Verizon unveils iPhone rival for holiday shoppers

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NEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters): Verizon Wireless unveiled three new cell phones Wednesday for the holiday season, including a high-end handset named Voyager that will compete with Apple Inc's iPhone.
The Voyager, made by LG Electronics (066570.KS), trumps the iPhone by offering faster wireless Web access. But in a nod to the Apple device, which is only available to AT&T Inc subscribers, it has a large touch screen and full Web browser.
Verizon Wireless hopes the new phone will attract customers put off by the iPhone's lack of a traditional keypad-the Voyager hinges open to reveal a small computer keypad and a second screen.
"We think it'll be the best phone ... this year. It will kill the iPhone," Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer Mike Lanman said in an interview.
Current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart said the Voyager may attract existing Verizon subscribers who do not want to switch service providers, but he doubted it would hurt iPhone sales.
"People who want a high-end media phone and want to stay with Verizon will certainly give that one a hard look. I don't know that it would pull anybody away from an iPhone," he said.
The battle for cell phone buyers' hearts this holiday shopping season is shaping up to be even fiercer than usual, as rivals to Apple and AT&T launch new challengers.
Verizon Wireless, owned by Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) and Vodafone Group Plc, has not been first with the hippest phones, but said this line-up is its best yet.
"Typically a carrier brings one, maybe two exciting products to the market in a year. We're bringing four," Lanman said, referring to the three new models and its existing LG Chocolate phone.
Verizon also introduced Juke, an ultra-narrow phone that comes in three colours and is shaped like a chocolate bar. The phone, made by Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), is less than one inch wide.