Skip to main content

LG’s Voyager Takes on iPhone on Verizon

Verizon Wireless has announced a series of four new phones which will serve as the anchor products for the company’s 2007 end-of-year holiday buying season: the Samsung Juke, the LG Venus, the BlackBerry Pearl 8130, and the LG Voyager—the latter of which the company hopes will compete favorably with Apple’s iPhone. Of course, the phones all tie in to Verizon’s V Cast mobile music, video, and media offerings, although the company has yet to reveal pricing and availability information for the new handsets, although prices should range from $100 to $400 with contracts.

“We are excited about these devices,” said Verizon VP and chief marketing officer Mike Lanman, in a statement. “Whether customers are seeking a cool, hip, fashion-forward music phone, a device that will help them stay connected to the office, or an entertainment-rich device that can also function in a business setting, we will have it.”

Recommended Videos

First up, the Voyager features a large external touch-screen display, and, inside, Voyger users will find a full QWERTY keypad for their text-messaging and email needs. The phone ties into Verizon’s EVDO high speed data network—which offers higher bandwidth than the EDGE network afforded the iPhone by AT&ampT—and offers a full HTML browser and support for unprotected MP3, WMA, and AAC audio: users will be able to cart around their personal media library on microSD cards, which currently support up to 8 GB of storage. The Voyager also sports a 2 megapixel camera, and should be available by the end of November.

Verizon is hopeful the combination of high-speed data access, V Cast media access, and a dedicated QWERTY keypad may appeal to users considering the iPhone, but who are put off by reports of slow data access via EDGE (although the iPhone also offers Wi-Fi connectivity) and touchscreen-based keypad.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is another iteration of the Pearl handset for folks who need to balance professional and personal mobile communications in one device. The 8130 sports a silver body (exclusive to Verizon), built-in GPS capabilities that ties into Verizon’s VZ Navigator service, and BlackBerry’s traditional email and Internet access capabilities.

Next up, the fashion-conscious LG Venus offers a video-capable two megapixel camera and an usual dual external display, the lower of which supports touch input and offers vibration feedback—just imagine tickling your phone. The Venus supports microSD storage and a music player that supports unprotected MP3, WMA, and AAC files. Look for the Venus in November in black and pink.

Finally, the Samsung Juke bills itself as the narrowest phone on the U.S. market, with 2 GB of internal storage, support for unprotected music (MP3, WMA, and AAC), a night-capable VGA resolution camera, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a swivel design which enables users to “flick” open the phone to reveal a keypad. The Juke should be the least expensive of Verizon’s new offerings, and will land at Verizon stores in mid-October in dark blue, teal, and red varieties. The Juke clearly aims at fashion-forward youngsters who want camera and music capabilities, but may not see Internet or email access as essential elements of a phone.

Geoff Duncan
Former Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Forget Pro Max iPhones and Ultra Samsungs, the best phone I’ve used in years is the humble Pixel 9
Person holding the Google Pixel 9.

A few weeks ago, I returned to my Google Pixel 9 to test Gemini’s next-gen AI features. It was hard letting go of the OnePlus 13,  arguably one of the most rewarding phones out there. Plus, given the “Pixel history,” I had prepared myself for a bumpy ride, just like the Pixel 8, and the Pixel 7 before it. 

To my surprise, the Pixel 9 fared a lot better. It feels snappier on Android 16, takes sharp pictures, and lasts all day easily. The only thing pulling it down? The sporadic bad apps and updates. It's not enough to consider a replacement, but it's certainly frustrating in bits and pieces. 

Read more
This one iPadOS 26 feature has me excited for the iPhone Fold
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Samsung is set to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold book-style folding phone this Summer, but its biggest rival is yet to show its folding phone hand. Apple has long been expected to unveil an iPhone Fold, and the latest rumors suggest that it will launch next year.

I’ve used almost every folding phone released globally, with some exceptions for extremely obscure ones. While I've always been curious what an iPhone Fold would look like, I was fairly certain that Apple shouldn't build it, as I wasn’t sure they could deliver on one necessary feature.

Read more
Will my iPhone get iOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPhone update
iOS 26 features on a series of iPhone screens

Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPhone update comes with a fresh new 'Liquid Glass' look and plenty of features - and there are loads of iOS 26 supported devices, which is great news.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iOS 19 in 2025, we got iOS 26 alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. In short, Apple's brought its operating system numbering into line. Nice.

Read more