G'zOne, White Chocolate see launches on Verizon

Ultra rugged or delicate, glossy white -- that is the question. Verizon has gone ahead and launched a couple of its more hotly anticipated handsets this week, the over-engineered G'zOne Type-V clamshell from Casio and the white variant of the LG VX8500 Chocolate slider. While neither phone is going to go easy on the wallet, the G'zOne is the budget buster of the two with a hefty $300 price tag (and not a rebate in sight, mind you). Then again, with water resistance top center on the list of the Casio's features, the phone might just pay for itself the first time it makes it through the wash.

[Thanks, reemusk]

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2006 2:19AM]

The G'Zone has been available in the stores since Oct. 21st, and the White Chocolate was officially released Oct. 31... not exactly breaking news.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2006 4:41AM]

Now why couldn't Verizon at least have the option of leaving it antennaless, like the Japanese version? An antenna seems to be breakable. I wish they would have left the Japanese interface (when you buy the Japanese version from KDDI it already has English after all) instead of using the horrible Verizon interface too. Now if someone would come up with a way to switch the internals of the Japanese and American version (I like the colors too that the US cersion doesn't have)

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2006 8:40AM]

As often as I drop/wash/throw my phones, I may have to go with the G'zOne, although the rubberized piece makes me cringe...

How do you pronounce G'zOne, anyway?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2006 11:03AM]

Pronounced "gee-zone"... the phone seems pretty darn durable and rugged, and the 2.0 mp camera is cool too... but damn that thing is HUGE! And yes a bit pricey too.