Verizon Wireless today swamped the market again with a slew of new devices for holiday shoppers. The most notable might be the Droid Eris phone. The HTC Droid Eris seems to be based on the same platform as the HTC Hero on Sprint, so we're excited to see how the phone made the transition to the larger rival. The Network showed off a range of new devices, from a newly updated BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone to the latest, touchscreen version of the popular LG Chocolate series.
HTC Droid Eris is an anti-Hero
 It takes some faith to name your newest affordable smartphone after the Greek goddess of discord, but Verizon Wireless and HTC have done just that in porting the HTC Hero to The Network as the HTC Droid Eris. The HTC Droid Eris looks to be a faithful rendition of the Hero, a phone we liked very much when we reviewed it last month. The HTC Droid Eris joins the newly minted Droid family on The Network, and it seems Verizon Wireless will be keeping the Droid name for all their upcoming Android releases. Unlike the Motorola Droid that we just reviewed, the HTC Droid Eris will not run the stock Android OS, but will feature HTC's designs as part of the manufacturer's HTC Sense user interface. The Droid Eris also lacks the keyboard of the Motorola Droid, but it should be a smaller, more curvy device overall.
On Verizon Wireless, the HTC Droid Eris gets a stylish update from its Sprint cousin and a price cut, dropping the cost to $100 (after rebate, unfortunately). The phone uses the same HTC Sense experience as Sprint's Android device, and it can display multiple themes and homescreens on the 3.2-inch capacitive display. It also retains the trackball beneath the screen for navigating the interface.
The HTC Droid Eris uses a 5-megapixel camera, and you can store images on a generous 8GB microSD card that comes included in the retail package. It's nice to see Verizon Wireless is much less stingy with accessories these days. We also like seeing the 3.5mm headphone jack, which makes this a nice, inexpensive multimedia device. The browser on the HTC Droid Eris is the basic Android browser, with support for Flash Lite built in.
The HTC Droid Eris is available on Verizon Wireless as of November 6. A contract agreement and $200 will let you walk out the door with the new phone, and Verizon Wireless will send you back a $100 debit card as a mail-in rebate.
LG Chocolate Touch for More Cowbell!
 The new LG Chocolate Touch is a full tablet phone, as the name implies, abandoning the familiar slider style of previous generation. Still, the phone is all about music and fun.
The LG Chocolate Touch gets help for better sound quality from Dolby Labs, and the phone features a Dolby Mobile equalizer for what Verizon Wireless calls "potent bass and sparkling clarity," though we'll have to go ears-on with this phone before we can agree or disagree. There's an FM radio on board, as well, and for a cool add-on gimmick, the LG Chocolate Touch features a tap-ready drum kit app that lets you play drums along with your favorite tunes. You can add some bass kick, snare drum or, if the mood hits you, feel free to go crazy and add more cowbell.
Besides the musical features, the LG Chocolate Touch features a 3.2-megapixel camera around back. Auto focus doesn't make the cut, but the camera will take panorama shots, and it even uses a facial makeover feature to cut out blemishes and improve skin tones in your subjects. The LG Chocolate Touch will go on sale today, November 5, for $80 after a mail-in rebate. That rebate comes in a $50 debit card, so budget wisely.
BlackBerry Curve 8530 finds its place at the bottom
 With the recently released BlackBerry Tour 9630 still fresh on our minds from the Summer, Verizon Wireless has also filled out the lower end of the BlackBerry lineup with the new BlackBerry Curve 8530, though some BlackBerry fans might prefer to stick with the less expensive, newer model. Unlike the Tour, the new BlackBerry Curve 8530 comes with Wi-Fi, an option that should have been included on the more expensive Tour. The new Verizon BlackBerry Curve also gets the trackpad that has been popping up on new BlackBerry devices, like the BlackBerry Bold 9700 on T-Mobile and AT&T (to check out our review click here).
Otherwise, the new Verizon BlackBerry Curve 8530 keeps things fairly simple. The phone uses a slower processor than the new BlackBerry Bold 9700, though it comes in at a lower price, as well. The camera around back only uses a 2-megapixel sensor, and it skimps on features like auto focus. The new Curve 8530 does get GPS support, so you'll be able to use it with VZ Navigator for turn-by-turn directions. You'll also have access to the fledgling BlackBerry App World to download new apps and features for the device.
The BlackBerry Curve 8530 will be launching on both Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Verizon Wireless will be selling the BlackBerry Curve 8530 as of November 20 for $200 with a contract agreement, and they'll send you back a $100 mail-in rebate in the form of a debit card if you don't mind jumping through their hoops. Sprint has yet to announce specific pricing or availability, but they are taking information from interested buyers online. Of note, the Sprint model will be available in a striking purple color, in addition to the classic BlackBerry black.
Samsung Convoy is a rugged walkie-talkie phone
 Finally, Verizon Wireless announced the new Samsung Convoy, the latest, rugged addition to the carrier's push-to-talk lineup. The Samsung Convoy is a durable phone, like you'd expect from a PTT device, and uses a stereo speaker on the outside to play those walkie-talkie conversations out loud. The phone isn't specc'ed for serious water or rain resistant, but it can withstand shock and dust, vibrations, salt fog and humidity, up to the military's 810F mil-spec standard.
In addition to the rugged shell and PTT capabilities, the Samsung Convoy gets a 2-megapixel camera with panorama and Night Shot modes so you can take some pics while you're dropping the phone off a cliff. The phone comes with GPS on board so you can navigate with VZ Navigator. The Samsung Convoy will be available from Verizon Wireless on November 15. Buyers will have to shell out $100 and sign a contract agreement, but Verizon Wireless will send you a $50 rebate in the form of a debit card if you fill out the appropriate forms.
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