These days, voice is the tip of the iceberg. Carriers are always -- and we do mean always -- looking for crafty ways to boost their average revenue per user, and with everyone and their brother offering an unlimited voice plan at this point, it's about data and value-add services more than it ever has been before. To that end, Verizon and AT&T have embraced MediaFLO as a way to keep their subscribers entertained on the road to the tune of a few extra bucks per month. AT&T's service, simply christened Mobile TV, has just launched with a pair of devices from Samsung and LG; naturally, we wanted to know whether the phones were worth the $199 and $299 AT&T's asking, respectively -- but perhaps more importantly, we had to figure out whether the service was worth sucking another $15 a month out of our already-strained wallets.

No surprises here -- particularly since LG's Vu has been on sale through a number of AT&T retail outlets since late last month (whoops!). Today, however, the carrier is officially listing LG's latest for sale, and the Mobile TV-supporting handset is going for a stiff $549.99 sans contract, or $299.99 after giving away your cellular soul for two years and waiting anxiously for a $100 mail-in rebate to arrive. Check out our hands-on gallery to see if you're really ready to make this kind of commitment.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

So our friendly local postman dropped this little gem off at our door this morning! That's right, your eyes don't deceive you -- it's an LG Vu of the CU920 variety, complete with Mobile TV support. We haven't had a chance to get the TV service up and running just yet, but we wanted to throw up a few visuals for everyone to feast on. In short, the screen's beautiful, we're pretty happy with the touch control so far, and we're pretty shocked at just how light this phone is. Click on, people! Do it!

MediaFLO is about to cut loose for AT&T customers this morning and we've got video to prove it. After the break you'll find Mobile TV running on LG's new $300 (2-year, after $100 rebate) Vu, one of just two Mobile TV compatible handsets launching on AT&T May 4th -- the other being the $200 (2-year, after $100 rebate) Samsung Access. Performance looks reasonably snappy when scrolling through the channel guide although some of the exclusive PIX and CNN Mobile Live content is not yet available. S'ok, AT&T has three more days to throw the big blue switch on the broadcast TV service which includes a $15/month unlimited Mobile TV access plan. Hear that Verizon? AT&T's about to step all over your portable TV game in the US market.

[Via MyFoxUtah]

Stores have started stocking up on Vus ahead of their launch next week, and we're getting a little photography here to prove it. It looks like this one is an honest-to-goodness CU920, too, meaning it sports MediaFLO reception -- either that, or AT&T was too lazy to put the Mobile TV-less CU915 model in a different package without the "TV" icon on the screen. We're still hearing May 5 is the official launch day for these, but it seems some locations are selling early, so try your luck and let us know how it goes, k?

[Thanks, Kal]

While we're all twiddling our thumbs and waiting patiently for next month's Vu release on AT&T, we suppose some reading materials couldn't hurt, right? We've found no earth-shattering surprises in these quick guides that are filtering their way into corporate stores, but we do think it's kinda funny that they're pushing Cellular Video right alongside Mobile TV on page one; then again, with a MediaFLO launch that covers just a fraction of AT&T's total coverage area, we suppose we'll still need some entertainment when we're out in the sticks. Video Share instructions are here, along with the comforting reminder that a light finger press is sufficient to operate the Vu's touch screen -- so yeah, we're pretty much educated and ready, AT&T. Bring it on.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

We just played with the Vu here, and we have to say -- while it's hard to deny the attraction of a huge touchscreen, it's just a little light and unsubstantial in the hands. Then again, if we have to levy a complaint against a device, "too light" is a pretty weak one. The UI is typical LG for this category of device -- think Viewty -- but we're happy to report that the screen itself doesn't exhibit the same flimsiness that we detected when we reviewed the KU990 some time back. Since you won't be able to get any closer than this to a Vu before May, check out some shots, won't you?

Those eagerly anticipating the LG Vu now have a little more to go by -- at least visually, anyway. The specs floating around jibe with everything we've heard, and apparently include a nice 3-inch 400 x 240 display. Head on over to Phone Arena for more.

