LG VX9800 glowingly reviewed

LG's VX9800 multimedia/communicator cellphone just got one of the highest forms of praise possible by a reviewer: Mobile Tech Review's editor-in-chief, Lisa Gade bought the phone herself after reviewing it. Not much of a surprise, then, that MTR gives the VX9800 five out of five stars and their Editor's Choice designation; the only real fault they can find with the phone itself is that the speakerphone doesn't work with the clamshell closed. That being said, everything else about this slightly-bulky-but-attractive transformer seems to work great, with the MP3 player rockin' (even through the speakers), the 1.3 megapixel camera snapping impressive pics, and the lighted keyboard a "joy to use." Throw in Bluetooth (no A2DP, though), EV-DO (no built in email client, though), and a 3-day-under-heavy-usage battery life (not swappable, though), and we're kind of tempted to cheat on our Treo and snatch one up ourselves. Well, kinda.

Update: Battery seems to be swappable after all. Even better.

[Iceman @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

No removable battery? That's so 20th century.

[Dustin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I really wanted to like this phone, I truly did. I was quite excited about it when it was first previewed. Unfortunately, I can't get past the sheer size of this thing. It really is quite large. Even though the reviewer did take notice of this fact, I have a feeling that the size of the phone probably wouldn't be as big of a problem for someone (forgive my sexism) likely to be carrying it in a purse as it would be someone carrying it in a pocket.

[Yaotl @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

It didn't feel all that well made when I handled it. And Verizon putting their standard UI on it made it seem pointless. Sure the keyboard would be nice for SMS, but with the same UI as every other new Verizon phone, there's nothing to make it stand out.

[Mike H. @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

pocket? Buy a holster. Does any phone *not* create a bulge in your pocket?
I made the mistake of getting the VX8100 two months before this puppy was dropped and I want to kick my own ass everytime I see a posting of it.

[Brian Ryckbost @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

My friend has one of these, and recommended that I should get one. After playing with it for a few minutes, I'm not sure if I could deal with the sheer size of it. I hate wearing holsters and usually keep my phone in my pocket. I want this phone for its features, but the size of it keeps me away. Then again, I could just get a man-purse and carry it around in that.

[Dustin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

At the moment I have an aging Kyocera SE47 Slider. I know its a far less capable phone than the VX9800, but that still doesn't defeat the fact that this thing is quite large. Its not any one particular dimension that is too big, but the thing just has a massive feel to it. (Contrary to post #3, I thought it felt sturdy enough.) The 1" thickness is really the main problem. If they could get it even 20% thinner, I would have been sold. A little shorter would have helped too, but the thickness is the major problem.

[Robert Preseau @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

i've been carrying an OGO and LG VX4400? around for the past year so moving to one device actuallly took up less space in my pocket. i've been using this thing for about a week and a half now. the only complaint i have is that the space bar isn't at the bottom of the keyboard which drives me absolutely bonkers.

i agree with #6 in that it seems well constructed. i wouldn't say it's "heavy" but it's definitely not light. that seems fine to me considering how much stuff it does. DUN won't connect in my area yet, but i've read that it works fine. i also haven't pulled the pics off of the camera to look at them on any other screens but the samples i have seen look nice.

i'll be honest, the first night i had the phone i wanted to kick myself because i didn't like it but the more i use it the more it grows on me.

[Robert Preseau @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

question, what do you guys mean by swappable battery? this battery isn't any different than any other phone i've ever had.... pops right off the back.

[eTron @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Well... I have this phone and have had it for about 3 weeks now and I have to say it's a good phone, but not as great as she said. No mp3's as ringtones, no speakerphone with it closed (which totally sucks), the messaging clients (AIM, MSN, Yahoo) are no better than they are on any other verizon phone with the exception of the pda phones. Only good thing is it has a backlit keyboard. Still feels like sending a text message and not an IM. Screen size could be better, but is really sharp. Anyway... yeah...

[Cynan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I had one for about a week before returning it for a Treo 650. I can't have a camera phone where I work, and it drove me crazy not having a cell with me.

First, the synopsis is wrong, and the battery *is* swappable. I don't know where Evan got that from, it is not mentioned in the article!

I only had 2 complaints with it. First, you can't set MP3's to ringtones. Second, there's no lens cover/cap. Instead they have a slider for close-up pictures. (There's some sort of feature where you can take a picture of a business card, and add it to your contact list. I did not play with that at all, since I returned it fairly quickly.) I would much rather have a lens cover, to protect the lens from dust/scratching after carrying it around in my pocket.

I want someone to open one up to look inside, but It would be nice if the bottom of the phone was as thin as the top. It is a bit bulky, and if you wear tighter pants, it won't be comfortable in your pocket.

The keyboard, speakers, and video playback were all very nice. The voice activated commands over Bluetooth were awsome (Wake up Palm, can you just not figure this out or what?). They are right, the voice sounds good, but the pronunciation is a bit...odd at times.

