SmartPhones

This past Summer, Verizon Wireless introduced the latest in its LG line of smartphones, the LG Dare. This is a touchscreen smartphone with a virtual, software QWERTY keypad that emulates the iPhone in many ways, though in most ways with slightly less punch.

Much like the iPhone it (Read this complete iPhone vs. LG Dare Review to compare these smartphones) is so frequently compared against, the LG Dare has a large display screen occupying most of the face of the phone with 3 utilitarian buttons beneath it for:
•    Talk
•    Voice Command
•    End Call

The Home Screen and Menu Screens support drag-and-drop for easy customization.

One of the LG Dare’s flagship features is its digital video recording capabilities, far superior to anything currently available on the market (though undoubtedly not for long). The LG Dare can record up to 120 frames-per-second in VGA mode with 640 x 480 resolution

Even the digital camera for still shots is superior to most others (including the Sprint Samsung Instinct) at 3.2 megapixels and equipped with:
•    auto focus
•    flash
•    a Schneider-Kreuznach lens
•    manual ISO adjustment
•    face detection
•    panorama capabilities
•    SmartPic technology
•    In-camera image editing
•    One-click uploads to social networking websites

This poises the LG Dare to be, if not the iPhone killer it may have been intended to be then at least one of the greatest camera smartphones currently available.

Other prominent features of the LG Dare include:
•    auto-rotate between portrait and landscape views
•    a built-in GPS (using VZ Navigator)
•    TTY support
•    Bluetooth 2.0
•    Built in IM clients (Yahoo, MSN, AOL)
•    128 MB of memory out of the box with a microSD card slot capable of up to 8 GB of expandable memory
•    full HTML web browser
•    multi-format digital music and video players (with Real – maker of RealPlayer – RealRhapsody music store support)
•    USB port
•    3.5 mm headphone jack

And of course, like all modern LG’s, the Dare includes Verizon’s renowned and revered V-Cast music and video technology.

The basic stats on the LG Dare are as follows:
•    4.1 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches
•    3.76 ounces
•    3.0 inch screen with 240 x 400 pixel resolution capable of 262,000 colors
•    Verizon’s proprietary OS
•    Runs on the CDMA 800/1900 MHz network
•    Capable of data speeds of up to 3.1 EV-DO
•    4 hours of talk time

The LG Dare has already been made available for purchase on the Verizon Wireless, at $199 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a 2-year contract. You can, however, opt for only a 1-year contract and pay $249 for the device instead. You can even choose not to commit to any contract or data plan at all, and pay $406 for the LG Dare. It’s your choice.