HTC Ozone comes to Verizon June 29 for under $50

Is it cooler than Sprint's Snap? That's for you to judge, but whatever the case, Verizon has now announced its own version of HTC's latest WinMo Standard handset. The so-called Ozone features WiFi, global roaming capability, VZ Navigator and visual voicemail support, a QWERTY keyboard (which feels great if it's anything like its cousin's), and a beefy 1500mAh battery that we're betting will keep this thing going all day and then some. The best part, though, might be the price: it'll be just $49.99 on contract after rebate when it launches online on June 29 and in stores on July 13.

[andy @ Jun 25th 2009 10:11AM]

that $50 too much

[JoseR @ Jun 25th 2009 10:44AM]

I totally agree with u fella

[joe23521 @ Jun 25th 2009 10:46AM]

Agreed. It's traveling along the fine line between meh and eww.

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 25th 2009 11:56AM]

Hell no. It is ugly but you won't ever find a WinMo Qwerty WiFi phone for free.

[scy @ Jun 26th 2009 7:03AM]

One word: Yuck

Any Blackberry or iPhone or Palm device would be superior to this even a 5 year old blackberry would be preferable. Even a Newton Messagepad would be better...

[Slick @ Jul 5th 2009 7:38PM]

I think its an attractive phone

[Chrislester20 @ Jul 28th 2009 3:40PM]

Windows 6.1 is by far the best they have come out with for Windows Mobile but they can still improve it! I currently have this phone and it is very user friendly and unlike what someone said below its not slow it plays videos without stopping and has never slowed down on me.

I have had the I phone, several Blackberry's including the Storm, Palm Treo's and for my own personal experiences Windows Mobile is my favorite and I will never buy Blackberry or Palm Treo phones again ( JUNK PHONES TO SAY THE LEAST!)

The I Phone and Windows Mobile Phones in my experiences have worked the best and I have also played with the G1 witch is also very good but don't waste your money on Blackberry's or Palm Treo phones! ( YOU WILL WISH YOU DIDN'T)

[kjb434 @ Jun 25th 2009 10:15AM]

This is a wonderful device to people who like WinMo's Smartphone edition.

I love my first WinMo Smarphones. Now I'm addicted to the Professional version.

[skilzkilz @ Jun 25th 2009 12:26PM]

ur not the only one

[216 @ Jun 25th 2009 10:15AM]

bout all its worth

[MS @ Jun 25th 2009 10:20AM]

I hate T-mobile

[PS @ Jun 25th 2009 10:17AM]

yawn...another WinMo device. This OS is so freaking outdated. I think Microsoft has taken a page right out of Palm's playbook and ran a OS for far too long without any significant, game-changing upgrades.

[Ellianth @ Jun 25th 2009 10:38AM]

Oh shaddap. Would you have liked it more if they withheld copy and paste and just now implemented it? Would that be game changing enough for you?

[Adderz @ Jun 25th 2009 10:47AM]

Yes i would much prefer they left out copy and paste and gave us a magnificent UI.

I hate Windows Mobile, i use it every day and despise it. HTC have done excellent work trying to cover it up but its like putting a band aid on a severly bruised leg.

The leg is still fully functional but its ugly as shit.

[chefgon_ign @ Jun 25th 2009 4:20PM]

I had a T-Mobile Dash (very similar to this device) for about a year and I loved it. WinMo Standard (no touchscreen) is pretty nice. The professional version has a lot of UI problems with you try to use it without a stylus, but that's a non-issue here.

Granted, you have to replace a lot of stuff (web browser, media player, home screen) with third party alternatives, but the bottom line is that you can buy this phone and end up with a seriously awesome non-touch smartphone. Not bad for $50.

[satish @ Jun 25th 2009 10:20AM]

ozone !! why such a name ?? is it a shield or somethng :-)

[Alan Strangis @ Jun 25th 2009 10:17AM]

The prize is always the best part. That's why I dig through the cereal box.

