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All Phones offered on this site are either free or will have nominal price if you Sign up for a service plan.
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LG VX8550 Chocolate Black Phone (Verizon Wireless)
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Our Price: $54.06
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Average Customer Rating:   
Manufacturer: Verizon Wireless
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Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Binding: Wireless Phone
Brand: LG
Color: Black
Display Size: 3
Feature: Lightweight multimedia powerhouse in black with new Trace Motion Light navigation wheel
Label: Verizon Wireless
Manufacturer: Verizon Wireless
Model: SCHU740ZAV
Publisher: Verizon Wireless
Release Date: 2007-07-12
Studio: Verizon Wireless
Variation Description: Black
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Features
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Lightweight multimedia powerhouse in black with new Trace Motion Light navigation wheel
Supports both WMA and MP3 music formats for more versitility in music listening; Bluetooth stereo headset support
Expandable memory slot compatible with optional 4 GB microSD memory card for storage of up to 2000 songs
1.3 megapixel camera with digital zoom; video capture up to 1 hour
Up to 250 minutes of talk time, up to 350 hours of standby time
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money!
Comment: I received this phone as a free replacement upgrade from Verizon to try and I have now sent it back. It's the most frustrating phone I've ever tried! The screen is so sensitive it's very easy to get off in some other menu until you're completely confused. This phone might be "IN" but it is worthless to me. It also has terrible ringtones! With no cover to protect the screen, it looks like it will scratch easily and look old in no time. LG really screwed up with this one! I reactivated my LGVX8300 and now I'm back to reality. Don't waste your money!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Multifunctional phone. Very good but room for improvement
Comment: The Good:
-- Very multifunctional phone. Serves as my phone, camera, and MP3 player.
-- The MP3 player software will convert .mp3, .wav, and iTunes music and podcast for use on the phone. Very nice.
-- The controls are not for the novice but after a couple of days they are easy to master.
-- Speaker phone and voice commands work well.
-- Sleek and doesn't waste battery life when not in use. I actually read some reviews complaining that the phone goes dark when not in use. That's exactly what I want to conserve batteries. Touch any button and the phone lights up.
Where to Improve:
-- Use with most earbuds work fine for the user but not so fine for the person you are calling.
-- Needs to accept the 8GB micro chip (only accepts 4GB)..
-- Works fine in most settings but I note that in buildings, others can get a tower when I cannot. Improve the internal antenna.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't judge a phone by its glamour!!
Comment: Sorry, Verizon, but I have to say the network is good, this phone is not. I was coerced into buying this phone by a very aggressive sales person at a Verizon Wireless store a few weeks before Christmas. Truth be told, I was leary about purchasing any LG model, but specifically the Chocolate, since I had heard all of the horror stories about the first generation.
However, using the 30-day return policy, coupled with the fact that every phone I liked (Samsung) was sold out, the salesperson convinced me to try my luck with the second generation Chocolate, assuring me that all of the bugs had been worked out. So, I purchased the Chocolate, banking on the fact that I could return it prior to the 30-day time limit.
Luck was not on my side. As it turns out, the Verizon case that I bought with my new phone was defective, and the screen was scratched the very first time I put it in the case. So, when I tried to return it to Verizon for the Samsung I wanted, I was told I couldn't because the phone had "physical damage"...(the scratch).
So, I've had the phone for six months now (admittedly against my will, so I am slightly biased), and these are the quirks I find most annoying. First and foremost, the touch sensitive buttons. The buttons are placed on the face of the phone, in a place where it is very natural to put your fingers. And, when your fingers aren't putting the phone on mute or speaker, your cheek is. The only time the phone works without activating the touch buttons, is if you dial from memory without sliding it open, which you can't do unless the number you are calling is pre-programmed. And good luck calling anywhere that requires you to enter information with your keypad, 'cause those touch buttons will drive you crazy!
Annoying issue #2: call quality. Everyone complains that my voice is muffled, and they have a hard time understanding me, that it sounds as though I am underwater.
Annoying issue #3: bluetooth device. My state (NJ) requires the use of a hands free device while driving, and the bluetooth headset developed for this phone is terrible. I can't hear people, and they can't hear me; it's like talking in a wind tunnel, with a tv tuned to static in the background.
