The Price: $130 with 2-year Verizon Wireless contract, $300 retail.

The Verdict: For a phone that will be in millions of people's hands no matter what I say, I think the Chocolate 3 has decent specs but isn't worth the money. The browser sucks and it doesn't have nearly as many features as other phones just outside its price range. It's good for making calls, taking pictures and playing music, but not much else.

Still, it's noticeably better than the last version, and supports 8GB microSDHC cards so you can get a decent amount of music on it. The new front screen is very useful and gives access to the bare essentials like music, camera, and text messages when the phone is closed. The control-wheel is responsive, and not as twitchy as old Chocos. It also takes good pictures, and calls and music sound clear.

Since they got rid of the haptic feedback and turned the slider into a clamshell, I don't see how they can still call it a Chocolate, but this isn't a bad phone. It's just not worth the price tag. [Verizon Wireless]

The Price: $180 after $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract, but remember that includes the Bluetooth earpiece.

The Verdict: The combo is obviously useful at a time when law enforcement is getting increasingly hostile to people who hold their phones while driving. My wife is the only person I know who actually got a ticket for talking on a cellphone—and who still refused to use Bluetooth on the grounds that it was too much to remember to charge and carry—so it made sense that she'd be the perfect candidate to give the Decoy a test spin.

"I love it," she told me, after a few days of using the Bluetooth headset everywhere she went, then diligently snapping it back on the phone when she was done. It's comfortable, especially for a one-size-fits-all piece, and it sounded perfectly fine when she was using it to call me. (Traditionally I have not been impressed with LG's Bluetooth execution, so that's a good thing.) When you plug in the phone, the screen says it's charging both batteries.

This being otherwise a fairly run-of-the-mill Verizon slider, there are no big surprises with the interface. Thankfully, it's not a faceful of RED when you turn it on—in fact, you can see here it's a cool, non-Verizony blue. It has a quick launch, so unlike on older LG phones, you don't have to dig deep into menus all the time for favorite functions. My wife's biggest gripe is that, since the directional stick in the middle is also a button, it sometimes points up or down when she's trying to hit OK, or vice versa.

It's no big deal for her, though, since she abhors touchscreen phones. Though I myself am excited by the new touchscreen phones from Sprint, Verizon and of course AT&T, I don't think my wife is alone in her lack of touchscreen interest. And for those people, the good news is that the LG Decoy may be a one-trick pony, but it's a pretty useful—and unique—trick. [LG]

Key is that you can totally customize both main menus—part of the whole appeal of touchscreen UIs is that nothing is set in stone, right? Of course, there are a load of nifty, little features—many of which cheerfully exploit the touchscreen, like the built-in photo editor (combo'd with a 3.2MP camera with face detection), fairly impressive handwriting recognition, and drag 'n' drop calling—that add up to an impressive package overall. And maybe Wilson's favorite, slow-mo video capture at 120FPS.

The problems it does have are ones that have plagued phones for a while: the browser sucks, and Verizon's email and GPS navigation software are painfully retro, in the bad way. Those points aside, color us eager, the first time in a while for a Verizon phone. It'll arrive on July 3 for $199 after contract and $50 mail-in rebate. [LG Dare Full Review]

That should give its march past a million sold new juice, even if your friends have already been playing with it for a few months. It's the first Palm on Verizon's $30 a month Smartphone plan, and runs on their 3G EV-DO network. The $99 price is obviously w/ two-year contract and after $70 mail-rebate (don't forget to send it in!).

PALM CENTRO NOW AVAILABLE ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK

Centro Debut on the Nation's Most Reliable Wireless Network Offers Customers a High-Speed Communications Device with Compact Form Factor, Easy Touch-Screen and Full QWERTY Keyboard

BASKING RIDGE, N.J, and SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM), today announced that the Palm® Centro™ smartphone will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores beginning June 13. Dressed in a crisp cobalt blue, the Centro provides customers with the perfect tool to manage the busiest of lifestyles with voice, text messaging, e-mail and the Web.
Centro runs on Verizon Wireless’ high-speed data network, which gives customers the ability to quickly send and receive e-mail messages and attachments and browse rich Web content. Verizon Wireless customers can also use the Centro as a modem for their laptops when they subscribe to Verizon Wireless’ BroadbandAccess Connect service plan. The handset sports a vibrant color touch-screen, full QWERTY keyboard and a lightweight design.

Centro’s built-in Google Maps™ application delivers quick, reliable directions and lets users perform local searches and view moveable/scalable maps, satellite imagery and traffic updates. Customers can also map a contact’s address directly from the contact application simply by selecting the “maps” button.
Customers using the stylish Centro will get access to VersaMail® 4.0 with built-in Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync® support for Microsoft Direct Push Technology to deliver e-mail and calendar updates from a home or office PC using Outlook® directly to their handsets. Centro users also have the option of using Wireless Sync, Verizon Wireless’ proprietary e-mail solution, for quick and easy access to personal or corporate e-mail, contacts, calendar and tasks from their home or office PC. Wireless Sync supports POP3 or IMAP e-mail accounts and it supports Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Notes® and IBM Lotus Domino®.
The Palm Centro also includes the following features and capabilities:
• Text, picture and video messaging (text messages are presented to customers in a “chat-style” view so customers can see their entire conversation unfold)
• Superior phone functionality, including one-touch speakerphone and conference calling, the ability to respond to a call with text messaging, and the option to use the touch-screen dial pad
• Smart, fast Web browsing using the award-winning Blazer browser
• 2x digital zoom camera with video capture
• Media player with Pocket Tunes™ Deluxe (PlaysForSure-compatible)
• Bluetooth® v. 1.2 with support for hands-free car kits and headset profiles
• 64 MB available user storage and microSD™ memory card slot with support up to 4 GB
• User-friendly, familiar Palm OS® 5.4.9, including one-touch access to key applications
• Small, sleek form factor: 2.1” (l) x 4.2” (w) x 0.7” (d)
• 4.2 ounces with battery
• 320 x 320 pixel color touch-screen and full QWERTY keyboard for easier e-mail, messaging and Web use

Pricing and Availability
The Palm Centro smartphone will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, for $99.99 after a $70 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers may want to pair their Centro voice plan with Verizon Wireless’ E-mail and Web for Smartphone service for $29.99. This is an unlimited monthly data plan for Web browsing and e-mail support for up to eight personal e-mail accounts. To tether the Centro to a laptop with a USB cable, customers may opt to include a BroadbandAccess Connect plan in their service package for $30.
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. Business customers may call 1-800-VZW-4BIZ or contact their Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative.

[Verizon Wireless]

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT WITH HOT NEW LG PHONES FROM VERIZON WIRELESS

Touch-screens, Music and More Offer Customers an Array of Mobile Options

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – For the hottest looks and coolest features in wireless phones this summer, Verizon Wireless is expanding its LG line-up with three devices that offer unique features with loads of possibilities. The LG Dare™, LG Decoy™ and the new LG Chocolate™ 3 are scheduled for their debut on the nation’s most reliable wireless network through July.