[Bryan @ Jun 25th 2009 10:17AM]

The best part is the prize!!

[Greg N. @ Jun 25th 2009 10:22AM]

Finally something new gets announced for Verizon in the smartphone department.

I'm sick of companies announcing phones, but leaving consumers in the dark about release dates and pricing for months. Still waiting for the Touch Pro 2 to be announced for Verizon...

[Freakin Ijit @ Jun 25th 2009 10:25AM]

When do we stop calling the new entrants like this "smartphones" and start calling them "enhanced featurephones"?

I guess simultaneous to that we'll start calling dumbphones "phones". Do any dumbphones still exist?

[Jon @ Jun 25th 2009 10:35AM]

Why wouldn't we call this a smartphone?

Are you requiring a touchscreen for it to be a smartphone?

[AndrewNoNumbers @ Jun 25th 2009 12:14PM]

It's a lot more of a "smartphone" than an iPhone.

[stryker412 @ Jun 25th 2009 12:33PM]

So am I. I have e-mailed Verizon, Engadget, and HTC with no responses.

[kjb434 @ Jun 25th 2009 12:34PM]

Even the paired down WinMo Smartphone that device uses still gives it awesome flexibility. The full integration with Outlook and company Exchange servers are a big selling point.

And remember, connecting to exchange for email and full integration are two totally different things.

[alosen @ Jun 25th 2009 10:23AM]

$50 for a Verizon phone w/ wifi, qwerty, and a decent battery? Doesn't sound that bad to me.

[iofthestorm @ Jun 25th 2009 2:26PM]

Yeah I know, I'm absolutely SHOCKED that Verizon left wifi on a device that costs less than $300. I'd be all over this if it was likely to be any good, but I have a feeling it will be slow or something, and I'd rather just wait until the Pre hits Verizon. Especially now that the Pre has been shown to be a fairly standard Linux machine, it's pretty much the best choice for someone on CDMA.

[Conceyted @ Jun 25th 2009 10:24AM]

Hmm, where have I seen this phone before....

Palm 800w :-D

[Vic @ Jun 25th 2009 10:32AM]

No.

[William C Bonner @ Jun 25th 2009 10:26AM]

I'm interested in knowing what networks it can work on worldwide? I thought Verizon doesn't run GSM, and GSM was what most of the rest of the world runs.

[jonshipman @ Jun 25th 2009 10:29AM]

It has quad-band GSM in addition to Verizon's CDMA bands.

[Vic @ Jun 25th 2009 10:35AM]

I got the Sprint Snap (almost the same as this one) and I am surprised that for the first time Verizon put out a WM phone with better specs than their competition. The Sprint version doesn't have auto-focus, the lock option on the keyboard, or international capabilities (though I don't need it, I don't why Sprint wouldn't include it) for $100 more. I know I will save 200+ a year with Sprint, but they should have really gotten this version even if they still charged $150 for it.

[Miguel @ Jun 25th 2009 10:33AM]

This just comes down to you liking Sprint (Cedar) or Verizon (Willow). Only difference being Wifi...and Verizon users are gonna love to brag about how theyve been momentarily freed..unfortunately this isnt the phone to do that with

[Chris @ Jun 25th 2009 10:34AM]

Yay, my contract expires next month

[Sean @ Jun 25th 2009 10:39AM]

Why even advertise WiFi when it's a Verizon phone, meaning it's tethered to their crappy data setup. Last I checked you have to do hash editing and serious hacking to get a Verizon phone with wi-fi to use a non-verizon wi-fi signal without charge. Verizon has one of the better signals in my area, so I'm handicapped to them, I want a smart phone, and I want WinMo but I don't see why I must pay their increased fees when the functions I want it for outside of phone calls are not anything I need verizon itself for. $50 with a 2 year PDA plan, which you can't opt out of if you want one of their PDA's is a ripoff. Hey Mr. Obama how about regulating cell phone rates to save us all money as long as you're putting your hand into all the other cookie jars.

