On Thursday Verizon Wireless will begin offering the LTE-ready LG Lucid for just $80 with a contract, hoping to trump AT&T Mobility’s upcoming launch of Nokia’s Lumia 900 for $100 on April 8. The LG device is powered by a 1.2 GHz processor and will feature a 4-inch touchscreen and Android 2.3, making LTE the most compelling feature from a technical standpoint.
Verizon Wireless is marketing the LG Lucid to first-time smartphone buyers. The phone is billed as easy to use, with a focus on productivity. For example Verizon Wireless says the Lucid includes a “quick reply” feature to allow users to reply to text messages without quitting other applications.
Verizon Wireless’ LTE network is now available in 200 U.S. markets, and for the nation’s largest carrier it makes sense to move as many subscribers as possible to LTE. LTE makes better use of precious spectrum than 3G, and with mobile subscribers gobbling more and more bandwidth, efficient use of spectrum is a top priority for carriers.
