US Cellular's pantech verse simple messaging

U.S. Cellular launched the Pantech Verse yesterday, a messaging phone with a vertical slide-up QWERTY keyboard. Phone like the Verse may seem a dying breed when you consider all the smartphones making a splash at shows like CTIA and on store shelves, but there's an audience for those looking for simple and cheap. The Verse has a 2.4-inch QVGA screen, a 2-megapixel camera, and a music player on-board. There are alsoU.S. Cellular mainstays like a ringtone storefront and a backup app. Bright green accents on a black body bestow some eye-catching flair. The Verse costs $29.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate when you also sign a new service agreement, and $69.99 if you buy it prepaid, with no contract. Pantech's Verse is on sale now online./p>