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Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , Alltel , EV-DO , CDMA Alltel isn't typically the first US carrier to release much of anything, with the notable exception of Glimmer . That's alright -- coming it at number five, they probably don't have quite the sway with manufacturers that a Verizon or a Sprint does, for example -- and that'll all change soon enough anyway once the Verizon acquisition goes through. In the meantime, though, Alltel's following Sprint in its release of Motorola's VE20 , a midrange flip with an outer touchscreen, 2-megapixel cam, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It'll be available starting this Thursday for $99.99 with contract and rebate in navy and licorice, but if you're dying to get a head start, you can go ahead and preorder now. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , LG , Motorola , Samsung , Verizon Wireless , EV-DO , CDMA Krave? Knack? New phones listed on Verizon's latest rebate forms has us believing that we may be approaching the product marketing End Times where naming conventions reach a level of silliness never before fathomed. Take, for example, the ZN4 Krave from Motorola -- a phone previously known as the Blaze -- or the Sway and Knack from Samsung, the former being the u650 slider with a 2-megapixel camera. Why can't we just call that one "u650," Verizon? We'd be totally cool with that. Returning momentarily to the land of sanity, LG nabs the VX8360 and VX5500 on the lower end, a market segment where neither real nor made-up words bother finding their way onto the labels. Kind of refreshing, we think -- especially if the alternative is "Knack." Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , Verizon Wireless , EV-DO , CDMA Hey, Verizon customers, you're feeling a little warm to the touch over there. Could it be that you have -- be still our hearts! -- Motorola fever ? As Motos go, Verizon's currently signed up to get two of the hotter upcoming models in the next few weeks, the ZN4 Blaze and the VU30 Rapture , both of which have been spied in the wild once more (looking basically ready for retail launch this time around, may we add). The VU30 is a fashion flip that takes some cues from its GSM-based U9 cousin featuring a glossy translucent shell, fat external display, and according to the latest rumors , a September 9 release date. The Blaze meanwhile looks more or less the same as the last time we saw it, leaving us to wonder what possessed Motorola to keep rolling with that eyesore of a giant, red-ringed medallion on the hinged lid. It's also rumored for a September date with destiny, though the exact day is unclear at this point -- and honestly, Motorola, if you want to push that back a month or two to make the badge less obnoxious, be our guest. [Via phoneArena ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , Verizon Wireless , EV-DO , CDMA Far be it from Verizon to get left out of Motorola's RAZR-ish evolution recently observed in Sprint's VE20 , the VU30 Rapture (no relation to the LG Vu -- trust us) should be hitting Big Red next month according to the latest data we've got on hand . The wait's always excruciating, we know, but phoneArena's picked up a few juicy bits of the user's manual for us all to chew on in the meanwhile. Looking over the documentation, it really is striking to see just how much the VU30 shares in common with its Sprint contemporary: a touch-sensitive external display for music controls, 2-megapixel camera, EV-DO, and a curvy shape that somehow manages to evoke the RAZRs of old without prompting us to gouge our eyes out, for example. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Features , Motorola , Sprint , EV-DO , CDMA We're going to confess a dirty little secret here: when we first started playing with the VE20 , we didn't realize it was being branded and marketed as a RAZR. As we used it, though, it quickly became evident -- no one had to tell us this was a kindred spirit of the V3 . For better or worse, the shape of the phone -- everything from the tapered upper edge of the display to the "chin" beneath the keypad -- looks and feels like an obvious evolution. You might call it a stepping stone in between the V3 and the V9 , and considering that the V3 gets closer to its last breath on store shelves with each passing day (or so we hope), Moto and Sprint need something to slot in there beneath the mighty RAZR 2. Call us insane, but for what the VE20 is, we liked it. It doesn't pretend to be a do-all, end-all superphone, nor does it try to wow you with its premium materials; it's just a decent midrange flip with what seems to be excellent build quality. The screen is exceptionally bright, clear, and rich, and the V9-aping secondary touchscreen is a nice touch (pun intended, of course). One area of concern: it froze up on us once, necessitating a restart, and the music app was completely broken in our tester. Our guess is that this'll be resolved in retail units or via a quick firmware update shortly after launch -- at least, it frigging better be. The VE20 is available today for $99.99 on contract after rebates. Gallery: Motorola MOTORAZR VE20 hands-on Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Motorola , Verizon Wireless , EV-DO , CDMA Verizon has gone ahead and jumped its own gun by a week, launching the rugged Adventure V750 today for a penny under $100 on contract after rebates. The phone becomes the very first on Verizon's network to support Rev. A-based push-to-talk, a quantum leap in robustness and functionality over the older 1xRTT fare; the G'zOne Boulder is expected in the next few weeks, bringing Big Red a pair of durable units that should appeal to the typical PTT crowd. Buyers of the V750 can expect a 2 megapixel camera, external music controls, microSD expansion, GPS, and of course EV-DO Rev. A data, so it's a pretty well-spec'd setup considering its lot in life. [Via phoneArena ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments