As Verizon has been known to do, the carrier is ramping up its handset offerings for the holiday shopping season, and the latest smartphone to join the fray is the LG Vortex.
Available starting November 18 for $79.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate, the Vortex is designed for first-time smartphone buyers. It will ship running Android 2.2 and features a 3.2-inch touch screen with the option of five or seven customizable home screens.
The smartphone also has a 3.2-megapixel camera and the full gamut of wireless options–Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, and 3G–and can be used as a mobile hot spot.
Aside from the usual Google offerings, LG also throws in a couple of its own apps, including MyStatus for Twitter and Facebook and LG Visual Voice Mail. Verizon does so as well (VZ Navigator, Skype Mobile) and like the Samsung Fascinate and Samsung Continuum, Bing Search and Maps are the default search engine and mapping app on the LG Vortex.
The LG Vortex will be available in two colors: black and violet.