Internet

Expanding its network to more than 171 major metropolitan markets and 68 primary airports, Verizon Wireless' broadband network is one of the largest in the country. As an EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) capable device, the VX8300 can access 3G broadband network at theoretical speeds of up to 2.4 Mbps. But more realistic rates are around 300 to 500 kbps.

Through EV-DO, consumers are able to access a variety of multimedia services. VCAST Video, a subscription-based video streaming and download service, shows clips up to 5 minutes long, downloadable through from the VX8300.

Able to watch mobile television anywhere EV-DO coverage is available, customers can get live and prerecorded shows from popular channels such as ABC News, CNBC, MSNBC, the Weather Channel, the News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox studio, and Viacom Inc.'s VH1 and Comedy Central. Additionally, Video-On-Demand is available through Verizon Wireless' Get It Now service. Allowing customers to subscribe to and select preferences for their favorite content, text alerts are sent when new videos becomes available.

Offering customers the ability to download music over the air directly to their wireless phones, VCAST Music gives users immediate access to songs from well-known artists at major music labels Warner Music Group, EMI Music, Universal, and Sony/BMG, as well as indie provider The Orchard. Letting consumers play music on their wireless phones, more than one million songs are available for purchase in the Verizon Wireless VCAST Music Store.

Customers buying songs from the VCAST Music Store on the VX8300 get two copies of every song - one for the phone and one for the Windows XP PC. Purchases from the PC cost $0.99 and can be transferred via USB cable to the phone, while purchases from the VX8300 cost $1.99 for both copies. VCAST Music customers will also be able to buy entire albums via Windows XP PCs. Prices vary by album.

Storage

The VX8300 comes with 28.0 MB of internal memory, dynamically shared among stored multimedia. However for large files such as music files or video clips, the free space may not be enough.

Fortunately the VX8300 integrates a microSD / TransFlash expansion card slot. Capable of accepting memory cards up to 2 GB in size, plenty of storage is available to fully utilize the audio and imaging capabilities.

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