Basking Ridge, N.J. – Verizon
Wireless is expanding its Android-phone selection with the launch of LG’s first
U.S.-market Android phone.
The Ally features a slide-from-the side QWERTY
keyboard, tactile-feedback touchscreen, and latest Android OS (version 2.1). It
will be available May 20 at $99.99 with two-year service contract and after
$100 rebate, which takes the form of a debit card. It will also be available
for online preorder at
beginning May 13.
In a separate announcement,
Verizon said it has begun offering a free barcode-scanning app that enables
more than 30 camera phones to read barcodes found in ads and on product
packaging, enabling consumers to access product information and product reviews
while shopping.
The LG phone features 3.2-inch tempered-glass touchscreen that can be
used even with the QWERTY keyboard open. Other features include five
customizable home screens, MP3/WMA music player, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/, MicroSD
slot supporting 16GB cards, access to multiple social-network sites and a 3.2-megapixel
autofocus camera/camcorder with flash. It also has Bluetooth 2.1 with Bluetooth
stereo, file transfer and basic printing capability.
Camera capabilities include 4x zoom, macro mode, panorama mode, image
editing, and ability to customize brightness, white balance, shutter sounds, and
color effects.
The phone’s OS supports free Google Maps turn-by-turn
navigation service, available in Android phones using Android versions 2.0 and
2.1.
The phone requires a minimum $39.99/month voice plan and a data plan for
$29.99/month, providing unlimited data usage.
In its barcode-scanning
announcement, Verizon said its new app, developed by
also lets users request coupons
offers from bar codes appearing in magazines, launch audio tours from kiosks in
major cities, and link business cards to contact information or social-networking
profiles.
The ScanLife app reads all major
two-dimensional code formats, including Datamatrix, EZcode and QR codes, and
many Verizon Wireless devices with autofocus camera will able to read
one-dimensional barcodes (UPC, ISBN, EAN) found on most product
packaging.
For their products to be accessed by the phones, individuals and
businesses create their own two-dimensional codes and register them with
ScanLife. Businesses can also submit their existing one-dimensional codes.
Thousands of national and local businesses have created accounts on the
ScanLife platform, the company said.
