Pantech Marauder arrives at Verizon on August 2
updated 03:46 pm EDT, Tue July 31, 2012
Android 2.3 phone gets a Starter and Standard mode to cater to those new to smartphones
A new, beginner-friendly smartphone from Pantech, the 4G LTE-compatible Marauder, will arrive at Verizon on August 8, the two companies revealed on Tuesday. The horizontal slider sports a full hardware QWERTY keyboard and two modes of operation: Starter and Standard. The former gives new users a simpler interface, including four home screens, preset widgets, and a dialer that lets them make calls from the home screen.
The Standard mode will unlock the full Android 2.3 experience, complete with seven customizable home screens. Switching between the two modes doesn't erase any settings or saved information, however.
Hardware specs include a 1.2GHz, dual-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM and a 4-inch touchscreen. There is also a five-megapixel camera onboard, Bluetooth 3.0, and a microSD memory card slot to supplement the 8GB of onboard storage. There is also DLNA media-sharing capability and the ability to share its 4G LTE data connection with up to 10 Wi-Fi devices.
The phone will cost just $50 after a $50 mail-in rebate and on a two-year contract and Verizon's Share Everything plan.
