Verizon Wireless and ZTE recently announced the introduction of the Verizon Wireless Salute handset. The entry-level slider is available starting this week and comes preloaded with Bing Search service.

ZTE Salute is a slim slider featurephone that offers only the basic features to Verizon Wireless customers.

Some of the key features of the handset include: standard 2.4-inch screen, 1.3-megapixel camera, mobile Web capable, messaging options (text, picture and voice messaging), mobile Email, mobile Web email, Instant Messaging and chatting options, microUSB 2.0, and Bluetooth.

The phone comes with bilingual interface for English and Spanish languages.

The Bluetooth technology embedded features support for headset, hands-free, phonebook access, and object push for vCard and vCalendar profiles.

Salute also features a Media Center menu that provides access to downloadable games, ringtones, wallpapers, location-based services and such.

The phone is powered by a Li-ion battery that offers up to 240 minutes of talk time and up to 220 hours of standby time on a single charge.

The Social Beat application offers users the possibility to access social networking sites, allowing them to stay connected to Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, plus more than 50 news, sports and entertainment feeds.

The slider also comes with Backup Assistant application, which helps customers to save and update a copy of the phone's address book to a secure website.

ZTE Salute is also VZ Navigator capable, so users will be sure to receive audible turn-by-turn directions to lots of points of interest and share the directions with others.

The handset is available starting this week at the carrier's website, as well as in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores for $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

Those that decide to buy the slider will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card. Further, upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.