“These summer phones join our other popular LG phones – the enV2™, the Voyager™ and the Venus™ – to offer our customers an array of applications, downloadable games, music and other content that is unparalleled in its variety and ability to enhance customers’ lifestyles,” said Mike Lanman, vice president and chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. “By unveiling these devices now, we are giving our customers the opportunity to choose the device that’s right for them, backed by the most reliable wireless network in the nation.”

LG Dare
From the sleek, slim appearance, to the all touch-screen operation, the LG Dare will be the talk of the season. Loaded with multimedia functionality, this 3G V CAST-capable phone has VZ NavigatorSM, V CAST Music, and a 3.2 megapixel still and video camera that automatically adapts to low or unevenly distributed light for better quality pictures. The photo editing tool lets customers turn their photos into personal masterpieces with features that include borders, landscape and a fun doodle feature right on the screen. Customized photos can be uploaded to a social networking site directly from the phone. The intuitive and graphical contact list allows customers to find the right number with the flick of a finger for speedy texting, e-mailing and phoning. Favorite contacts can be reached with a drag and drop photo interface. Additional information on the LG Dare will be available later this month.

LG Decoy
A dream for the multi-tasking consumer, the glossy front and satin back LG Decoy is the world’s first phone to have a Bluetooth® hands-free headset integrated into the design. The headset slips into the back of the device for easy transport and charging. The slider phone also sports a five-way directional joystick for easy navigating through all of Verizon Wireless’ multimedia features such as V CAST Music and V CAST Video. Customers planning to hit the road this summer can download VZ Navigator on the Decoy to get visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations, locate businesses and other points of interest, get maps of a location, and share directions with others. The Decoy will be in stores on June 16.

LG Chocolate 3
Chocolate gets even sweeter this summer, and the latest iteration of this iconic mobile music phone is even more stylish and functional than its predecessors. The new LG Chocolate 3 trades in its slider form factor for a slim flip style that brings with it the quintessential music player complete with control wheel on the outside and an FM transmitter to play music through a car stereo. The new Chocolate is the perfect MP3 player for listening and accessing more than 3 million songs from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music library. It has dual speakers and Bluetooth for wireless stereo sound, and inside is a Gigabyte* of memory to store the latest tunes. Add in the option of expandable memory with an 8 GB microSD™ card, and customers can pack thousands of songs onto this new version of a rock solid winner. The new Chocolate has a 2.0 megapixel camera, so customers can capture the best of summer fun to share with friends. The phone also supports V CAST Video and ESPN MVP, making this marquee mobile music device more than just another phone. The LG Chocolate 3 will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and available online in July.

Despite what we and other media have hinted at, despite what Sprint itself is spending a lot of money trying to convey, the Samsung Instinct is not an iPhone killer. To be sure, Samsung and Sprint borrowed liberally from the iPhone playbook when it came to look and feel. But the comparison itself isn't fair: The iPhone is a software platform that is growing every day, soon to have a host of applications that put it squarely in the smartphone category along with BlackBerry, Palm and Windows Mobile. The Samsung Instinct will never be mistaken for a smartphone. Then what is it? It's the best carrier-centric feature phone I've ever seen, a delight to use for many—though not all—of its intended purposes.

Due to business decisions Apple and the US carriers have made, most Americans are still not faced with the choice to buy an iPhone or not. They have to pick the best "feature phone" that their carrier has to offer. That is, a phone that costs somewhere between $50 and $250, built first and foremost to make voice calls, then serve additional social purposes—messaging, photos, etc.—and, finally, offer data connectivity to the web but more importantly to e-mail.

In this array of duties, there are some where the Samsung Instinct falls flat on its kiester, but there are an unusual number of ways in which this phone makes life easier. I'll start with them, then get to the grimmer stuff:

Snappy Interface: Other touchscreen phones we've seen have annoying split-second lags. The Instinct, for the most part, does not. Some of its visuals were obviously borrowed from Apple, such as pop-up option screens, lists of settings, etc., but at the same time it has features that are original, albeit inspired by Cupertino: When a call comes in, you tap the center then slide up to accept or slide down to ignore. Hanging up is a slide from left to right. (The phone interface has other cool features, too, like "personal" call history for each of your contacts—so don't go cheatin'—and the ballyhooed visual voicemail, which unfortunately wasn't available to test at this time.) The UI only got stuck a couple of times, and never permanently. As with any other "natural" interface, it takes a few minutes to figure out the physics of the system, but once you do, it's intuitive.

Favorites: The Home button actually takes you to one of three panels, Favorites, Main and Fun. When you get the phone, the Favorites pane is blank, but you can add all kinds of stuff. As you can see up top, I've added Weather, E-mail, Alarm, Camera, Navigation and Settings, but it can get so specific, you can have a Favorites button for sending text messages to Brian Lam, cuing up your "I'm So Sad" emo song playlist, or launching Gizmodo.com. This sounds retardedly obvious, but I can't think of a carrier phone that lets you do it. Certainly not the Voyager, the Glyde, the Venus, the Rumor or any other Verizon or Sprint phone that comes to mind.

E-Mail: Feature phones most typically have bad e-mail programs, some of them hidden away where you can barely find them. The message? Do Not Use! But on the Instinct, the e-mail program is really easy to setup, with all the major webmail providers preconfigured for instant log-ins. You can put in more than one account, naturally, and easily jump from one to the next. The mail's vertically oriented view is great, with header frozen in place at the top of the screen and the message itself scrolling along with an iPhone-like flick of finger. And you are alerted to new e-mails with a blue star on the top of the phone's screen.

Web Apps: I'll get to the web browser down below (yes, in the "grim" section), but first I want to sing praises for the numerous web apps on the phone. Weather, News, Sports—your typical need-in-a-hurry information—have been organized in an attractive way that delivers maximum info with the least effort on your part. Sports in particular is amazing (and I'm not known for being a sports fan): You tap one of your pre-selected teams to see a schedule. Any game in progress will immediately show a score. Tap it and you get stats and a write-up from AP or another wire, plus other data breakdowns as necessary. Photo Viewer: Another feature with some iPhone-like traits, the photo viewer lets you finger through your images in either a grid of shots or a Cover Flow-like stream of them. Videos you shoot are in there, too. You can add photos from your computer by copying them to existing folders or, better still, creating your own folders. This means you can have a nice organized gallery of pics, separated out how you want. You don't just have to settle with looking at shots from the passable but by no means award-winning built-in 2-megapixel cam. (There's an auto upload feature too, but it has PhotoBucket and MySpace but not Flickr, Picasa or Facebook, so I'm going to ask Sprint the deal with that.)GPS Navigation: Usually, I'm down on cellphone turn-by-turn GPS navigation, but Telenav has finally gotten it right, ahead of everyone. AT&T and Sprint both use it, but this is the first time I've really been happy with it, even in areas of questionable phone coverage. It's still an iffy proposition if you're in the middle of nowhere, but it works better than any I've seen, and looks far better than Verizon's sorry also-ran, VZ Navigator. (Hint to Verizon: Ditch your white-label software provider and pay a few more bucks for Telenav.) My only complaint is that the live map itself isn't oriented horizontally, like portable GPS products are.Voice Command: This is something that the iPhone lacks, and that's a shame. I have been a fan of voice command for years, especially the stuff built by VoiceSignal (now part of Nuance, the Dragon NaturallySpeaking people). The better Samsung and Motorola phones use it, so it's no surprise to find it here, but the good news is, it works. Not only can you dial people quickly, but you can pull up a text message or picture mail ("Send picture to... Dad"). Though you still have to tap the screen a few times after you've got your message cued up, the voice command eliminates a lot of menu digging.

