Color screen = happy me. I love my new LG VX4400!
Written: Aug 27 '03 (Updated Aug 27 '03)
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Pros: Small, flip, colorful!
Cons: Bad manual, doesn't fit my ear!
The Bottom Line: A great little phone, loaded with features...and colors!
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| xiphoid's Full Review: LG VX4400 |
I've been with Verizon for several years now, and I usually end up taking whatever cheap phone they have when I renew my plan. Well, I hadn't updated my phone in about two years, and the battery started to wear out. Since the phone was (gasp!) two years old, it seemed easier just to get a new phone and actually keep up with the whole cell phone technology thing.
Looking around the Verizon store, I realized I was going to have to shell out some cash if I wanted a phone that could actually do things, and of course, look cool. So I first set my price limit at $69.99 in which I could get a little flip phone. Then I saw the color phones, including the LG VX4400 and I just had to have color. So I raised my price limit to $99.99. The phone was actually $149.99 but I ended up getting a rebate for $50 which was nice.
For starters, anything would have been a huge update and improvement from my old phone, which was an old Kyocera. It was basic, and did what I needed it to. Since I was used to a very straight-forward-type phone, the LG VX4400 seemed anything but basic. I'm not a manual reader, so when I first got it I just started pushing buttons and looked at all the pretty colors. I've had the phone for about a month now, so I'm pretty sure I've poked around at everything.
For me, the flip factor was a big one. Since cell phones are getting smaller and smaller, I noticed that the mouth pieces were getting further and further away from where your mouth will be when you use it. I figured the flip phone would solve this problem...and it does! I'm not used to holding a flip phone though, so it was kind of awkward not having any specific place to put my fingers, but it really isn't an issue anymore. The phone has a pull-out antenna which I usually don't even bother using (they get caught in my hair, without fail).
Another feature I like is the outside LCD. I can leave the phone closed, and still see who is calling on the lighted outside screen, which is actually nice, big, and readable. I also see the time, date, battery power, reception, mode, and all that good info on that same outside screen. On that subject, I can also change the phone's modes without opening it. So, I can put it on manner mode (vibrate) or silence, without having to open it. I just hold down the voice memo button (which is on the side) to switch between modes.
The battery is supposed to last about 1.5 days, but mine typically lasts a couple of days if I don't use it too much. Also, charging takes very little time. The initial charge took a lot less than 5 hours, which is what I was told it would take when I bought it. I'd say it was done in a less than 3 hours.
Back to the flip thing. I also like the flip because it provides some shortcuts. I can automatically answer the call when I flip it open, which is nice when I have my hands full and can't hit a button. I can also set the phone to ask for a name (for voice dialing) on flip-open. This is really only useful to me in the car, so I usually leave voice dialing set to respond when I press the side (voice memo) button. I should probably mention the voice memo, since I've raved about the stupid button. I like the memo feature. A voice recorder is something I've always needed, but never got around to buying myself. Silly, I know. But anyway, the voice memo sort of gives me that option. I can't record hours on it, but it will give me enough time to record ideas, names, numbers, or whatever it is that I need to remember and can't write down. When I get a good melody in my head, this really comes in handy.
Oh, and did I mention the colors? Sure I did, but allow me to explain. First, the outside screen lights up when you get a call, and even flashes several different colors. You can change these colors, or tell it not to flash, but I like the rainbow effect. The main screen is full-color, pictures and all. Yes, the background is that balloon moving back and forth. This can be changed, but I like the balloon because it has some motion. There are also changeable setup and shutdown screens, as well as a sound when the phone turns on and off. There are several picture options in the phone itself, and you can obtain more using Get it Now.
Get it Now is a little much for me. There are just so many things to "get." It allows you to browse and download programs, games, pictures, ringtones, services, etc. It's best to browse them on the Verizon website so as to not tie up your phone, and take forever looking at all of this stuff. There are some great downloads, but at best you'll get a free demo. Other than that, you gotta pay. It's just not worth it to me to pay to download something. I did like the weather service though, and I got the free trial of that. There's also a mapping program which is pay-only, but it could be useful. I'll just have to do without new pictures, sounds and games. The phone does come with plenty of (annoying) ringtones, maybe one of which just sounds like a ringing phone. The rest are all songs, which I really don't dig. Although, most people seem to disagree, as I hear little phone melodies constantly.
This phone also comes with GPS, which will pinpoint your location if you should dial 911. Other than that, there is nothing yet available to use with GPS. I was hoping that the mapping software used it, but it doesn't.
What other features are there? Well, if you pay for the them, you can do text messaging, chat, e-mail, web and everything like that. I don't have any of these. I just don't have enough use for it, since I'm around computers enough to not need to browse the web on my phone.
Getting back to the free features, the phone book is like most phonebooks, but it has voice dialing as I mentioned. I thought I would never use it, but just for fun, I recorded all of the names and I actually love it. Especially when it comes to numbers I never remember. You can use speed dial as well. There's also a calendar, which I don't really use to store dates, but it's great as a "What day of the week is the 10th?" type of reference.
All of the basic features from my old phones are included in this one as well, like speed-text typing, which I hate and never use.
Finally, anytime you do anything on the phone, you can navigate through your options using the menu buttons. There will be a little menu on the bottom of the screen of what you can do, and there are designated arrow keys, menu buttons, and an OK button which make for easy use.
Physically, the phone seems pretty durable. I've tried hard not to drop it, but when closed, it doesn't act very delicate, and I feel that if I were to drop it, no harm would be done, save maybe a cracked plastic screen (which is what I did to my old phone). The buttons are nice as well. They're a little rubbery, which I love (I hate that hard plastic feel). They're also laid out in a way that's easy to navigate without looking. There are a few button shortcuts that come in handy for that as well, such as holding down one of the navigation button will launch Get it Now, etc. As I mentioned earlier, the flip is nice because the mouthpiece ends up right in front of your mouth. I will say, however, that I still haven't found a comfortable way to rest the phone on my ear, and hear perfectly at the same time.
The phone is small, but I have one minor issue. My old phone was a bit longer, but thinner, and fit much better in my bags. This one is smaller, but a little bulkier because of the flip. So, it doesn't fit quite as comfortably in my little bag.
The sound is also great. I hear everything quite well, and no one has complained about anything being fuzzy or having bad reception when I call.
One thing I will say that I dislike is the manual. When I finally realized there are just way too many features to find for myself, I started to read that little book, and found that it really said nothing important. It just brushes over the buttons and settings, and doesn't really tell you how to do much of anything. I mean, it covers the basics, but when it gets into the hardcore features it doesn't seem to explain itself very well.
On that note, the phone isn't hard to use, but it does a lot. So it takes a while to get used to, especially if you were behind the time of cell phones, like I was.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with my new little phone!
P.S. It looks really cool.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100
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