help me choose my first cell phone

[Kaido]

Trying to decide on my first cell phone. I was really excited by the RAZR V3, especially for FAR, but it has too many shortcomings (hardware + Cingular network). My wife and family use Verizon and have great things to say about them, so I decided to go with Verizon. I went to the Verizon store at Circuit City today and checked out what they had to offer. I narrowed it down to two phones: the LG VX8000 and the Motorola V710. I need some help deciding, so please comment if you are familiar with either of these phones.


LG VX8000:

Amazon link

Advantages:
-large keys (love em)
-easy to hold (big, but flat)
-better camera than the Motorola (1.3mp)
-records short videos, downloads clips, blah, blah, blah
-really good speaker phone
-awesome screen

Disadvantages:
-ugly
-no Bluetooth (aka no cool wireless headset)


Motorola V710:

Amazon link

Advantages:
-Bluetooth (I want the geeky wireless headset)
-bigger buttons than most phones
-camera, video, blah blah blah
-cool-looking

Disadvanatges:
-weaker cam than the LG
-smaller buttons than the LG
-harder to hold than the LG

I like big buttons on a cell phone, makes it easy. The LG is really easy to hold. I dunno. I'm going to do some more research but figured I'd ask for opinions and advice, so fire away

 

[Jassi]

Personally you made the right choice with VZW (I use cingular and I hate it - but thats a long and different story). If I had a choice now, I would go with the VX8000. BT is not that useful and the headset looks fugly and makes people look like they are talking to themself.

 

[Schadenfroh]

The choice is clear, get the one with the coolest looking bling bling yo, got to make the fasion statement

 

[DaWhim]

v3 > both pos's.

 

[kmac1914]

Originally posted by: DaWhim
v3 > both pos's.

and that's saying a lot, since the V3 isn't really all that great to begin with...

 

[Muadib]

These two phones should be comming to Verizon soon:

LG VX-8100 and the Motorola E815

 

[Blazin Trav]

VX8000 is a very nice phone. Personally I think the vx8100 looks cool, just wait until the end of summer and go into a store and compare in store.

 

[dc]

this one

one on the bottom.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Muadib
These two phones should be comming to Verizon soon:

LG VX-8100 and the Motorola E815

How soon? The VX-8100 with Bluetooth looks kinda nice...

 

[keeleysam]

Don't get that moto. The hinges are crap.

 

[Vegito]

I want the 8100 but they were saying it looks like december of 2005 .. or anytime on q4...

 

[Philippine Mango]

Have you considered a smartphone? I've got the Audiovox 5600SMT which costs around the same price as the Razr3 except its got like 5X the features...

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
Have you considered a smartphone? I've got the Audiovox 5600SMT which costs around the same price as the Razr3 except its got like 5X the features...

Yeah I looked at a few at the store, but I prefer my Axim X5. Oldie but goodie

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: forcesho
I want the 8100 but they were saying it looks like december of 2005 .. or anytime on q4...

Eh, too long. I need something like next week. I'm leaning towards the LG right now, based on the big buttons and not-so-hot reviews of the Motorola.

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Philippine Mango
Have you considered a smartphone? I've got the Audiovox 5600SMT which costs around the same price as the Razr3 except its got like 5X the features...

Yeah I looked at a few at the store, but I prefer my Axim X5. Oldie but goodie

well if you get a 1GB MINI SD card, you can put some movies/music on there with the included stereo headphones which I have to say sound VERY GOOD. If you get a smartphone, while you won't have a true PDA, you will have a music/video player with out having to sacrafice phone useability.

 

[MagicConch]

Make sure you get a phone with bluetooth! I didn't and I really regret it now (even new cars use bluetooth now)

 

[dr150]

LG VX-8000 User Reviews

Motorola V710 User Reviews


Good job on going with Verizon btw. They are true shoulders above everybody else, as their reputation correctly suggests.

I had Cingular and its just ok. I had the V3 and it's just OK. The V3 is too wide and its technology is widely available now...it will be very commonplace now that it's being offered for free by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

v330>v3

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: forcesho
I want the 8100 but they were saying it looks like december of 2005 .. or anytime on q4...

Where did you hear that? I heard it was due out this month, that's why I posted it. Did you speak with a Verizon store?

 

[dartworth]

out of those 2...the V710

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: dr150
LG VX-8000 User Reviews

Motorola V710 User Reviews


Good job on going with Verizon btw. They are true shoulders above everybody else, as their reputation correctly suggests.

