Cingular, LG Release CU500 3G Phone

Cingular Wireless and LG on Monday released the LG CU500, a third-generation (3G) mobile phone that the two firms claim enables Cingular users to access the company’s various services, including video and music downloads, at faster broadband speeds for increased performance, according to a July 17 press release on Yahoo Finance.

The CU500 will be offered only to Cingular customers, and it features a built-in music player, music keys on the outside of the phone’s clamshell body and the option to employ a Bluetooth stereo headset for completely wireless listening, according to the release. The phone also works with Cingular’s MusicID service, which can “hear” selected music and then identify the artist and song title for the listener. It comes with a 1.3-megapixel digital camera and mini camcorder, and it’s preloaded with AOL’s AIM instant messenger, as well as Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, according to the release.

“The new CU500 signals the next level in high-speed mobile capability,” said Jeff Hwang, senior vice president of marketing and product strategy with LG Electronics MobileComm, in the release. “With the arrival of HSPDA technology, users can now download their favorite multimedia content at nearly instantaneous speeds.”

Cingular, a joint venture between AT&T and BellSouth, currently offers its 3G network in 18 major markets, and it expects to have all of the world’s leading markets covered by the end of this year, according to the release.

Cingular customers can purchase the LG CU500 at a handful of Cingular retail stores or at the company’s website for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 unlimited Media Net service plan agreement.

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