Verizon's Chocolate site goes live

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 16th 2006 at 9:16AM

In what's likely the first salvo of a forthcoming big-ass marketing blitz, Verizon has gone live with its site promoting the VX8500, their carrier-exclusive rendition of LG's KG800 "Chocolate" phone. The first Chocolate and its siblings are fairly ubiquitous now in Europe and Asia, but we've yet to see any of them stateside, so Verizon would probably like nothing more than to see the VX8500 spark RAZR-like pandemonium when it drops in the next few months. The site's being coy about specs for now -- in fact, the only thing you can do is look at the phone and sign up for a release notification -- but as we previously reported, the phone looks to be packing a 1.3 megapixel camera, microSD slot, and a handful of physical changes (like the circular d-pad) that should make it more music-friendly than the original.

[Via phoneArena]

Filed under: Handsets, Multimedia, LG, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA

Tags: black label, BlackLabel, chocolate, kg800, lg, slider, verizon, verizon wireless, VerizonWireless, vx8500, vzw

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

Jonathan @ Jul 16th 2006 10:15AM

That physical dpad looks so ugly. It contrasts to much with the simple look the chocolate is known for...they should of made it black if they really felt they had to add a dpad...like blend in with the rest of the device, dark black.

Why the hell is verizon getting this? Doesn't T-Mobile UK have it in its lineup? T-Mobile UK has all the coolest phones. I guess they have no connection to T-Mobile USA, really?

Neutral

Zach @ Jul 16th 2006 10:53AM

Jonathan, T-Mobile USA and T-Mobile UK are both wholly-owned (but separate) subsidiaries of Deutsche Telekom AG. They both have the same parent company, but they also have separate management and make independent market-based decisions.

Oh, and T-Mobile USA doesn't have any LG phones in their lineup at this time (unlike T-Mobile UK).

P.S.: It doesn't matter to me anyway if T-Mobile USA gets it... I'm a happy VZW customer who is looking forward to this phone. Hurray for EV-DO!

Neutral

Mike G @ Jul 16th 2006 11:32AM

Brooke Burke was holding this phone at the end of the 4th episode of rockstar supernova this past week, kinda hot, both her and the phone

Neutral

adam @ Jul 16th 2006 11:38AM

ok, both of you settle down! neither cingular nor t-mobile usa (or uk afaik) will be getting this phone any time soon. this is a CDMA phone, and both cingular and t-mobile are GSM based carriers.

personally, i don't think that this phone will create as much buzz as the razr has. it looks like a good phone, but omg i hate that verizon UI with a passion! i know there are a ton of moto UI haters out there (personally, i wonder why. i know it has quirks, but its good compared to verizon's) but the verizon ui has even more haters i think.

Neutral

duff @ Jul 16th 2006 12:53PM

why does verizon have to beat everything brutally with the ugly stick?

Neutral

b-rad @ Jul 16th 2006 1:44PM

Because VZW is the ugly-child... minus the whole EV-DO thing, that's pretty awesome... btw... if you have GSM, the original chocolate is a GSM device, so you can go ahead and buy one on ebay if you really need to have it (T-Mo, Cingular folks)...

Neutral

Thought @ Jul 16th 2006 2:32PM

No one can accuse Verizon any longer of not getting the cool phones. The rap against Verizon used to be that they had the best network, but the least exciting phones.

That has changed this year. Now Verizon has both the best network as well as gets the coolest phones first.

Neutral

Nick B. @ Jul 16th 2006 2:57PM

"Everyone loves Chocolate"

I don't like chocolate.

Neutral

Nick B. @ Jul 16th 2006 2:58PM

I meant "Everybody loves Chocolate"*

Neutral

-_- @ Jul 16th 2006 3:05PM

sure, verizon may have nice (copycat) phones and a kicka** network, but why is it that all verizon phones have to be mauled with the verizon ui in order for them to carry it?
this phone does NOT deserve that title, 'cause last time i checked, the word "chocolate" was NOT used to describe something that made me want to rip my hair out in anger and disgust. call it by the model number. which, interesting, sounds about as ugly as this phone is.
also, the reason you can't just get a phone in europe and use it in the us outright is because european phones aren't fcc certified, and therefore cannot be sold by companies wishing to stay on the fcc's good side.