There are a few features that work well in most instances, but have weaknesses that shouldn't be overlooked:Touch Typing: The typing feature looks a lot like the iPhone's, only it doesn't have the pop-up letters, and doesn't let you shift letters on the fly or auto-correct. However, for some reason, when I've typed on it quickly, everything has looked good. It's like the iPhone in that sense: When you just plunge ahead, results are better. In most scenarios, you can choose whether to type horizontally with QWERTY config or vertically with letters in alphabetical order. In some cases you can even get a third option: graffiti. Yep, like the Palms of yore, the Instinct lets you scrawl in characters one at a time. I can't imagine why you would, and frankly this implementation isn't very good, but it's fun to know what's hidden beneath the surface here.

Music Player: By the look of the thing, it should be fine. It's got all the typical categories, and unlike some Sprint and Verizon phones, it was clearly designed to support your own files as well as purchases from the carrier music store (if anyone was dumb enough to buy music that way). It's a decent player, but it has a potentially fatal flaw: It can't read all MP3 tags, only most of them. That means your "All Songs" lineup will have tracks by artists you can't see under "Artists." The saddest part is that you can't fix it with any hocus pocus either on the phone or on your computer.

Video Player: At the top of the TV/Video menu, there's a "My Videos" option, where you can see stuff you've recorded or sideloaded. I dumped in four different kinds of videos, and while my .avi, .mov, and .mpg failed, the one that worked was a .mp4. It was a Postal Service video, and it looked really good. The file type gave me hope that my vast iPod/iPhone-friendly video library would also be supported, but though the files show up in the queue, they do not play. That means a buttload of time consuming file conversion for yet another device... yippee!

The semi-bungles above can be tolerated, either by working with them or just totally ignoring them. But the Instinct gets one big ole check-minus in particular:

Web Browser: I gotta say it: The Instinct's browser is an ABYSMAL failure of design. It's not that I'm surprised. Nobody has pulled off the mobile browser quite like Apple has. But for some reason, despite Sprint's EV-DO Rev. A network, the browser is slow slow slow, too slow to do much of anything. Beyond that, the interface is streamlined almost to the point of unusability. I can't figure out a way to add a current page to favorites, and zooming in and out requires a tap of a button, that increases or decreases the page—again, very slowly—to an arbitrary size. As you can see in the gallery below, it's junk, and I don't see myself using it. There are some other issues that I had with the phone: I turned off the vibration feedback, since it seemed out of sync with the visuals and was frankly just annoying. As you probably guessed, you still can't make your own songs into ringtones, and you can't even turn Sprint's Music Store songs into ringtones either (full 3MB song download for $1.99 vs. 500KB partial song download for $2.50—you do the math). The ringtone-getting process was a bitch, partly because it's based on that slow-ass browser. I mentioned the camera wasn't award-winning, and I will stress that again, though in video mode, it seemed to do the trick in most well-lit cases.

The last thing I want to mention is that the phone has an all-you-can-eat service price of $99 per month that includes EVERYTHING. That is to say, everything but song downloads and some very peripheral video-on-demand options. Most streaming vid and music is included, all data for e-mail, all messaging including video mail, unlimited use of the GPS navigation, plus unlimited talk time. I believe that's a pretty good price when you consider all of the features. The key with a plan like that is to have a phone where those features can be used. That's what the Samsung Instinct is, to me—the best feature phone option for people who don't mind playing in Sprint's walled garden of services, but don't want to feel like a chump. I've been playing with it nonstop for days now, and it continues to impress me. And while I'm no iPhone fanboy, I'm not easily impressed. Now, if only Verizon would get something this nice...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 5, 2008

VERIZON WIRELESS TO ACQUIRE ALLTEL; WILL EXPAND NATION’S MOST RELIABLE WIRELESS NETWORK

Verizon Wireless has entered into an agreement with Alltel Corporation and Atlantis Holdings LLC, an affiliate of private investment firm TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners, to acquire Alltel Corporation in a cash merger. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD).

Under the terms of the agreement, Verizon Wireless will acquire the equity of Alltel for approximately $5.9 billion. Based on Alltel’s projected net debt at closing of $22.2 billion, the aggregate value of the transaction is $28.1 billion.

The parties are targeting completion of the merger by the end of the year, subject to obtaining regulatory approvals.

Once this transaction closes, customers of both companies will have access to an expanded range of products and services, including a premier lineup of basic and advanced devices and an expanded IN Network calling community. Alltel customers also will benefit from advanced services including over-the-air downloadable music from a three-million-song library, and a network that is nationwide, for a uniform coast-to-coast experience. They also will be able to take advantage of industry-leading consumer policies, including Test Drive and Worry Free Guarantee®.

“This move will create an enhanced platform of network coverage, spectrum and customer care to better serve the growing needs of both Alltel and Verizon Wireless customers for reliable basic and advanced broadband wireless services,” said Lowell McAdam, Verizon Wireless president and chief executive officer.

Alltel serves more than 13 million customers in markets in 34 states. This includes 57 primarily rural markets that Verizon Wireless does not serve. The transaction puts the Alltel markets and customers on a path to advanced 4th generation services as Verizon Wireless deploys LTE technology throughout its network over the next several years. Alltel’s customers also will reap the benefits of Verizon Wireless’ Open Development initiative, which welcomes third-party devices and services to use the Verizon Wireless network.

Verizon Communications, the owner of the majority stake in Verizon Wireless, expects that the transaction will be immediately accretive, excluding transaction and integration costs. “This is a perfect fit, with Alltel’s high-value post-paid customer base, its solid financials, our common network technology, and significant, readily attainable synergies,” said Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon chief executive officer and chairman of the Verizon board. “Verizon Wireless’ acquisition of Alltel clearly provides opportunities for enhanced value for Verizon shareholders.”

Alltel President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Ford will continue in his current position as head of Alltel until the merger is completed.

“Both Alltel and Verizon Wireless have long track records of delivering a high-quality customer experience in the marketplace,” Ford said. “The combination of our two companies will continue and improve upon that heritage as, together, we can more quickly deliver an expanded range of innovative products and services to our customers.”

Verizon Wireless expects to realize synergies with a net present value, after integration costs, of more than $9 billion driven by reduced capital and operating expense savings. Synergies are expected to generate incremental cost savings of $1 billion in the second year after closing.

Alltel and Verizon Wireless both use a common network technology, which provides advantages of a seamless transition for Alltel customers, ease in integrating the two companies’ networks, and scale efficiencies in operating the larger integrated network.

Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to Verizon Wireless on this transaction and is providing bridge financing. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP acted as legal advisor to Verizon Wireless.

