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LG’s K8 V smartphone, an Android handset with a 5-inch LCD HD touch-screen display that sells for $144 and can be used internationally, is available for preorder exclusively through Verizon.
The handset, which will be available in Verizon stores and at VerizonWireless.com on June 16, is being sold at a special online-only price of $94, after a $50 discount, for a limited time.
The K8 V features a 1.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8909 quad-core processor, 1.5GB of memory, 16GB of on-board storage (9.3GB is usable), a microSD slot that accepts storage cards up to 128GB of expandable storage and a removable 2,125mAh battery. The K8 V also includes an 8-megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with low-light capabilities and LG’s Gesture Shot feature, which allows the shutter to be operated using a hand gesture. The handset also features LG’s rear-mounted buttons for volume control, power and camera shutter release, making it easier to operate with one hand, even while you are talking on the phone. The smartphone runs on the Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 operating system.
The phone can be preordered for $6 per month for 24 months with no interest (total payments $144), but is available for $50 off for online orders for a limited time, bringing the 24 monthly payments down to $3.91 per month (total payments $94). The activation fee for the phone is waived for online buyers, according to Verizon. The handset will be available in Onyx Black when it is released June 16.
The K8 V is 5.69 inches tall, 2.85 inches wide and weighs 4.71 ounces. It is a 4G LTE handset that is also XTE-ready.
The handset is a CDMA phone in the United States on Verizon’s network but can also be used on GSM and UMTS networks abroad for voice and data, according to Verizon. Customers must have an international service plan to use the K8 V abroad. The handset can be used in more than 200 countries.
Also recently announced by Verizon in June are the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force smartphones from Lenovo, which feature a series of interchangeable, modular Moto Mod backs that can be snapped onto the phones to add varying features as needed by users. The modular backs include a larger battery, a big-screen projector and a boom box speaker system for over-the-top audio.
Both the Moto Z and Moto Z Force handsets are flagship smartphones that include all-metal bodies, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors and Moto TurboPower fast-charging capabilities. The Moto Z Force also includes the Moto Shattershield display, which is guaranteed not to crack or shatter.
The JBL SoundBoost audio back, the Moto Insta-Share Projector back and the Power Pack back, which adds up to 22 hours of battery life to the device, connect to the Moto Z phones using high-powered magnets. Other modular backs will be released in the future to extend the capabilities of the phones.
The Moto Z, which is just 0.20 inches thick, includes a 5.5-inch quad HD active-matric organic LED (AMOLED) display, 4GB of memory, 32GB or 64GB of on-board storage, and a microSD card slot for additional storage. It also features a 13MP rear-facing camera with optical image stabilization and laser autofocus, a front-facing 5MP camera with a wide-angle lens and a water-repellant coating to protect the handset. The Moto Z Force will include the same key specifications but will also come with the Moto Shattershield display, a 21MP rear-facing camera and longer battery life.
The Moto Z DROID Edition and Moto Z Force DROID Edition handsets will be available in the United States this summer through Verizon, through retailers including Best Buy, and through Moto.com. Prices have not yet been announced. The Moto Z will also be available unlocked on Moto.com and at various retailers this fall.