Good cheap phone for the broke technology addicts.
Written: Apr 21 '05
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Clarity: |
 |
|
| Portability: |
 |
|
| Battery Life: |
|
|
|
Pros: Feature variety, battery, durability, price.
Cons: reception could be better, side buttons, volume can be strange.
The Bottom Line: A good camera phone for the price. Durable, sturdy, easy to use. What more could you want?
|
|
|
| karahtalia's Full Review: LG VX6100 Cellular Phone |
So you want a phone, and you want a digital camera but you are too cheap to buy both? Why not combine the two? Yes! A nifty phone with a reasonably clear digital camera built in! Who could ask for anything more?
I purchased this phone after my husband's Nokia started failing on him. I upgraded both his phone and mine since I figured if one of us had a camera phone is was pointless if another did not as well.
My husband, bless his heart, is techno-illilterate, meaning I couldn't pick a phone that he couldn't figure out how to use without reading a manual. The buttons also had to be easy to push and not so small he needed a pen or something equally little to poke at the numbers when he wanted to call someone. My requirement was that it was a flip style phone so that way he was not inadvertently dialing someone while he was working. His old Nokia was famous for that.
The setup was easy for the phone. I am one of those sorts of people who has to read the manual to see how everything works and to try the new features. You can figure most of the functions out without ever having to crack the book if you dislike doing so. The screen is clear and easy to read even in fairly bright light, which I appreciate. I don't know too many people who always live in shadowed places. Then again, I suppose if you are a vampire or something equally nocturnal this would not be an issue for you anyway.
The phone is fairly basic, if you have owned a cell phone in the past this one works about like most others. There is a large variety of ringtones plus the capability to set up specific ringtones for certain callers if you have caller id on your phone. I love that feature, nothing like having a tone ringing to warn you that your mother is calling and just accidentally forget to answer it. But you wouldn't do that would you?
The digital camera aspect of it is also basic, it has a little slide lens cover on the outside that you can move when you want to take a picture. You can either click a side button or the little camera icon button on the face when you want to engage the camera to take a picture. Something you might wish to know, those nifty adds you see on TV, the ones where something catastrophic happens and someone with their mighty camera phone gets a picture to prove it happened, they are not realistic. Not unless you have your phone in camera mode 24/7 which I think would be a serious drain on your battery. It takes a moment from the time you click the camera mode button to when it can be used as a camera. And one of the few features I dislike about the phone is that it takes quite a while for it to engage into camera mode if you click the side button. You have to hold that button down for quite a bit before it reacts.
The quality of the pictures isn't bad, but if you want good quality you are probably going to want to skip a camera phone and just buy a nice quality digital camera. I have taken quite a few pictures and have been content with the results. You are able to store the pictures (a limit of 60 pics) or you can either send them to someone else who has a camera phone or to email addresses. I have had good luck doing all three options. You can also take pictures and set them up as the default screen for whoever it is you are calling if they are in your phone book. I do like that feature, its pointless but fun.
Something else I am not real fond of about this phone. All the little side buttons. There are 3 total, two on one side, one on the other. The two on the left side control the volume and commands. The command button is nice because you can voice dial, but the button is a pain where its located. The right side button is the camera mode button. Problem with all the side buttons is that it really hinders when one is trying to hold onto the phone while talking to someone. You have limited area to put your fingers without accidentally bopping a button. The volume button in particular I hate. I bump it and my eardrum is blown out due to a drastic increase of volume. If you are hard of hearing, this phone is for you. The volume is loud, even when you have it set on the lowest level. I am afraid to see what it is like when it is set to high. I would assume half the planet could hear the conversation. Yes, an exaggeration, but you get the point.
As with most phones nowadays, it is very customizable. You have several choices of screens and screen setups for the main screen. The outside screen, which I have deemed useless is just black and white and doesn't say a whole lot but the time, range and whatnot. It will tell you who is calling when a call comes in, which is handy. Anyway, I digress, back to the customizing. There are quite a few ring tones and if you are not fond of them you can download others, which I had to do. I don't do much as far as decorating my phone but I do so love a variety of ringtones. Nothing like being in a quiet room when suddenly your phone rings with a tone of "Answer the d*mn phone!" Ok, so I don't that particular ring tone, but a friend of mine does, thanks to her son, the comedian. A cautionary word of advice, do not let your children get hold of your phone.
You will not like this phone if you are fond of customizing the cover. It is a very generic silver and black, nothing at all exciting. I like it, I consider it classical, but if you are fond of bright colors or flashy doodads, you will probably want something else.
Overall I think this is an excellent phone. It seems sturdy, well built, with a decent battery life (if you are not in an analog area), average reception, and a fair variety of features. For the money it is a decent value and I would recommend it for someone who wants the new gadgets but doesn't want to send a lot of cash to look cool.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 129.00
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
karahtalia
|
|
Member: Heather
Location: Somewhere South of Sanity
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Brutally honest but lovable.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.