Citibank, Goldman Sachs and RBS advised the sellers on the transaction. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as legal advisor to Alltel, and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Ropes & Gray LLP acted as legal advisors to the sellers.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Alltel

Alltel delivers voice and advanced data services nationwide to more than 13 million customers. Headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Alltel is a Forbes 500 company with annual revenues of nearly $9 billion.

About TPG Capital

TPG Capital is the global buyout group of TPG, a leading private investment firm founded in 1992 with more than $50 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, New York, Minneapolis, Fort Worth, Menlo Park, Washington, D.C., Melbourne, Moscow, Mumbai, Paris, Luxembourg, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. TPG Capital has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, joint ventures and restructurings. TPG Capital’s investments span a variety of industries including media and communications, financial services, travel and entertainment, technology, industrials, retail, consumer and healthcare. Please visit www.tpg.com.

About GS Capital Partners

Since 1986, Goldman Sachs has raised fourteen private equity and mezzanine investment funds aggregating $69 billion of capital and leverage commitments. GS Capital Partners is the private equity vehicle through which The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. conducts its privately negotiated corporate equity investment activities. GS Capital Partners is currently investing its GS Capital Partners VI fund. GS Capital Partners is a global private equity group with a focus on large, sophisticated business opportunities in which value can be created through leveraging the resources of Goldman Sachs.

NOTE: This news release contains statements about expected future events and financial results that are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following important factors could affect future results and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements: materially adverse changes in economic and industry conditions and labor matters, including workforce levels and labor negotiations, and any resulting financial and/or operational impact, in the markets served by us or by companies in which we have substantial investments; material changes in available technology, including disruption of our suppliers' provisioning of critical products or services; the impact of natural or man-made disasters or litigation and any resulting financial impact not covered by insurance; technology substitution; an adverse change in the ratings afforded our debt securities by nationally accredited ratings organizations; the final results of federal and state regulatory proceedings concerning our provision of retail and wholesale services and judicial review of those results; the effects of competition in our markets; the timing, scope and financial impacts of our deployment of fiber-to-the-premises broadband technology; the ability of Verizon Wireless to continue to obtain sufficient spectrum resources; changes in our accounting assumptions that regulatory agencies, including the SEC, may require or that result from changes in the accounting rules or their application, which could result in an impact on earnings; and the ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions.

Alltel adds one million gross wireless customers in the first quarter

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Alltel achieved record customer growth in the first quarter, adding more than 1 million gross customers for the second consecutive quarter. Net customer additions also hit a new high with a 63 percent increase year-over-year.

"We are pleased with our results across the board, and I am extremely proud of our team for staying focused in our first full quarter under new ownership," said President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Ford. "We are off to a strong start for the year, with consolidated EBITDA up 18 percent year-over-year."

Alltel completed its merger with an affiliate of TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners in November 2007 and ceased trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Among the highlights for the first quarter:

• Revenues were $2.3 billion, an 11 percent increase from the same period a year ago. The company reported a net loss of $125 million, due primarily to significant increases in interest costs and depreciation and amortization expense following the completion of the merger.

• Alltel added just over 1 million gross customers through internal growth, a 26 percent increase from a year ago. Post-pay net additions were 163,000, up 50 percent year over- year, and pre-pay net adds were 183,000. Reseller net adds, which Alltel is including this quarter in order to be consistent with industry practice, were 39,000. Total net adds were 385,000, an all-time high.

• Post-pay churn was 1.34 percent, essentially flat year-over-year, and total churn was 1.83 percent, up 6 basis points year-over-year.

• Average revenue per wireless customer (ARPU) was $53.64, up 2 percent from last year. Data revenue per customer reached a new high of $7.50, a 60 percent increase year-over-year.

• Consolidated EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) was $847 million, an 18 percent increase from the same period a year ago.

A table describing consolidated EBITDA and reconciling net income to consolidated EBITDA is included in the schedules accompanying this release.

Alltel operates America's largest wireless network, which delivers voice and advanced data services nationwide to more than 13 million customers. Headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., Alltel is a Forbes 500 company with annual revenues of nearly $9 billion.

Alltel claims the protection of the safe-harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are subject to uncertainties that could cause actual future events and results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future events and results.

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

The Price: $130 after rebate.

The Verdict: If you liked the enV, you'll go nuts over the enV2—a remarkable improvement in almost every conceivable way. Check them out, body to body, interface to interface, right here.

The enV2 actually isn't a whole lot smaller than the original enV—it just looks that way because the design is a lot smarter. Initial impression might be that it's an altogether different beast than the enV, but once you dive in, you find it's actually just a more highly evolved creature.

For instance, you won't have to relearn the key layout—it's the exact same, crammed into the tighter space by thinning the keys a bit and reducing the spaces between them. They're a smidge taller, so they're not harder to hit. And the front of the phone is light years better—the numbers are a lot more satisfying and easier to press.

Happily, the streamlined redesign doesn't stop at the sleeker body—the interface is cleaner, simpler and more intuitive. Fonts are larger and sharper (a big deal on a text-oriented phone), and the colors seems to pop more even though the screen resolution is the same as the original.

The major problem is that e-mail is still not nearly as robust as it should be, which is a crime on a phone built for messaging. Using one of the built-in services, like Yahoo or Hotmail is less of a travesty than pulling in my Gmail account, which was slow loading, with several some messages rendered as gibberish. But Yahoo's formatting still left a lot to be desired. Mobile browsing is obviously terrible, but I wasn't expecting it to be good in the first place. The browser can wait; Verizon needs to fix the e-mail situation pronto.

Final word: If you liked the enV or text like a fiend and don't wanna shell out for the Voyager, this a good 'un to whittle your thumbs away on. Not a smartphone substitute by any means, but a solid one for the teen or texter crowd. [Verizon Wireless]

• When the rollout is already slower than people initially hoped, the aforementioned delays are never good.

• Aside from the Nokia N810, Asus Eee PC and Everex Cloudbook, Xohm lacks any mainstream WiMax-compliant devices, and we were hoping CTIA 2008 would be a good time to hear about them. An infrastructure is only as good as its end-user products (and vice-versa).

• Speaking of that, where are Intel's WiMax-compatible chips? What about the 20% of 2008 devices scheduled to have WiMax? What about the Montevina chipsets allegedly eagerly awaited by Lenovo, Acer, Asus, Panasonic and Toshiba? WiMax needs some love from its $2 billion champion.

• Xohm partners we spoke to were under the impression that a full Xohm demo would be set up for CTIA. However, Wired's Joe Brown attended Nokia's press conference and noted the N810 WiMax Edition Tablet was demoed over Wi-Fi. What's up with that?

• Similarly, while previewing the N810's HAVA Player at Nokia's booth, the Hava rep told me he was using Wi-Fi for demos because the Xohm booth just across the hall didn't have a strong enough WiMax signal. Laptop Magazine even suffered dropped connections inside the Xohm booth. What ever happened to 10Mbps at 10 kilometers?

• The WiMax demos that did work seemed promising, but the people running the booth operated with a healthy amount of paranoia. We weren't allowed to get too hands-on and they tried to kill our photos, suggesting perhaps things weren't as fully functional as they seemed.