Also, on the list of negatives would be the camera quality. I would prefer not to have a digital camera in my phone, as they rarely take even halfway decent pictures, but it's almost impossible to find a nicely equipped phone without a camera.
On the list of positives would be the MP3 capability, if you use your phone for music, which I don't. Dialing pad and text messaging features are standard.
As far as reliability goes, I just had to have my phone replaced because the first one lost its display and kept freezing up. I had to constantly remove the battery and replace it to get it to work again, and most times the screen remained blank. While having my new phone reprogrammed, I asked the girl in technical support if people are having problems with the Chocolate and she claimed that they have a lot of issues, and a lot of repeat issues (i.e. phones replaced 3 times or more in a 90-day period).
If you are on the fence about this phone, I encourage you to read all of the available reviews first. I think you will find that most of the higher ratings have less to do with the phone itself and more to do with the music and memory capabilities. In my opinion, a phone should be a phone first because all of the rest means very little in the long run. However, if you do purchase the phone, know that Verizon has developed a special policy in Technical Support for those who've accrued "frequent flyer miles"... if you have to service and/or replace your phone three times, they will allow you to choose a different phone.
In closing, all I can say is: one down, two more to go. Bon voyage, Chocolate... I'm not even interested in peeking at the third generation, which is due out soon. Hmmm...
Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazing phone
Comment: At first I purchased the original chocolate phone not realizing that I would hate it. I was hoping to return it and exchange it for an enV until I realized that I was something like 3 days over the return policy. So, I was stuck with it. After having three replacements Verizon finally sent me this phone which is 56787667 times better. I like that the send and end button are in a normal place and that instead of having touch buttons to navigate the menu, there is a wheel and physical buttons making navigation through the menus easier. Also there are times where I like the vibrations on the touch keypad and there are times when I do not like. So I enjoy taking the liberty of changing this feature according to my preferences. Before the chocolate I had the Motorola E815 which was probobly one of the best phones. But now I seem to like the chocolate so much better. I like the fact that it can slide instead of flip. I really like that part of it. I have a friend who has a slider too, hers is a helio phone. I like that you hold it vertically and slide it up to reveal the number keypad and then slide it horizontally to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. It would be great if this phone had that too because although I can text very fast on this chocolate's keypad, it would be so much better if it had a real keyboard.
For anyone who wants a cool high quality phone, I would really recommend this phone.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Much better than the old one!
Comment: I have had my VX8550 for about a month now. Before this I had the old chocolate (VX8500). The old one gave me so many problems. They keys had worn out and you could no longer read some of them The touch send key was horrible and caused me to constantly send txt messages before I was done with them. I would regularly unlock the phone on accident in my pocket (press any button twice). The touch "wheel" was annoying and not very useful.
I recently got this phone just because my mom got it free but wanted to keep her old "V" for its keyboard. If I had picked a phone, it would not have been this one simply because of my bad experience with the old one. But I am glad I have it now. The new send/camera/end keys on the inside work so much better than the old ones. I haven't accidentally sent anything yet! The new camera software is way better and you can even crop/zoom/rotate and then save the new version of any picture on your phone. I also notice that the menus are faster and more responsive than on the old chocolate. The new wheel and ok button are way better also, they feel solid and you don't accidentally touch them or anything. I honestly don't have anything bad to say about the VX8550. I do recommend that you get a case of some sort for it however. My old one quickly got scratched and I try to take very good care of my phones. This new chocolate is a better phone but is just as vulnerable to scratches, so I'm just giving you a heads up.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Slimmer, lighter and sweeter than ever, LG updates its Chocolate slider phone to the VX8550 with improvements including a new metal navigation wheel (which traces your finger's movement with a small light), vibrating touch keypad, and the ability to run the music player in the background while using the other features of the phone. But many of the much vaunted features of the original Chocolate remain: silky-smooth slider design support for V Cast Music, an integrated music/video player, a 1.3 megapixel camera/camcorder, stereo Bluetooth capabilities, and a microSD memory slot for up to 4 GB of storage. In addition to Verizon's V Cast Music feature, this phone is also enabled with the Get It Now service, which allows you to easily download ringtones, games, and applications. It runs on Verizon's CDMA 850/CDMA 1900 frequencies and EV-DO high-speed data network. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) Imaging and Entertainment
