If this phone lasted longer, this review would be longer too!

For the short time it lasted, I really liked it. Unfortunaltly, it died after three weeks. My neighbor has this phone and she has the same problem. When you close it, the phone turns off.

I bought this phone after reciving a defective motorola V325(see my review of that) and I also wanted an mp3 player capabillity on my phone. It turned out that this phone was not only defective, but it didn't even have an mp3 player on it! It has some weird .wma whatever player on it. Windows Media Audio files (.wma) sound as good as mp3s, but they take up too much space. However, you can perform a simple hack to enable the mp3 player that verizon crippled. The rest of the phone is pretty good though. This review contains several sections, each one on different parts and features of the phone. I have rated each feature on a scale of 1 to 5. 5 is the best and 1 is the worst. This is for your added convenience if you don't have time to read the whole review.

--Calling/Speakerphone--
Rating-5
The phone function works fine. I had no problems with the speaker or earpiece quality, and the stereo speakers make a big sound quality difference when using the speakerphone.

--Reception--
Rating-5
I have always had good reception with this phone. This should not be a problem. It is much better than my old Motorola V325,

--The Screens--
Rating-3
The color screen on this phone is OK. It is a little dark. The front screen is also color and it has many features. It acts as a viewfinder for self portraits, and you can use it to capture video. You can also read text messages on it, which is nice.

--The Keypad--
Rating-5
The keypad on this phone is very nice, and the keys are raised above the surface. The keys are large enough for the largest fingers, and they are also smooth and well-rounded. The keypad even includes a large, easy access Camera/Camcorder button. Unfortunatly, due to the poor quality of the camera, and the 15 second limit on the camcorder, the camera is useless which means the button is useless too. (It's okay, LG meant well:))

--The Cameracorder--
Rating-1
Yes, I made up the word "Cameracorder" because I was too lazy to spell "Camera and Camcorder seperatly.(I just did now, but oh well, a little humor before we enter the depressing section of this review;)
The so-called "1.3 megapixel camera was a disgrace to LG, and the 15 second video limit made matters worse. I might sound spoiled, but if I pay for a "good quality camera", I want a good quality camera, and I definitly want more video time than 15 seconds. (Whenever I take a video, the 15 seconds ends at the funniest "part" of the video. This should be one of Murphy's Laws'.) Although the camera might be advertised as 1.3 megapixels, it might as well be VGA because LG was to cheap to put in a better lens. This was one of the only disapointments.(Beside the fact that it lasted only 3 weeks.) However, this camera had a great, blinding flash!!

--WMA Player and VCAST Music--
Rating-4
This is, in fact, not an mp3 player. It is a WMA player. This is Verizon's fault though, not LG's. The phone came with an mp3 player, but verizon, being the control freaks that they are, had to change it into a Windows Media Audio (.wma) player. The sound quality is good, but these files take up so much space. The only thing that LG did wrong was not being able to access playlists on the outside screen. They give you play buttons, but you must skip through every song you have, which is a nuisaince. VCAST music has a large selection of music that will suit everyone's taste. Since I am such a nerd, I like classical music, and VCAST has yet to dissapoint me. Only twice they have not had a song that I was looking for, and then they added it later. Good job, Verizon!(I can't belive I said that! Verizon is EVIL!!)

--VCAST Video--
Rating-2
Almost pointless.


Yes, I do plan to expand on that.
VCAST video is for people that can't walk 2 steps to turn on the nearest television. The only reason I said Almost, is because, it is nice on long car rides, but I don't go on car trips often, and when I do, most of the time I do not get VCAST(EV-DO) coverage. So what does this mean? Whenever I get to a city with VCAST, I download as many videos as I can, and watch them on the rest of the trip.

--Mini SD Expansion Slot--
Rating-5
This phone has a memory expansion slot, which is a great idea. However, the memory card must be purchased seperatly. If you plan to use this phone for music, a mini SD card is a must. Without it, only two or three songs can be stored. The mini SD cards can be purchased in sizes from 128 megabytes up to 2 gigabytes. I have a size and price list below.

128MB- $19.99
256MB- $29.99
512MB- $39.99
1GB- $49.99
2GB- ??

I am not sure what 2 gigabytes costs yet, but if and when I find out, I will post it. Each card comes with a regular SD adaptor so it can be used in standard slots. I can use this in my computer's card reader and get the low quality prints on my computer. I happened to purchase my 256MB card at Radio Shack, but the same product can be purchased at the same price at most Verizon Wireless retail stores. Also, make sure you get a Mini SD card, and not a Micro SD card. They are two different formats.

--Yes, I have a Blue Tooth--
Rating-N/A
Actually, no. I didn't use bluetooth on this phone, but I know that Verizon disabled OBEX file transfers.(Verizon is EVIL!!!)

--Mobile Web--
Rating-4
With VCAST broadband mobile web, i can get email in five seconds, literally. That is all I use it for. It just has a WAP browser, so that's all I really can use it for. Also, it comes with VCAST.

--Get It NOW!--
Rating-4
I try to refrain from downloading games and other apps, but it can be so tempting. A great way to raise the bill.

--Conclusion--
I think I have covered everything on this phone... WAIT. This broke after three weeks. It would just randomly turn off. My neighbor has this phone and it turns off when she shuts it. I think we just got defective phones though, because I know other people with this phone, and they have
no problems. I guess I would recommend it, but now I have the Samsung SCH-A950, and I like it better!
If there is anything else you would like to know about this phone, please post a comment, or I will never know. Also, please comment on my writing. I am trying to refine my writing skills before school starts, and I thought this might be a good way to do it.

~Thanks!~
-Nate

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 79.99
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable