Engadget Mobile goes hands-on with Verizon's fall line

Shiny screens galore, the iPhone opposing LG Voyager, and the more V CAST than you can shake a stick -- Verizon's new lineup has been announced, and we bet you want to know what those hunks of silicon feel like in hand. Who you gonna call? Engadget Mobile, of course.

[David @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:21AM]

...I was wonder why the majority of Verizon phones are made by LG...

[tande @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:28AM]

Thanks guys, you made that decision easier for me.

[Nicholas FitzRoy-Dale @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:39AM]

I can't stop reading this as "Verizon's fail line", which, given the resemblance of the OS to a certain other phone, makes me giggle every time.

[sk8rpro @ Oct 3rd 2007 4:38AM]

What's the point of a phone like this when it's Bluetooth will be crippled?

[Peter @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:48AM]

What are you talking about, it has full A2DP bluetooth support. Read the damn article before flaming Verizon. Now go back to using your *insert crappy phone here* and get off of Engadget!

[Alexander @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:55AM]

BURNED

[k @ Oct 3rd 2007 9:37AM]

what i think he meant by crippled bluetooth comes from verizon limiting what you can do with bluetooth. i can't send my friends music, notes or pictures over bluetooth to their verizon phones.

sure a2dp is great, but isn't it a good idea to let the phones communicate with other phones?

[Russell @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:09PM]

Last time I checked the iPhones was more disabled it doesn't even have A2DP I really like the iPhone though but ATT is just not an option.

[Ondra Soukup @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:31AM]

Poor LG, they didn't manage to implement sliding so they have "touch to unlock"

ripoff! :)

[Alexander @ Oct 3rd 2007 6:56AM]

i'm supposed to get a new phone october 22nd but now I'll wait for that beautiful voyager

[Andrew Peron @ Oct 3rd 2007 8:20AM]

you know, i was a really jealous verizon customer who wanted an iphone really really badly,
but this LG voyager is just plain sexy.
I mean really.
huge outside touch screen,
huge inner screen with full keyboard?
i can't pass up on that.
sorry motorola q,
you're being replaced.

[McHoffa @ Oct 3rd 2007 9:47AM]

One question, why couldn't they get a real browser on there??? Other than that the Voyager seems like a really nice phone...

[St. Stephen @ Oct 3rd 2007 10:25AM]

Wow I'm a Verizon customer myself and I admit was a bit jealous over the iphone and even considered opting out and switching over to Cingular to give it a shot. Good thing I didn't because I really like this Voyager (so far). If it performs as good as it looks and the price is right, it would seem I have found my new celly. =)

[frostoy @ Oct 3rd 2007 11:01AM]

Ooohh... too bad you'll have to pay $45+ for that data plan.... lets see, how much do I pay for my data on my iPhone? Oh that's right, its just $20 more than my voice.

Sorry that is just an iPhoney.

And yes, Apple fanboy here so make all the snappy remarks you want. :)

[Jamar @ Oct 3rd 2007 11:14AM]

Been out of the country? Probably not. $20 more than voice indeed. If there's one thing that China does right, it's the unlimited-roaming data plan. Runs about $120/month (probably will rise in USD terms the way the exchange rate's going now) for unlimited usage anywhere in the world. Beat that.

[easymac30 @ Oct 3rd 2007 12:02PM]

Jamar,

I don't live in China.

Now what?

[Mac @ Oct 3rd 2007 1:38PM]

Verizon has crappy phones. Their OS is just horrible. The bluetooth is crippled idiot (Peter). No computer/phone sync, file transfer... Just because a phone has A2DP doesnt mean the bluetooth isnt crippled. NOW, you get off engadget

[Slizzoff @ Oct 3rd 2007 1:38PM]

This phone and every other phone trying to be like the iphone just lets me be more amazed at how the iphone is totally beyond its time... the iPhone deserved all the hype its gotten and is still getting...real internet browser, fluent navigation, visual voicemail, no flip slide twisting yet still manages a beautiful virtual keyboard...im sorry... but nice try verizon, nice try htc touch, nice try lg prada, nice try whomever tries to compete but its not cutting it...the iphone rules

[William F Neal @ Oct 3rd 2007 5:22PM]

haha thats funny.. iphone wasnt out first.. lg prada was. so fuck off.

