Is That Opportunity Calling?
Written: Jun 30 '06
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Pros: Big screen, QWERTY keyboard, Multimedia capabilities
Cons: Size, front keypad, need to accessorize
The Bottom Line: If you want a business tool, this probably isn't for you. If you want something that gives you some business aspects but also lets you have fun, buy it!
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| wvoz1970's Full Review: LG VX9800 Cellular Phone |
(First off, I am reviewing the vx9800 with the latest software release. The original phone could not use the V-Cast music service while this latest software flash can)
Well, my last $100 "New Every 2" came up a few weeks ago and I decided to go looking for a new phone. I've always been somewhat frustrated in the past, because Verizon just doesn't seem to get the "cool" phones. But, I'm a loyal VZW customer for almost 12 years (GTE Mobilenet originally). And, for my locale, VZW still has the best coverage.
So, I'm obviously not leaving VZW anytime soon, and I head over to my local corporate store to shop for some phones. Wow, the selection has definitely gotten better since my last purchase 2 years ago. I went in with the preset notion that I was going to buy a Motorola. I've used Motos for my last 6 or 7 years. From the StarTac to the T720 to the v710. So, my plan is to check out the Motorolas. Most likely I'm going to go with the slick little RAZR v3m, Verizon's latest release with the V-Cast music on it. As the salesperson is showing me the bells and whistles, I notice someone pick up this interesting little contraption called "The V". So I ask the salesperson about it after looking at the Motorola v3m. She proceeds to hand it to me, letting me see the flip in action... and all of a sudden, the thoughts of leaving Motorola fill my head. After my NE2 credit and rebate, both phones will cost me $50, so price is not a factor. I decided on "The V" (the LG vx9800) and so far, couldn't be happier.
So why, you may ask, did I choose the bulky vx9800m ove the sleek RAZR? Well, here's my lowdown on this phone. First, let's look at the plus side...
To begin with, both phones were pretty similar in terms of "phone" capabilities. Both are CDMA All-digital (meaning no AMPS-Analog service). I was a bit concerned about this, as I've always had tri-mode phones in the past with AMPS. The salesperson asked me the question "When was the last time you remember seeing your phone in analog mode?" Good point. Probably never in recent years. So, the lack of tri-mode doesn't concern me at this point. So far, the phone portion has worked wonderfully. I have yet to drop a call. The vx9800 utilizes an internal antenna, which also concerned me a bit, but so far this has not shown a lack of signal.
So... it's a phone and it works for me. Makes and receives calls just fine. But let's open the phone up and you'll see what really sold me. The phone has a "candy bar" form factor. Nice rectangular shape. A bit on the thick side, but that's because the phone flips open longways to reveal a full QWERTY style keyboard. The keys, while small, work tremendously better for text messaging and e-mail, than the old T9 (punch the #2 three times for the letter C) method.
Speaking of e-mail... I did sign up for VZW's V-cast package. At $15 a month it lets me stream their video and also gives me unlimited Mobile Web. VZW pushes their e-mail package, but it's something like an additional $20 per month. I simply set up a WAP mail reader on my web/mail server and can go through Mobile Web to retrieve my e-mails. Mobile Web also lets you access the three big public mail sites - AOL, MSN, and Yahoo. For most people, this is probably all you'll need. Should you want more "e-mailability", you're probably better off investing in a PDA/Smartphone. By the time you pay for the extra services on this phone ($35), it's only another $5 to get a data package from VZW, and a TON more functionality on a PDA. But again, for the average Joe who doesn't have to receive e-mails every two minutes from the company, the webmail browsers will probably suffice.
I mentioned the V-Cast service. I mainly signed up for it to have the unlimited web browsing, but it is a nice extra. This phone is definitely designed to take full advantage of the service. When you flip the phone open, say goodbye to the tiny little screen we're used to and say hello to a 320x230 pixel screen on the inside. Plus, there are two ample speakers on either side. Whether you are watching a video (MP4, 3gp or 3g2 format) or listening to music (Synced via Windows Media Player or MP3s, which can be played by making a simple change on the service menu) this little phone can really handle the multimedia. I should also mention at this point, the phone utilizes a mini-SD card for additional memory. I've heard conflicting reports that it can't handle the 2 gig but only the 1 gig cards as a maximum. You may want to stick with a 1 gig to be safe. I have successfully transferred some of my kid's cartoons over to the memory card and it's a great time killer when we have to wait somewhere. Plus, the V-Cast service actually offers some Nick Jr. music videos to help pass the time.
