Wait, Verizon actually decided it would be a good idea to make official a cellphone today? Oh yeah, that's right -- the Chocolate 3 was announced with a Sunday availability date today, but for those hoping to see the wrapper unfold a few days early, today's your lucky day. The cats over at Laptop were able to acquire the new flip and test it out ever-so-briefly, and while initial impressions seemed rather positive, we reckon it's the photos you're really after. Dig into the read link for the full gallery.

We'd heard that the latest incarnation of the Chocolate series from LG on Verizon would be launching next Monday, but we've got some great news to close out the week, fans: you'll be able to plunk down your cash a full day early. It turns out that the Chocolate 3 will actually be launching this Sunday, July 13 for the expected $129.99 after rebate, featuring a 2 megapixel cam, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and an in-your-face set of external music controls, all in your choice of black or light blue. Just add an 8GB microSD card and the Rhapsody tie-in, and you've got yourself a little musical powerhouse here.

phoneArena is reporting that the latest incarnation of Verizon's Chocolate series, the clamshell Chocolate 3, will be available on July 14. It's said that the phone will run $129 on a two-year contract after the redemption of a $50 rebate -- not exactly cheap, but where else are you going to find a Verizon phone with an FM transmitter in baby blue? That's what we thought.

While you're waiting for LG's very latest Chocolate to show up in Verizon stores next month, have a gander at some high-quality shots of the clamshell -- which we understand is not actually edible, by the by. The Chocolate 3 will be available in both black and blue (to start, anyway, though we wouldn't be surprised to see a few more over the course of the phone's lifespan) and features a full gigabyte of internal storage for the tunes in addition to the standard microSD slot. That's one heck of a secondary display there, isn't it?

So, what do you do after announcing your intentions to spend nearly $30 billion on America's fifth largest carrier? Why, you announce a trio of new phones for the summertime, that's what. Verizon Wireless is trumpeting the launch of the Dare (pictured), Decoy and Chocolate 3, all of which are being provided by LG. As for the Dare, you'll find 3G, V CAST, VZ Navigator and a 3.2-megapixel camera, while the Decoy becomes the world's first handset with a Bluetooth headset integrated into its body. Finally, the Chocolate 3 goes all flip-phone on us and includes an FM transmitter, twin speakers, 1GB of internal storage, 2-megapixel camera and V CAST support. Unfortunately, VZW hasn't dished out official details on pricing just yet, but you can find out for sure when they go on sale later this month, June 16th and sometime in July (in order of mention).

phoneArena appears to have scored information on exactly when Verizon will be (or would like to be, anyway) releasing three new models from LG, all of which should be attracting some serious attention in their own right. Headlining the group is the VX9700 "Dare" -- Verizon's Prada-alike, if you recall -- which is allegedly now being targeted for a July 4 online release and an in-store launch shortly thereafter (we'd say those dates put it at risk of cannibalization from the Glyde, but the Dare'll win the photography battle with a 3.2 megapixel sensor versus the Glyde's measly 2). Next up, the trick VX8610 with the internal Bluetooth headset has apparently been christened "Decoy" and is tracking for May 30 online and June 9 in store. Finally, the VX8650 Chocolate Flip gets ready to mercilessly slaughter its VX8600 predecessor come June 24 on your trusty web browser with brick-and-mortar locations getting theirs in July. Naturally, launch dates tend to have the solidity of Jello, so don't be dropping your life savings on any wagers here with your shady friends. Not yet, anyway.

If you're able to turn your attention away from that Jawbone 2 long enough to look elsewhere for your Bluetooth headset needs, we might remind you that Verizon's prepping a Chocolate successor with a little surprise tucked safely away. We've seen and heard of the VX8610's juicy secret for a couple months now, promising a media-centric slider with an integrated headset that'll charge via the integrated dock when not in use -- a feature not totally unique in the mobile world, but still unique enough to be a pretty big deal, particularly as US carrier launches go. Of course, a decent handset could be ruined by an awful headset here, so let's hope LG's smart enough to put some thought behind the total package. Follow the break for a shot of the headset and dock.

