Verizon Wireless announces the Pantech Marauder smartphone, dubs it the perfect handset for first time smartphone users

Verizon Wireless has officially announced their latest Android smartphone, the Pantech Marauder. And as rough and tumble as the name may sound, Verizon has dubbed this one as being perfect for those looking to make the jump from a basic feature phone to a smartphone. The Marauder brings goodies to include a slide-out hardware QWERTY and 4G LTE connectivity.

Those interested will be able to pick up the Pantech Marauder on August 2nd. The price will be $49.99 which comes after a $50 mail-in rebate and along with a two-year agreement. Simply put, make sure you have $99.99 to shell out on the day of purchase.

Otherwise, aside from the 4G LTE and slide-out QWERTY, the Pantech Marauder feature set includes 1GB of RAM, a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, Bluetooth 3.0, DLNA, a microSD card slot and Mobile Hotspot capability. The Marauder has a 5 megapixel camera on the back along with access to Google Play. As for the reasoning behind this handset being perfect for first time smartphone users, Verizon has stated that you can set this as being in Starter or Standard mode. For those wondering, here is how the Starter Mode is explained;

“Starter Mode is a simplified and more intuitive experience that is perfect for those who are new to the smartphone world.  This option eases first-time customers into the smartphone experience with the help of four easy-to-learn home screens featuring preset widgets and an uncluttered, easy-to-use lock screen.  Starter Mode also features a quick dialer icon that allows customers to make phone calls directly from the home screen.  Standard Mode is a general smartphone setting for those who are familiar with the Android™ experience.  It offers up to seven fully customizable home screens and a customizable lock screen with quick access to frequently used applications.  All settings are maintained when switching between modes so customers do not have to worry about losing information.”

Via [Verizon Wireless]