Right on cue according to our scoop, Verizon launched two new devices today in the Motorola Rival A455 and the Casio EXILIM C721. The Rival is a pretty standard messaging device that has a full QWERTY keypad, a 2 megapixel and a 2-year contract price of $99 after a $50 MIR. Have at it, tweens. The EXILIM on the other hand, which goes for $279.99 after rebates on a 2-year deal, features a 2.3-inch pivoting QVGA display, 5.1 megapixel camera with auto-focus, flash and 3x optical zoom, GPS and all of the standard Verizon apps that you would expect. Oh, and it also meets Military Specifications 810F standards making is dust and water resistant. So what say you, people — do either of these devices strike your fancy or are you waiting for something bigger and better to come along?

Read (Moto Rival in silver; purple also available)
Read (Casio EXILIM C721)

Our ninja came through for us again and provided us with all the launch details for the Casio Exilim C721. We already scooped the June 10th launch date and now we have pictures, pricing and specifications to round out the information on this new handset. Hit the jump for all the details and images you can handle.

• 1X/EVDO Rev A connectivity
• 2.3-inch QVGA (not WVGA as originally thought) internal display with  0.7-inch Mono (White) 96×32 external display
• 5.1 Megapixel auto-focus camera/camcorder with flash, image stabilizer,180-degree rotating display, and optical 3x zoom
• Dedicated camera/video key
• Meets military specifications 810F standards for water (Immersion & Rain), humidity, salt-fog, shock, vibration, dust, solar radiation, altitude, low & high temperature storage
• Bluetooth Profiles: headset, hands free, DUN, A2DP, phonebook access, and object push (for vCard / vCal)
• Music Player for: MP3, WMA, unprotected AAC & unprotected AAC+ formats
• HTML Web Browser
• Up to 8GB of optional removable memory
• Verizon Services: V CAST Music with Rhapsody,V CAST Videos, Chaperon Parent/Child Capable, Media Center, Mobile Email, Mobile Web Mail, Mobile IM & Chat capable
• Dashboard with Mobile Web, Field Force Manager capable
• Visual Voice Mail capable, Mobile Broadband Connect capable
• Text, Picture, Video & Voice Messaging
• GPS (VZ NavigatorSM Capable)
• Dimensions: 4.0” x 2.0” x 0.8”; Weight: 4.5 ounces
• Usage Time: Up to 230 minutes OR Standby Time: Up to 540 hours

The 5MP Casio Exilim will launch for $279 after a $50 mail in rebate and 2-year contract, $349 after a $50 mail in rebate and 1-year contract and $449 for full retail. At this extraordinarily high price for a souped up feature phone, the C721 will probably be a dust collector on the shelves of Verizon Wireless stores nationwide until the price drops — good thing it’s dust proof.

June looking a bit boring for you? Not enough phones launching already?. Well you’re in luck as one of our ninjas just came through with two more handsets to throw onto the pile in June, this time from our pals at VZW. First up, the QWERTY-sliding Motorola Rival A455. Since making a brief appearance earlier this month, not much has been heard from this tween-centric handset. Other than the fact that the initial model number was wrong — it’s the A455, not A445 — you’re looking at a slide-out QWERTY keypad, EV-DO connectivity, GPS, Bluetooth and a 2.0 megapixel camera. Woo hoo. Next up is the only-slightly more intriguing Casio Exilim C721. We’re sure you remember it. The C721 sports military-grade dust and water resistance, a 5.1 megapixel camera and a swiveling WVGA display. Pricing is not yet available for either phone but you can expect them both to drop on June 10th.

Thanks, KrazyVZW!

Back in the day, beer makers were faced with a marketing conundrum: How do you draw attention to your product when there really isn’t anything to differentiate it from every other competitive product out there? The answer they came up with… Naked women. These days, scantily clad females are less common in TV commercials here in the US, having been replaced by stupid guys doing funny stuff in beer ads, but that hardly means the spirit of “sex sells” doesn’t still rear its head from time to time. Take Casio’s new online ad for its upcoming Exilim C721. In the eyes of the general consumer there are really only two things that differentiate this handset from any other: a swiveling display and a water resistant case. With that in mind, how can Casio draw attention to its upcoming handset headed to Verizon Wireless? Hit the jump for the answer. On a related note, we hear Casio’s next ad run could be titled Debbie Does Digital.

[Via Engadget]

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