It turns out that AT&T won't be the only network picking up the Americanized version of LG's Prada -- the blacked-out, touch-tastic Vu -- come this May; Rogers wants in on the action up north of the border, too, and they'll be keeping pace with their GSM brethren below the St. Lawrence by launching the phone in the very same time frame. We can only assume that Rogers will be launching the CU915 variant (or TU915, as it'll probably come to be known to them) since the carrier doesn't feature a MediaFLO network that would warrant the need for the CU920's additional hardware and expense. As we already know, the phone will feature a 2 megapixel camera, HSDPA, microSD expansion, and it comes as no surprise that the phone will support access to the full host of Rogers' media services. It looks like pricing will be announced closer to launch, but you might want to just start putting away the occasional dollar now, because this one ain't exactly going out the door free on contract if you catch our drift.

[Via Mobile In Canada]

They haven't revealed anything we didn't already know, but AT&T's finally come out with a semi-firm date for the launch of its MediaFLO-powered mobile TV service which will be branded simply as "AT&T Mobile TV." It'll be available to subscribers in May -- no specific date just yet -- on two exclusive handsets, the Prada-esque LG Vu and the more pedestrian Samsung Access; the Vu features an expansive touchscreen and 2 megapixel camera, while the Access makes do with a smaller landscape display and a 1.3 megapixel sensor. Both feature Bluetooth and 3G data, but the real story here is Mobile TV itself, which will come with two new channels that are exclusive to AT&T (in other words, unavailable on the other live MediaFLO service, VCAST TV from Verizon). The latest, hottest way to burn productivity on the go gets real in just a few short weeks, folks, so finish up whatever remaining work you have now.

So we still don't have solid word on exactly when the MediaFLO-equipped LG CU920 Vu (and its TV-less little brother, the CU915) are going to launch, but we're figuring it's a good sign (pun totally intended) that signage is showing up in AT&T stores. Then again, it seems that the branded K850 was canceled after the promo materials were shipped, so we guess we can't stop holding our collective breath just yet.

[Thanks, Kal]

An eagle-eyed tipster noticed that AT&T's imminently-launching LG Vu superphone has finally made an appearance on an official page of the carrier's. A glance at the list of TTY-compatible phones lists the CU915 and CU920, seemingly confirming a rumor we've heard in various forms over the past few months -- that the Vu will be offered in two versions, one with and one without MediaFLO. The upcoming mobile TV service will only be initially launching in a fraction of the markets where AT&T offers 3G service, so it makes some sense that they'd ask LG to spin a special version of the high-end phone that could be offered elsewhere -- potentially at a slightly lower price point. We can only hope.

[Thanks, Alex]

We've already mentioned that the LG Vu is looking solid for a late March release after being held up (or so they say, anyway) to work through a few MediaFLO issues; we've now received independent confirmation that it's true -- assuming no more issues arise, of course -- but that's not all. No, far from it, in fact. The Sony Ericsson Z750 is apparently inbound for a release within two weeks, and along with the rugged Motorola W760 "Hurricane" (pictured), that should close out AT&T's March docket.

Moving on to April and beyond, the Pantech "Breeze" is expected some time next month, but don't get too excited -- it's an entry level flip that should move out the door free on contract. The Motorola Z9 slider should lackadaisically stroll into stores in late April, and finally, we've heard that the Nokia N95 has been approved by the carrier's powers that be (!!!) and should be available in the second quarter; no word on whether it's the standard N95 or the N95 8GB, though. How about an N96 with MediaFLO while you're at it, guys?

[Thanks, Kal]

Update: We've just heard from another tipster that the N95 in question is the original for the North American market, the N95-3. It apparently just started going through the arduous approval process last week, a testing marathon that takes roughly 400 hours -- four to six months -- to complete. By then, we'll all have 4G radios embedded directly within our brains and be living in terraformed colonies on Mars, but it was a nice thought on AT&T's part nonetheless.

We knew there had to be a good explanation for the Vu's name starting to show up on AT&T's wares, and this just might be it. We're hearing rumblings that the device, one of AT&T's likely inaugural MediaFLO handsets, is apparently now set for a March 18 release into distribution channels with March 20 availability in stores. Of course, AT&T originally wanted this thing out at the beginning of this month, so we'll believe it when we're standing at the cash register with a box in our hands.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

We're still waiting on the Vu to make its grand entrance on account of legal and technical woes, or so we hear. We guess we can hold ourselves over for a bit by staring at those two simple letters on the packaging for this lovely mono earbud, though, and deciding to ourselves whether we prefer the "voo" or "view" pronunciation.

Please hurry, AT&T. We beg you.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]