• An early WiMax service rolled out in Australia last month suffered an EPIC FAIL, quickly closed up shop and prompted the CEO to say "WiMax may not work." Could Xohm be suffering from similar problems?

• WiMax's direct 4G competition, LTE, chosen by America's two biggest and most powerful wireless carriers, already seems to be gaining steam, not to mention showing well in recent demos.

So guys, anything we can do to help? I want the future of technology to actually make it to the future. Lord knows I'd feel better knowing I could play World of Warcraft lag-free while sitting in the middle of the Mojave Desert, not that I own WoW or plan to visit the Mojave Desert, but you never know. Seriously, just give me my damn WiMax already!!

Signed,
Adrian Covert

VERIZON WIRELESS UNVEILS TRAFFIC AVOIDANCE AND OTHER NEW FEATURES ON POPULAR VZ NAVIGATOR SERVICE

LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - From CTIA WIRELESS 2008, Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Networks In Motion (NIM), the award-winning wireless navigation and hyper-local search company, announced today that the newest version of VZ NavigatorSM will be available in April on select consumer phones and Windows Mobile devices. With the new VZ Navigator (Version 4), customers in 75 cities from coast to coast will be able to access traffic incidents, traffic updates and find detours around traffic congestion and accidents; more cities are expected to be added in the coming year. In addition, VZ Navigator will offer 3D perspective view, a movie and events finder, weather reports and forecasts, and gas prices at nearby gas stations.

Powered by Networks In Motion, Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator service is a location-based service (LBS) application that utilizes GPS technology and real-time information feeds. When the new version launches in April, customers in 75 cities will be able to access the new traffic integration feature. In these markets, routes will be calculated using both historical and real-time reported traffic information - the historical information will allow customers to see on average whether the traffic is impacted by traffic lights, heavy traffic or school zones. VZ Navigator's historical data covers over 750,000 miles of roads in 48 states across the nation, making travel time estimates more accurate. The incident and flow information will tell customers how traffic is flowing, and will include details about reported accidents, disabled vehicles and congestion. NIM's Traffic Tracking Center continually monitors conditions along the customers' routes, sending proactive alerts to drivers about conditions ahead of them on their chosen routes. Detour options allow for comparison of ETA and conditions, before selecting a new route. Traffic information is powered by NAVTEQ Traffic.

Lee Daniels, vice president of consumer product development for Verizon Wireless, said, "Real-time reported traffic information and more allows our customers to truly transform their wireless phones into powerful navigation systems, at a fraction of the cost of other GPS devices. When Networks In Motion adds additional functionality to our VZ Navigator service, it enhances our customers' overall wireless experiences."

Other new features customers can expect to see on VZ Navigator (Version 4) include:

* Local Movies and Events - Customers can now search for show times, critics' ratings and other details for movies, concerts, plays, sporting events and other social events based on the physical location of their phones.
* 3D Perspective View - Enhances navigation by displaying maps from angles customers would see through car windshields, making it easier to visualize turn-by-turn directions.
* Gas Finder - Provides customers with information on the location of gas stations close to their physical location and even provides gas prices at many gas stations in the area. Once a customer selects a station, VZ Navigator can also provide turn-by-turn directions to the selected gas station.
* Weather - Provides current weather conditions and forecasts based on the physical location of their phones without manually inputting an address.

Pricing

The newest version of VZ Navigator (Version 4) will be available next month for $9.99 for unlimited monthly access or $2.99 for one-day use on select Get It Now®-enabled phones in the Get Going section under Travel & Guides or Featured Apps. In addition, VZ Navigator (Version 4) will also be available on select Windows Mobile devices. Airtime or megabyte charges and specific terms of use apply when browsing, downloading and using the application. Traffic integration is only available in certain areas. Verizon Wireless customers who currently have a subscription to VZ Navigator can get a free upgrade by simply selecting Options from the main screen of VZ Navigator then selecting Check for Updates. For more information on VZ Navigator, visit www.verizonwireless.com/vznavigator.

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.

VZ Navigator's traffic capabilities will be available on most major highways in the following markets at launch:

Alabama

* Birmingham
* Mobile

Arizona

* Phoenix
* Tucson

Arkansas

* Little Rock

California

* Fresno
* Los Angeles
* Sacramento
* San Diego
* San Francisco
* San Jose

Colorado

* Colorado Springs
* Denver

Connecticut

* Hartford

Florida

* Jacksonville
* Miami
* Naples
* Orlando
* Sarasota
* Tampa
* West Palm Beach

Georgia

* Atlanta

Illinois

* Chicago

Indiana

* Indianapolis

Kentucky

* Louisville

Louisiana

* New Orleans

Maine

* Portsmouth

Maryland

* Baltimore

Massachusetts

* Boston

Michigan

* Detroit
* Grand Rapids

Minnesota

* Minneapolis

Missouri

* Kansas City
* St. Louis

Nebraska

* Lincoln
* Omaha

Nevada

* Las Vegas

New Mexico

* Albuquerque

New York

* Albany
* Buffalo
* New York
* Rochester
* Syracuse

North Carolina

* Charlotte
* Greensboro
* Raleigh

Ohio

* Cincinnati
* Cleveland
* Columbus
* Dayton
* Toledo

Oklahoma

* Oklahoma City
* Tulsa

Oregon

* Portland

Pennsylvania

* Allentown
* Harrisburg
* Lancaster
* Philadelphia
* Pittsburgh
* Wilkes-Barre
* Wilmington

Rhode Island

* Providence

South Carolina

* Greenville

Tennessee

* Memphis
* Nashville

Texas

* Austin
* Dallas
* Houston
* San Antonio

Utah

* Salt Lake City

Virginia

* Norfolk
* Richmond

Washington

* Seattle
* Spokane

Washington, D.C.

Wisconsin

* Milwaukee

• enV2 by LG - The most legitimately new phone of the line is a sequel to the original enV, a bulky but fun text-messaging phone with QWERTY keyboard. This one is slimmer, with bigger keys, SDHC support for 8GB MicroSD cards, and better Bluetooth connectivity. Comes in "sophisticated" black or maroon - $130 after a $50 (mail-in?) rebate

• BlackBerry Curve 8330 - I love a good Curve as much as the next guy, especially one with EV-DO and SDHC support for MicroSDs up to 8GB. But it's going to be a hard one to squeeze in between the $200 Pearl and the $300 8830 World Edition - $270 after a $50 mail-in rebate

• Motorola Q9c - A less-colorful business-minded version of the supposedly media-friendly Q9m, this Windows Mobile 6 smartphone makes use of its aGPS chip by bundling in VZNavigator - $250 after a $50 mail-in rebate

• Windows Mobile XV6900 aka HTC Touch - Yes, the newest of at least 10 Windows Mobile devices in Verizon's lineup, is the one Sprint calls HTC Touch, which brings a marginal amount of touchy-feely finger navigation to the so-over-that WinMo interface - $350 after a $50 mail-in rebate

• Alias by Samsung - A silver version of the existing dual-flip-action SCH-u740, this one has an "updated easy-to-read full" QWERTY keyboard although the original one had some kind of QWERTY action, too - $130 after a $50 mail-in rebate

Don't tell me this is all you got, VZW!! If it is, well, at least you're soon gonna let us port phones from Sprint and Helio.

