LG CU500 launches Saturday on Cingular

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jul 14th 2006 at 2:04PM

The handset itself might not be anything spectacular in terms of specification, but one aspect of LG's CU500 clamshell makes it extraordinarily interesting: it's North America's first retail HSDPA handset. A little private investigation on our part (meaning we called a few stores) reveals that the phone officially drops in Cingular's 3G markets tomorrow, but several persistent individuals have managed to get stores in the Boston and Atlanta areas to part with their units a day early. HowardForums has a rather active thread heralding the news, which you can read after you give your local store a call, eh?

[Thanks, The Bullfrog]

Filed under: Handsets, LG, ATT, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS

Tags: 3.5g, 3g, cingular, clamshell, cu320, cu500, flip, hsdpa, lg, umts, zx-10, zx-20

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

bdswan @ Jul 14th 2006 2:11PM

HORRAY for HSDPA!!

Neutral

condo @ Jul 14th 2006 2:18PM

Any stores in chicago?????

Neutral

Stephen @ Jul 14th 2006 2:36PM

Tethering?

Neutral

Ryan @ Jul 14th 2006 2:55PM

Looks like Cingular is changing their boxes as well. Lots of blue....ATT name change must be coming soon.

Neutral

DCME @ Jul 14th 2006 3:16PM

Any idea on cost (w-w/o contract?)

Neutral

Donald @ Jul 14th 2006 3:42PM

The New York pricing sheet I was able to pull up had the following on it:

$279.99 out the door
$229.99 1yr contract
$179.99 2yr contract (knock $20 off if you add a Media plan at the point of sale, and if you take an unlimited Internets plan there's a $50 mail-in rebate on top of it).

It's the same in the other 3G market I was able to check (Baltimore/DC). Rebates on 2yr only.

Still, $110 for HSPDA is a good way to get people in the game.

Neutral

-_- @ Jul 14th 2006 3:42PM

crap... and all of us here in good ol' central florida get to wait THREE MORE FSKING MONTHS!

Neutral

AlexNYC @ Jul 14th 2006 3:54PM

Then NOKIA 6282 is following and should be out soon?

Neutral

mk @ Jul 14th 2006 4:38PM

Anyone know when Cingular will have HSDPA in Los Angeles?

Neutral

Eric @ Jul 14th 2006 4:55PM

I just bought 2 in Austin, TX. It was $180-$50 = $120. That includes a $20 discount for media net. I called another store in austin and they had them too.

Neutral

codelicious @ Jul 14th 2006 10:08PM

I had the opportunity to play with this phone a few weeks ago. Very solid phone, light, but elegant! I like it very much! And I'm sure you will as well.

Neutral

c);^( @ Jul 14th 2006 10:09PM

to -_-, hsdpa will release in tampa/orlando sometimes in late july or early august. that is what i heard.

Neutral

Matt @ Jul 15th 2006 12:49AM

YEA i had probly the first one!!!!!! but sold it on ebat for 1200.00 (NOT A TYPO) phone was not all that. its okay. i ALso have the Samsung ZX20 right now and this phone ROCKS

Neutral

pnt.svn @ Jul 15th 2006 2:05AM

Here is the updated link to the Howardforums thread. I archived the thread becuause there was a lot of pre-release speculation to sift through.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=957216&page=1&pp=30

Neutral

A.J. @ Jul 15th 2006 3:37AM

The Cingular guys at the corporate store in Central New Jersey have had this phone for about a week now. They've had the samsung and other LG UMTS phones for about a month now. Nice phones, just no service down here to make them shine... I'm an envious T-Mobile user... especially since my store just started selling the V3x unlocked...

Neutral

bigMIKE @ Jul 15th 2006 11:21AM

Nokia 6282 SCRAPPED for Cingular. Los Angeles rollout of WCDMA will be late fall of this year. Still a LOT of network uogrades going on and taking people off of the legacy Blue network. All a bunch of crap if you ask me. I personally think Cingular is really shooting itself in the foot with this "soft launch" half-ass strategy. Also, look for the At&T name sooner than you think. All of this is confirmed info. EVDO-REV A baby!

Neutral

-_- @ Jul 15th 2006 3:49PM

well, then i guess cingular reps are showing their true nature again: they'd rather sell me (a teenager with a steady cash flow) more crap for my phone than HELP me purchase a new one (for probably more).

thanks (no, seriously, it's taken me WEEKS to find info on that release). now i have to decide: razr k1 or zx-20. dang.

Neutral

CT @ Jul 17th 2006 10:58PM

When is it available in Connecticut?

Neutral

jogia @ Jul 18th 2006 9:37AM

Corporate pricing on this phone is $ 149.99 with 2 year contract.

Neutral

myname @ Jul 20th 2006 1:52PM

i just wanted to know when will it be released. I mean what is the date for the saturday it will be released. thx.

Neutral

Yrles @ Nov 27th 2006 11:05PM

Ok So lets hear from some users who have the CU500. Worth it or not? Actually now you can get the phone free with a 2 yr contract extension.

Neutral

Jill @ Dec 3rd 2006 1:36PM

i have the lg cu500 and i love it!! when i had the motorola v400 and then motorola razr i went through soo many of them - i hate motorola and refused to get another one! my sister and my rooommate have lg and my friend has lg cu500 and since she liked it i got it and i love it! i recommend it!! :)

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