The LG Lucid, previously known as the Cayman, is available on Verizon Wireless starting today, March 29th. This decently spec'ed handset sports:

  • dual-core 1.2GHz processor
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 4" IPS LCD reinforced by Corning glass
  • 5MP rear and VGA front-facing cameras with 1080p video capture support
  • 8GB internal storage with support for a MicroSD card up to 32GB in size (sold separately)
  • 1700mAh battery
  • Wi-Fi Direct
  • 802.11b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR
  • 4G LTE support (as will be the case with all future VZW phones)
  • Mobile hotspot with up to 10 devices while on LTE or 5 devices on 3G
  • Android 2.3, slated for Ice Cream Sandwich
  • A whole slew of VZW apps crapware

Looking at these specs, if I didn't know any better, I'd ballpark the price for this device somewhere around $150. Surprisingly, it's nowhere near that - VZW is going to sell the Lucid to you for only .99, presumably after a $50 mail-in rebate, although I was able to add it to cart online and see the discount instantly (the landing page does show $129.99 but that gets adjusted at checkout).

Furthermore, Wirefly also launched the Lucid this morning, but at an even friendlier price of $19.99 for new accounts or $29.99 for upgrades. Not bad at all:

So, is anyone willing to pick up the Lucid instead of the Galaxy Nexus? You can get the Nexus for only .99 from Amazon Wireless right now (though that shoots up to $229.99 for upgrades), but in my opinion the extra cash spread over a 2-year period is well justified for immediate access to Ice Cream Sandwich, the flagship Nexus status, quicker updates, a larger screen, and slightly better specs. On the other hand, not everyone needs a 4.65" screen or the latest OS, and many of you like expandable storage which the Galaxy Nexus does not have. Decisions, decisions...

[Verizon Wireless] [Wirefly]