LG Ally Comes To Verizon May 20 For $99.99 On Contract

LG has been rather quiet when talking specifics about their new Ally smartphone. Ever since Iron Man 2 became the most promoted thing in America, the company has been dropping hints here and there about what exactly the Android-powered phone would bring. Today, Verizon Wireless moved to remove the mysteries surrounding it, but given that the HTC EVO 4G was also officially revealed today, we'd say the timing here could have been a little better.

If you're committed to VZW and have no interest in testing the 4G waters, LG's Ally isn't a bad option. Featuring a large 3.2" touch screen (with vibration feedback), a silver-and-black case, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, microSD card slot, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 (with unlimited pairing and support for the following profiles: headset, hands-free, object push, stereo, audio/visual remote control, file transfer, phonebook access, basic printing and instant sharing of photos and videos), a built-in MP3/WMA music player and one-touch speakerphone, it's got pretty much everything one would expect from an Android handset.

There's also a 3.2MP camera, five customizable home screens, a proximity sensor and a video record mode. Unlike most Android phones coming out today, this one will retail for $99.99 (as opposed to $199.99) after mail-in rebate and on a new two-year contract, with pre-sales starting today and shipments starting May 20th.

Key features:

    * Ergonomic silver-and-black outer case
    * Large 3.2” tempered glass touch screen featuring touch vibration for tactile feedback
    * Full slide-out QWERTY keyboard with simultaneous touch screen capabilities
    * microSD™ slot for up to 16 GB of memory
    * Wi-Fi Enabled® (802.11 b/g/n)
    * Bluetooth® 2.1 capabilities with unlimited pairing and support for the following profiles: headset, hands-free, object push, stereo, audio/visual remote control, file transfer, phonebook access, basic printing and instant sharing of photos and videos
    * Built-in MP3 and WMA music player with music library, repeat and shuffle features, as well as stereo sound via headset or Bluetooth
    * One-touch speaker phone and speaker-independent voice commands

Additional features:

    * Five customizable home screens with shortcuts to text messages, e-mail, apps, favorite social networking sites and widgets
    * Access to up to 38,000 apps from around the world in Android Market™
    * Luminous sensor designed to adjust LCD backlight brightness depending on light conditions
    * Proximity sensor instantly locks touch screen buttons while talking on the phone
    * S-GPS support for enhanced location accuracy in addition to turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps™
    * Access to updates on Twitter, MySpace, Facebook®, etc.
    * 3D App launcher and Live Wallpaper
    * 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera and camcorder with flash that includes:
          o Five different camera resolutions and three different video resolutions
          o Zoom up to 4.0 times
          o Macro Mode for detailed, up close pictures
          o Panorama for three guided sequential shots
          o Scene mode for auto, portrait, landscape, sports and night settings
          o Image editor with zoom, rotate, resize, crop, added frames and stamps
          o Customize brightness, white balance, shutter sounds, color effects and use a self-timer
          o Choose between mute and unmute to record video with or without sound
          o Optimize video quality with normal, fine or super camcorder settings
          o Video recording time up to 16 GB

Pricing and availability:

    * The LG Ally will be available for pre-order online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning May 13. It will be in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores on May 20. Pricing will be $99.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
    * LG Ally customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk Plan and an Email and Web for Smartphone plan. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 monthly access. Email and Web for Smartphone plans start at $29.99 for unlimited monthly access.
    * For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.