On Sept. 22, Pantech will start selling an Android 2.3 smartphone on Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE network for just $100, following rebate and two-year contract. The Pantech Breakout is equipped with a 1GHz processor, an 8GB microSD card, a 4.1-inch, 800 x 480 touchscreen, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0, says Verizon.

Last year, Pantech released a 3.7-inch, 1.5GHz Sirius IM-A600S Android smartphone in Korea, and this July it entered the U.S. Android smartphone market.  AT&T's 3.1-inch Pantech Crossover goes for just $70 with a two-year contract.

Now, the company is offering even more bang for the buck with its Pantech Breakout, which features a 1GHz processor, 4.1-inch display, and Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE service for only $100 after a $50 rebate and a two-year contract. The Pantech Breakout was "brought to market by Personal Communications Devices (PCD)," and is exclusively offered on Verizon's 4G LTE network, says Verizon.

Pantech Breakout
(Click to enlarge)

This would appear to be the most affordable 4G LTE smartphone announced to date, although Verizon has somewhat underplayed this angle in its modest Breakout announcement. No doubt, the carrier would rather you buy a $300 Motorola Droid Bionic.

Based on specs, at least, the Breakout would appear to be a bargain, especially when one adds in the large 4.1-inch capactiive screen and Android 2.3 operating system. True, the display offers a modest 800 x 480 pixel resolution, and the unnamed processor is a garden-variety 1GHz, but even if it's not really a high-end phone, it sure as heck looks like one.

In many ways, it's similar to the 1GHz, 4.2-inch Huawei Ascend X 4G, which similarly sells for $100 with contract on Cincinnati Bell's HSPA+ 4G network.

The Pantech Breakout ships with an 8GB microSD card, and offers Bluetooth 3.0 and 802.11 b/g/n, says Verizon. A 4G LTE mobile hotspot supports up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices, says the mobile provider. The phone is said to provide both a five-megapixel autofocus rear-facing camera with 720p video capture, as well as a VGA-resolution front-facing camera.

Those are all the hardware specs cited by Verizon, but PhoneArena fills in the gaps with a report claiming 512MB of RAM and internal flash memory totaling 390MB. A USB port is also listed, but there's no reference to GPS or sensors. Verizon, meanwhile, hypes the phone's Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) support, but there's no mention from either source of an HDMI port.

On the software front Verizon notes the presence of a virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype technology. There's no word about Google apps or Android Market, but of course that's not quite so limiting in this era of proliferating third-party appstores.

Availability

The Pantech Breakout will be available Sept. 22 in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores and online for $100 after a $50 mail-in debit-card rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Customers must subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $40 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2GB of data, says the carrier.

More information may be found at Verizon's Pantech Breakout fact sheet page.

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