DROIDForums.net is reporting that Verizon Wireless has given the end-of-life nod to the following devices:

• Gateway LT2016U (netbook)
• Motorola Devour and DROID
• Nokia Twist
• BlackBerry Tour 9630
• Samsung Knack, Smooth, Intensity, and Saga

Looks like Big Red is making room in their handset lineup for some of the new hotness due out this summer. Anything on this list surprise you?

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Well, hear us out. We’ve had a flurry of tips sent in today that Verizon Wireless has dropped the prices of almost all existing smartphones they offer to only $99 with a two-year agreement. This obviously signifies one thing and it’s not Verizon just being nice (though they generally are friendly when we ring them up): new crap is coming. The much-awaited Touch Pro2 looks to be landing on VZ shortly (the Touch Pro dropped from $419 to $99) and while we doubt the BlackBerry Storm 2 is going to launch earlier than November, there’s still only two smartphones we can find above $99. Those are the BlackBerry Tour and Samsung Saga. So, new handsets coming relatively soon and obviously a little reaction to the $99 iPhone pricing, existing smartphones and BlackBerrys on Verizon Wireless just got a whole bunch less expensive.

Thanks, to everyone that hit us up!

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Thus far, Verizon Wireless has made good on 66 percent of its promise to unlock GPS on its latest Windows Mobile handsets. First we had an update for the HTC Touch Pro and today we have an update for the Samsung Saga. Left behind and still waiting for GPS freedom, for the time being, is the Samsung Omnia. Samsung Saga owners, though, should take a closer look at the newly-posted CE07 Software Upgrade which includes “Open Standalone LBS Supported and Performance Enhanced. (This may support 3rd party applications)” as part of its change log. Users who have updated their Sagas are initially reporting that the GPS is now unlocked on COM 9 and ROM cookers are already in the process of extracting the new ROM in order to embed the GPS unlock into custom ROMS. Interested parties can obtain the software update directly from Verizon’s support page for the Samsung Saga. Happy GPS-ing!

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That rumored launch date of November 14th for the Samsung i770 “Saga” was spot on. Right on time, the Saga made its debut on Verizon’s website and is now available for sale online and via telesales / B2B. You will have to wait until December 1st to walk into a store and pick one up. The Saga will set you back $199 after a $70 MIR and a 2-year contract, $269 after a $70 MIR and a 1-year contract or $389 with no contract and no rebate. Remember the Samsung i770 is the first of Verizon’s handsets to require a mandatory $29.99 data plan. All in all, the Saga is a pretty solid handset that might be an attractive upgrade for current Motorola Q users and others who prefer a front-facing physical keyboard. Saga owners wont have to leave their flip phone loving friends behind when they jetset to Europe as Verizon also launched the Samsung Renown, a world phone in clam shell form. Like the Saga, the Renown has both CDMA and quad-band GSM, a 2MP camera and multiple messaging options. The Renown comes in just below the Saga, with a price tag of $179.99 after a $50 MIR and a 2-year contract. Unlike the Saga which is available now, the Renown will not be available until November 19 via B2B, telesales and online. It also won’t land in the stores until December 1. Hit the jump for the full set of specs for both handsets.

Read (Press Release)

Read (Samsung Saga product page)

The Samsung Saga will feature the following specs:

• CDMA 1x EV–DO Rev. A 800/1900 mHz+ Quad Band 850/900/1800/1900 mHz
• 2.55″ Display: 320×320 pixel; 64K color TFT
• 256MB RAM/128MB ROM
• Full QWERTY Keyboard with Virtual QWERTY and additional virtual input options
• 2.0 megapixel camera w/NightShot mode, digital zoom and video capture
• Bluetooth® Wireless Technology (v2.0) including stereo (A2DP)
• WiFi Capable (802.11 g/b)
• Optical Mouse Navigation button
• microSD memory support (up to 16GB)
• Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
• Microsoft® Office Word Mobile, Excel® Mobile, and PowerPoint® Mobile; Adobe® Reader® LE PDF viewer
• Opera Mobile™ and Internet Explorer® Mobile
• Dimensions: 4.88″ (H) x 2.44″ (W) x 0.53″ (D)
• Processor: MSM7500
• Standard Battery – 1300 mAh – Usage Up to 300 minutes OR Standby Up to 325 hours

The Samsung Renown will feature the following specs:

• Global Mode – including Quad Band GSM capability
• Multiple messaging options (text messaging only for use abroad)
• 2.0 megapixel camera with NightShot
• Media Center-capable – downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services, etc
• Visual Voice Mail
• Built-in stereo Bluetooth wireless technology – supports profiles: mono and stereo headset, hands free (car kits), serial port, object push (vCard only), file transfer, basic print and phonebook access
• Organizer – Alarm Clock, World Clock, Calendar, Calculator with Converter, Stop Watch, Notepad
• microSD expansion memory up to 8 GB (card purchased separately)
• Dimensions: 1.95” x 3.87” x .69”
• Display: Main LCD: 240 x 320 pixel, 262K color TFT,  Outside LCD: 96 x 96 pixel, 262K color TFT

It looks like Samsung has a busy schedule coming up here in the US and while it goes without saying that we’ll be missing out on the cream of Samsung’s crop, there are definitely a few gems in store from our South Korean pals. AT&T, Alltel, Verizon and T-mobile are all covered here while Sprint is omitted. As such, we can probably expect a few additions to the list as 2009 rolls around. So let’s see what we’ve got here…

T-Mobile:

• Behold T919

AT&T:

• SGH-A777
• Eternity A867

Alltel:

• SCH-R600 Hue II

Verizon Wireless:

• Saga I770
• OMNIA I910
• Renown U810

That’s a whole lot of Samsung right there. The upcoming T919, announced earlier today, and A867 are particularly sexy and will both sport TouchWiz along with 5 megapixel cameras which is a nice little clarification from initial reports. Following all of these press shots, we should see time lines emerge in the not so distant future.

[Via IntoMobile]

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Finally, a little more holiday love from the jolly red giant. Sure the BlackBerry Storm will be out before Santa rolls around this year but it’s always nice to have options – especially since the Storm’s touchy clicky screen will surely not appeal to everyone. Worry not, it looks like the boys in red have a few treats for you. First up, the Samsung Omnia. Pictured above sporting a Verizon Wireless boot screen, the Omnia is one of Samsung’s answers to the, dare we say, iPhone. Optical mouse, nice big touchscreen, Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, 8 GB of internal memory… You know the drill. Next up, the HTC Touch Pro. There’s no way that Verizon would let Sprint have all the QWERTY HTC fun. Interesting to note that the image (after the jump) shows the Touch Pro with a standard Windows Mobile today screen – what a massive fail that would be! Expect pricing right around $300 to fall in line with Sprint’s offering. Last, and least, is the Samsung i770 Saga. We found out that the i770 was coming to Verizon earlier this month and it will replace the aging i760. The d-pad / mouse mode setup is kind of cool but we doubt we’d opt for it over the Touch Pro or Omnia. There you have it people – hit the jump for a pic of Verizon’s Touch Pro and Saga.

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