More info for the genuinely interested:

VERIZON WIRELESS AND LG INTRODUCE THE SLIM enV2™ BY LG

Successor to the Popular enV by LG, the Slim, Stylish enV2 Comes in Two Hot New Colors Along with Larger External Keys and Internal Display

LAS VEGAS, BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN DIEGO - Ahead of CTIA WIRELESS 2008, Verizon Wireless, owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) today announced the enV2™ by LG will be available in April, online at www.verizonwireless.com and at more than 2,400 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores across the nation, including those at Circuit City. The successor to the popular enV by LG, the new enV2 gets a makeover with a new slim redesign and sophisticated black or maroon finish.

The enV2 supports a number of features and services that customers have come to expect in wireless phones from LG and Verizon Wireless, including V CAST Music and Video, VZ NavigatorSM, Bluetooth® capabilities, dual speakers and a 2.0 megapixel camera. The phone's spacious QWERTY keypad with large sized external keys makes messaging easy, while its 2.4-inch internal screen offers crisp, crystal-clear videos and images.

The enV2 is the ideal multimedia device for music and video lovers. Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music store gives customers access to more than 2.8 million songs from both well-known and independent artists to download and blast on the phone's dual speakers. Music aficionados can enjoy the rich, full sound of their favorite tunes anywhere, anytime by simply pairing the enV2 with a Bluetooth Stereo headset or accessory. Customers can also record and save a variety of video clips that can easily be shared with family and friends by using the video recording capabilities on the enV2. A separately purchased external memory microSD™ card allows customers to store their own music or video clips on their phones and move them from their PCs to their phones.

"We are addressing the burgeoning texting trend by spending time asking what consumers want and expect from their mobile devices," said Mr. Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of product strategy and marketing for LG Mobile Phones. "We know the texting audience wants a mobile device that is compact enough to slide easily into pant pockets and handbags without compromising the integrity of the phone's features. The slimmed-down enV2 offers everything consumers loved about the enV with the added benefit of a larger, more spacious internal screen with large easy-to-text keys."

Equipped with access to VZ NavigatorSM, enV2 is also a great companion when on-the-road.

VZ Navigator uses location-based services (LBS) to provide audible turn-by-turn navigation and the ability to find more than 14 million points of interest, from ATMs and gas stations to restaurants and tourist destinations. The enV2 by LG also offers the following features and capabilities:

* Mobile Web 2.0SM-capable - customizable, enhanced wireless access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more
* Get It Now®-capable - download games, ringtones, wallpapers and more
* Wireless Sync E-mail (BREW® e-mail Client) capability
* Instant Messaging using AIM®, WL Messenger®, and Yahoo!®
* 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder:
o Self-Portrait capabilities and external LCD for self-portraits
o Camera Resolutions: 1600 x 1200 (default), 1280 x 960, 640 x 480, 320 x 240 pixels
o Image Editor - rotate, zoom, crop
o Digital Zoom: up to 10x (zoom varies by image size; camera setting of 1600 x 1200 pixels does not support zoom function)
o Video Resolutions: 320 x 240, 176 x 144 (default) pixels
o Video Player for WMV, MP4, 3GP, 3G2 formats
* Music Player for .mp3, .wma, and unprotected .aac and .aac + files
* microSD memory port with up to 8 GB support - store music, customer generated pictures and video (not all downloaded content may be moved to the microSD card)
* Supported Bluetooth Profiles - compatible with devices that support headset, hands-free,* dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo), phone book access, basic printing, basic imaging, object push for vCard and vCalendar and file transfer
* Auto view and Text to Speech, so text messages can be heard aloud
* 1,000 address book contacts with five numbers, two e-mail addresses and a Picture ID for each entry (Picture ID is dependent on photos stored in My Pictures)
* Function Key - customizable for 10 shortcuts
* Frequency: 1.9 GHz CDMA PCS, 800 MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band)
* Dimensions: 4.00" (h) x 2.13" (w) x 0.65" (d)
* Weight: 4.23 ounces
* Standard Battery: 950 mAh Li-Polymer
* Up to 320 minutes of usage time or up to 520 hours of standby time
* TTY/TDD support
* Hearing aid compatible (M3/T3-Rating)

The enV2 by LG will be available for $129.99 after a $50 rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. 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.

VERIZON WIRELESS INTRODUCES THE BLACKBERRY CURVE SMARTPHONE

Sophisticated Full-QWERTY BlackBerry Curve 8330 Delivers Uncompromising Communications, Rich Multimedia Features, VZ Navigator and Broadband Speeds

LAS VEGAS, BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and WATERLOO, Ontario - Ahead of CTIA WIRELESS 2008, Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation, today announced the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 smartphone will be available in May. Packaged in a liquid silver-colored finish with chrome highlights, smooth edges and soft curves, the BlackBerry Curve 8330 is backed by Verizon Wireless' high-speed Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) network. This small and light smartphone has rich multimedia capabilities and is VZ NavigatorSM-capable. VZ Navigator is Verizon Wireless' location-based service that offers customers mapping, audible turn-by-turn navigation and access to information on more than 14 million points of interest.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330, RIM's smallest and lightest full-QWERTY smartphone, combines stylish looks with the tools people need to manage their professional responsibilities, maintain personal communications and entertain their senses.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 offers the following capabilities and key features:

* Small and light design that is easy to handle and use; measures 4.2" x 2.4" x 0.6"and weighs only 4 ounces
* Large, vibrant 320 x 240 display, with light sensing technology that automatically adjusts brightness for optimal viewing in outdoor, indoor, and dark environments
* Responsive, highly-tactile full-QWERTY keyboard and RIM's intuitive trackball navigation system
* Premium phone features including: noise cancellation technology to offset background noise, Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), dedicated "send," "end," and "mute" keys, low-distortion speakerphone, and Bluetooth® 2.0, with support for hands-free headsets, stereo headsets (Bluetooth stereo audio profile A2DP/AVRCP), car kits and other Bluetooth accessories
* 2.0 megapixel camera with support for video recording*, self-portrait mirror, enhanced flash and 5X zoom
* Easy access to the popular Facebook® for BlackBerry® Smartphones application
* 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack and dedicated volume controls
* Advanced media player and enhanced desktop media manager software that makes it easy to move media files between a PC and the BlackBerry Curve 8330 - USB Data Cable comes in-box
* MicroSD™/SDHC memory card slot, providing plenty of additional storage (up to 8 GB)
* HTML web browser delivers a fast, rich browsing experience and supports streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com (3GPP RTSP streaming protocol over EV-DO)
* A removable, rechargeable battery, rated for up to 260 minutes of talk time and up to 11 days of standby time
* In-box accessories include: a stereo headset, travel charger and premium tote sleeve

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone is supported by BlackBerry® Internet Service that gives customers access to up to 10 supported POP3 and IMAP personal and corporate e-mail accounts, including most popular ISP e-mail accounts. It is also supported by BlackBerry® Professional Software for small businesses and BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for enterprise deployments, enabling advanced security and IT administration within IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® environments.

