Verizon's latest 3G Phone: UTStarcom's CDM8940

UTStarcom CDM8940Verizon Wireless of the US seems to be pushing along their consumer 3G V CAST service with the official announcement of the UTStarcom CDM8940. For those of you not familiar with UTStarcom, the company formerly did business under the name Audiovox.

The new CDM8940 handset is meant to be a real multimedia powerhouse. It has a 1.3 megapixel video-capable camera that is backed up by a miniSD memory card slot. Of course it supports the high-speed EV-DO 3G data network that Verizon has been rolling out over the past 6 months or so, too. V CAST, the consumer side of the EV-DO 3G network, will be available for a flat monthly rate of US$15, which will allow consumers access to all sorts of video and other multimedia content. Verizon claims that there are over 300 video clips available, and that the selection is to be updated on a daily basis.

The results should look quite pleasing, too, since the CDM8940 has a large 2" 262k color TFT main display.

The CDM8940 supports both US CDMA bands (800 and 1900Mhz), and comes with a host of other features: voice dialing, MMS/SMS messaging, hands-free speakerphone, vibration alert, etc. The battery might be the weak point on this handset, though. UTStarcom claims that the CDM8940 can achieve almost 8 days of standby time, which is fine, but says it is only capable of a bit more than 3.5 hours of talk time. They make no mention of the impact the 3G data has on the battery, but I think it is safe to say that you won't get nearly that much talk time if you also spend some time watching video clips from Verizon's V CAST service. Big, colorful displays typically eat up a lot of battery power.

The handset is reasonably sized when you consider its 3G abilities. It weighs 111g (3.9oz) and measures 86mm x 46mm x 25mm (3.4" x 1.8" x 1.0"). Verizon says that the CDM8940 will be available for $299.99 after a $70 rebate when purchased with a new 2 year contract.

You can find a few high-res photos of the UTStarcom CDM8940 for Verizon Wireless on the following page.

 

Featured products from the MobileBurn store