Decent phone/MP3 Player, but FRAGILE / SENSITIVE
I got this phone because of the music capability. What better than to have your music with you without having to carry an extra piece of equipment. Considering that you have to carry your cell phone anyway, this is a great feature.
It is a little difficult getting used to the touch pad because my last phone had the typical buttons that you mash down with full force, but after I changed the setting on the pad to low sensitivity I was ready to go.
Memory on the phone itself is only about 64MB (8-10 full length songs), so if you plan on bringing a lot of music with you, you had better plan on investing in a SD memory card for the phone. I purchased a 256MB card for $19.99 after discount and the phone now holds about 50 songs. Perfect without too much additional expense.
Software can be downloaded from the Verizon website but you still have to purchase a special USB cable to download music to your phone from your computer. If you plan on buying your music from Verizon and downloading it over the air, you won't need the cable, but the songs are $1.99 each. I got a get connected pack for about $25.00 and it included the USB cable, software, and a headset. It would be nice if additional equipment needed were included, but the expense is horrible.
The phone is Bluetooth capable, but I haven't used that feature so I can't comment on the quality of the feature.
SOUND- With the headphones, the music quality is very good. As good as any portable CD player I ever used. The speaker does not produce good quality music.
PROGRAMS - The phone has all the usual, useful things that people expect phone including calculator, calender, contact lists, txt & pix, VM. The mobile web is great, only costs $5.00 per month on my plan; well worth it.
MP3 - As stated above, you really need to buy a mini SD memory card to make the phone work as a music player, but I see no need to buy a $100.00, 1GB memory card. Songs are easily erased, removed and added using the Music Monitor software.
V-CAST - I have not used this feature because it doesn't really have anything that I would need.
DISPLAY - The display screen is very nice. Vibrant colors and large fonts make the display easy to see.
CAMERA - The phone has a 1.3 megapixel camera/video recorder. The camera and camcorder work great, producing good quality images. Memory is an issue here as with music due to the size of the files; if you use the "send" feature to forward pix or videos to email, you can keep memory free.
BATTERY - Probably my biggest complaint is the battery. It doesn't hold a charge as long as most phones, but this is due to the fact that it is being used as a music player and a cell phone so it is "on" more than a regular cell phone. Plan on charging every day. The standard battery is 800mAh, but a 1200mAh battery can be bought.
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Update
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After using the phone for several months, I wanted to add some things. The phone doesn't take a beating; every phone gets dropped now & then but this one is not sturdy. It is sensitive to any outdoor factors, and the screen scratches easily. If I could do it all over, I would probably skip this and go with something a little more sturdy. This one would be fine for normal conditions, but I work outside and the phone tends to become a problem with heat, cold, light, moisture, dust, pollen or any other outdoor factor. A decent phone, but only for in a indoor environment. Don't bother if you are outside a lot.Read full review
