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We told you about the LG Chocolate 3 (VX8560), but since then, a pricing scale and release date have since surfaced.  To recap quickly, the 3rd edition of LG’s high selling Chocolate will be wrapped in a clamshell form factor, unlike the previous two iterations which were candybar-styled.  The LG Chocolate 3 will have 1GB of internal memory, with up to 8GB of additional space through microSD cards. The phone’s external display is 1.76-inch (176x220) and the internal display is 2.2-inch with a QVGA resolution. Other features include a 2-megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speakers, Bluetooth (with stereo support).  Finally, the Chocolate 3 will have an FM transmitter, so you can listen to your music on any FM radio.

The price is expected to be $129 after $50 rebate with a 2-year contact, $199 after $50 rebate with a 1-year contract, and $299 at full retail price.  The LG Chocolate 3 will drop on July 14th and will be available exclusively for Verizon. Keep reading for more pictures.

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It looks like Verizon will be introducing a third variety in their Q9 lineup, and as of now its being code named “Napoleon.” It does however have something special in store for worldwide business travelers as it will not only offer CDMA EV-DO Rev. A support but it will also include full GSM support, meaning you can take and use this worldwide.

The Q9 Napoleon will be running Windows Mobile 6.1 and feature a 320 x 240 display, 2-megapixel camera with flash, Wi-Fi, stereo speakers and ship with a 1500mAh battery. In addition to the added support on the inside, the new world edition Q9 has also gotten a little face lift with a new shiny bezel around the edges.

Also, just good measure they have included a fingerprint scanner on the back, I guess when traveling worldwide you should never have your data unsecured.

As of now, no pricing or release information has been let loose, but as usual we will keep you posted when we find something out.

Via [BGR]

Earlier today we saw what AT&T has in store for use device-wise for the remainder of 2008 and now it is Verizon’s turn, and it looks just as exciting as the AT&T lineup.

Beginning in August, it looks like we can expect to see the UTStarcom TXT8010. Also coming in August is the Nokia 2605 Mirage and the Samsung SCH-U440 which are both expected to be released on the 8th, then the Motorola VU30 is expected in mid-August and the Samsung SCH-U430 is expected in late-August.

Moving on from there we also have the Samsung SCH-U310, Nokia 7205 Intrigue and Palm Treo 800w. Finally we also have the Motorola Blaze ZN4, which has no specific date, however it is expected sometime before September 22.

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The Blackberry Thunder which we reported before as RIM’s newest Blackberry device now has an official name, the Blackberry 9500. And like we told you, it shall be officially carried with Verizon as a lifetime exclusive offering which will support high-speed HSPA and EV-DO networks. In addition to Verizon, reports had it that it will also hit the Vodafone network.

Now for some exciting new information, we also found out that the Blackberry 9500 will have a touchscreen LCD display at 360x480 resolution. What makes this LCD special? It is surprisingly bigger than the LCD display of iPhone. So, you can safely say that it is also being geared up to compete with the iPhone 3G. In addition, the Blackberry 9500 is said to come with OS 4.7.0.

We’ll definitely keep an eye for more updates on the new Blackberry 9500.

Via [Blackberry News]

Music lovers holding a Verizon subscription will better be able to say “I can hear you now” to their favorite musical artists, as Rhapsody and Verizon team up to offer users with certain V Cast phones DRM-free PC downloads. In obvious competition with iTunes, Rhapsody is still behind in the numbers game (about 5 million in their online library as opposed to iTunes 8 million), however, the bonus of not being stuck with DRM puts them ahead in many people’s minds. This way, you can play the music on any PC, MP3 player, or other digital device. Bonus.

So how much is it going to cost you? The songs are going at 99 cents each, and most albums will be $9.99. You’ll also find a Windows-only download utility that will import your music directly into iTunes, RealPlayer, or the Rhapsody client; Mac users will get their songs in a ZIP file. Select Verizon Wireless V Cast phones (including the upcoming Chocolate 3, the new Dare, the Samsung Glyde, the Juke, the RIZR Z6tv, and the RAZR V9m) can purchase tunes from Rhapsody over the air, and get an MP3 “master” PC download in the bargain.

