Verizon Now Selling XV6800 Smartphone

It's been a long time coming, but Verizon Wireless is finally selling its XV6800 smartphone, featuring a slide-out keyboard, Windows Mobile 6, Wi-Fi, and a touchscreen.

Eager fans of Verizon’s XV6700 smartphone have been waiting a long time—almost a year—but today Verizon Wireless finally announced it is offering the updated XV6800 smartphone. Also known as the HTC Titan, the XV6800 features Windows Mobile 6, a 2.8-inch 340 by 320 pixel touch screen display, integrated Wi-Fi wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD-based expandable storage, and—best of all for those mobile professionals who can’t wait to sync back with the office—a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to handle messaging needs.

Verizon is offering the XV6800 for sale online now, with availability in Verizon Wireless retail locations scheduled for December 5. Verizon says the phone is priced at $499 online after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new customer agreement, although Verizon Wireless’s Web site is currently offering a $100 rebate, bringing the price down to $399.

The XV6800 can latch into Verizon’s EVDO data network for high-speed mobile communications, and act as a cellular modem for a compatible notebook computer. Of course, Windows Mobile 6 means the device comes with mobile versions of Microsoft’s mainstream productivity applications, plus Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player 10. Verizon is offering the XV6800 to both consumers and to corporations and enterprises through its business sales group.