They're apparently not for sale yet -- stores don't even know what the pricing situation is -- but Verizon has starting shipping Samsung Omnias to at least some of its stores. For anyone not needing the global...um, "globalness" of the Saga or the QWERTY-ness of the upcoming Touch Pro, the Omnia certainly makes for an interesting option -- espeically in light of the TouchWiz support and the 5-megapixel cam. With units in stores now, it can't be long until we can actually buy these, can it?

If the BlackBerry Storm's $199.99 retail price on contract after rebate isn't sitting particularly well with you, there's an alternative you may want to investigate. LetsTalk, purveyors of the free Bold, have outdone themselves with a rebate-laden $99 Storm; granted, the catch is that you've got to sign up for a plan package of $69.99 or higher, but let's be honest -- plenty of Storm buyers are going to be doing just that anyway.

[Via BlackBerryNews]

Not that we've any reason to be shocked here, but Samsung's Omnia is indeed coming to Verizon Wireless. 'Course, most everyone with any remote affiliation to Big Red is frenzied over that other phone today, but those with a soft spot for Windows Mobile 6.1 may want to give this one a bit of attention. You know the highlight specs by now -- a 5-megapixel camera / camcorder, full HTML browser and an expansive touchscreen -- but the nitty-gritty details are still being withheld. As of now, the link on Samsung's website tunnels straight to an error page, forcing us to be content with the knowledge that somehow, someday, this phone is destined for a life on VZW's shelves. Enlarged screengrab is after the jump.

The most anticipated BlackBerry of the year (sorry, Bold) is just a day away from release on Verizon -- and naturally, we've got your full rundown ready to go. Head on over to Engadget to see our review of the Storm!

What are you talking about? The picture's clear as a bell -- you really need to get your eyes checked, friend. Naw, we're just messin' with you -- we know this is some of the finest artwork Mr. Blurrycam has to offer -- but it's the first time we've seen the Verizon-branded Omnia in the wilds (notice the VZ Navigator and Visual Voice Mail icons on the screen) which makes it a notable find in our books. Our tipster tells us he's been told to expect the 5-megapixel, 8-gigabyte package in stores before the year's out, which makes that Incite look thoroughly less interesting, doesn't it?

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Verizon just put the finishing touches on an international data plan rework back in August, but it's now gearing up to offer a pair of roaming options for those without a smartphone / PDA phone. Starting November 16th, VZW customers who own a down-to-Earth dumbphone will be able to pay $19.99 per month for 10MB of international data or $29.99 per month for 20MB; the plan will allow users to access picture / video messaging, Visual Voicemail, mobile IM, BREW downloads or the world wide web. Of course, this cheaper data only works in VZW's list of Preferred Data Coverage countries, which includes just Bermuda, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Saipan, Guam and South Korea. Wait, is that GSM we hear laughing in the corner? Oh, it is.

If you're a Verizon customer, global roaming's up your alley, and the Storm and Saga are both just a little more smartphone than you need, there's another option dropping shortly: the Samsung Renown. There's really not a hell of a lot to the unassuming flip beyond an integrated quadband GSM radio, but hey -- for some frequent travelers (drug runners come immediately to mind), maybe that's all the doctor ordered. The bronze flip musters VZW Navigator support, a QVGA primary display, micro SD expansion to 8GB, and a 2-megapixel camera, and while the $179.99 on-contract price after rebate might sound a smidge steep for such specs, let's not lose sight of that all-powerful globetrotting capability. It'll hit November 19 over the phone and December 1 in-store; in the meantime, follow the break for some views of the thing.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

It may not be the iPhone-beating pricing we'd been hoping for, but $199.99 on a new two-year contract after $50 mail-in rebate will probably still be enough to sell a Storm or two (or billion), especially considering that it becomes both RIM's first touchscreen set and Verizon's first phone with global 3G when it finally floods the market (a bundled 8GB microSD card doesn't hurt, either). Speaking of flooding the market, it'll be available both online and in-store starting November 21 -- just a week from this Friday -- so get ready to finally say goodnight to that grungy BlackBerry 950 you've been using since 1978.

