All That AND Its A Phone!
Written: May 10 '01 (Updated Jul 13 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
| Clarity: |
 |
|
| Portability: |
|
|
| Battery Life: |
|
|
|
Pros: Small, great reception, voice dial, browser, indiglo blue LCD, outer ID screen, variable vibrate alert
Cons: Oddly large antenna, it gets in the way
The Bottom Line: Time will tell how good it really is. For now, I am very impressed with this phone. Many features, good quality, great phone!
|
|
|
| AVaddict's Full Review: LG-TM510 Cell Phone |
Introduction
I have had three cell phones previous to this unit, all were Nokias. They were all good phones, but (previous to the 8200s and 8800s) they were all rather large and heavy. I had long stayed away from clamshells simply because they seemed to have a penchant for breaking. The TACs have been around a long time, and seem to be better than they have been in the past in regard to durability, but I still find the interface to be difficult and I didn't like the style.
I wanted to leave Voicestream (EVIL!!!) in the dust and go with a new company and a new phone. Previously I had a Nokia 5190 and was looking for a 8200 series Nokia or small clamshell. I went with Verizon this time and got 2400 minutes for $40. They made it very easy, see my review for more on them. Of course I have locked myself into a one year contract, but if the service stays this good, I will be with them for much longer. I want to point out to those who may not be aware, LG is Kyocera (Korea), this is per the CSR at Verizon.
FYI, my phone is not grey/silver w/ a green screen, its actually black with a very attractive indiglo blue screen color. Mine also has a inverted trianglular badge featuring the Verizon name just above the little outer screen.
Features
This phone is packed with them! It is a tri-mode phone and has all the obvious features a phone in this day should. Of course there is a 199 slot phonebook (5 entries each), which is a little harder to access than the 5190, but I am getting used to it. An alarm (wake up) is standard as is a calendar, calculator, easy to use voicemail, sound, and display section that are all very user friendly. It also features a useful scheduler with reminders, and a very well thought out nav button.
The available ring options are comparable in quantity to Nokia, but without the ability to download new ones, so far. The loudest ring isn't nearly as loud as my Nokia, so I have missed calls, but its not a big deal, the screen on the outside makes it easy to check for calls without talking the phone out of its holster, much like a pager. The vibrate option is variable in strength and goes from subtle to fierce. I never used to be able to feel my pager when it was on vibrate. I have no problem feeling this phone, even in the holster, which is quite easy to use and secures the phone easily and firmly, similar to a pager holster.
The alarm and schedule reminders are great features to have! I use the phone as an alarm clock now, though unlike the Nokia it doesn't have a nice little snooze feature, oh well. There are also special rings that you can assign to calls from people in your phonebook. This is useful because you can tell who it is without having to find a hidden phone in a panic, which is convenient if you hear the ring.
This phone also features a myriad of call back and wait options. One has choices from how often (every 10, 20, 30 secs) to call back to how many rings to allow before an auto answer. Again, the screen on the front of the unit (when closed), comes in useful here by allowing the user to view the callers name (if in memory) to the number, signal strength, network, battery, time, and date. Wow!
I haven't really touched on the browser features because I simply don't use it. I know how it works, and its not bad in theory, but I would be hard pressed to see a time when I couldn't just make a call to get whatever info I needed. Anyway, folks who really need a good browser that bad will be going for Palm units or combo PDA/phone units in my opinion.
The call history has room for ten numbers, which is nice because occasionally you may not know whatever number it is by heart, but may have made a few calls since. The messaging isn't free, but it’s easy to use if necessary. As mentioned, the voicemail is easy to use and the displays make it simple to go where you need to quickly. I don't like the fact I that I have to enter a code every time, but I'm getting used to it. The long and short is that there are more key stokes per action than my Nokias, in some cases.
Battery and Accessories
The battery is 7.5 mm thick and very light. I was very careful to open it and charge it fully for the first 3 charges. Since then I have had great performance. I charge about every day or so, usually while I sleep. It only takes three hours to charge fully. I get very good talk time for the most part. A day full of talking can do in the battery, but I usually get about two days. Its not so bad, but I will probably get a second battery, probably the larger style, just to have.
The store where I bought this still doesn't have any LG accessories in yet and I just haven't made it to the Radio Shack yet, but I need a car charger. I also want a home slow charger, so I can talk when my battery goes dead at home. Unfortunately the handsfree kit I got with my Nokia does not fit my LG, so I will want to get one for the future. There are many kits available online that are far more comfy than the in-the-ear models and sound better too. I haven't decided if I will do that or run it through car stereo, hardwired. We'll see.
Fit and Finish
This phone seems a little flimsy, though I have had it a full two months and it hasn't broken, nor does it seem like it will break soon. Nokias, to me at least, instilled a sense of sturdiness...or maybe it because I abused them so severely and they still worked. It has a strong clamshell spring and closes easily. Opening it one handed takes some getting used to, and seems to put undue stress on the hinge.
The lenses on the screens seem soft, but of good quality build and I haven't scratched them yet. I have consistently heard that clamshells break. I have had friends with TACs that have had them for years, problem free, I hope the same will prove true with this LG. I have no reason to think it won't, it is holding up well and I don't always baby it.
Dislikes
As mentioned, the ring could be louder. The alarm is also rather timid. I like riding with my windows down, even during the summer, with my stereo up, especially on the highway. When I am doing this I am virtually assured of missing a call unless the phone is ON me and on vibrate. It's a nuisance, but not too bad. For the most part it’s never too much of a big deal unless the battery is almost dead, more reason to buy a second.
The antenna is somewhat large for a phone of such diminutive stature. I am hoping I will be able to find an aftermarket antenna that is a little shorter and has a good bright LED, but all attempts so far have been fruitless. The aftermarket custom parts market is so large for some other phones (Nokia specifically), I am hoping this model will catch on, but at this price, it may take a while. Many Nokia 5190s were free w/ contract, talk about guaranteed market share!
Other than these nags, I really like this phone and all its features. It’s small, light, and easy to use and is still new enough to prompt a little conversation. What more could you ask for, it works.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $150
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
AVaddict
|
 - Top 200 |
|
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 139
Trusted by: 134 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.