Verizon's LG VX9600 Versa hits store shelves today
By Sean Cooper 
posted Mar 1st 2009 5:07PM
posted Mar 1st 2009 5:07PM
Right on -- well, the predicted -- schedule, LG's unique Versa handset hits Verizon Wireless stores nationwide. We've specced, reviewed, and generally fondled this set enough to give us a pretty warm fuzzy feeling about it and if you've about made up your mind by now, plonk that cash down. Pricing is set at $199 on a two-year, $269 on one-year (both after online $50 rebate), and a whopping $449 if month to month is more your thing. Admittedly, while cool and we're really digging where it fits in the market, it is still a feature set and the off contract price is a bit heavy. If anybody has been dying to get their hands on this phone or picked one up today, do let us know what you think.
[Via Boy Genius Report]
[Via Boy Genius Report]
That's way too much to pay for a featurephone, in my opinion. I like the concept, but I wouldn't see myself carrying the different modules around.
So the Versa never actually made it onto our stores displays, but it was a pretty big hit today. Being a Sunday I didn't have the chance to show it to many people and we are a low traffic store anyways. I know that 2 of them in our store were sold. But everybody I showed it to today loved it. 2 of the ones I showed it to were eligible for upgrades. One of them got it and the other ended up with the Storm. It was definitely a hit in our store. People loved the novelty of the removable keyboard, but I think the biggest thing about it was that it was like a Voyager but a lot smaller. If we just made different keyboard attachments to allow for different looks and finishes I think everyone would love this thing.
BTW, WTH does it mean the phone is a "feature set" or that it's a "feature phone" ?! And I wish - I REALLY wish - our US carriers would get away from the 2-year lockups for discounting new phones. It's a horrible customer service model to have and yet it endures.
They have contracts for a reason. Work for the company before you justify the price range for a handset. When a customer calls in 6x in one month that only justifies the cost for a handset imo.
I agree with Brian. Also, the reason there are contracts is to get cheaper costs on the phones. Carriers make little-to-no money on the device itself. If everybody could pay a few hundred bucks for a new phone, there wouldn't be contracts.