While Sprint and AT&T are stepping up with high-end Samsung handsets (Instinct and Omnia respectively), Verizon Wireless, the second largest US mobile carrier, is preparing to offer a new entry-level Samsung, namely the Samsung SCH-U430 (or simply Samsung U430). This phone is nothing to get too excited about, as it is packed only with basic features and it brings absolutely nothing fascinating when it comes to design. Still, the new handset will probably be quite successful, as Verizon might offer it even for free when acquired with a contract agreement for two years.

The U430 is a clamshell that comes as the successor of the U410 model, another clamshell that's part of Verizon's line-up since last year. Specs-wise, the new Samsung doesn't seem to be any different than the old one, hence its novelty consists only in the redesigned case (redesigned only a bit, unfortunately).

The features of Samsung U430 include: an internal main TFT display with 65K colors and 128 x 160 pixels, an external secondary display with the same number of colors but only 96 x 96 pixels, dual-band CDMA connectivity (800 / 1900 MHz), Location Based Services (VZ Navigator plus Chaperone Parent/Child included), Bluetooth 2.0, email and Instant Messaging, WAP 2.0 browser, SMS and MMS capabilities, T9 predictive text input, speakerphone and so on.

The U430 also packs a photo camera with self-timer, night shots and only 0.3 Megapixels, which means it will offer photos at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels at most. Simply great, isn't it?

No word yet about the exact release date of Samsung U430, but Verizon will most probably announced the new clamshell in the next few weeks. Or it might even release it without any announcement - after all, it's only an entry-level mobile phone.