Verizon shows off Casio G'zOne Brigade - a water-proof full-QWERTY phone

Casio Brigade

Casio Brigade

Casio Brigade

Casio Brigade

Today at a press event in New York City highlighting its 2009 holiday season cell phone portfolio, Verizon showed off the as-yet unannounced Casio G'zOne Brigade, the company's first rugged, push-to-talk cell phone with a full QWERTY keyboard.

Casio has been making tough handsets for Verizon under the G'zOne brand for a number of years, but this is the first G'zOne handset to feature a full QWERTY keyboard. The keyboard on the Brigade sports 4 full rows of keys that includes a shortcut key for messaging and a dedicated row of number keys. Like other G'zOne phones, the Brigade meets the MIL-STD-810F standard for water, vibration, dust, and a host of other tortures that would disable a lesser phone.

But the Brigade can do more than just take a beating. It is also equipped with an autofocus 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash that can record videos as well as still photos. The phone sports a document viewer and features a text-to-speech function that can read text, picture, and email messages aloud to the phone's user. A large speaker with speakerphone capability is also on-board.

Standard Verizon services are offered on the Brigade, including VZ Navigator, V CAST Video, and V CAST Music with Rhapsody. Purchased and created media files alike can be stored on memory cards that can be fitted into the phone's microSD memory card slot.

No release date or pricing information has been released for the Casio G'zOne Brigade yet, but we are told to expect to see the device available soon. We hope to add a brief video of the Casio Brigade shortly, so stay tuned.

Casio Brigade

Casio Brigade

Casio Brigade

Casio Brigade

blitzkill @ 1:27:07PM EST on Sunday January 10, 2010

when is this phone going to be released?

Kris @ 9:01:41AM EST on Saturday January 16, 2010

I am interested in this phone can you tell me when it will be released to the public and how I can get one

mike @ 1:53:17PM EST on Tuesday January 19, 2010

when will the Verizon brigade be released

michael @ 9:53:12PM EST on Saturday January 23, 2010

when is this phone going to be released and can we buy these phones sfrom this company/web..?

johnnybbad @ 11:48:40AM EST on Sunday January 24, 2010

when is this phone being released??!!

customer @ 2:10:56PM EST on Sunday January 24, 2010

when will this phone be out? i have been waiting a while now?

gary @ 1:23:58PM EST on Sunday February 7, 2010

when will this phone be avalible been waiting since dec. 09

Dee @ 5:17:41PM EST on Thursday February 11, 2010

It's now Feb., has the Bridage been released

Agent Zero @ 1:46:06AM EST on Saturday February 13, 2010

No official release date, and nobody is opening their mouths to even confirm that it is so much as being mass produced, but take it from a ninja in the know, this phone is already being printed on the new rebate form VZW plans to use starting Feb 16th. Keep your ears to the ground.

Dustin Hamilton @ 11:25:06PM EST on Sunday February 21, 2010

Official Release Date is FridaY February 25th, 2010! THIS FRIDAY!!! Cant wait

Dan @ 4:21:24PM EST on Monday February 22, 2010

My company is presently using as trial phones the Casio Rock. While it is a very sturdy phone there is a lot of glitches as Push to Talk. Our sales lady from Verizon has info that Brigade is going to be released Feb 25th. We are going to try them to see if The Rock's problems are resolved with the new phone

Gunguy1 @ 7:41:50PM EST on Thursday March 4, 2010

Just finished playing with the Brigade in the Verizon Wireless store. The manager showed it to me when it became apparent that it would be the only phone that fit my requirements. It will be released for sale on Feb 11. I know this because that is when he told me to come back to buy it. He told me that the retail would be $299. Im not sure if that is the new contract price or not.

Bert @ 11:15:28AM EST on Saturday March 6, 2010

I was in a Radio Shack store in Dickinson ND on 03/05/10 - they HAVE the phone. it was $299 w a 2 yr contract. $500 without a contract. It is the ONLY place I have found this found. My local store does not know anything about it. I even called Verizon yesterday and they know nothing either. If I had not of just got a new update on Thursday - this is the phone I would have gotten. I want it - yet no one other than this store can help, which since I am not from that area - I am afraid it may not work in my area.

jimmyD @ 5:00:45PM EDT on Saturday March 20, 2010

Dont know if you guys have seen it yet, but it is available on their website

zeeman @ 6:12:27PM EDT on Saturday March 20, 2010

Hope it lives up to it's looks , I just ordered one , so , we shall see.

TreeAholic @ 2:50:10PM EDT on Monday April 5, 2010

The Brigade is released but special order online only for right now...249.00 with two year contract

JazzyPHU!!! @ 9:59:03PM EDT on Monday April 12, 2010

i have neva seen a cell phone lyck tis is tis verizon or sprint cus [hahahah] OMG :]

Joe @ 10:09:40PM EDT on Monday November 1, 2010

I have been looking for a phone like the Brigade for at&t is this cell phone going be sold at or for at&t or do you know where I can get one. I already have casio watch the pathfinder to the G shock so now I want the phone I also heard that this phone is very will made also it will stand up to just about anything is that true ?.
Thank you Joseph Land

Nick Snyder @ 11:31:03PM EDT on Friday April 8, 2011

Amazing phone!!!!!

cova adams @ 8:38:09PM EDT on Wednesday September 14, 2011

I have one- I like it but I have had it replaced about 5 times under warrenty-the problem,either I cant hear people calling me,or they cant hear me talking, they say I sound muffled. I am really getting tired of this crap