I purchased this phone back before Christmas, after owning the RAZR for two years. My biggest problem with the RAZR was a bad keypad and weak battery life. When trying to decide on my next phone, the salesman, who I had dealt with before was using the CU500 and raved on it. After some more thinking, I decided to buy it and I have been raving about it ever since.

First, I have read complaints that the ascending ring on the phone is not loud enough and that one should be able to turn it off. I do agree with being able to turn it off, however, the ring is set at 15 seconds, and that is always ample time for me to answer my phone and mine is usually louder than most in the room. I tend to use different MP3 rings for people and groups, so I do know if this makes a difference, however, all of my rings play loud on this phone and I usually work outside, and hearing it is still not a problem for me.

The overall feel of the phone feels much more solid than that of the RAZR, even though it is plastic. I like the feel of the phone and it is not heavy. It does not feel like I can easily break the phone and the keypad is very solid with tight keys.

The video playback and sound is really good. It is a phone, so you can't expect the quality of a HD plasma, but I can watch Family Guy with great playback. Also, the call volume is great as well. I can always hear the other person.

One interesting feature on this phone is the swivel camera. I like that because if you are taking a picture of yourself, you can swivel the camera and reverse the lens, and you can actually see yourself so you know the image you are taking. Before this phone, it was a guessing game when trying to take a self picture.
I also like the fact that you can store multiple numbers etc under one name. There are still phones that do not allow this and I can not understand why. This is a HUGE organizational too for me.

Finally, the bluetooth feature is always nice in order, because it is handy for file transfers between that and my computer.

Personally, this phone only has two drawbacks, albeit, minor ones. First, I wish it had a USB connection. The reason that I like that is because one trip, I forgot my charger, but was able to charge the phone with my laptop. That was a handy feature on the RAZR, but again, it is minor. Just remember to pack your charger! Second, the location of the memory card could be in a better spot. If you want to change the card, you have to remove the battery. However, I use a 1GB card and that has plenty of room so I should not have to change the card any time soon.

Overall, this is a great phone. It has all of the feature but with a better price. It is sturdy and durable and, in my opinion, the best phone that I have personally owned since I have had service. If you want an incredible phone, check this one out because it is worth the buy

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 50
Recommended for: Adventurous Technophiles - Tough and Durable