I'd probably have kept it if I could have gotten one without a camera.

[Not James Cramer @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Some counterpoint, if need be. My high hopes were dashed during a recent test drive.
Here's the review we posted.
http://www.thestreet.com/_tscs/funds/goodlife/10249683.html

[Tony @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

No email client? WTF?!? Preposterously stupid.

[raygundan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I would sincerely like to ask everyone who has ever designed a handheld device why they put d-pads on the right? I thought left-hand d-pads were all but standard since the introduction of the NES. Why do gadget makers keep sticking it on the wrong side?

[Fin @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I'm with #10. After posting strong advance interest in http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000200059631/
I've decided that the VX9800 is just too much targeted for the kids (and it will do right by them I bet). I'm definitely in the smartphone camp at this point looking at the Treo 700w or Cingular 8125. I'm so disappointed with VZW's overall offerings since I decided to step up from my old phone-only phone that I just might switch. If all the companies are going to offer craptastic dataplans anyway, my decision will be based on a great gadget that *does* something (with a minimum of restrictions).

[Marino @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

QWERTY keyboard and no email application. Who wants to read write e-mail from their cellphones if they can use them to watch TV?

As for the size... If you want a QWERTY keyboard, it needs to be a certain size. Anything smaller, is just not practical to type. I have a Sidekick. It's bulky. I wouldn't want it any smaller. I think the Blackberries and the Treos are too small. And yes, I carry it in my pocket but I wear baggy pants. It's a little too big if you just walk around in speedos.

[Sheng @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I don't like it. My wife likes it for SMS, but I would prefer the Treo over it any day. No email support. If you use Outlook, no mail sync. The video service sucks, and they charge you additional for it. Besides having the neat hidden keyboard, there really isn't anything good about this phone. The OS is not Palm or Windows. If you like a nice little smartphone go with Cingular and get the Audiovox SMT5600. If you don't mind the size, then get the Treo 650. There's also a Samsung available from Verizon that even has wifi and keyboard. Again, the only thing I like about this thing is the hidden keyboard.

[Kman @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Hey guys... and gals. It's my bday today!!!

Well, anyways, I'm 14 and I'm a techno freak!!! I love anything tecnological and spend my after school hours studying new technology (after my homework, of course). I was studying the 9800 for quite some time and last week, I got it. Now, let me say, compared to any other non-PDA phone, this is THE SINGLE BEST phone Verizon offers. Though the 8100 and a950 have the same camera as this, this phone's looks a lot better. Even compared to the a970, it looks a lot better. My only complaint is no speakerphone while closed. Myself, I didn't normally use TXT messaging with my old VX6000, but as soon as I got this phone, I got to texting and writing EVERYTHING in my calendar. I'm telling you, even though I'm only a teen, if you have Verizon, and you don't care about size or weight (even though this doesn't weigh that much and isn't that big), and you are willing to spend some money, go get this phone! !!!! I love everything about this phone and I cannot wait to start and mod it....

[Kman @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Oh, and by the way, it does have a removable battery, and the speakers are REALLY loud

[influx @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Does this phone support playback of video on the miniSD?

[gal @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

it will be mine by tomorrow

muhaha

[Jared @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Dang, I'm almost not sure weather to Love this phone or hate it. but I'm Leaning More towards love. I guess it doesn't Matter anyway, Verizon has Crap coverage in Michigan, But Alltel is CDMA, so Maybe they will pick the phone up sometime next year.

Until then I guess I'll settle with a Nokia 6255i cuz, it looks awesome anyway. ah, the Greatest thing about a 1 year Contract..... I get a New Phone every December.

[Brett @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

These guys are smokin' crack, this phone sucks.

1. The phone is a phone with pda functions, yet is billed as a phone.
2. You need to have it up for a speakerphone.
3. Email only checks every hour(see #1), no way to get it to do 5-15-20mns.
4. The screen was decent, nothing to write home about.
5. There is mobile im, yet no unlimited plan so to sit and chat will cost you $40 for a 10mn conversation.
6. I traded in for an E815, now with the dial-up hack I can go on the net anywhere with EVDO and bluetooth, plus I paid 3 billing cycles and bought the E815 for the same price as this LG.

[Bard @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Er...hate to break it to you, but Motorola was there well over a year ago. It's called the a630. AND, it has MP3 ringers, has a camera, has bluetooth,same battery time AND the speakerphone works while closed.

Oh, did I mention it's cheaper too?

[Brad @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

My brother just picked this phone up...

I'm definitely impressed. Smaller and lighter than expected. It's the same size as his old Nokia.

No USB cable in package is disappointing, but for the $199 - it's not a bad deal. I've used the Sidekick before and it's probably more a competitor to that than the Treo. Not a "business" phone because of the e-mail issue discussed above.

Overall, a great phone.

[Loch @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I'm continually impressed by this phone. It packs all the great features into a nice, firm design. The qwerty is very comfortable and the internal screen is a beauty to watch for a handheld. I am very happy to see the MP3 active from the get go unlike some other Verizon phones. If I had the option to get one of these on my contract right now, I would.

