Verizon’s Chocolate: A Sweet Hybrid

Verizon recently introduced the Verizon Chocolate by LG. The Chocolate is a hybrid cell phone and MP3 player designed very much like Apple’s iPod. The sinister but sleek design, combined with hints of red and brown make the Chocolate a new multimedia accessory suitable for many tastes. The Chocolate serves both as a cell phone and MP3 player, offering music downloads across Verizon networks.

The ease of use and functionality of the Chocolate make it a flexible and convenient gadget for today’s trendy consumer. Equipped with a 2GB memory card, larger downloads for streaming clips are possible. The Chocolate may provide an alternative to our current iPod nation’s almost-manical downloading habits. Wireless technology is on the rise across a variety of consumer handhelds today, and the Chocolate is the first of its kind to offer enhanced wireless access with ‘Mobile Web 2.0.’

Users can purchase the much-needed accessory of a headset to pair with their Chocolate. The Chocolate runs for $149 with a contract, along with various packages to access music on a regular basis. Downloads are $1.99 directly to the phone, and only 99 cents to a PC. It’s a competitive rate for iTunes regulars, and Verizon customers also have an option to browse around the V Cast music store. And who says a little Chocolate over-indulgence should be a bad thing? The expandable memory card can increase download functions for flashy pictures, memos, and ring tones through Verizon’s Get it Now services.

The biggest selling point of the Verizon Chocolate may be found in its design and dual-functionality as a phone and music player. There is currently nothing else like this on the market; even Microsoft’s oncoming Zune will not have cell phone capabilities (as far as we know). Many Verizon phones are also being designed for V Cast access, providing Verizon customers with access to downloadable music.

So where does this leave iPod fanatics? Verizon Chocolate offers an attractive alternative, since the product itself is designed with a very similar dial and interface. The slim, sleek size is a benefit to many, and the Bluetooth headset capability completes the package. The phones serve as cameras and video recorders as well, and additional accessories include portable speakers and handsets.

Contenders for sleek and stylish handhelds, as well as multi-functional cell phones are finding unique and inventive ways to combine units. LG’s Chocolate is one newcomer, but additional items have been unveiled this year including the Mobile ESPN-Samsung ACE, a wireless sports provider to watch sports clips at the touch of a button; the MOTORIZR to upstage the MOTO RZR with a sliding handset feature (instead of the flip); and Sprint’s Katana by Sanyo, a high-resolution wireless Bluetooth-enabled cell phone available in bold colors with an emphasis on camera functions.