And then there was one. Following a November 24 launch of the Touch Pro on Verizon, that'll leave just T-Mobile among the big four US carriers without a version of HTC's top-of-the-line QWERTY set -- though at a staggering $419.99 on a two-year contract, we're not sure that we'd bother anyway. To be fair, that price comes before a $70 mail-in rebate, but that only knocks it down to $350, which still makes the Touch Pro one of Verizon's priciest devices. Following telesales availability, we'll get to see it, touch it, and take it home from retail locations starting on December 1, which gives us a few days to collect soda cans and take 'em to Michigan for the 10-cent deposits.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

One of the more thoroughly-scooped Samsungs of 2008 is getting ready for a launch this Friday -- sort of. It looks like the GSM-equipped Saga for Verizon will arrive through telesales starting this Friday, but the in-store date doesn't follow on for another two weeks -- December 1. Even then, it'll only be on a direct fulfillment basis, with "full" retail availability to be announced later. With that kind of lackadaisical attitude, we can only guess that Verizon's not expecting terribly much interest in the stark blue QWERTY handset running Windows Mobile with a penchant for global roaming, which'll run a $199.99 on a two-year plan after $70 mail-in rebate. The optical mouse is probably going to be a polarizing feature here, but with the i760 on the way out, how else are you gonna get your Sammy smartphone kicks on Verizon? Follow the break for some Saga eye candy!

Murphy's Law dictated from the very beginning that Verizon's claim of a November launch for the Storm meant late November (at best), and indeed, it now looks like that's where we're headed. Boy Genius Report has picked up some juicy documentation that seems to suggest that November 24 is the zero day with a $199.99 retail price after rebate; what's more, stores will be opening an hour early to accomodate the throngs of rabid, frothing-at-the-mouth businessmen and businesswomen in Zegna suits looking for their latest BlackBerry fix. It looks like there'll also be a "pre-launch" on the 20th, meaning customers Verizon really cares about -- not us, by any stretch of the imagination -- will have a chance stroll into one of 123 extra-special corporate stores to tool around with a demo unit and place their order in person. Either way, stores are expected to have tons of units available for sale on the 24th, so don't show up at 8pm the night before. Unless you're into that sort of thing.

Any festering belief that Verizon's version of the HTC Touch Pro is nothing more than a figment of our collective imagination can probably be put to bed now that we have it strutting its stuff on video, yeah? It looks pretty much like what you'd expect it to, sporting an interface every bit as crimson as we've come to expect from a carrier lovingly (or not so lovingly) nicknamed "Big Red." It'll have 512MB of ROM, TV-out, microSD support up to a purely theoretical 32GB, and an integrated business card scanner to put the 3.2-megapixel autofocus cam to work -- enough to make the Windows Mobile faithful on Verizon drool and give pause before setting their sights on the Omnia, we figure. It's not clear exactly when it'll hit retail, but November 14 is sounding like a possible date for deliveries to begin; in the meanwhile, follow the break for the full video!

[Thanks, lwright84]

As promised, Vodafone has officially announced a November delivery order date for its BlackBerry Storm -- November 14, to be specific. Pre-orders are being taken (as they are in the States), so if you want to be in the first batch of Brits to rock this thing, it might be a good idea to go ahead and get on a list lest the throngs of humanity trying to get one on launch day end up harshing your chances. On a related note, Vodafone's better (or worse) half Verizon has come forward with a surprisingly affordable data plan -- GlobalEmail -- that'll allow unlimited web browsing, MMS, and visual voicemail both in the US and a laundry list of countries around the world for $69.99 (or $64.99 when tied to a voice plan). Speaking of voice, Verizon's also announced a new Global Value Plan that hooks you up with discounted minutes abroad for $4.99 a month. Seeing how the Storm is Verizon's first handset with global 3G, this new action should see some serious play.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read - Vodafone release date
Read - Verizon's global plans

It's a little absurd that Verizon Wireless still hasn't come out of the woodwork to announce an official price on its BlackBerry Storm, but it seems an approximate sticker has been found in a most unusual place. If you peruse the absolutely enthralling fine print in the carrier's NYC Storm Hunt contest, you'll notice a disclosing line that details the grand prize. 50 individuals will win a BlackBerry Storm 9500 handset and a $50 Verizon Wireless gift card with an approximate retail value of $549. After consulting with our trusty abacus, we're left with a retail Storm price of $499. In other words, the 2-year contract price on this could theoretically be mighty delicious. Care to comment, VZW?

[Via Boy Genius Report]

We're getting mixed results here, but the word on the street is that Best Buys around the colonies will start taking pre-orders for the BlackBerry Storm tomorrow for a stiff $50 deposit -- a pretty good indication that they're expecting elevated (if not outright insane) demand when it finally launches this month. At least one store we've called has corroborated the claim, so you might want to drop by your friendly local big box tomorrow and see what's what if you're keen on being the first kid on your block with one of these monsters.

[Thanks, Thomas]