Neutral

chuck @ Jul 16th 2006 3:05PM

Wow, good job Verizon, you turned a beautiful piece of art into another fugly phone. Just like the Q...

Neutral

Mark @ Jul 16th 2006 3:14PM

"Wow, good job Verizon, you turned a beautiful piece of art into another fugly phone. Just like the Q..." Wtf are you talking about, Verizon didn't do anything wrong to the Q. It runs its Windows Mobile all nice and happily like. None of this Verizon stuff.

Neutral

Jon @ Jul 16th 2006 4:02PM

You know theyre not going to allow you to play your own music on the phone either, just like their other phones.

Neutral

brian middleton @ Jul 16th 2006 4:56PM

"You know theyre not going to allow you to play your own music on the phone either, just like their other phones."

What did you get that from? All the phones that have music capability, you can play your own music. Get your facts straight before you post some nonsense like that!!

This phone will be available online 7/30/06 and nationally 8/6/06

Neutral

chuck @ Jul 16th 2006 8:51PM

Mark, I was talking about the original Q (aesthetically) compared to what Verizon turned the Q into. Also take a look at how awesome the original LG Chocolate looks like compared to the Verizonized version.

Neutral

Matt @ Jul 16th 2006 10:03PM

Do you think they are giving a clue about when it will be released by putting that strangely reasonable date on their website?

Neutral

Nick @ Jul 16th 2006 10:51PM

Chuck, I don't understand what you mean about the Q.

Verizon had nothing to do with any cosmetic changes done to the Q.

And the comment about Verizon's "copycat" cellphones, for one, verizon doesn't make the phones, and for two not many phones are very original today. They're all pretty similar in my opinion.

Neutral

marsel @ Jul 16th 2006 11:35PM

im a verizon customer and ima leave em at the end of my contract, im just waitin for a lil while while i wait till around my contract ends this august then ima send back their stikin motorola 720 whatever phone (part of the lawsuit) and get me some money.

Neutral

Joshi @ Jul 17th 2006 12:00AM

I saw Verizon's Chocolate phone, and I wondered why I didn't like it as much as I used to. Then I realized it was the massive (and massively out of place) circular D-pad.

Honestly, Verizon. How did you possibly think that you made it look better? Ironically, you changed it to make it more appealing. Way to go! Next time, leave "Awesome" alone. Trust me, you won't make it any better.

I want a stylish slider, but I'm passing this up. I loved the regular version (especially the White Chocolate), but the Verizon version just ruins a good name.

And...wait a minute...it doesn't even have the trademark checkerboard keys any more? WTF?

Verizon, how is this even a Chocolate any more? You've honestly ruined one of my favorite phones. You took a piece of art, and then spat on it. And THEN you gave it your sucky UI.

You will never get a cent from me.

Neutral

The Co-signer @ Jul 17th 2006 1:24AM

To second just about everyone's prior comments. The phone does look quite a bit worse now. Initially when I got word of the Chocolate phone coming stateside, I was tantilized, after seeing the poor piece of crap that Verizon has turned it into, I must say, "No sir, I don't like it"

Neutral

flamer's grill @ Jul 17th 2006 2:10AM

The "original" chocolate phone was a korea-only CDMA device and looked so so sexy. The Verizon chocolate looks nice, sure, but no where near as elegant or delicious as the original. Sucks.

Neutral

Viakenny @ Jul 17th 2006 8:49PM

Vivo, a CDMA carrier here in Brazil (and the largest in the country) will carry a version of the original Chocolate, not that Verizon Chocolate-y phone.

Neutral

ziota @ Aug 1st 2006 9:44PM

who sings that song for the chocolate commercial? the "i'm in love" with the female singing?

Neutral

Pranav @ Aug 2nd 2006 11:54AM

Just correction, verizon does not have the state of the art network...it sucks, in the southeast US region.

Neutral

jet @ Aug 3rd 2006 8:25PM

who sings that song on the "chocolate" commercial?

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