You are apparently forgetting that you can buy the phone at the unsubsidized price and just go month-to-month with the carrier. Or are one of those people who thinks that everything should be free and you should have absolutely no obligations?

I love the people on here sticking up for AT&T like it's being picked on arbitrarily. Perceptions regarding AT&T's network did not come out of thin air. Anyone who takes 5 minutes can find numerous polls/studies re: provider coverage. The most telling of all of them, IMO, is a survey done by AT&T itself re: the iPhone and its competition. The number one reason people gave for not switching to AT&T or for switching away was the network. That's AT&T's own survey.

AT&T's network as a whole is worse. Period.

A few others on here have said, "Ha ha I bet Verizon wishes it hadn't passed on the iPhone!" They might wish conceptually that they had the iPhone, but the reality is that 1) Apple came to Verizon first, and Verizon was not willing to abide by Apple's terms; and 2) There have been numerous articles addressing the fact that the Apple/AT&T relationship is very one-sided, and Apple has realized a much greater benefit than has AT&T. The iPhone did not bring in the amount of new subscribers AT&T was anticipating, and the risk and financial factors greatly favor Apple.

I am not some Verizon fanboy. I do think they are the best network, and I recognize that you have to pay a little more for the best. Some pussies on here are complaining about prices like they think everything should be free and something as technologically challenging as a cell network should have no associated costs. I really don't care who is best. I don't care if the iPhone or the Droid or some BBerry is the best phone, 'cause no phone is the best for everyone. Anyone on here getting in a froth about what phone is "the best" is a douche. It's not like you have a hand in it. It's a phone. You buy the one you want. It's not like you accomplish anything. Any tool can buy a phone. How about having your own opinion and not being some tool whose identify is wrapped up in what phone they have.

Regionto, the problem is there are not many educated buyers. 90% (at least) of the cell phone buyers out there buy whatever is "cool." That is why any Apple product has a line out the door before anyone has read one review. The iPhone is "cool." Are there other phones that do things better? Sure, but they're not "cool." And when it comes down to it, most consumers will succumb to vanity. It's like a chick buying running shoes because they're cute instead of because of how they feel.

Gadgets come to papa!

How could they omit a camera? I don't see anyone paying anything for a phone with no camera, even for nostalgia's sake.

It looks like the GSM version of this phone, the SV490, is set to debut in April, if that means anything. Maybe it doesn't.

One key difference between this and the 8600 is that all the buttons (volume, speakerphone, etc.) are moved down to the base. I agree, if the speakerphone on this one is good, this phone will be a winner.

Rumor is that this phone has no vibrate. Is that true? Can it be? That is ridiculous. That alone will keep many people from buying this.

The link to the promo site pictured is gone. You can't find the maxx on the site.

If the speakerphone on this thing works, it's going to fly off the shelves. The maxx Ve might be new, but the cache has worn off the RAZR. With the maxx, 8700 and the Samsung u740, I imagine Verizon stores are going to be pretty busy in the near future.