[Loch @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I'm continually impressed by this phone. It packs all the great features into a nice, firm design. The qwerty is very comfortable and the internal screen is a beauty to watch for a handheld. I am very happy to see the MP3 active from the get go unlike some other Verizon phones. If I had the option to get one of these on my contract right now, I would.

[cooljames @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I ordered this phone based on the glowing reviews, and unfortunately before many of the negative comments were made. I just got the phone today, got it programmed and charged three hours ago, and it's already in the box ready to go back to Amazon.com.

This device is a toy. There's nothing this device has that can hold a candle to my TMobile Sidekick. I'm choking on my own words as I type this, because I have a lot of complaints with the Sidekick. Minimally, and this is THE deal-breaker for me and the VX9800, the Sidekick supports leaving the proprietary environment to access web content and email.

The VX9800 gives somewhat fast access to a set of pre-packaged links, and that is it. You can't type 'www.blah.com'. You just can't do it, the interface doesn't allow it. That makes it impossible to check email, web-based or IMAP, and it's impossible to use the tool as a good-times 'bet settler', which is why I do enjoy my Sidekick.

The Verizon marketing is very shady. There's a lot of double-speak when they define their "Mobile Web 2.0" product. Where they describe it as a broadband-speed service that enables IM, email, www, etc. That's all true, if you don't mind a subset of IM clients, email through a $19.99/mo service, and www to a handful of sources reminiscent of Microsoft's lame attempt at building 'channels' into IE4.0. As opposed to getting pre-categorized bookmarks pushing content to some templates on top of the freedom of your web access, you just get the bookmarks pushing content to some templates. The 'broadband speed' is enabled, no doubt, by heavy replication of the content and the distribution of the templates local to the phones.

Long story short:
This probably isn't a bad piece of hardware. From what I could tell, it's actually quite cool. The service, however, stinks like rotten milk. It would be a mistake to purchase this, unless you're really interested in just getting your news from CNN and your information from once-a-day feeds. The next site I visit is going to this 'Mobile Tech Review' to tear that editor a new one.

[Loch @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

You should have kept playing beyond 3 hours. If you go to mobile web 2.0 click on Search there is option #3 go to url which will take you anywhere you want to go. Btw - i am posting from a vx9800 right now.

[cixi @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I hate this phone. Hate it, hate it, hate it. It's big, it's bulky, and that's fine. I expected that. However, I didn't expect every single person I talked to comment that I sounded tinny and like I was in a windtunnel when I was using the regular phone (not the speakerphone). When I was walking down the street, I had to start using the phone like a walkie-talkie (switching from ear to listen, moving it to mouth to talk) which is just utterly absurd. The actual phone (not the QWERTY keyboard) is ridiculously tiny. I don't have an enormous distance between ear to mouth and I don't have huge fingers, or even large ones; they're quite petite, and I was constantly hitting the wrong buttons. So it's this huge, bulky, heavy phone that feels like I'm putting a transister radio in my pocket that has all the drawbacks of a tiny little Barbie phone.

And another crappy drawback is that I ordered this phone from verizonwireless.com and assumed that if I wanted to exchange (not return it) it I could just go into a Verizon store. But no. Apparently, because Verizon is subcontracting out to different cell phone warehouses, I have to ship it back to Verizon, wait for them to receive it, have Verizon push re-credit my New Every Two, then order another phone which will then push back my contract date by 2-3 weeks. This sucks. I highly recommend buying in the store and just waiting for the mail in rebate instead of trying to take advantage of the instant online savings. Because it's not worth it if you don't like phone in the end. I'm just a tad annoyed with Verizon right now. Bottom line: This phone is awful unless you text message 24/7 (even then I'm not sure if it's worth it) and Verizon is getting worse and worse in terms of customer service and usability.

[Bunker Kerr @ Dec 22nd 2005 8:46PM]

Well hey this is a freakin awsome phone if you ask me. From the quarty keyboard for great all around messeging to the loud rockin Mp3 player. Its all great with the LG vx9800, I didn't even feel that it was that thick at all! (more than the average phone of course, but hey:)

[Mike @ Dec 25th 2005 11:13PM]

Seriously considering this phone. Was curious to know if DVD's can be converted to the MiniSD to view later.

Is there a software version in the works to allow speaker phone operation in the closed position? And is there any modding or accessory sites out there? Please e-mail directly as I do not have much time to check sites other then e-mail.





Thanks, Mike

[shorty @ Dec 31st 2005 11:11PM]

so i just got this today.. i like it so far, but one thing that pissed me off was not being able to use personalized tones as ringtones (which sucks coming from a moto v710 phone that allowed this)



you HAVE to use getitnow ringtones, but the websites for vzwtones and sony music box don't list this phone as being able to get their ringtones. i don't want to pay for applications and not be able to get any. does anyone have any experience with this?