When our very own Matt Buchanan conducted last year's iPhone Clone Battlemodo, his verdict on the first generation Glyde was as succinct as it was scathing:

"The Glyde is just a truly terrible phone. Most clay bricks are more responsive than its touchscreen, especially around the edges, and the crappy, sluggish Verizon software doesn't help. And its keyboard ain't much better."

I do like the idea of a competitive haptic touchscreen rival to the iPhone. So here's hoping that Samsung and Verizon have lifted their game. It's early days, so no word yet on pricing or availability. [HowardForums via Electronista]

five million songs in your pocket – every one is yours to DISCOVER, play and enjoy

Verizon Wireless Teams Up with Rhapsody to Enhance the Leading Mobile Music Service with Unlimited Subscription Music for $15 a Month and the Simplicity of Digital Rights Management-Free Songs

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SEATTLE – Mobile music enters a new era today as Verizon Wireless and Rhapsody®, the digital music service from RealNetworks® (Nasdaq:RNWK) and MTV Networks, launch V CAST Music with Rhapsody. Combining Verizon Wireless’ world-class, over-the-air mobile music service with Rhapsody’s leading desktop solution, V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and web browsers, for less than the cost of a single CD. In addition, customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played.

With V CAST Music with Rhapsody, Verizon Wireless customers are still able to purchase songs over-the-air for $1.99 and get two copies of the song: the first for their phones, the second for their PCs in the DRM-free MP3 format. When customers download the V CAST Music with Rhapsody Software to their PCs and sign up for the monthly subscription, they have the ultimate music management service, including:

o Unlimited subscription syncing with access to more than five million songs







o Creating and accessing playlists, viewing playlists of other users, including celebrities







o Burning, importing and converting CDs to play anywhere







o Managing an existing digital music collection for free and syncing it to their mobile phones







o Buying non-protected MP3s of songs on the PC for 99 cents per song







o Buying songs on the phone, over-the-air – get two copies of the song for just $1.99 (one is over-the-air, the second master copy is the MP3 file customers download onto their PCs)

By subscribing to V CAST Music with Rhapsody, customers can discover new music from millions of songs, without breaking the bank. Whether a hard core music fan or a casual listener, customers of all music appetites will love the flexibility that 5 million songs give them to discover new music, listen to old favorites and find just the right song to suit their mood.

While Verizon Wireless customers continue to have the ability to get their favorite music while on-the-go via full song over-the-air downloads, ringtones and ringback tones, V CAST Music with Rhapsody also provides them with an award-winning desktop music application, allowing them to sync their favorite music quickly and easily, directly to their mobile phones. Now music lovers will be able to manage their collections with the most comprehensive music management tool and take their music with them anywhere.

John Harrobin, senior vice president of digital media and marketing for Verizon, said, “V CAST Music with Rhapsody fulfills Verizon’s promise to deliver the best mobile experience to our customers. Now, music fans can not only get the benefit of immediate access to music over-the-air, but also – in partnership with Rhapsody – customers can seamlessly integrate the leading mobile music service, available on a choice of devices they carry with them everyday, with the ultimate desktop experience.”

Rob Williams, senior vice president of music products for RealNetworks, noted, “Working with Verizon Wireless, we are able to extend the reach of the award-winning Rhapsody service to millions of mobile phones. V CAST Music with Rhapsody gives mobile phone users the best experience of any music service on the market while also giving them access to unlimited music, whether at home or on-the-go.”

Verizon Wireless customers who simply want to manage or buy music can download the V CAST Music with Rhapsody software for free at www.verizonwireless.com/music. Customers interested in a subscription may sign up for $14.99 monthly subscription online or by visiting a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, including those in Circuit City, or by calling Customer Service at 1-800-2-JOIN-IN.

V CAST Music with Rhapsody will be available on the marquee V CAST Music with Rhapsody device, the Chocolate 3 by LG, when the phone becomes available in July; the service is also available today on select phones, including the LG Decoy™ and LG Dare; MOTO™ W755; Samsung SCH-u550, Samsung Glyde™ and Samsung Juke. Customers using the MOTORIZR Z6tv, MOTORAZR² V9m or LG VX8700 may bring their phones into a Verizon Wireless Communications Store to receive a free software upgrade on their phones to access the service.