[Slizzoff @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:25PM]

hahaha u said fuck off.. how mature...ur really touch behind the keyboard...anyways... LG prada is just a pointless phone that only lets u kno that the person owning it is rich...after owning an iphone then looking at all the other phone lets me think that the iphone must of came out of a times capsule from year 2020.

[William F Neal @ Oct 4th 2007 2:40AM]

funny when phones made years ago have more features then the iphone. maybe you were referring to 1920 which would make more sense

[sk8rpro @ Oct 3rd 2007 2:36PM]

My intent was that there is no OBEX (Object Exchange) to swap files from your computer to your phone for photos, music, or wallpaper.

A2DP is not a surprising feature for Verizon to support. It gives them the chance to sell headsets for conversations and speakers for music. While this is a nice feature to have, if this is all they offer in Bluetooth, and nothing in the article suggests otherwise, then the lack of the additional technology is disappointing.

Thank you k - although I did not necessarily mean that, that is a disappointing feature not to have.

And Peter, let me ask you, "Do you work at Verizon?"

[BoB King @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:29PM]

Ok, I'm not one to rant but WHAT THE F@CK!!!!


Here is a quick down of features in the end both phones have very similar features so to say the iphone is better even before the new LG is out give me a break. This whole Verizon UI BS is getting old its totally redesigned for this and the other handset so we all may want to hold of on the judgments before we play with the phones. The whole issue with OBX is just getting silly now because you can transfer a lot of the files from the phone to a computer if you computer has bluetooth an I know my home PC doesn't have that nor my laptop so that just pointless for me. I have never had anyone ask me to send them the song I was listening to via bluetooth. Since AT&T and Verizon Wireless both have unlimited PIX / TEXT messaging sending a pictures to my home email cost me nothing. I can make my own Ringtones using Bitpim so that fixes that other issues of personalize Ringtons. So my point is that verizon is making a lot of concessions with its new phones to make people happy. Will it ever be 100% of what everyone wants Nope but you cant make everyone happy so just suck it up and move on...

iPhone
GSM (International Roaming)
4GB / 8GB internal storage (Non-expandable)
MAC OS
Large 3.5 display (Touch Friendly)
iTunes ( includes TV / MUSIC)
HTML Browser
NO 3G
NO Keypad
NO Camera
Bluetooth (Dont know off hand what profile handset supports)
Lock to AT&T SIMS
(Ya you can get the unlock software but then the next update comes out and knocks it out again)
Wi-Fi

Voyager
CDMA ( No International Roaming)
NO Internal memory (Expandable to 8GB or more via Micro SD)
2.5 External display (Touch Friendly)
2.5 Internal display
Whole new Flash OS
VCast Music / Live TV / Video Clips
HTML Browser
EVDO (Rev O)
Flip open full Keypad
2MP Camera
Bluetooth (Unknown what profiles final handset will support)
NO Wi-Fi

[VS @ Oct 4th 2007 1:04AM]

yes they are two very different phones...and i for one never really liked the iPhone. I also think that yeah Verizon needs to update their UI, i hate messing with it sometimes...Now a phone is a phone! i use the bare essentials on it and sometimes the extras like the camera, browser, and txt, but other thatn that i don't listen to music on it! best get a Touch for that

i look forward to this phone, and i like how it not cluttered with useless and limited features that i don't use or need like the iPhone

also i thin the Touch is great! n_n

[VS @ Oct 4th 2007 1:07AM]

eh on second thought it is a lil cluttered but i hope to be able to change those settings to my bare essentials...

