Samsung Fascinate Debuts This Week At Verizon StoresSamsung Fascinate Debuts This Week At Verizon Stores

The Fascinate is the last of the four main Galaxy S phones to be released by a major carrier in the U.S. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have already launched the Captivate, Vibrant, and Epic 4G, respectively, with combined sales surpassing one million units.

Verizon's version will be available from VerizonWireless.com starting September 8, and in Verizon retail stores on September 9. It will cost $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Fascinate requires a $30 monthly data plan and $40 monthly voice plan. Unless used with a Family Plan, consumers interested in the Fascinate will need to fork over at least $70 per month before adding a messaging plan and taxes.

The Fascinate's specs match those of its Galaxy S brethren, which means it has a 4-inch AMOLED display, 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor, Android 2.1, 5 megapixel camera, and a virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype built in.

The Verizon Fascinate, AT&T Captivate, and T-Mobile Vibrant are all nearly identical, with only their outer shells differing from one another. Sprint's Epic 4G stands out from its brothers with WiMax 4G, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and flash for its camera.

Interested in accessories? Samsung has a bunch. It is offering a charging cradle that will charge the Fascinate and convert the phone into a desktop speakerphone. There are also special apps and widgets that interact with the charging cradle. It costs $30.

Verizon Wireless is also offering a car dock for the Fascinate. The dock suction cups to the dashboard or windshield, and, when the Fascinate is put into Car Home mode, allows for a much safer navigation tool. The dock can be rotated from portrait to landscape orientation. It costs $40.

Last, Samsung is providing a backup battery charging system. It includes a second 1500mAh battery, battery charger, and a cable that allows the phone and spare battery to be charged at the same time. This is perhaps the best accessory in my opinion. Why there's a lack of convenient backup battery chargers has always been a mystery to me. The backup charger system costs $40.