If you jump on the ball, Verizon is running a special through July 4th: The first 100,000 people to sign up with the MP3 store will get their first album free.  And hey...free is always good.

Via [Yahoo! Tech]

The touchscreen based devices just keep coming, and seem to be getting more and more interesting. The latest to hit the open, or at least leaked status is the Motorola Blaze, which seems to be a mix-match of already announced phones. While it does have a good look, we cannot help to feel that the large plastic covering is somewhat reminiscent of an old and outdated PDA design.

While a full touchscreen device, the Blaze is not a smartphone and will be running a custom OS for Verizon, however, it still does offer a decent set of specs. The Blaze will feature haptic feedback, a 2-megapixel camera, EV-DO Rev. A support, GPS, Bluetooth, MobileTV. As of now we can be pretty sure, thanks to the big Verizon logo of where the Blaze is headed, but we are still left wondering how much it will retail for and when it will become available. Hopefully, the Blaze will fall on the lower end of the pricing spectrum.

Keep reading to check out another image of the Blaze, this time with the front lid closed. It was also noted that, while the functionality is limited, you can still use the handset with the lid closed.

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Verizon’s new LG Dare has been circulating for a couple of weeks now, and it will be available online beginning tomorrow. The Date will be priced at $200, but it is going to be offered along with a $50 rebate. On July 3rd, it will be available in Verizon Wireless retail stores.

Starting off with the hardware, it measures out at 4.09 x 2.19 x 0.54-inches, boasts a 3-inch touchscreen display with a 240 x 400 resolution and a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash, autofocus, and exposure control. Additionally, it comes with a mode to record videos at 120 fps, a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD expansion up to 8GB, automatically senses when to switch off the LCD back lighting, accelerometer and 3D graphics. Onto the software, it comes with a full HTML web browser and zoom functions, V Cast online store, VZ Navigator, coverflow for music, 51 possible apps, contact list filters, QWERTY keypad, handwriting recognition, music support and video/picture editing.

Verizon and LG really worked hard on this phone to make it come with a lot of nice features, and this phone should do pretty well.

Via [Engadget]

The latest Treo rumor is calling for the Verizon branded 700wx to be getting an upgrade. The details are coming from some leaked “internal training slides” but sounds a little strange because it specifically mentions Windows Mobile 6 Professional, and not 6.1 as most would expect at this time. Either way, according to the rumor this will be update 1.24 and is coming sometime during the summer.

It would be a nice update to see come true, but this is one that I will not be holding my breath for. This is going to have to be one of those that we just sit back and wait, either for some additional details or for the update to actually happen. Also notable is that this Windows Mobile 6 update will be just for Verizon users and not be coming to those Treo 700wx users on Sprint.

Via [BGR]

Do you remember the Iron Man phone, or perhaps the ultra-cool Star Wars phone that was released much earlier? Well, here comes another one of them - the Nokia 6205 which lives and breathe everything about Batman, the Dark Knight. We’re referring of course to the second film in the new Batman revival series which is slated for release on July 18. The Nokia 6205 bat phone will be available as early as Sunday exclusively on Verizon’s online store.

Just like the superhero icon that the 6205 is promoting who doesn’t have that many superpowers, this phone doesn’t promise any usual features either. Except of course the special promotional stuff such as Dark Knight inspired emblem, wallpapers, voices tones, animated screensavers and of course a full movie trailer.

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Beginning next week, Verizon Wireless will be offering their customers discounts that range from $8 to $12 per month via its new plan dubbed the Flex Double Play. This new service applies to customers who combine a Verizon Wireless service plan with broadband or FiOS TV.

The discount will also apply to customers who have Verizon’s basic 3mbps DSL service plan or the high speed 20mbps FiOS broadband service. However, the said discount will not apply to Verizon’s 7mbps DSL plan or the 50mbps FiOS service.

This new discounted offer is in response to the increasing number of households who prefer to use cell phones instead of landlines. Somehow, this move was an offshoot of AT&T’s similar discounted offerings for its customers who signed up for wireless and DSL service last year.

To quote Verizon spokesman Bill Kula:

“We remain very bullish on the traditional copper-based phone service, but we also recognize that there’s a growing segment of society that wants to have wireless as its principal home service.”

Read [Yahoo! News]