bluecoyote
10-16-2005, 11:31 AM
The LG VX9800 is the first phone in a LONG time to prove that LG can build world-class handsets. It's almost hard to believe this is the same company that builds such mediocre phones as the PM-225, PM-325, and such garbage as, well, every Cingular LG ever made.
BC Got his hands on this little number, expecting that, in true LG fashion, the phone would let him down.
Well, the phone did let me down, but, for the first time EVER, none of it was LG's doing. In fact, LG did everything right except for their choice of carrier- putting this phone on Verizon is a waste of technology.
1) The form factor is great - yes, it's chunky, yes, it's big, but it's more pocketable than a Treo or Blackberry. They keypad is marvelous, and the hinge can tilt 180 degrees, like the Nokia 9500!
2) The Sound quality and reception are great - In true LG CDMA fashion.
3) The battery life is good - Rare for an LG CDMA phone- 5+ hours of talk time is pretty damn good.
4) The Screens are both bright and extra-legible - the interior display is gorgeous- surfing the web on it was a pleasure.
5) Great camera - much improved over the MM535 and VX8100.
6) It uses MiniSD - YES.
7) The phone is functional open as well as closed - A big problem with the F9100 (and most LG's) is solved here- you can browse the web, send text messages, etc. with the phone open or closed. AWESOME.
So ok, this sounds like the perfect phone, and had it been released on Sprint, it probably would've been. Unfortunately...
1) That d@mn Verizon UI is here- just as ugly and inefficient as ever. If I'm techno-literate enough to know to buy a high-end phone, why does it have to act like I'm stupid? Why, to view my pictures, to I have to go to "VIEW PIX" ? Huh? Furthermore, on a screen this size, a cramming 12 items under every menu list is ridiculous. 5 icons isn't enough, morons. If Sprint ever pulls this crap I'm leaving them.
2) Awhile back I claimed that VCast would kill Sprint multimedia. YEAH RIGHT! VCast is what you get when you put Microsoft in charge of your multimedia. Unlike with Sprint, you can't view your own videos. You can't view your own streaming videos. You can't even listen to your own streaming audio. All you can do is listen to your own mp3's on the MiniSD Card.
That's downright unacceptable, but that's Microsoft and Verizon for you. Needless to say, V-Cast is downright terrible- the amount of content seems to be ever-dwindling. When you think we get Live TV at about 80% quality for 60% of the price...
3) Verizon crippled Bluetooth, or LG isn't smart enough to implement it. One of the two.
4) The web browser is crippled- Verizon, Like Virgin mobile, has taken a Walled Garden approach to web browsing. While you can get around it more or less, a LOT of sites are banned. Again, if Sprint ever pulls this crap I'm dropping them, but Sprint, unlike Verizon, seems to have some sort of respect for their customers.
5) No J2ME - this is nothing new, but boy does it stink! BREW (Get it now) is no substitute for J2ME, as it locks your phone's content down tighter than a gnat's behind. So what does no J2ME mean?
A) No Reqwireless Webviewer / PocketWeb on your phone.
B) No J2ME Email client on your phone (no email clients are included) , which means there's no way to view attachments.
C) To get an email client, you must pay $20.00 a month for Verizon's email application.
Aren't you glad you have Sprint?
BC Got his hands on this little number, expecting that, in true LG fashion, the phone would let him down.
Well, the phone did let me down, but, for the first time EVER, none of it was LG's doing. In fact, LG did everything right except for their choice of carrier- putting this phone on Verizon is a waste of technology.
1) The form factor is great - yes, it's chunky, yes, it's big, but it's more pocketable than a Treo or Blackberry. They keypad is marvelous, and the hinge can tilt 180 degrees, like the Nokia 9500!
2) The Sound quality and reception are great - In true LG CDMA fashion.
3) The battery life is good - Rare for an LG CDMA phone- 5+ hours of talk time is pretty damn good.
4) The Screens are both bright and extra-legible - the interior display is gorgeous- surfing the web on it was a pleasure.
5) Great camera - much improved over the MM535 and VX8100.
6) It uses MiniSD - YES.
7) The phone is functional open as well as closed - A big problem with the F9100 (and most LG's) is solved here- you can browse the web, send text messages, etc. with the phone open or closed. AWESOME.
So ok, this sounds like the perfect phone, and had it been released on Sprint, it probably would've been. Unfortunately...
1) That d@mn Verizon UI is here- just as ugly and inefficient as ever. If I'm techno-literate enough to know to buy a high-end phone, why does it have to act like I'm stupid? Why, to view my pictures, to I have to go to "VIEW PIX" ? Huh? Furthermore, on a screen this size, a cramming 12 items under every menu list is ridiculous. 5 icons isn't enough, morons. If Sprint ever pulls this crap I'm leaving them.
2) Awhile back I claimed that VCast would kill Sprint multimedia. YEAH RIGHT! VCast is what you get when you put Microsoft in charge of your multimedia. Unlike with Sprint, you can't view your own videos. You can't view your own streaming videos. You can't even listen to your own streaming audio. All you can do is listen to your own mp3's on the MiniSD Card.
That's downright unacceptable, but that's Microsoft and Verizon for you. Needless to say, V-Cast is downright terrible- the amount of content seems to be ever-dwindling. When you think we get Live TV at about 80% quality for 60% of the price...
3) Verizon crippled Bluetooth, or LG isn't smart enough to implement it. One of the two.
4) The web browser is crippled- Verizon, Like Virgin mobile, has taken a Walled Garden approach to web browsing. While you can get around it more or less, a LOT of sites are banned. Again, if Sprint ever pulls this crap I'm dropping them, but Sprint, unlike Verizon, seems to have some sort of respect for their customers.
5) No J2ME - this is nothing new, but boy does it stink! BREW (Get it now) is no substitute for J2ME, as it locks your phone's content down tighter than a gnat's behind. So what does no J2ME mean?
A) No Reqwireless Webviewer / PocketWeb on your phone.
B) No J2ME Email client on your phone (no email clients are included) , which means there's no way to view attachments.
C) To get an email client, you must pay $20.00 a month for Verizon's email application.
Aren't you glad you have Sprint?