LG CU500 launches Saturday on Cingular

The handset itself might not be anything spectacular in terms of specification, but one aspect of LG's CU500 clamshell makes it extraordinarily interesting: it's North America's first retail HSDPA handset. A little private investigation on our part (meaning we called a few stores) reveals that the phone officially drops in Cingular's 3G markets tomorrow, but several persistent individuals have managed to get stores in the Boston and Atlanta areas to part with their units a day early. HowardForums has a rather active thread heralding the news, which you can read after you give your local store a call, eh?

[Thanks, The Bullfrog]

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 2:11PM]

HORRAY for HSDPA!!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 2:18PM]

Any stores in chicago?????

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 2:36PM]

Tethering?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 2:55PM]

Looks like Cingular is changing their boxes as well. Lots of blue....ATT name change must be coming soon.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 3:16PM]

Any idea on cost (w-w/o contract?)

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 3:42PM]

The New York pricing sheet I was able to pull up had the following on it:

$279.99 out the door
$229.99 1yr contract
$179.99 2yr contract (knock $20 off if you add a Media plan at the point of sale, and if you take an unlimited Internets plan there's a $50 mail-in rebate on top of it).

It's the same in the other 3G market I was able to check (Baltimore/DC). Rebates on 2yr only.

Still, $110 for HSPDA is a good way to get people in the game.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 3:42PM]

crap... and all of us here in good ol' central florida get to wait THREE MORE FSKING MONTHS!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 3:54PM]

Then NOKIA 6282 is following and should be out soon?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 4:38PM]

Anyone know when Cingular will have HSDPA in Los Angeles?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 4:55PM]

I just bought 2 in Austin, TX. It was $180-$50 = $120. That includes a $20 discount for media net. I called another store in austin and they had them too.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 10:08PM]

I had the opportunity to play with this phone a few weeks ago. Very solid phone, light, but elegant! I like it very much! And I'm sure you will as well.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2006 10:09PM]

to -_-, hsdpa will release in tampa/orlando sometimes in late july or early august. that is what i heard.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2006 12:49AM]

YEA i had probly the first one!!!!!! but sold it on ebat for 1200.00 (NOT A TYPO) phone was not all that. its okay. i ALso have the Samsung ZX20 right now and this phone ROCKS

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2006 2:05AM]

Here is the updated link to the Howardforums thread. I archived the thread becuause there was a lot of pre-release speculation to sift through.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=957216&page=1&pp=30

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2006 3:37AM]

The Cingular guys at the corporate store in Central New Jersey have had this phone for about a week now. They've had the samsung and other LG UMTS phones for about a month now. Nice phones, just no service down here to make them shine... I'm an envious T-Mobile user... especially since my store just started selling the V3x unlocked...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2006 11:21AM]

Nokia 6282 SCRAPPED for Cingular. Los Angeles rollout of WCDMA will be late fall of this year. Still a LOT of network uogrades going on and taking people off of the legacy Blue network. All a bunch of crap if you ask me. I personally think Cingular is really shooting itself in the foot with this "soft launch" half-ass strategy. Also, look for the At&T name sooner than you think. All of this is confirmed info. EVDO-REV A baby!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 15th 2006 3:49PM]

well, then i guess cingular reps are showing their true nature again: they'd rather sell me (a teenager with a steady cash flow) more crap for my phone than HELP me purchase a new one (for probably more).

thanks (no, seriously, it's taken me WEEKS to find info on that release). now i have to decide: razr k1 or zx-20. dang.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 17th 2006 10:58PM]

When is it available in Connecticut?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 18th 2006 9:37AM]

Corporate pricing on this phone is $ 149.99 with 2 year contract.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2006 1:52PM]

i just wanted to know when will it be released. I mean what is the date for the saturday it will be released. thx.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 27th 2006 11:05PM]

Ok So lets hear from some users who have the CU500. Worth it or not? Actually now you can get the phone free with a 2 yr contract extension.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 3rd 2006 1:36PM]

i have the lg cu500 and i love it!! when i had the motorola v400 and then motorola razr i went through soo many of them - i hate motorola and refused to get another one! my sister and my rooommate have lg and my friend has lg cu500 and since she liked it i got it and i love it! i recommend it!! :)