Lil’ Thick, But Does the Trick
Written: Feb 27 '02
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Pros: Inexpensive, Great Performance, Durable, Has the Important Features
Cons: No Peripherals Available, Relatively Big
The Bottom Line: For someone who doesn't care about aesthetics and just wants a solid, affordable cell, this is the way to go.
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| Sneil_IV's Full Review: Audiovox CDM135XL Cell Phone |
The day I decided to, and ultimately did (I’m quite spontaneous) purchase my cell phone was a decisive one; for in so doing I not only secured the ever-important “business line” for my fledgling web design business, but I also became ‘cool’. Got free long distance, too. Sure enough, many of my friends followed suit, and before I knew it there was a veritable network of college kids driving erratically around Albany with a cell phone to their ear. The roads may have been more dangerous, but hey – if Billy and Sally hooked up, we knew about it immediately.
Funny thing is, though, once everyone had their own cell phones, I suddenly didn’t feel cool anymore. In fact, upon comparing my phone to everyone else’s, I felt remarkably un-cool! People had phones that fold, that play Mp3s, that fit in the useless little weird 5th pocket-within-a-pocket found in most pairs of jeans, even phones that stand up and do a jig every time someone calls. Me? When I signed up for my cell phone plan and was asked which phone I wanted, I replied, “The free one.” Upon being told that there was no free one, I simply replied, “The cheapest one in the store.” At the time, I had expected a phone roughly the size of a Cadillac, but luckily I walked away with my $20 Audiovox gem here.
In all fairness, the phone isn’t bad at all. In fact, it’s quite good. The nice chap at Verizon assured me that all of the phones have the same capabilities as far as signal strength and whatnot are considered, and that what you pay for with more expensive phones is design and features. And indeed, my phone has gone up against the big boys and come out a-shinin’ when it comes to things such as range and holding a signal. So if its features that you pay for, and I didn’t pay for much, what did I get?
To be honest, I got a pretty decent amount of stuff. The phone – Ted, as I would’ve named it if I were the type of person who names a phone, which I’m not – has the requisite 99-number memory phone book, direct dial, call logs, etc. It also boasts text messaging, though that only works when it’s in digital mode, which it seems to almost arbitrarily decide to come in and out of. The phone offers web access and voice activation, though both are services you have to pay for.
Volume on the phone is absolutely ridiculous; at full volume, it becomes something of a cross between a speaker phone and a PA system. Battery life is respectable, though the damn battery always seems to die at the most crucial of moments – you all know what I mean. The charger is a rather clunky cradle as opposed to just a cord, but whatever – it’s tucked back on my desk, so I don’t notice the size. The size of the phone itself is relatively big, but not too bad- it slides nicely into any pocket, and is very thin. Keylock is easy to use, and prevent such debacles as when I accidentally sat on the phone and called Albany from Atlanta, accruing no small amount of roaming charges. That was fun.
There aren’t many peripherals for the phone, so if you want one of those crazy covers that makes your phone look like something from the Matrix, you’re out of luck. I have a car charger and a hands-free earpiece, but that’s just about all that’s available. We’re not dealin’ with a chic phone here, folks.
When it comes right down to it, this is a damn solid phone for $20. Aside from odd Transformer-esque properties, you get pretty much all the same features as with the more expensive phones, as well as the same performance.
I can’t think of anything funny to end this with, so I’m going to go have a taco and call people on my cell phone. It’s the cool thing to do.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 20
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Epinions.com ID:
Sneil_IV
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Member: Neil Janowitz
Location: Rochester, NY
Reviews written: 93
Trusted by: 192 members
About Me:
Holy halibut, weekly humor columns at www.neiljanowitz.com . Join the mailing list, son.
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