Korean Mobiles getting ready to kill iPhone 3G

Verizon, one of the leading U.S. mobile operators, on Wednesday unveiled three new mobile phones to compete with the iPhone, which is available only through Verizon’s rival AT&T. Among Verizon’s new products, the Voyager from LG Electronics has a touchscreen display as wide as that of the iPhone. And the Voyager uses a wireless Internet service that is faster than the one available for the iPhone. Beside the touchscreen, it also has a flip-open keypad, which is expected to attract iPhone admirers who want a traditional keypad. Another LG Electronics phone, the black and pink Venus, also has a touchscreen display with a keypad that slides beneath it. Both Venus and Voyager have 2-megapixel cameras and allow high-speed mobile Internet access for speedy music and movie downloads. Verizon will release the two phones next month.

The third phone competitor Juke from Samsung is an ultra-slim phone that looks like a bar-type but has a swivel keypad. Samsung Juke is among the shortest swivel phones ever launched in the U.S. It doesn’t support high-speed wireless Internet, but its high-tech design should appeal to young early adopters. The Samsung Juke will go on sale Oct. 19. Verizon’s new phones cost from US$100 to $400, less expensive than the iPhone ($399). It will kill the iPhone,” promised Mike Lanman, Verizon’s chief marketing officer. Verizon has the biggest subscriber base in the eastern U.S.