Right on time, the hit-or-miss LG Versa has made its sales debut online and at Verizon stores. This modular LG phone will set you back $199 with a $50 mail-in rebate and a 2-year contract, as reported. Official specs from the site:

• 1900/800 MHz CDMA
• EV-DO Revision A (Rev. A)
• 3.0″ display with 262K color, 480 x 240 pixels, ambient light sensor and proximity sensor
• 2.0 Megapixel Camera & Camcorder with Autofocus, Flash & Image Editor
• Virtual QWERTY Keypad & Detachable QWERTY Keypad
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Music Player for MP3, WMA, Unprotected AAC & Unprotected AAC+ formats
• External memory card slot that supports up to 16GB microSD
• 2.5 mm headset jack
• Text, picture and video messaging with threaded messaging
• Support for a variety of Verizon services including: Mobile Email, Mobile IM, Mobile Web Email, My Verizon, VZ Navigator, Chaperone Parent/Child
• Mobile Broadband Connect Capable (tethering)
• Speakerphone and voice commands
• Bilingual interface – English and Spanish
• OTA Device Software Update
• 4.16” (h) x 2.07” (w) x 0.54” (d), 3.81 ounces
• 1,100 mAh battery providing up to 290 minutes of usage time or 430 hours standby time

If anyone dares to take the plunge and purchase this unusual device, definitely hit us up in the comments and let us know what you think.

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If you’re a Verizon customer who is looking to get a new touchscreen device without breaking the bank, you might want to mark down March 1st in your calendar. Rumor has it that’s when the LG Versa will go on sale and while it might not be the most impressive phone Big Red’s stable – with its dumb phone OS, simple 2 megapixel camera, a basic web browser and a dreaded stylus-operated touchscreen – it does have a rather peculiar way of adding attachments that some people are sure to think of as being the neatest thing since sliced bread. You see, the Versa is designed to allow users to customize it for certain tasks through after-market purchased dockable modules. Like what, you ask? Some of the modules we’ve seen include a “how bad are the default speakers” speakers, the “are you admitting that typing with a stupid stylus is an exercise in futility” full-QWERTY keypad and our personal favorite, the “why the hell does that guy need to attach a bulky add-on to his phone to get Wi-Fi” Wi-Fi antenna. Get the feeling that it’s in your best interest to save up a little longer and get a Dare?

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The upcoming LG VX9600 Versa will ship with a modular physical QWERTY keyboard – yes, we all know this. The presence of a “soft” keyboard however, has been questioned by many. Thankfully, a newly leaked image and information posted on Howard Forums will serve to put that debate to rest. According to HoFo user Snap315, the Versa will feature an on-screen keyboard that will be present in the browser, notepad, for texting and other applications much like the Dare. The on-screen keyboard appears to be an improvement over the Dare’s keyboard though, and features directional arrows, dedicated “.com”, “@”, comma and period buttons as well as colored keys to indicate non-letter keys like the “Clear”, “Done” and “Shift” buttons. From the looks of things, Versa keyboard will also retain the “pop-up” letters (while typing) that were present on the Dare and made popular by the iPhone. So there you have it folks – with the Versa sporting both an improved on-screen keyboard and a detachable physical QWERTY keyboard, it looks like you can have your cake and eat it, too.

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It was just a scant few days ago that we saw the first live pictures of the upcoming Verizon Wireless VX9600 Versa. Now we have a tentative release date for all you folks excited to see this modular LG Dare-Voyager hybrid hit the market. According to Best Buy Mobile’s inventory system, the LG VX9600 is slated for release on February 22, 2009. You can expect it to hit Verizon Wireless stores and website around the same time. Whether this modular phone will wow us with its “versatility” or be a good idea gone bad remains to be seen but at least we now know how long we have to wait to find out.

Thanks, Best Buy Ninja!

Other than a brief appearance on a recent rebate sheet for Verizon Wireless, details on LG’s modular VX9600 have been few and far between. The appearance of a few low-quality screenshots supposedly of the Flash UI in Spanish will certainly not leave you drooling over the device but nevertheless, some information is better than no information and such leaks suggest that this phone may still be on the drawing board for LG and Verizon Wireless. This unusual modular mobile phone will also reportedly ship with with a detachable keyboard included in the box. Other modules, like the rumored game pad, will be sold as optional accessories. Hit the jump for a few more shots.

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