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Samsung Mobi
(Credit: CNET Networks)The LG VX9400 is not the only phone to support V Cast Mobile TV. The other phone is called the Samsung Mobi, which also goes by the name Samsung SCH-u620. We managed to get a look at it after the Verizon press conference, and it looks and feels a lot like the Samsung Drift phone from Helio. It is nice and compact with a soft-touch finish on its matte black surface, and it's a slider phone.
The specifications are very similar to that of the LG VX9400; features include a 1.3-megapixel camera, a camcorder, text and multimedia messaging, Bluetooth, full access to V Cast video and V Cast music, an MP3 player, VZ Navigator support, and a microSD card slot. Similar to the LG VX9400, the Samsung Mobi/SCH-U620 also has a dedicated TV button and an extendable antenna to improve the reception. We were impressed with the speed of the channel surfing, which you do with the up and down direction keys.
Samsung Mobi with the V Cast Mobile TV programming guide
(Credit: CNET)Though the 2-inch screen was not as conducive to TV watching as the LG VX9400's 2.5-inch screen, it still looked pretty good. It will probably be available by end of March, though pricing is not known.
Watching ESPN football on the LG VX9400
(Credit: CNET Networks)As we mentioned earlier here and here, Verizon has indeed partnered with Qualcomm's MediaFlo to bring us live television on Verizon phones. The service is dubbed V Cast Mobile TV, and one of the first phones out of the gate with it is the aforementioned LG VX9400.
At first, we thought the phone looked rather large and unwieldy, but when we took a closer look, we were surprised at how good it looks, especially the screen. The 2.5-inch display really makes a difference when viewing TV shows. There's a dedicated TV button that switches on the Mobile TV service immediately, and we managed to flip through TV channels with the same sort of speed you would surf channels with at home.
The LG VX9400 with the V Cast Mobile TV interface
(Credit: CNET Networks)There's also a sizable antenna, which can be extended and is supposed to improve TV reception. As far as features go, here's what we know: It will have a 1.3-megapixel camera, a camcorder, text and multimedia messaging, access to V Cast Video and V Cast Music, an MP3 player, support for VZ Navigator, a microSD card slot, and Bluetooth. Of course, we can't give you our official verdict until we can get our hands on it for a full review, but it looks promising so far.
In addition, a Verizon rep told us that since the live television runs on the MediaFlo network and not on the traditional cellular network, you could conceivably receive V Cast Mobile TV reception in places you would not normally receive a cell signal--in elevators and subways, for example. Very promising indeed.
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