Verizon Wireless on Monday unveiled the Pantech Breakout, a sub-$100 smartphone that will run on the carrier's 4G LTE network.
The Pantech Breakout will be available on Verizon's Web site and in stores on Thursday, September 22 for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and a two-year contract. The rebate will be available via a debit card.
The device will run Android 2.3 Gingerbread and a 1-GHz processor. It features a 4-inch, 480-by-800 touch display, and 4G LTE mobile hotspot capability that supports up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The Breakout's virtual QWERTY keyboard supports Swype technology for easier typing. There's also a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with HD video capture up to 720p and a VGA front-facing camera for still shots and video chatting. There's 8GB of pre-installed microSD.
With Verizon's 4G network, the carrier said the smartphone can get download speeds between 5 to 12Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5Mbps in 4G coverage areas.
Verizon touted a "super-fast downloads packaged in a slim and attractive design." The device will include access to custom Pantech widgets and the ability to share media files between Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-enabled devices via the phone's Net Media app.
The Pantech Breakout is the latest device for Verizon's 4G LTE network, which debuted in December. The first smartphone to run on the network was the HTC Thunderbolt, which hit stores in March for $249.99. There's also the LG Revolution, the Motorola Droid Bionic, and the Samsung Droid Charge.
Verizon might have some 4G competition thanks to AT&T, which launched its LTE network in Houston this weekend. PCMag's David Pierce was there testing devices, and he found that AT&T's new system to be extremely fast. For more, see AT&T vs. Verizon: LTE, Head-to-Head and the slideshow below.