAccess. Following a nine month investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Verizon has agreed to pay a fine of $150,000 to the state as well as reimburse users the price of laptop cards or cell phones they purchased to use the service.

In April, Verizon stopped disconnecting users over data usage, but maintained the right to throttle traffic for users who exceed a five-gigabyte limit, which they clearly disclose.

So users of these services should be wary of downloading bigger files like music, since that stuff can easily eat up a monthly five-gigabyte limit.

From the AOL Money & Finance (AP)

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This Friday, Verizon will launch its latest and perhaps slickest music phone yet. Called the Juke (from Samsung), the new player/handset is slim and light, yet surprisingly powerful. It sports two-gigabytes (GB) of internal storage for MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+ music, meaning it should play your DRM-free tunes from just about every download service out there.

Granted, you probably won't be able to take your entire music library with you given the Juke's minimal memory, but at about 3.8'-inches long and 1.2'-inches wide, Verizon's new handset is certainly small enough to take pretty much anywhere. Despite its diminutive size, the Juke still sports a 1.3-megapixel camera. It also supports wireless stereo Bluetooth headsets (which is more than we can say for the iPhone!).

Of course, if you want to listen to your tunes wirelessly, you'll need to purchase that Bluetooth headset separately, but Samsung includes wired set of headphones for in the $99 package (of course, you'll need to sign-up for two years with the carrier). ...

Available in red, teal, or black, the Juke is available for pre-order now at the Verizon Wireless site.

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