If you’re thinking about buying a mobile phone or a music player, there are plenty of choices out there, and not all of them start with the letter “i.” Today, Verizon Wireless and Microsoft are announcing separate devices that aim to challenge Apple. At first glance, the LG Voyager might look like an iPhone, but make no mistake – it is something else entirely. The Voyager sports a large touch screen, and, like the iPhone, can play your music files, take two megapixel pictures and has an HTML web browser.
But that’s where the similarities end. The Voyager flips open to reveal a keyboard for text and instant messaging, it’s got Bluetooth stereo and a memory slot so you can expand your music to 8 gigabytes. The LG Voyager will be available from Verizon Wireless before thanksgiving – pricing was not announced.Also today, Microsoft is announcing its second generation Zune music players , with models priced to match and equipped to beat Apple’s iPods.
The new Zune sports an 80-gigabyte hard drive and a 3.2-inch color screen. There are also new 4- and 8-gigabyte flash memory models, similar in size and shape to the previous generation iPod Nano. The Zunes also feature FM tuners and wireless synching through Wi-Fi.
Microsoft has a lot of ground to make up for. The company has sold just over one million of its Zune players since their release last year. Apple, whose iPod debuted in 2001, has sold well over 100 million iPods.
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