LG VX8700 (Verizon Wireless)

My sister switched from her old Samsung T209 to the new and recently released LG VX8700. The difference is night and day! I've basically tested out most of the features and I know im bound to find more new ones. I've rated each of these features on a scale of 1 to 10:

Design (10/10) - Phone is ULTRA slim, sleek and sexy. It's slightly thinner than the Motorola RAZR and the LG VX8600 (the phone I use), two already very thin phones. It's more compact in size as well. The brushed metal finish is excellent and the phone feels solid, but this makes it slightly heavier.

Screen (10/10) - Main internal screen is HUGE, bright and beautiful. It's one of the best things about this phone. If you thought the VX8600 has a huge screen, this ones even bigger! The external screen is thinner and runs diaganol on the phone. I prefer the larger screen on my VX8600 but this one is adequate enough for incoming call messages as well as for MP3 player use.

Call Quality (9/10) - Call is clear and crisp. Most importantly, loudness is user adjustable and very loud!

MP3 Player (7/10) - Has just about the same features and use as a regular MP3 player (repeat, A-B, displays ID tags, music info, quality etc). Requires seperately buying the Verizon Music Essentials Kit (contains USB cable, software CD and earbuds) and a MicroSD card (for larger storage of music). After software is installed, getting music to the phone is pretty easy to do and playlist is easy to sort.

Battery Life (9/10) - Usually lasts up to 3+ days for me, thats with regular calling and mp3 player usage. When using the online EVDO network, drops down to 2 days of use (but can be disabled for increased battery life). Overall, the battery life is excellent.

Speakerphone (9/10) - Speakerphone gets much louder now and is a big improvement from the low volume of the VX8600.

Camera/Video (9/10) - Camera now takes 2.0MP shots, which is better than the standard 1.3 found on most camera phones. This results in very nice quality and clear photos for a cell phone. Sometimes you'll need to make changes color and balance in darker environments (no flash) but its easy to use. Not great for action shots since there is a 1-2 second pause. Video quality is lower, but generally thats with all phones today. Store either 15 second video message clips or up to 1 hour of video (if you have a MicroSD card for larger storage).

Bluetooth (7/10) - Fairly easy to use. People are able to send me their ringtones and info without dropped connections. Verizon still limits the file size to send things, which irks me.

MicroSD Slot (6/10) - Necessary if you want to store additional pictures, videos and music. Unfortunately, instead of being located on the side for easy access, they have relocated it to the back, behind the battery compartment. So in order to take it out, you need to remove battery door and battery, which shuts off the phone. Not a big problem if you don't intend on taking out the MicroSD card often.

So far, the phone has been great. Has a huge price tag right now but it should level off within a few weeks or months. If your looking for a new sexy Verizon Wireless phone at a great price and packed with features, this is the phone for you! If you have any questions/comments about the phone or my review, don't hesitate to contact me via eBay. Please vote YES if my review has been helpful to you!

The camera is great... It seems to hold it's signal very well... The button placement is different but easy to use... The only downside I have found with this phone is that it has only one speaker in the handset... There is no external speaker so it makes it a little hard to hear when it is ringing... The front display is different but works well once you get used to it...

The LG VX8700 is the coolest flip phone i have ever owned. Before this I had the LG Chocolate and LG VX8600. Neither of these phones can ever compare. The sound is awesome on this phone, even for music it is much better than the chocolate (supposed to be for music). The way it flips open is strange, but it fits the face well and it doesn't even sound like you are on a cell phone to the other phone. VERY GOOD PHONE AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

After much research on Cnet.com I decided to try the VX 8700. I have not been dissapointed. The phone preforms exactly as described and for the $50 (after a 2 yr contract) the phone is a steal. The number pad can be a little smooth, and the phone is smudge prone, but a hard cover case fixes the smudge problem. I love the bluetooth file transfer, too bad it took Verizon so long to support a phone with it. I'd go to the link below for more advice/info:

http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/lg-vx8700/4505-6454_7-32429932.html

To begin, this is my third mobile and my second for the U.S. (My others have been the Audiovox CDM-8900 and Motorola ROKR 1, both with direct and attractive menus, plus excellent sound features on the ROKR.) Regardless, it shouldn't be that hard to tell the difference between a good and even a decent cell phone, and I can confidently say that the VX8700 is in a class of its own, ESPECIALLY for Verizon. From the top...