The BlackBerry Curve 8330 smartphone will be available at www.verizonwireless.com and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, for $269.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase. Customers who purchase a Verizon Wireless Nationwide voice plan can also subscribe to the E-Mail and Web for BlackBerry plan for an additional $29.99 per month while those opting for a data-only plan can pay $34.99 per month for unlimited e-mail and access to the Internet.

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. Business customers should contact a Verizon Wireless Business Sales Representative directly at 1-800-VZW-4BIZ.

* Video recording requires a microSD memory card, sold separately.

VERIZON WIRELESS EXPANDS ITS MOTO Q LINE-UP WITH THE ADDITION OF THE MOTO Q 9C

Sleek MOTO Q 9c Smartphone Keeps Busy Professionals on Track with GPS Navigation

LAS VEGAS, BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. - Ahead of CTIA WIRELESS 2008, Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) announced today the April availability of the MOTO™ Q 9c, the newest addition to Verizon Wireless' MOTO Q family, that comes equipped with Verizon Wireless' popular VZ NavigatorSM service. Customers may purchase MOTO Q 9c in April through Verizon Wireless business sales channels, at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, and online at www.verizonwireless.com.

Similar to its predecessors - the exclusive MOTO Q 9m and the original MOTO Q - the MOTO Q 9c from Verizon Wireless offers professionals an indispensable productivity tool wrapped in a sleek and fashionable design. The MOTO Q 9c is the ideal smartphone for business professionals who are on-the-road and offers powerful capabilities, including access to more than 14 million points of interest with Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator service. Customers can receive visual and audible turn-by-turn directions to a destination, locate business meeting destinations, ATMs, restaurants, and other places in an area, get a map of a location, bookmark favorites and recent searches, and even share locations with others - all from their MOTO Q 9c smartphones.

MOTO Q 9c operates on Verizon Wireless' wireless broadband network and features Windows Mobile® 6 Standard software, which offers customers a robust and familiar experience to help manage their lives by staying connected to their contacts, calendar and entertainment. With Windows Mobile 6.0, customers are able to easily configure virtually any POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts, and they can read, edit, and create Microsoft® Word®, Excel® and PowerPoint® documents via the Documents To Go® application.

"Verizon Wireless has embraced the MOTO Q family, recognizing that not all smartphone users have the same priorities. Verizon Wireless customers can find the MOTO Q that meets their multi-tasking needs, while on-the-go," said Juergen Stark, corporate vice president of Productivity, Mobile Devices, Motorola, Inc.

MOTO Q 9c offers all of these features wrapped in a sturdy design. The optimized QWERTY keyboard on MOTO Q 9c has been engineered for fast and accurate typing, with dedicated "hot keys" for shortcuts to popular applications, including e-mail, multimedia and Internet. The handset's large 2.4-inch color display boasts innovative adaptive technology to automatically adjust for optimized brightness in indoor or outdoor lighting conditions to maximize battery life. MOTO Q 9c also offers a 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and fixed focus as well as video capture and playback. With MOTO Q 9c phone's 128 MB of on-board memory and optional removable memory future-proofed up to 32 GB, sold separately, customers have plenty of room to store their photos and other multimedia.

MOTO Q 9c also combines advanced phone capabilities, such as voice-activated dialing, smart contacts dialing, speakerphone, and Stereo Bluetooth® wireless technology supporting both Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP profiles.*

Pricing

MOTO Q 9c will be available online and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase. Verizon Wireless Nationwide E-mail plans for MOTO Q 9c begin at $79.99 for 450 anytime voice minutes and unlimited e-mail. VZ Navigator is available for $9.99 for monthly access.

VERIZON WIRELESS UNVEILS STYLISH, INTUITIVE XV6900 FOR MOBILE PROFESSIONALS

The XV6900 Features an Easy-to-Use Touch-Screen, Simple User Interface, and Quick Access to Games, E-Mail and More

LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Ahead of CTIA WIRELESS 2008, Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, today announced the XV6900 will be available in April through Verizon Wireless business sales channels, at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com. The Verizon Wireless XV6900 is a stylish, compact and versatile touch-screen phone, optimized for easy navigation with the swipe of a finger and runs on Verizon Wireless' network, which gives the pure white XV6900 fast Internet and e-mail connectivity.

The XV6900 from Verizon Wireless takes touch to the next level with smooth navigation. Whether customers are accessing local weather reports, navigating to the Internet, flipping through photos, or one-touch dialing of loved ones, they can interact with a myriad of the XV6900's features with just a flick of their fingers.

The Verizon Wireless XV6900 leverages the broad functionality and communication capabilities of Windows Mobile® 6 Professional with access to Outlook Mobile® for smooth e-mail integration, Office Mobile and the ability to run a bevy of third-party applications. Verizon Wireless customers will also have the ability to surf the Web through Internet Explorer® Mobile, send and receive e-mails or chat on popular Messenger services including AIM®, MSN®, Yahoo!®. Designed with the sophisticated customer in mind, the Verizon Wireless XV6900 allows customers to view and edit Microsoft Word® and Excel® files, as well as view Microsoft PowerPoint®, Adobe® Reader® LE PDF Viewer and view, extract and create new ZIP files and attachments. The intuitive home screen on the XV6900 provides one-touch access to e-mail, text messages, calendar appointments and contacts, as well as current weather conditions and forecasts for hundreds of cities around the world.

Additional features of the XV6900 include:

* Built-in speakerphone
* Bluetooth® v. 2.0 with support for stereo, hands-free, and headset profiles
* microSD™ memory card slot with support up to 8 GB
* 2.0 megapixel camera with video capture
* 256 MB ROM / 128 MB RAM
* 2.8" TFT-LCD touch-screen with LED backlight
* 3.98" (l) x 2.35" (w) x 0.56" (d)
* Support for Office Outlook Mobile and Microsoft Exchange® with Direct Push

The XV6900 will be available online and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, for $349.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. An additional $100 credit toward the purchase of the handset is available for customers who sign up for qualifying voice and data plans at the time of purchase.

VERIZON WIRELESS INTRODUCES THE ALIAS™ BY SAMSUNG

Slim, Dual-Hinge Flip Phone Gets Updated Full-QWERTY Keyboard and Stylish Silver Finish

LAS VEGAS, BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and DALLAS - Ahead of CTIA WIRELESS 2008, Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) announced the Alias™ by Samsung will be available in mid-April. The successor to the popular Samsung SCH-u740, the Alias will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com or in any of the 2,400 Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City.

The Alias sports the familiar dual-hinge design of the SCH-u740 but is packaged in a cool silver finish and features an updated easy-to-read full-QWERTY keyboard, making the phone ideal for sending text messages and e-mails. When customers open the Alias vertically, the phone is a sleek and stylish clamshell phone.

When the Alias is opened horizontally, the QWERTY keyboard is revealed to show its new color-defined numbers and letters. In addition to sending text messages, customers can use Wireless Sync, Verizon Wireless' proprietary personal information management solution, to synchronize their phones with their home or office PCs for easy access to e-mail, calendar, contacts and task information. The horizontal view is ideal for using the Alias' multimedia features, including Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music and Video services. With V CAST Music, customers can choose from more than 2.8 million songs from well-known and independent artists to download over-the-air directly to their phones or transfer their own music collection from their PCs to their phones. With V CAST Video, customers can download or stream video clips from the best names in news, sports and entertainment.