Alright... enough rambling. You can tell I like the phone. Let's discuss the specifics, good and bad, and then you can decide if it's right for you.
The vx9800 is a CDMA all digital phone with an internal antenna. It flips open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and a large screen. The onboard phone memory can handle plenty of downloads and you can always use expansion cards for more. When it's flipped open, it acts as a speakerphone. It is also Bluetooth compatible and works great with my Motorola BT headset. The phone does have voice dialing available (either by digit or by name). It acts as a portable media player, handling WMA, MP3, MP4, and 3GP formats. It does have a 1.3 megapixel camera for stills and movies.
What I like...
The Flip - I like the full size keyboard and big screen. Being able to flip open the phone and watch a movie is awesome. The phone does offer a "standalone" mode which allows you to turn off the phone portion and still have access to all the multimedia functions (great for the airplane, although my last flight wouldn't allow Smartphone PDAs to be turned on, even if the phone portion was off). Plus, the full size keyboard and screen make texting, mailing and web-surfing a breeze.
Performance - The phone seems to hold calls well. The battery also holds up solid. Like most lithium type batteries, it takes a few charges to get the battery to it's fullest capacity. I've watched nearly an hour of video, listened to a couple of albums, surfed, texted, and taken the normal everyday phone calls without draining the battery more than one or two spots by the end of the day. Obviously if you're going to use the multimedia stuff, you're going to put more drain on the battery since the screen backlights are on and the processor is being used intensively. With little-to-no multimedia use, I can go probably two or three days without a charge.
Menus - While a bit difficult to navigate at first, once you get used to them they are very useful. The vx9800 uses folders and descriptive menus. Unlike the icon driven menus I've been used to in the past, I found this one to be very helpful once I got used to it.
Speaker(phone) options - When opened, the phone has a phenomenal speakerphone. And, it doesn't seem to be nearly as taxing on my battery as my last phone's speaker option. The speakers also perform well if you want to playback music or video (but I highly recommend getting a headset for better listening). Finally, a fact that I was not aware of initially... when a text message arrives and I have the phone open, I can open the message, click on the space bar, and the phone will read my message to me.
What I don't like...
Bluetooth - The bluetooth is good for headsets, but as with all VZW phones, the fact that you can't do file transfers over BT is a pain. Also, with the faster networks, this phone locks out Dial-Up networking. I used to connect my laptop to my v710 via a Bluetooth dongle and dial up for internet in areas where nothing else was available. I cannot even set the vx9800 to call my dial-up internet provider, as it's disabled in the phone.
Size - This phone, by today's standards, is big. But, when I held it next to my old v710, the 9800 only a fraction of an inch thicker. And, if you include the little antenna on the 710, the 9800 is actually a bit shorter in length.
Camera - So far, the pictures I've taken have been lackluster. But then again, I buy a phone as a communication device, not a camera. On a slightly plus note though, the camera can take pictures of business cards and use OCR to get data from them. Nothing spectacular, but not a bad extra to have. Actually, I'd honestly prefer no camera on my phone. A lot of corporations I visit as part of my job won't allow camera phones in their buildings.
Closed phone options - When the flip is closed, the first downside is that the keypad keys are somewhat harder to navigate because they are small and cramped. With time, it can be gotten used to, though. Also, the speaker phone does not operate in the closed position, only the open.
Web Browser - While it works and gets me what I need, I'd think there could have been a more upgraded Web Browser made available on this phone. The phone has a lot of onboard memory (mostly reserved for VCast) but the web browser still has a lot of "insufficient memory" errors.
Accessories - In typical fashion, to utilize this phone to it's fullest, you need a lot of accessories. Stereo headset, memory card, case/clip/pouch. Just be prepared to spend some extra $$ if you want full functionality.
The nutshell...
To sum it up, so far it's a great phone. If you want full blown PDA functionality, email pulls, etc... go for a Blackberry, Treo, or Q. If you just want to be able to check your mail occasionally, surf the web, listen to music, watch a video/movie... oh, and make a phone call (this is a mobile phone, after all!) then I highly recommend this phone. Even though it's a bit on the big side, unlike the trendy thin RAZR, the performance of the 9800, particularly with multimedia, far surpasses anything I've currently seen out there.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
Recommended for: Stylish Trendsetters - Hip and Trendy
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Epinions.com ID:
wvoz1970
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Member: Brian
Location: Central Ohio, USA
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Husband and Dad, Retail Business Analyst for manufacturing company, Videographer
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