BODY: The outside is solid brushed aluminum, covering a silvery plastic interior. Despite relative thinness, the phone is heavier than other mobiles when compared in each hand, but by a largely unnoticed amount when used day-to-day. The exterior LCD is little more than a rectangular strip that, when idle, all but vanishes to reveal a slick mirrored surface. This is a flip-style phone, which is important to me since my Moto (with an open keypad) needed to be locked and unlocked against random dialing in my pocket. So the VX8700's exterior really offer the best of old school practicality plus sharp yet understated style--no blinking lights, just class all the way. As it's aluminum, mine scratched before I bought it a clear protective case (which also gives it an extra shine). In summary, a gentleman's (pimp) phone, made nicer for its simplicity. Would be remiss to mention volume control, mic (voice command) button, and camera features, all pretty much what you'd expect in being there, functional and unobtrusive.

MENUS: For anyone on the Verizon network that's been disgusted by its ugly and boring standard menus replete with kiddified gradients and Verizon logos, the VX8700 offers a true customized interface with brushed metal look (horizontal lines) that complements the phone's exterior. As there is more than one way to navigate (either through the OK button's menu or by programmable shortcuts to specific areas), controlling the VX8700 seemed daunting at first. But once I got the hang of it (by getting by as simply as needed and making use of the programmable shortcuts), the phone has been quite easy to get around.

KEYPAD: The glaring weakness. The keypad appears to be made of attractively laid, small pieces of plastic. Each piece holds three numbers, sort of like this:
,_,,,,_
[1],,[3]
,,,[5]
Press one and the others resist, so adjusting to comfortable use takes time and patience. Regardless of how comfortable you get, times come where the keypad is downright frustrating, especially when I dare to play games. It shouldn't be a deal breaker if you love everything else about this phone, as I generally don't mind this.

AUDIO / RINGTONES: I've never dealt with LG, and realize this isn't an "audio" phone like my Motorola ROKR, but... Default ringtones are crisp, useful and even pleasant. None are too awkward sounding for public use, and plenty make good alarms for reminders or makeshift wake up calls. Strangely, the ring volume seems to reduce by around half when the phone's flip top is opened. Speaker generally sounds clear and even has its own button. Speaker makes this phone a bit warmer to handle, but doesn't seem to use much battery. I put half my calls on speaker now, without any problems. V CAST songs are expensive, but VX8700 plays them clearly and loudly.

OVERALL: I haven't used many mobiles, but know what I like. This phone drew me in and kept me. It has initial strangeness in menus and lingering keypad issues, AND ceased distribution for poor sales... but don't be fooled. The VX8700 is still an amazing phone.

This sleek stylish Phone is the follow up to the VX 8600. Although lacking in a large front screen like it's previous and future sisters, it provides excellence in use with an odd flare unique from most phones. The full stainless steel body provides for durability and resistance to dropping and damage. The 2MP camera is a nice bonus and when this phone was released was far above and beyond the capabilities of most. I'm a fan of LG's 100%. They are mechanically sound and always provide unique and innovative features not to mention they are quite ascetically pleasing. All in all this is a very solid phone for the price being offered.

I decided to get the LG VX8700 because I had the RAZR previously, and wanted another slim phone. After having it about two months, I'm looking for another phone. Here's my reasons why I have decided against using it:

Design - Appealing with the brushed metal finish, and the mirror that appears when the front screen goes blank. It's almost to "slippery" though, very easy to drop. Definitely want to get a case for it. Slim, easy to fit in pockets & purses. Front screen is bright and clear, but having time turned either left or right takes getting used to (you can make it straight, but it makes it difficult as well in my opinion, to read). Notices (such as text/missed call/etc..) show up as yellowish white text on black screen, which can be hard to read.

