iPhones are so yesterday’s news.

Verizon wireless has just unleashed it’s first attempt at an iPhone killer. Possibly the most interesting model in their new range is the LG Electronics’ Voyager.

It looks like an iPhone, smells like an iPhone, but has some distinct advantages over the Apple product. For one thing, cunningly hidden beneath the touch screen is a full QUERTY keyboard. Just slide the screen to the side to reveal it.

Perhaps more importantly, the Voyager uses Verizon Wireless’ 3G data network, whereas the iPhone is limited to AT&T’s slower Edge data network. 8GB of memory with all the usual functions, so maybe it is an iPhone killer?

“We think it’ll be the best phone … this year. It will kill the iPhone,” said Verizon Wireless’ Chief marketing officer Mike Lanman. Of course, he’s paid to say things like that, but it will be interesting to see what sort of impact this has on iPhone sales.

As yet the release date is unknown as is the price. Rumour has it that the phone will be in stores before thanksgiving, which certainly makes sense, but I suspect the price point will depend more on what Apple does that anything else.

The obvious market is for people who already have a Verizon plan and don’t want to switch providers, and I thing it will take a little more than this to sway consumers away from the iPhone.