The LG VX8550 Chocolate comes in three delicious colors and features advanced music playback features--including the ability to play in the background while accessing other phone features. | The Chocolate's is a 1.3-megapixel digital camera features a flash, as well as 2x digital zoom, self-timer, night-mode functions, and brightness and white balance controls. Other features include an in-phone image editor (zoom, rotate, crop) and a mirror for self-portrait capability. The camera can also capture video clips--30 seconds for sending and up to 1 hour for saving to memory card--at a 176 x 144-pixel resolution. It's compatible with playing MP3, 3GP, and 3G2 video formats, and you can set a video as your screen's wallpaper (as long as it's under 5 MB in size). A built-in music player with a dedicated music key for easy access, stereo speakers and an equalizer, MP3 and WMA playback, and the ability to hide the music player while still allowing the music to play on in the background. You can create and manage playlists right on the phone, as well as synchronize music between the Chocolate and your PC (using an optional USB cable and connecting with Windows Media Player 10 or higher). You can also take advantage of the Chocolate's Bluetooth wireless headset capability, allowing you to hook up a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones. Design
The phone features a seriously attractive open-faced design with an internal antenna and a vibrant 240 x 320 pixel, 262,000-color TFT/TFD display. A touch sensor click wheel, similar to iPod, and sliding design set the phone apart stylistically. Opening the slider reveals a numeric keypad, as well as the 1.3-megapixel camera and LED flash, which are housed on the rear of the phone. The new navigation wheel with Trace Motion Light allows for easy navigation through phone functions, as well as quick and simple functionality while browsing music and videos. The touch keypad provides an improved feel for quicker input. Calling Features
The Chocolate boasts powerful calling functions, such as speaker independent voice dialing, which makes it easy to call contacts by simply saying their names. No prior voice training is required and you can even speak individual digits to the phone for quick dialing of numbers you know by heart. And because the Chocolate is Bluetooth enabled, wireless headsets can be configured with the phone for total handsfree operation. You can save up to 20 Bluetooth pairings, and it supports the following Bluetooth profiles: headset, hands-free, dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution, phone book access, basic printing, object push for vCard and vCalendar (accessories sold separately), file transfer, and basic imaging. The Chocolate's internal memory can hold up to 1000 contacts for quick access to email addresses and phone numbers. Each contact can store up to five numbers and two email addresses. The phone lets you easily assign pictures as well as ringtones to your most common callers. In addition to vibrating alerts, the phone supports polyphonic ringtones, and a number of ringtones come preloaded on the phone and more ringtones can be downloaded from Verizon's Get It Now service. Lastly, the Chocolate's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911. Messaging, Internet, and Tools
With Verizon's Mobile Email option, the LG Chocolate allows you to send and receive emails from MSN, Hotmail, and America Online, as well as access your address book and be alerted to new email. | The phone's support for multimedia messaging means that text, photos, video and audio can be sent with ease (Verizon messaging charges apply). When used in combination with the Chocolate's built-in camera, MMS opens up a whole new world of messaging fun. There's also a built-in web browser for downloads and mobile web browsing. Verizon's optional Mobile Web 2.0 package allows you to read and send emails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. You can check your email, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings and find directions to the theater. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users. With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, the Chocolate is fully compatible with Verizon's V Cast service. With V Cast music, your phone is a music player, letting you jam out wherever you are. It's also a music store, and you can download songs instantly to your phone. Save your songs to a memory card with a capacity that's right for you. You can even pause to take a call without missing a beat. You can also download and stream high-quality video--get the latest Accuweather forecast delivered right to your handset, or stream CNN news headlines. ESPN sports updates, entertainment news from E!, and even Sesame Street content for the kids. V Cast also serves as a portal for enhanced 3D games, making it possible to have more fun with a new breed of realistic games. A number of handy software tools are bundled with the Chocolate including a voice memo recorder that can record calls, a calculator, a calendar, and an alarm clock. You can even set the alarm to wake you to your favorite music. Also included with the Chocolate is Verizon's VG Navigator software, which allows you to get real-time, turn-by-turn audible directions as you're driving. Vital Statistics
The LG VX8550 Chocolate weighs 3.24 ounces and measures 3.85 x 1.87 x .67 inches. Its l800 mAh ithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4.17 hours (250 minutes) of digital talk time, and up to 350 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.
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