[Thanks, Ingenious]

Hold up, LG, get your butt back here for just a second; you know what you've got to do. That rumored Chocolate replacement of yours, the trackball-equipped VX8610 slider, has to rock the FCC like it's never been rocked before in order to grace Verizon's shelves, now doesn't it? Unfortunately for us, you're particularly sneaky in your FCC applications by showing a comically bad, generic drawing in place of where the actual phone back should be, so we can't make out what's going on -- but at least we know there's a real VX8610 now.

Nah, LG's latest sales triumph can't hold a candle to the ones held by Motorola and Nokia, but still, moving 15 million of anything is something to be celebrated. Reportedly, the firm broke the aforementioned barrier this month, and it's said to be the first Korean-based handset maker to sell that many units globally. Granted, the Chocolate's allure has been slowly fading with the introduction of newer, flashier and potentially more delicious offerings, but there ain't no shame in partying down for hitting such a milestone.

[Via Chosun]

Pretty much everyone under Verizon's huge, red umbrella has been staring longingly at the LG Voyager as of late, but if you remember, LG's got an established big seller in Verizon's stable that it's gotta worry about, too. The VX8550 Chocolate slider has added another color (or flavor, if you buy into Verizon's marketing scheme) in time to pick up a holiday sale or two: "Blue Ice." It's currently on sale at Circuit City with direct sales following on next Friday, December 7 for $80 after a $50 rebate.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We've been keeping our parcel carrier busy the past few days and today will be no different -- the LG Venus for Verizon just arrived at our door! LG has incorporated touchscreen navigation along with a solid music player into the latest incarnation (in spirit, if not in name) of the successful Chocolate series. From first glance, the device's slide mechanism is flawless and weighted perfectly, though there seems to be some sluggishness using the on-screen controls. But enough of the chit chat already, go check out the gallery and be on the lookout for the review!

Sure, a million iPhones in a quarter ain't bad, but Verizon announced this week that the LG Chocolate has racked up 3.4 million phones sold -- an average of 850,000 phones each quarter during the year -- in the last twelve months. Of course, what makes the announcement so intriguing is that a simple music slider from LG has come within earshot of matching the iPhone's numbers, all with a tiny fraction of the fanfare. Don't get us wrong, we're confident that Apple's making its numbers even after factoring in the expense of an Apple-style launch and marketing campaign, but hey -- nice work, LG. Oh, and you too, Verizon.

Now that the successor to LG's Chocolate line has been available to Verizon Wireless customers, we thought it would only be fitting to put the latest addition through the paces and see if the VX8550 is a worthy successor. From a quick glimpse, both the LG VX8500 and the VX8550 both share the slide up form factor both sporting a hidden keypad. LG has kept the camera on the back of the slide on the VX8550. This allows for safe storage of the camera when not being used while also decreasing the amount of fingerprints, smudges, and scratches on the lens.

Thinking back to when we first caught wind of it, the turnaround on the ambiguously named VX8550 Chocolate from LG wasn't that bad -- but the same can't be said of Verizon's other retail introduction today, the midrange Motorola W385. This thing's been kicking around as a rumored Big Red device since April at the latest -- and yes, we'll admit that our sense of time is a bit skewed, but that's, like, forever. Anyhoo, pick up the VGA-cam'd, 160 x 128 screen'd W385 for $70 after all the contracts and discounts have been applied; meanwhile, the VX8500 successor can be yours for a nice, round hundie.

Read - LG Chocolate (Blue Mint)
Read - LG Chocolate (Black Cherry)
Read - LG Chocolate (Black)
Read - Motorola W385

In case LG's L704i managed to slip under your radar in the midst of all those other NTT DoCoMo handsets, here's a few pictures of it in its prime. 'Course, we wouldn't stare too long if you're stuck in the US of A, as all the wishing in the world isn't likely to get this piece of Chocolate to the States. Nevertheless, it does manage to look awfully sexy when grasped, so be sure to click through for some more hands-on excitement.

[Via JustAMP]