Although not cited as such, the LG Fathom appears to be a Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional device, with features such as Microsoft's Office Mobile software, a PDF reader, and Windows Media Player 10 mobile. (Though LG has announced its intent to produce at least one Windows Phone 7 device, that operating system will not ship until this fall, according to Microsoft.)

With a slide-out QWERTY keyboard that integrates a five-way controller, the Fathom has styling reminiscent of Motorola's Android-powered Droid, which also happens to be offered by Verizon Wireless. Like the Droid, the Fathom has a 3.7-inch touchscreen, though it also offers a more powerful 1GHz CPU (reportedly a Qualcomm Snapdragon, though Verizon doesn't say).

LG's Fathom closed (left) and open (right)
(Click for much larger images)

Verizon doesn't cite screen resolution, but says the Fathom provides vibratory feedback. The keyboard may be used at the same time as the touchscreen, which switches from portrait to landscape mode automatically, and a proximity sensor avoids accidental touches when answering a call, the company adds.

According to Verizon, the Fathom includes 802.11b/g/n wireless networking, a GPS receiver, and Bluetooth 2.1. The latter includes multiple profiles such as headset, hands-free, dial-up networking, stereo, phone book access, basic printing, basic imaging, object push for vCard and vCalendar, file transfer, and serial port, says the company.

Verizon says the Fathom responds to "speaker independent" voice commands, offering voice-activated dialing for up to 4,000 entries. The company also touts the device's provision of USB mass storage mode, letting it emulate a disk drive for file transfer between the onboard microSD card and a host PC.

According to Verizon, the Fathom includes both CDMA/EVDO and GSM/UMTS radios, so it is capable of offering global roaming in more than 220 countries. "VZ Navigator Global" capabilities provide turn-by-turn directions and maps in English not only in the U.S., but also in destinations including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, the company adds.

Finally, Verizon cites a variety of advanced capabilities for the Fathom's 3.2 megapixel camera. These are said to include a macro mode, a three-shot panorama feature, a continuous shot feature for up to six consecutive photos, and up to an hour of video recording, the company says.

Further information

According to Verizon, the LG Fathom will be available starting May 27, priced at approximately $150 following a two-year service agreement and $100 mail-in rebate. An item on the MobileCrunch website, here, claims Best Buy will offer the device for $100.

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