Phone itself is good, options aren't
Written: Jan 15 '07
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Pros: Lots of features
Cons: Spotty reception, poor bluetooth
The Bottom Line: It's a decent phone, but if you need bluetooth, look elsewhere!
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| jodibb's Full Review: LG VX8300 V Cast Music Phone |
I got this phone after doing a lot of research. I was using the Samsung A670 prior to getting this phone. It was time for my "new every 2" and I was looking for a phone that had good reception, speakerphone, and capacity for reliable bluetooth, as I do a lot of driving and needed a way to drive and talk safely. Here's what I found out:
Reception: When it's good, it's good. When it's spotty, it's fair at best. My A670 could pick up a signal anywhere in the house. The VX8300 only hits reception in specific areas of my house and when I try to call out, there are many times when at the exact moment, all my "signal bars" disappear, causing me to wait for up to 10 minutes before I can call out again. This is even on a clear day, when the reception should be unproblematic.
Clarity/Volume: The clarity on this phone is good. I don't get any feedback, nor static. When I do get calls, it's normally very clear. The volume is outstanding! I usually have to lower the sound because the person on the other end sounds like their yelling in my ear.
Size: The size of this phone is nice. Not too small, and the buttons are large enough to see and use. The phone isn't heavy either. Very compact.
Speakerphone: I like this feature. The volume is loud enough and the clarity is good. Unfortunately, you have to have the phone less than a foot away from you in order for the person on the other end to hear you clearly.
Bluetooth: Okay, now the fun begins. When I got this phone, the software version was 1.0. I used a bluetooth headset and couldn't get any reliability of calls in or out. The phone dropped the bluetooth constantly. I was told to upgrade the software to 3.0. I went into VZW and upgraded it. I've now tried 3 different headsets and they all gain the same results. Dropped bluetooth (which results in dropped calls), Can't call out...can't receive calls consistently. Ironically, if you go to wireless websites, this is the consistent downfall of this phone.
MP3 Player: While VZW advertises the VCast, which is their version of iTunes, there are much cheaper ways of playing tunes on this phone. With the software upgrade to 3.0, the VX8300 is capable of reading 2.0GB MicroSD expandable discs. With a card reader, you can easily format the cards to the VX8300 and transfer music in mp3 format so the phone will play them without ever having to download music from VCast/GetItNow. The music is clear and the MP3 player has capabilities to sort music much like an iPod. The downside is to use headphones, you need to purchase either a set from VZW or get an adapter to utilize the standard 2.5mm jacks.
Ringtones: Like the MP3 player, there are ways to customize ringtones without downloading them from VZW. There are multiple "how tos" throughout the web, but the best manual I found was through www.howardforums.com where they have step-by-step instructions on how to format songs to become ringtones and then emailing them directly to your phone for 25¢ is much cheaper than downloading them from VZW. You can make them as loud/soft as you wish and are quite clear. Also, you can program the phone to announce the caller before the ringtone begins, which is great if you are driving and don't want to look at the phone to see who is calling.
Camera: Honestly, I've only used this function once or twice, so I don't have a huge review on the camera. But the couple times I did use it, it was simple to use, and the pictures seemed of decent quality.
Other functions: If you choose to use some of VZWs GetItNow functions, there are 2 I recommend. First, the VZ Navigator. This GPS function is $9.95/mo, but works wonderfully and is flawless (at least in my experience!). I've used it all over Southern CA and all over Illinois. Works like a charm! Second, if you set up a VZW account online, they give you options that they normally charge for. One of which is their Backup Assistant, which automatically syncs your phonebook with their computer server...they waive the charge for VZW online account users and never will you have to pay $10 to sync the phonebook from your old phone to your new one!!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 00
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable
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Epinions.com ID:
jodibb
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Location: USA
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 0 members
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