Verizon this morning switched its attention to non-smartphone messaging with the formal rollout of the Blitz. The UTStarcom-made device has a traditional feature phone interface but a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that speeds up responding to e-mail as well as instant messaging. The change also has the upside of keeping the closed phone short at 3.5 inches tall and allowing room for a 2.2-inch LCD.

The US-based carrier otherwise targets the Blitz just above the low-end and uses the legacy 1X RTT format for data but gives the device a 1.3-megapixel camera, a media player with Rhapsody music and microSD card support, and assist-only GPS through Verizon's VZ Navigator app. The Blitz is already available and will sell for $70 with a two-year plan.