Brace yourselves, folks: it looks like one of the more painful incidents in recent memory might be in the process of repeating itself. Remember a while back when AT&T canceled the hotly-anticipated Sony Ericsson K850 at the last possible fricking second? Yeah, well, we're hearing that LG and AT&T may have mutually agreed to put the brakes on the CF750 Secret (which, like the K850, just happens to be a 5 megapixel phone) "due to cost" -- in other words, some guy in a suit thinks the price point wouldn't make sense. He's likely right, but we're going to grumble nonetheless if that ends up being the case.

In happier news, the well-traveled Shine looks due to finally be put out to pasture by the end of May "at the latest," while the Vu is scheduled to be euthanized in August -- but don't worry, both models have replacements in the pipeline. Currently, it looks like AT&T expects the Shine 2 and Vu 2 to hit in the third quarter, though we know from countless past experiences that this is liable to slip dangerously close to the holiday shopping season as both manufacturer and carrier realize that neither the hardware nor software are ready for primetime. The Vu 2 is said to have "some new 3D touchscreen that... was very impressive," which we take to mean that S-Class is a strong possibility here. Could the Vu 2 end up being a thinly-veiled Arena or Viewty Smart clone?

[Thanks, Kal]

Most people try to keep carrier branding on their phones to a minimum -- it's gaudy, loud, and unnecessary -- but for the burgeoning KIRF industry, anything goes. Take for example the SciPhone S18, brought to you by the same company that saw fit to clone a free platform, Android, of all things. It sorta looks like a cross between an Incite, a Vu, and a Prada (which never launched on AT&T, coincidentally), but the kicker is the big ol' AT&T logo top center. We're pretty sure it wouldn't take more than a couple days on an American carrier for these dudes to decide that the logo's doing more harm than good, but then again, maybe they know something we don't. Doubtful.

[Thanks, Andrew]

Mum's still the word with AT&T, but LG's gone ahead and spilled the beans on the burgundy version of the Vu -- a phone that's starting to look a little long in the tooth in the face of its newer competition from Samsung, so what better way to freshen things up than with a new color? Only the MediaFLO-equipped CU920 version of the phone seems like it's coming in the new shade, so if you were hoping to squeeze by without having to buy the mobile TV circuitry, we're afraid you might walk away disappointed. Let us know if you see this one galavanting around stores, won't you?

[Via phoneArena]

LG's Vu hit and left the spotlight in the blink of an eye earlier this year, but now AT&T's looking to rejuvenate interest in the Mobile TV-enabled handset by bringing it back out in a new wine hue. At least, that's the good word coming from the Boy Genius. Reportedly, the new version (model number 920 versus the old 915) will also boast MediaFLO and a number of assorted bug fixes, and while there's no expected date of arrival mentioned, it should ring up at right around $100 whenever it lands.

Lookee here -- this week's How Would You Change writeup over on Engadget Classic has an awful lot to do with the mobile realm. You know, particularly since the device in question is LG's Vu. If you've recently snagged one from AT&T, why not head on over and sound off about your experiences? It's a quick trip, we promise.

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.