[Sofunnytom @ Jun 25th 2009 10:45AM]

What are you talking about? "Verizon's wi-fi signals". They don't exist. You can use any wi-fi you want with a Verizon phone with wi-fi. I have an XV6800 and I can connect to any wwi-fi hotspot I want, and I did no hacking whatsoever.

[Kevin Turner @ Jun 25th 2009 11:30AM]

Sean, I think Verizon will let you connect to any wifi network you wish with the device and you won't be required to have a data plan. BUT, if you elect to skip the data plan, you don't be able to send/recieve txt/pix messages.

Can someone confirm that?

[Rollins @ Jun 25th 2009 11:31AM]

Sean, what the hell are you talking about?

[Sean @ Jun 25th 2009 12:28PM]

Verizon will add 30-30 per month to my contract if I go to any smart phone, now if this wi-fi as you've said can connect me at hotspots, and I'm not using the smartphone features that require the Verizon network, why must I pay a monthly fee just for the privilege of using a phone I've paid for and it's inherent capabilities?

[kjb434 @ Jun 25th 2009 12:39PM]

Dumbass,

The $30-40 is so you have data capabilities when you don't have Wi-Fi available. All cell phone companies in the US (except maybe for T-Mobile) require this with smartphones.

These phones are primarily intended for business use. That's why they do the force charge for data.

[skilzkilz @ Jun 25th 2009 10:46AM]

Who in the hell cares about the htc snap/ozone and the htc HEROE.

Why wont they tell us about the the most popular htc phone the HTC TOUCH PRO 2.

I'm really getting sick of waiting HTC, its come to that the next really hot looking smart phone that has a touch screen and is not on at&t im jumping on it , I can no longer wait for the HTC TOUCH PRO 2.

[Greg N. @ Jun 25th 2009 10:48AM]

Side question- what's the best place to get WinMo apps?

[Nomi @ Jun 25th 2009 11:01AM]

Unfortunately...until the marketplace launches...google em.

[Quikboy @ Jun 25th 2009 12:24PM]

Pocketnow usually has great reviews on WinMo phones and applications for WinMo:
http://pocketnow.com/

Other than that, you'll just have to wait for Windows Marketplace for Mobile to come when Windows Mobile 6.5 releases. Or you can just do a Bing search for em.

[kjb434 @ Jun 25th 2009 12:40PM]

Anywhere!

You aren't locked into a marketplace. Anywhere that sells or allows them to be downloaded for free.

[dantheman66 @ Jun 25th 2009 1:17PM]

XDA, Modaco, and freewarepocketpc.net are probably my top three for free apps (I've rarely ever bought an app, except for Kinoma). There's tons of other sites and developers offering there wares out there as well, so until the marketplace comes along your best friend is google. Are you looking for anything in particular?

[p.flynn2 @ Jun 25th 2009 11:03AM]

my old samsung blackjack had the extended battery pack that was like 1800 mah

I used to go at least two days between charges.

This phone has more efficient radio chips i would imagine and better battery tech sooooo.

its probably win.

[Nelagster @ Jun 25th 2009 11:10AM]

whoa wifi on a Verizon device?? what's the world coming to??

[Dorf @ Jun 25th 2009 11:26AM]

Uhh, you're joking right? The Ozone now joins the Sammy Omnia, Sammy Saga, Sammy i760, Sammy i830, Sammy i730, HTC Touch Pro, HTC Touch Diamond, HTC 6800, HTC 6700 devices that ALL had WiFi.

[Viakenny @ Jun 25th 2009 11:14AM]

don't you think it looks like a Palm Centro?

[Zach @ Jun 25th 2009 11:23AM]

I may just want :) I've been holding out for the Blackberry Niagra (or w/e it's called now), but I'm broke and tired of waiting! Is free tethering possible?