Verizon, Samsung bolster Ativ Odyssey with new personalization apps

Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) is introducing new personalization tools in conjunction with the forthcoming Samsung Ativ Odyssey, its third 4G LTE smartphone powered by Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Windows Phone 8 operating system.

The Ativ Odyssey preloads the Now app, which offers users easy access to weather, news, stocks and other customized information. The phone also builds in the Photo Editor app, which enables users to apply filters, frames and stickers to their images in addition to resizing, rotating and cropping options. After photos are edited and saved, Ativ Odyssey owners can share their efforts with friends or post them to social media sites.

Also new: The Mini Diary app, which allows Verizon subscribers to keep a daily record of their activities. Each entry can include photos, drawings, location data and audio clips. Users may also share Mini Diary entries on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) and Picasa.

The Ativ Odyssey is Samsung's first Windows Phone 8 device released to the U.S. market and the third Windows Phone 8 handset in the Verizon Wireless portfolio, following the Windows Phone 8X by HTC and the Nokia (NYSE:NOK) Lumia 822. The global-ready Ativ Odyssey boasts a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a WVGA resolution (800x480 pixels), a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera. Verizon is expected to release the Ativ Odyssey during the first quarter of 2013.

For more:
- read this Verizon Wireless News Center post

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