For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

To sum that up, the Instinct is easily the best, most feature rich iPhone clone on the block, and at $129, is a steal for Sprint customers. My major problem with it is the touchscreen itself—I think the Vu's touchscreen is way more responsive. (Wilson likes it just fine, favoring it over Verizon's cloneys.) The Vu has everything superficial down right—the touchscreen, keyboard (best of the bunch) and phone body—but is really lacking in the feature department, and therefore not really worth the new $199 price, which hinges entirely on its Mobile TV function. If you married the Vu's body and touchscreen to the Instinct's features and price, you'd have a champion here, and a serious iPhone challenger. Too bad LG and Sammy hate each other.

The Voyager isn't considered an iPhone clone anymore, not in the strictest sense, though most of its problems stem from Verizon software rather than the hardware. As Wilson said in his review last fall, it's ambitious but flawed—and the flaws are mostly on Verizon. I'm really hoping Verizon lets the Dare just breathe, because the Vu proves LG is best left to its own devices. The Glyde is just a truly terrible phone. Most clay bricks are more responsive than its touchscreen, especially around the edges, and the crappy, sluggish Verizon software doesn't help. And its keyboard ain't much better.

One thing they all have in common is a shitty browser. There isn't a mobile browser that touches mobile Safari yet. Even when they could render HTML correctly, moving and zooming around the page (especially ones that aren't mobile optimized) is an exercise in self-control—how long can you take it before stabbing your eyes out. Opera mini does load on the Vu, and it's better than the included browser, but it worked kinda wonikly at times. For me, that's a critical flaw in all of these phones.

Best to worst: Instinct, Vu, Voyager, and Glyde.

UPDATE: Check out our review of the LG Dare, which gives the Instinct a run for its money

Glyde™
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
FEATURES
• Touch Screen
• Full QWERTY Keyboard
• Full HTML Browser
• V CAST Music and Video*
• Bluetooth® Wireless Technology**
- headset (mono and stereo),
handsfree, serial port, dial-up
networking, object push (vCard only),
basic imaging, basic print and phone
book access.
- A2DP/AVRCP
- AVDTP/AVCTP
• 2.0 Megapixel Digital Camera
- Flash, up to 9 Step Digital Zoom,
and Auto Focus
• Camcorder
- MMS Length (30-second clips)
- Normal Length (10-minute clips)
• 72-Note Polyphonic Ringtones
• T9™ Text Input for Easy Text Entry
• Bilingual User Interface (English &
Spanish)
• Personal Organizer: Calculator,
Calendar, Alarm Clock, World Clock,
Stop Watch and Notepad
• Directional Microphone
• Get It Now® Enabled (BREW 3.1.4)*
• Standalone Mode (Airplane Mode)
• Dialing Fonts
• Dual NAM
• Voice Memo
• Advanced Speech Recognition
including Text-to-Speech for Digit Dial
Readout and SMS Readout
• Downloadable Content (Ringers, Wallpapers, Games & Business Applications)
• VZ Navigator® LBS / E911 Enabled*
• Messaging Services - text messaging (SMS), enhanced messaging (EMS), multimedia messaging (MMS), Mobile
Email, Mobile IM
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
• CDMA 1x 800/1900mHz Digital Only EVDO
• Dimensions: 4.09" x 1.97" x .7" (standard battery)
• Weight: 4.13 ounces (standard battery)
• Display: 240 x 440 Pixel, 262K TFT Color
• Standard Battery: 3.7 Volt Lithium Ion, 1000 mAh
• Extended Battery: 3.7 Volt Lithium Ion,1300 mAh
• Usage Time: Up to 210 mins (3.5 hrs) (standard battery); Up to 270 mins (4.5 hrs) (extended battery)
• Standby Time: Up to 250 hrs (standard battery); Up to 325 hrs (extended battery)
• Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4
MEMORY
• Internal Phone Book
- Up to 500 entries with multiple contacts
- Can store one picture with each entry
- One-, Two- and Three-Touch dialing
• Last 90 Incoming, Outgoing and
Missed Call Logs
• microSD™ Memory Card Slot
(Up to 8 GB)
CALL MANAGEMENT
AND SERVICES
• Picture Caller ID*
• Voice Mail*
• Caller ID*
• Call Forwarding*
• Call Waiting*
• Three-Way Calling*
ACCESSORIES
• Standard Battery
• Extended Battery
• Vehicle Power Charger
• Battery Travel Charger
• Travel Adapter
• Data Cable
• Universal Carry Case and Holster
• 2.5 mm 4pole mic/Stereo earbuds
• Bluetooth® Mono Headset
• Stereo Bluetooth® Headset
• Bluetooth® Stereo Speakers
STANDARD PACKAGE
CONTENTS
• Handset
• Standard Lithium Ion Battery
• User Manual
• Quick Reference Guide
• Quick Start Guide
• USB Cable & CD
• Travel Charger