Calls - Vibrate is not very strong, but ringtones play pretty good. Cuts out sometimes during convo, pretty quiet earpiece and speakerphone. Have missed calls because it never rang (only knew because of a voicemail). Can set ringtone for each person, but not text message alert.

Text/Keypad - Clear button is at top left, which definitely takes getting used to. This can result in sending messages before completing them. Keypad is good sized, but numbers are very close together, which means using clear a lot (which in turn means sending prematurely). Decent enough for those who don't text as much though.

Battery Life - This is the thing making me switch phones. It's awful. Not using it or just texting it'll last about 2 days, 3 if your lucky. But phone calls forget it. Starting with 3 bars, you can make a two minute phone call (to another verizon customer down the street from you), and when you hang up be down to one bar. Once you have one bar, you can't do anything or it dies.

Overall, the best thing about it is the appearance. Texting is hard with the keypad, and phone calls drain the battery terribly. Maybe future upgrades will improve this.

I love this phone, it has many features that my old phone did not have, such as making the text message letters bigger, changing and editing the pictures and lots of other things. It's an all around great phone!

Great phone, I wanted a flip phone that was classy as well as functional for the reasons i needed, and this phone does exactly that

I don't use the phone for much other than making calls or sending text messages usually only a few a day, however the battery life does not seem to be that great for the limited use. I love the look and feel of the phone, although I'm afraid it can be a little too smooth, as I've almost dropped it several times. I would definitely recommend a case for this phone because it will make it harder to slip out of your hand and also protect it from fingerprints and scratches. The stainless steel look is really really pretty, but be prepared to wipe off the fingerprints constantly.

The call quality seems to be really great on the phone. No one has complained about being able to hear me (something that used to happen a lot because I talk softly) and I have not had any problems hearing anyone. I love the easy change to speakerphone with the button and speakerphone is very loud and clear. I also love the button to switch to vibrate mode. On my old phone, a Motorola V220 and I think any other phone I've ever had (mostly Motorolas), I had to turn the ringer all the way down to get to vibrate. But with this button I can just press it to activate vibrate mode and then press it again to switch back to "normal" mode.

My biggest problem with the phone was the ringtones. There are work-a-rounds that work great. But a review isn't the place for those. You CAN get your own ringtones however. It's also kind of nice to be able to store MP3s on the phone. I've got a few CDs saved on a 1GB card in the phone and it's nice to be able to listen to when I'm sitting at work or waiting somewhere.

The camera quality is great and I love all the options you have when taking pictures. The phone remembers the settings for the next time you activate the camera as well. I haven't played with the camcorder yet so I can' say anything about it.

Overall this is probably the best phone I have ever owned. It's a little on the pricey side, but well worth it.

The VX8700 is slim, smooth to the touch and eye appealing. The color screen is large and bright with good graphics. The phone works well and it syncs wonderfully with the bluetooth system in the newer Toyota Prius. The address book even transfers readily to the car's bluetooth system, a real plus. I purchased a nice slim leather carrying pouch on eBay for half of what it would cost to purchase a leather or plastic holder at the phone store. My only complaint, as is with all flip phones, is that when you pull the phone out of the holder or pouch, it is very easy to grab it by its sides and accidently hit some of the side-mounted buttons. Other than that, it's a great device. One caveat: unlike some plastic phones which can take a beating when dropped, don't drop a metal encased phone unless you want to permanently dent it.

Love: Aesthetically, it's a beautiful phone. Looks great, nice feel. Fonts, display, very nice and easy to read. Holds 1000 contacts.
Dedicated button for speakerphone, dedicated button for voice activation.
Texting has a few nice features that my old phone didn't have such as hit 1 for "." and shift to change case. Also to send the message is one step rather than two.

