Verizon Wireless is offering 25% off a trio of its QWERTY-equipped phones: the Motorola Rival, LG enV3, and the Samsung Alias 2 . For the mathematically challenged, that works out to to a recession-friendly price of $37.49 ($99.99 w/ 2yr agreement – $50 online discount – 25% off = $37.49) for either the Motorola Rival or the Samsung Alias 2.

Be honest: the first time you saw the somewhat-short, somewhat-stout LG Lotus , did you think it would be successful enough to get a sequel?

Filed under: Handsets, Others, ATT, Windows Mobile, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA Welp, that didn’t take long. Just a few months after TerreStar announced that it had completed its first call on the new bird, the revived sat phone provider has now announced the first dual-mode smartphone for AT&T. Granted, we knew these two would be holding hands in the near future, but it’s still refreshing to see the Genus hit the landscape.

Filed under: Handsets, Others, GSM, EDGE, UMTS Here’s the problem with carbon fiber phones: they’re not for everyone, especially those who aren’t interesting in dropping over two grand on a midrange candybar. Don’t sweat it, though, because Gresso’s back at it again with a leather-clad version of its Grand Monaco called the Grand Monaco LE — “LE” apparently stands for “Limited Edition,” if the badging on the back of the phone is any indication — available in your choice of red and black.

Filed under: Multimedia, Peripherals, Misc “Game changing” is thrown around way too frequently these days, but man, this thing just might be.

Filed under: Handsets, HTC, Verizon Wireless, Windows Mobile, GSM, EV-DO, HSDPA, UMTS, CDMA Those Imagio rumors have proven to be deliciously correct, with Verizon officially announcing the beastly Windows Mobile 6.5 set for availability on October 6 — the first day 6.5 devices will officially be available anywhere. HTC’s latest CDMA device features a spacious wide VGA display clocking in at 3.6 inches, a 5 megapixel autofocus cam, quadband EDGE plus HSPA 2100 for when you’re looking for a little connectivity abroad, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the very latest iteration of TouchFLO 3D featuring social network integration, but the most interesting feature might be its support for MediaFLO-based VCAST TV — a first for HTC and Windows Mobile. Interest parties need only wait until next Tuesday to latch onto an Imagio online, while retail stores will be taking delivery on the 20th of the month — either way, you’ll be paying $199.99 on contract after rebate.

Approximately 37 years ago, John, Peter—PLEASE COME BACK, PETER!—, and I attended a Garmin press conference where it announced some sort of original story title touchscreen phone. There was genuine interest—I’m hesitant to call it “excitement”—for a few days, but just as time heals all wounds, time also makes you forget; we’ve since forgotten all about said Garmin phone. Until now! Yes, Garmin just announced that the phone , officially the nuvifone G60, will be available on AT&T beginning on October 4.

Few things get a phone geek’s blood boiling like leaked box art for an upcoming handset. It’s like a strip tease where the dancer starts out wrapped in 10 layers of clothes, and you’re primarily interested in looking at the stitching of the fabric. Leakdroid has managed to unearth the box for Motorola’s first stab at Android, the Moto CLIQ , along with a few new details: Comes with headphones, but no case There is some sort of remote management – GPS tracking, and a remote lockdown feature.

And here I thought the megapixel race was over! Guess not, what with Samsung showing off, for the very first time, the SCH-W880 , the world’s first cellphone with a 12-megapixel camera. Because how many times have you said to yourself, “Man, I want to take a photo of this unusual drink , but only have the iPhone’s rubbish camera”?

Boom! Looks like Moto CLIQ pamphlet that leaked out a few days ago was spot on. The pamphlet claimed that pre-orders for Motorola’s first ‘Droid handset would begin on Oct.