Verizon Turns iPhone Killer Loose
Verizon (VZ) - Get Report pulled back the curtain on Voyager, its hotly anticipated iPhone killer.
As
TheStreet.com
first reported in May, Verizon along with its phone partner
LG
have developed a wide touch screen phone that is similar in style to
Apple's
(AAPL) - Get Report
popular iPhone.
One surprise that may trump Apple's effort is the Voyager's flip-open design featuring a Qwerty-styled keyboard and a second screen. The phone also has a Web browser, media player, Bluetooth, a camera and possibly GPS navigation
No price has been announced, but Verizon does expect to have the phone available around Thanksgiving.
The timing is key for Verizon, which has seen a too many customers switch service to
AT&T
(T) - Get Report
where the iPhone is sold exclusively.
If the Voyager is delivered on time and not terribly flawed, it could give Verizon Wireless - jointly owned by Verizon and
Vodafone
(VOD) - Get Report
- an answer to AT&T and the iPhone.
Verizon also introduced two sleek new music phones and its version of the BlackBerry Pearl from
Research in Motion
(RIMM)
.
Verizon shares were near a 52-week high, up 26 cents to $45.60, in premarket trading Wednesday.