Dislike:
-> BIG bummer: you can NOT add more than 10 contacts into a Group.
-> Speakerphone doesn't sound that great.
-> Earpiece volume is not that great.
-> When plugging in the adapter for the headset, the little door that covers the jack on the phone gets in the way in between the adapter plug and the phone and makes for a crooked fit.
-> No count provided for Contact or group list.
-> Radio buttons for some menu choices rather than numbered choices. (Why scroll when you can just choose 1 for yes, 2 for no, etc.)
-> Wrist strap hole is poorly placed on upper left of phone. Bottom right would be more practical (for right handers at least)
-> Phone gets hot after long periods of talking. (Will automatically shut down if it gets too hot, according to the manual.)

Overall, despite my many complaints, I really love this phone.

I have to admit, I really miss my VX8300, but this phone is fantastic!

It is quick, easy to use, and very slim. The only problem is that when you are texting, you can feel the keys starting to click, due to excessive use.

Other than that, this phone has great feel and use!

This is one solid phone. Here are some of my thoughts on it:

It has a very stylish design that will have people asking you what phone that is.

The call quality is one of the best i've experienced with Verizon and it has good signal strength. It's so clear sometimes you think the call must of hung up if the other party is being quiet.

The battery life is good. You can charge every couple of days with making a few calls a day.

Does shoes fingerprints quite easily. May need to clean frequently.

The screen is amazing, the menus are vivid and it has the best camera i've had on a phone. The pictures come out very good.

If you're looking for a small and stylish phone I recomend this over the Razr and other Samsung phones. The call quality is great and the phone looks nice.

You oculdn't ask for a better phone for a better price! Just make sure you keep it in a case or buy a hard cover becuase it scratches easily.

This is an awesome phone. There are so many neat features it will takes weeks to go through them all. The battery life is outstanding and the phone looks great.....no problems with finger prints with this phone. There are tons of features associated with the camera that you would think you were using a digital and not a phone. Exellent phone - great job LG.

The LGVX7800 is a good phone but it could use a few tweaks. It has good reception in my house, which has been a problem with Motorola phones. It's sleek, stylish, and has a weight that says it's solid, not cheap (at $250+ it's not cheap!). The speakerphone crackles when you turn the volume up to near maximum. The mp3 player is great but the quality isn't all that great (again at higher volumes). Aside from the price and a few imperfections, I would recommend it to anyone looking for a thin, stylish phone.

Excellent seller. Phone in perfect condition and fast transactions. Looking forward for future sales

I've only had the phone for a month, but so far I really like it. When people, who have the same phone, I don't even know see I have it they tell me how much they love it. Usually these people have had the same model for at least two years. I'm not crazy about the videos I record then send. It's a smaller video on the recipients phone. I didn't get the owners manual with it so it may be something I can fix. Oher than that, I am very happy with it.

this seller sold me a broken phone! and stold 118 dollars from me! I tried to contact this seller on numerous occasions and never once did I get a reply, a refund or an exchange!! DO NOT BUY anything from this person, they are a fraud!!

Phone didnt work correctly and seller wouldn't respond to attempts to contact them. Phone had to be replaced with anotherone at my expense.

one of the best phones LG has made, too bad they have discontinued this model. Looks great, durable, and has a lot of great features. When will these company's learn not to change a good thing.

I should have bought this phone from Verizon when I renewed my contract. Whan I renewed my contract, I got a different phone that was cheaper and I got what I payed for. I will stay with LG from now on. This phone works very well especially if you have used LG phones in the past. The menu options are user friendly and the basic use of the phone is very basic and easy to use. The screen is easy to read, especially when dialing numbers, because the numbers are very large. The screen options are either metallic or colorful and the colorful option looks better then just grayish color like the metallic. This phone is a great choice for anyone that wants one that is good and reliable.