Nothing says Summer like Chocolate, right?  I don't know about that, actually, but I'd take a Chocolate ice cream cone right about now (there's a mini heat wave here in the East Bay) ... At any rate, the UPS man showed up this morning with LG's new Chocolate 3 for Verizon and we've got pics here and a video on the way.

The new Chocolate eschews the slider thing in favor of a flip form factor, and features a click wheel and nice big external display with a nifty carousel menu to let you access your music, Inbox, and other features without opening the device up.  Add to that support for VCAST music and video and Verizon's new VCAST with Rhapsody subscription plan ($15/mo for unlimited Rhapsody tracks on your PC and phone), and a 3.5mm headphone jack and integrated FM transmitter, and you've got yourself the makings for a nice little music device.

On first blush, Chocolate 3 looks like a solid - if not revolutionary - music device.  I like the long-overdue inclusion of a normal headphone jack, and the external menu system is pretty nice.  Rhapsody support is cool, too, though I personally haven't yet jumped on the subscription music bandwagon.  The device is just a bit on the large size for a "slim flip" but it looks great in glossy grey with silver accents.  We don't have any pricing info yet, and the July 14 release date is still just an unconfirmed rumor at this point, but I'm guessing VZW will price this one attractively to slot in below Dare as a mid-range VCAST device. 

I'll have a video unboxing/hands-on online real soon, so come on back ...