Additional features of the Alias include:

* 1.3 megapixel digital camera with flash
* Camcorder
* Get It Now® - downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and more
* Mobile Web 2.0SM - customizable, enhanced wireless Internet access to the latest in news, sports, weather and more
* Instant Messaging using AIM®, MSN®, Yahoo!®
* Text, picture and video messaging
* Bluetooth wireless technology - Object Push Profile for vCard, headset, car kits, serial port and certain dial-up networking profiles
* Expandable memory with external microSD™ card slot
* Dimensions: 3.8" x 2.04" x .58"; 3.65 ounces with standard battery
* Bilingual user interface: English and Spanish
* TTY/TTD Capable
* Personal organizer with Calendar, Calculator, Notepad, Currency Converter, Alarm Clock, World Time and Stop Watch

The Alias will be available in mid-April for $129.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or visit www.verizonwireless.com.

1) Can I move my old Sprint or Helio phone—or get really crazy and bring a Korean CDMA phone—over to Verizon Wireless?
Sure, as long as they run on the same CDMA frequencies as Verizon's network—800 and 1900MHz, are the North American CDMA bands. After Verizon certifies a submitted model of handset or PDA, all you'll have to do is register it on Verizon's website (a process similar to iPhone registration). So porting your beloved Ocean or Mogul should be no problem.

Better yet, you'll be able to buy third-party stuff outside of Verizon stores and still get service: a lot of major players are extremely interested in the open network, including Toshiba, Ericsson, HP and Motorola among others. The whole thing starts in the "second half" of the year—hopefully sooner than December.

2) What can developers do now that they couldn't do before?
Developers can build devices and applications that run on Verizon's network without going through most of Verizon's red tape. As David McCarley, executive director of technology, said, "Anything that can take advantage of an IP address is in play." The specs for open devices are basically just industry standards with a few "Verizon supplements."

Though it's going to be hard for a dude in his garage to build the next wunderphone, a small company with mobile knowhow can develop and get their iPhone-killer certified and on Verizon's network with minimal interference. For a developer, certification takes four weeks, followed by four weeks of testing for a "best practices" sticker. Eight weeks is not very long.

3) What's the deal with applications? Is it really going to be "anything goes"?
Pretty much. Tony Lewis, VP of open development, told us, "We're not restricting any applications because we're not looking at them." That includes VoIP and P2P. Of course, he adds, Verizon is "always going to protect the network, so if something is a hog, we're gonna know the device is doing something." They won't look at packets, perhaps, but they'll count 'em.

Contrary to speculation, open devices won't be running in their own sandbox in the network—they'll be on the same ballfield as Verizon's own devices. So you really can run any app, but if you start crashing someone else's party, they're going to shut your shit down.

4) What's in all this free love for Verizon?
Tony Melone, Verizon's chief technical officer, told us that the open development platform is going to be a "substantial part of our business." But why? "We talk about a concept like Intel Inside. We want something like 'Verizon Wireless inside.'" They want to see people building devices that simply work with Verizon's network, and are labeled as such, the way today gadgets are identified as being compatible with Wi-Fi routers. The difference is, Verizon intends to be everywhere. And of course it will cost money to hop on. All of this openness means heavy subscription fees, naturally.

5) What about new networks, like the upcoming 4G network called LTE?
You might recall a small hullabaloo over Verizon's announcement that its 4G network was going to be LTE, which is a GSM-based network like AT&T's, and also like Verizon's European co-owner Vodafone. Melone says they chose LTE because "really believe LTE is going to be the VHS of 4G technologies." (Glad to see someone learning from all these format wars.)

Verizon's current CDMA and EV-DO network will stick around for quite a while as you might expect, even after Verizon achieves "significant penetration" with LTE in mid-2010, so there will actually be multiple networks. Devices developed with today's CDMA/EV-DO specs won't be dumped after Verizon makes the move to newer, faster hotness. And of course, the open policy will go for the fast LTE network as well.

6) Is this all really BS, or does it put Verizon on par or even ahead of the GSM carriers?
The move to opening the network is pretty genuine as far as we can tell in this preliminary stage. Of course, the pudding might taste different when it hits our plates, but we don't think they'll deviate too far from the recipe they're touting.

After all, GSM operators like AT&T and T-Mobile have always had a degree of openness. Verizon is in a way just catching up. When we ask how this is better than GSM, the standard reply is that Verizon's network is, technically speaking, more awesomer. There could be additional differences down the line, though, because Verizon is pushing open development in a huge way, and putting up an impressive amount of resources up to make it happen. Expect the same "openness" talk from AT&T in the coming weeks, however. Not so much out of the goodness of their hearts—this is just what it takes to survive in the new mobile world. [Verizon Wireless]

Whoa: They've got a massive disclaimer about the FCC's anti-collusion rule on the 700MHz auction, saying they can't talk about it. Translation: They won something.

Open Development New Customer Choice
Customers will have:
•Freedom to download their favorite apps
• Various payment options
•Can choose extent of relationship with Verizon:No "equipment contracts or early termination fees"

The timeline is impressively brisk: "Open for Business" by the second half of 2008, with a certification process in place by the end of this quarter.

They can't talk about enough about just how awesome Verizon's network is.

Hardware developers have a few ways to get their wares into your hands:

Retail Model: Developers on their own for advertising and distribution—Verizon will "activate" customers and get them onto the network "easily." They're also on the hook for most of the technical support. Data plans are totally separate from voice plans to accommodate data-only devices. Electronic bills only, no paper! Three pieces of hardware Verizon gives as "examples": Ruggedized PDA, digital camera with a wireless chip for transmitting photos from anywhere, and a gaming device.

Wholesale Model: Developer buys airtime and data plans from Verizon, then sells them to you. Electronic billing only. Example: Wireless home security (if case some enterprising thief cuts the phone line, it goes wireless).

Custom model coming later, for say, digital music devices. They're willing to offer up their 3 million song catalog. (!)

Certification for Developers: Simple enough: Build a device, submit it to Verizon for network certification, they send it back and the developer registers it.

Activation for You: You buy it at Best Buy or Wally World and activate it online. This is where they roadblock non-certified devices—if the serial number isn't on the certified list, it won't activate, and you can't take it on the network. If it's a wholesale deal, where you buy data from the devicemaker, they take care of all that for you. (Obviously.)

Verizon CTO on stage. Interesting, the IP-based "core network" will be the same even after it transitions to 4G—the shift to LTE is just changing RF. Promises to be really aggressive on 4G since their EV-DO push paid off.

Finally, The Specs and Certification
Requirements are layered from industry standards to Verizon Wireless-branded apps—open devices fall just above industry standards. "Specification is focused on essentials" for operating on the network without harming it. They'll go live today at 11:30am at their online portal for open development.

There will be a fee for certification but they promise it'll be quick—just 4 weeks. It's pass/fail only. The more devices you send in, the quicker it'll be certified.