[Slizzoff @ Oct 5th 2007 12:01AM]

Did you just list the iphone as having no camera???? and the voyager as having a 2MP camera??? ummm get ur facts right idiot... the iphone has a 2MP camera too...

iphone:
-REAL html browser (ummm REAL and Fluent)
-no need for vcast anything when u have YOUTUBE
-Edge is good enough(esp when those rare occasions when u dont have wifi around)
-8gb internal memory u dont have to put in and out( not to mention the annoying promt that tells u (do u want to save this on ur device or memory card)
-visual voicemail... talk about taking basic cellphone functions to the next level.
i can go on and on... the iphone battle is an easy one


voyager:
-where does it say it will be able to accept a micro sd higher then 8gb
-price of verizon data plans
-the keyboard's space bar location ( shifted all the way to the right which can get really annoying

[BoB King @ Oct 4th 2007 11:40PM]

I never said I knew all the fax about either phone, but first off the REAL browser you speak of didn't support Flash right out of the box oh and YouTube you have access to some of the clips right from VCast or who know since the phone freakin isn't out yet they may have a YouTube link right in the HTML browser. Oh and I miss the whole camera on the iPhone sorry my bad.....

The MICRO SD slot means that the handset will support more then 8GB of memory because one you fill one up you just pop it out and replace it with a different one and since the 8GB will be the largest MICO SD card out at the time that is why it will only support that much memory.

I will not even address the stupid remark about the space bar on the phone that is just a weak a$$ attempt to find something wrong with a handset made by anyone.

Since EVDO hand a lot larger coverage area then Wi-Fi because you know when I'm driving down the highway and hear a song I like I want to drive out of my way to find a hotspot to download the song from iTunes.

Oh Visual Voicemail that is just one odd feature I can't really see the point of having but hey if you like it keep it. Data plans since it only cost 25 bucks to use the full VCast / VCast TV / Mobile Web I guess 20 bucks is great that is until you leave the country and run up some crazy 2000 bill.

You didn't even address the fact you can watch TV on the phone real TV now something I downloaded from iTunes.

Sure this could go on and on that's why service providers offer choice thats because you can't make everyone happy all of the time... Hell even some of the time is just about impossible my who point was that people are bashing a phone that wont be out for another month and even then who knows what the final features will be.

[Mac @ Oct 6th 2007 3:02PM]

Im pretty sure the iphone has a camera

[tina @ Oct 19th 2007 10:48AM]

Does anyone know if the new Verizon Voyager can sync with a Mac? (pocketmac, etc.)

[Asa Fludd @ Oct 3rd 2007 7:33PM]

Okay...I am not sure which one I want now...

iPhone or Voyager

ummm....

Wi-Fi or No Wi-Fi

Multi-Touch or No Multi-Touch

Memory already added -OR- (exaggerating) 200MB of internal memory with the pain of buying 2 $80 4GB MicroSD cards (that you have to keep up with mind you) which gives you a grand total of $160 added on to your account

[mikeyrocks @ Oct 5th 2007 11:24AM]

u guys all make sense,but at the same time are forgetting something. att is dirty service, it sux, it sounds like ur sitting in a metal box, ur gsm technology is old school, ur data connection is like using a robotics 56k modem. so when u say ur iphone is before its time i cant believe it. the UI is incredible, the screen clarity is amazing. but u cant send a picture message? a video message? third party softwares? u cant save attachments? WOaH. sounds like im holding a piece of glass that shows me pictures, plays music, and makes shitty phone calls..OH i forgot its $599. a month later-$399.how does it feel to have steve jobs stick his lil cock in ur ass without vaseline

[Mariela @ Oct 8th 2007 2:08AM]

this phone seems great. sure, it doesn't have the "real" internet that the iPhone does, but who cares? Not all of us need the internet :) the iPhone is way pretty, but this one looks just about the same, and i like the fact that it flips open and has a qwerty keyboard, i hope it's not as expensive as the iPhone, and i'm way glad that it's on Verizon cuz it's the best network around :D
the iPhone might have a camera, but why do you need a camera if you can't send a pix msg? OR take a video?? haha .. you think the iPhone is "ahead of it's time"? get real, there are phones with better features.. uhh .. like TAKING VIDEO. the voyager is way better!