I had Cingular and its just ok. I had the V3 and it's just OK. The V3 is too wide and its technology is widely available now...it will be very commonplace now that it's being offered for free by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

v330>v3

Clearly you were with Cingular before the merge. Since the merge, Cingular's coverage is just as good, if not better than Verizon's. Not to mention that Verizon cripples the bluetooth in their phones. That's why I'm with Cingular now, and I've no regrets.

 

[AnyMal]

Well, if V710 runs on the same software platform as V551, I'd steer clear of it. We just purchased two V551 from Cingular and we hate them. Whoever designed the software did not think it through. The so-called "address book" (where you can't enter addresses BTW) has a huge flaw, you may only assign one number per person. Meaning, if a preson has a home, cell, and a work number, you will need to create three separate entries for each number. How dumb is that? Additionally, i am questioning the quality of hardware as well. My wife's first phone had external display go bad the next day after we got it, so we had to replace the phone. Next, my phone stopped ringing for no reason whatsoever. These two POS's are going back to Cingular on Monday. I'll get either LG or Nokia instead.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: AnyMal
Well, if V710 runs on the same software platform as V551, I'd steer clear of it. We just purchased two V551 from Cingular and we hate them. Whoever designed the software did not think it through. The so-called "address book" (where you can't enter addresses BTW) has a huge flaw, you may only assign one number per person. Meaning, if a preson has a home, cell, and a work number, you will need to create three separate entries for each number. How dumb is that? Additionally, i am questioning the quality of hardware as well. My wife's first phone had external display go bad the next day after we got it, so we had to replace the phone. Next, my phone stopped ringing for no reason whatsoever. These two POS's are going back to Cingular on Monday. I'll get either LG or Nokia instead.

If you don't mind candybar phones, take a look at the Nokia 6230. I recently got one for my gf, and she loves it.

 

[AnyMal]

Originally posted by: Muadib

Originally posted by: AnyMal
Well, if V710 runs on the same software platform as V551, I'd steer clear of it. We just purchased two V551 from Cingular and we hate them. Whoever designed the software did not think it through. The so-called "address book" (where you can't enter addresses BTW) has a huge flaw, you may only assign one number per person. Meaning, if a preson has a home, cell, and a work number, you will need to create three separate entries for each number. How dumb is that? Additionally, i am questioning the quality of hardware as well. My wife's first phone had external display go bad the next day after we got it, so we had to replace the phone. Next, my phone stopped ringing for no reason whatsoever. These two POS's are going back to Cingular on Monday. I'll get either LG or Nokia instead.

If you don't mind candybar phones, take a look at the Nokia 6230. I recently got one for my gf, and she loves it.

I wanted it, but the store told me that it has been discontinued even though it's still listed on their website. They also claim that they are unable to order phones from the website, they only sell what comes into store.

 

[Philippine Mango]

Originally posted by: dr150
LG VX-8000 User Reviews

Motorola V710 User Reviews


Good job on going with Verizon btw. They are true shoulders above everybody else, as their reputation correctly suggests.

I had Cingular and its just ok. I had the V3 and it's just OK. The V3 is too wide and its technology is widely available now...it will be very commonplace now that it's being offered for free by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

v330>v3

Ya seriously, the same thing with AT&T wireless users. Since they've merged, I've gotten the same, if not better coverage than with verizon. CDMA sucks and support verizon only helps slow down the progress of technology.

 

[dr150]

Originally posted by: Muadib

Originally posted by: dr150
LG VX-8000 User Reviews

Motorola V710 User Reviews


Good job on going with Verizon btw. They are true shoulders above everybody else, as their reputation correctly suggests.

I had Cingular and its just ok. I had the V3 and it's just OK. The V3 is too wide and its technology is widely available now...it will be very commonplace now that it's being offered for free by every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

v330>v3

Clearly you were with Cingular before the merge. Since the merge, Cingular's coverage is just as good, if not better than Verizon's. Not to mention that Verizon cripples the bluetooth in their phones. That's why I'm with Cingular now, and I've no regrets.

I was with Cingular until last month, so I know their post merge phone coverage area in SJC is lacking. My wife has Cingular thru her company and it still lags Verizon......as usual.

Apparently, Sprint has the best coverage (slightly over Verizon) nowadays through their roaming aggreements....