… the Optimus Black should be the CDMA version of the GSM phone with the NOVA display we saw at CES 2011 … The Optimus Black boasts a slimmer package with a 5-megapixel rear camera, a 2-megapixel front camera, and that famous NOVA display with its 700 nits of brightness.

– via CNET

Besides U.S. Cellular, it also appears that the Optimus Black is headed to Sprint, Alltel, and Virgin Mobile at some point. As previously mentioned, the Optimus Black for U.S. Cellular carries the model number “US855.” Several other LG versions of the 855 recently appeared in the FCC, although these products are known as the LS855 (Sprint), AS855 (Alltel), and VM855 (Virgin Mobile).

– via PhoneDog

I don’t really know much about the Optimus Black (OB). The screen is physically smaller than the Triumph but with the same resolution. This should mean that the pixel density is higher and closer to matching that retina display quality. The battery is rated at 1500 mAh which is the same as the Optimus V and probably better than the Triumph. The processor details are eluding me right now but I’m sure they’re right in line with what it needs to be for the time it’s released. The kicker of course will the initial price point because as many people have noted, the Triumph is awesome but too expensive for what it offers despite being prepaid. The full specs match well with the Triumph but are offered in a different way.

We’ll see.

That’s not to say I’m in love with the phone. It’s a little small for my hands, typing isn’t a breeze for me and I would love a faster processor in my device. Anything to at least touch the clouds that touch the iPhone Olympus Mons. The Virgin Mobile service is phenomenally priced and with their recent trend of being smartphones to the market, I’m impressed. $25 per month for unlimited texting and data is a steal. And there is soon to be another steal. Let me introduce it.

The Motorola Triumph will be Everest of Virgin Mobile at least until 2012. You really need to see this to believe this.

So, here’s a little bit about it, spec-wise. Engadget did a hands on review and it goes over some of the specs.

KEY FEATURES:

• 5MP back-facing camera and VGA front-facing camera
• HD video capture and playback in 720p, both on device or over HDMI
• Massive 4.1″ display (800×480 WVGA) and ultra-thin at .0.4″
• 1400 mAh battery
• 512MB RAM with 2GB ROM and SD card slot for extended
• Froyo (Android 2.2) with Flash support for enhanced browsing
  (download from Android Market)
• Soft touch design for comfort in hand

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Software Platform: Android – Froyo
• Messaging/web/apps: MMS, SMS, email
• Camera: 5MP AF with flash, VGA front facing
• Video: 30 fps @ 720 p decode
  30 fps @ 720 p 14 Mbps encode
• Connectivity: microUSB, 3.5mm , HDMI port
• Browser: Android Webkit Browser
• Bluetooth: BT V2.1 + EDR
• Memory: 512MB RAM/ 2GB ROM, uSD Slot
• Location Services: aGPS
• Form Factor: Tablet
• Experience Category: Media Centric
• Baseband: Qualcomm MSM8655
• Weight: 143g
• Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.5″ x 0.4″Display: 4.1″ 800 x 480 WVGA
• Battery: 1400 mAh
• Bands/Modes: CDMA 1900 MHz EVDO RevA, 802.11 b/g/n

So in short, it’s high-end and frighteningly fantastic. So when does this phone beast emerge from its dark cave? There is a unconfirmed but fairly obvious release date for July 19th. And the cost? BestBuy alludes to $299.

That’s what I know. Depending on my monetary constraints, I’ll probably get it shortly thereafter, or when Radio Shack finds it wise to offer a deal. Certainly, the price is steep but the value is high. The experience is bound to be good. The only way to tell will be the initial reviews but once those come in, I’ll be all over the Motorola Triumph if those reviews are positive. Battery life might be my only concern, otherwise, it looks like a steal.

What do you think?

Updated: Finer Points

I’ve done some more research, read some commentary and watched a couple videos on the upcoming phone. So I have a few finer points to address now too.

• Battery Life — the Optimus V has a 1500 mAh battery while this comes with a 1400 mAh battery; a smaller battery but with a bigger screen could end up being a problem.
• Single-core — the Optimus V has two processors; one is for regular processing while the other is dedicated to graphics; so far in videos the display is absolutely smooth.
• Screen size — the Optimus V runs on a small resolution, 320 x 480 pixels while this has 800 x 480 pixels which 60% larger for that horizontal width; likewise, the Optimus V has a small physical screen size of 3.2-inches while this boasts a 4.1-inch screen; even though the 21% larger screen size seems small numerically, it’s huge in reality.
• $299 Price — the pricing of the original LG Optimus V was $149.99 and I lucked out on buying it; $299 is a steep price but perhaps it will be lowered just in time for launch and raised later after the initial wave of customer satisfaction, like the Optimus.

I may add more finer points to this list as time goes on and as I think of them.

iOS 5 and OS X Lion are not supported at this time. Support for OS X Lion, will be available on release date, July 14th. iOS 5 Support, will be available on release date, September 7th, in accordance with the iPhone 5 Keynote.

The funny thing there. I told someone on Tuesday that Lion would probably launch on July 14th. Imagine that? Last year, the September keynote was a week early, the week of the August-September transition. I suggest two dates: August 31st or September 7th and the physical launches a week later.

We’ll see.