Buying a new phone, asking opinions

[pohatu771]

I'm buying a new phone, and have narrowed it down to either a MOTORAZR v3m or LG Chocolate.

I checked the Verizon site, and the comparison shows a few advantages to the RAZR and a few to the Chocolate... RAZR has more slots for contacts and broadband capabilities, while Chocolate has the MP3 player and Net-something (connect to a computer for cellular Internet), better battery (and life)...

I'm wondering, from owners of these phones, about a few more areas-

Camera quality
Key quality (I know RAZR is lighted, is Chocolate?)
Screen quality
Durability (does Chocolate scratch like iPod?)
Reception (neither have external antennas)
Voice quality

I realize neither of these are the best phones out there, but they're what I need (better, actually).

A bonus question to Chocolate owners (since Verizon has only two options for RAZR)- which colour do you like best? Also, does it use a standard 5-pin mini-USB cable, or is it proprietary?

[EDIT] Also, if anyone knows how I could get iTunes on a CDMA RAZR, it would trump the Chocolate instantly.

[habsrock13]

I know for a fact that the keys on the Chocolate are lighted. As for the color, I like the black.

[pohatu771]

Looking at the low-quality pictures on the Verizon site, I don't like the white one. I'm going to check other sites for pictures... I'm unsure about buying Mint or Cherry, but so far, like them much more than white.

[EDIT] Looking at the leaked pictures from Engadget Mobile (http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/10/27/real-pics-emerge-of-the-vx8500s-spectrum/), I like the Cherry version much more, but white doesn't look as bad as it did in the other pictures. I'll see if there are any in stores.

Of course, I could always get the RAZR.

[VipFREAK]

I'm getting a new phone and service tomorrow, I'm leaving Verizon because their service (at least for me, probably the phone) is just as ####ty other services now and I'm so damn tired of ####ty ### clam shell phones. I want to actually be able to use some of the features on my phone without getting charged everytime too. I'll probably be going to Sprint for the Slvr and the $29.99 plan.

[pohatu771]

Yeah, with my phone now I'd really like to replace the Verizon UI with the original Motorola UI, but don't want to void my warranty. With the original software, I can move pictures and ringtones to the phone with a normal USB cable, but not with the Verizon software.

With the Chocolate, it's not as hard to do (easy, actually, if you buy the non-standard USB cable).

Right now I'm leaning towards the Chocolate, unless someone can point out some great features the RAZR has (I really like the 5-pin mini USB, like my v325 has now), but the Flash-based UI is better than the one on the RAZR (not to mention the MP3 player, which I kind of like, since I won't be able to afford a new iPod anytime soon)

[Dayroc]

had both when i was in Asia.

wouldnt recommend any of them. but if i had to it would be the V3m. LG has just the worse User interface, and the touch sensitive screen gets annoying because its ridiculously laggy/ slow. Although i will give it to LG with the nice factor. If you want a "touch" sensitive phone i suggest the Samsung E900 (a huge difference over the LG choc.).

Good luck on your choice.

[bobb-mini]

I had hoped to replace my nano with a MP3-capable phone but so far it's been no-go.

Cons - iTunes 50-100 songs limit, 128kb/s only, slow USB1 xfer rate, no stereo bluetooth (v3x)
Deal-Killer (for me) - Manual sync only, can't play Podcast as-it, can't control iTunes with flap closed (v3x).

I believe u can flash the v3x with your own interface, but not absolutely sure. It takes some effort and time. U SAVE your original stuff b4 flashing, so u can go back to "factory" anytime u wish.

[bootsie]

WOW!!! I just found the coolest phone ever!!! It is the Samsung E870. It is not available in the US yet though!

I did however, bid on one on Ebay, but I will never win because I can only afford about 50-75 dollars right now.

Can anyone who lives outside of the US get me one for a really good deal? I would be soooooooo happy!!!!!!

[VipFREAK]

I'd rather get this NEC...

http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/12001104/Images/2/NEC-E949-A01__2.jpg

In other news...

I picked up a Slvr (no not the kind that's in my skin) and got the $29.99 Sprint plan. I'm soooooooooo much happier now.

http://www.mobileguerilla.com/images/motoslvr-l7c-sprint.jpg

[wco81]

No waiting to see what the iPhone is going to be?

[bobb-mini]

Is it me or the new phones are going "retro?" Not too crazy about the square buttons, reminds me of first-gen touch-tone phones.

[Kristiano]

No waiting to see what the iPhone is going to be?


Here's the thing. I wanted to get a phone in November 2004 but told myself to wait til Jan 2005 just in case it would debut at MWSF 2005.

The wait is never-ending, just get what you want at the moment. I personally don't like the Motorola interface though.

[neb]

I think the Samsung P300 (http://www.samsung.com/uk/products/mobilephones/mobilephones/sgh_p300xkasek.asp) is looking rather tasty at the moment. I guess its aimed at business customers though so not sure whether it's suitable for you.

[jhollington]

If you're into modifying/hacking your phone interface, then the Motorolas are probably the best way to go, as there are a lot of solutions out there for this. Forums like motomodding.com have sprung up with lots of cool tips and tricks for this purpose.

I avoided the original RAZR V3 like the plague, as I found the interface was horrible, the address book very limiting, and it didn't support a number of the other features I liked such as Salling clicker (remove control over Bluetooth). The V3i/V3m/V3x generation, however, is a remarkable improvement in the phone firmware and interface, including a better Java engine, better bluetooth support, and a much-improved address book, including speech-recognition-based voice dialing.

I recently picked up a V3i as my phone (I also carry a Blackberry 8700 as a wireless PDA device, so things like the address book are not critical for me, but I find the BB is not very good as a phone, which I why I opted for a separate phone).

Unfortunately, there is no way at this time to place the iTunes features on the non-iTunes models. The folks out there in the Motorola modding forums have been trying, but as of yet haven't figured out a way to do this.

Prior to the V3i, I also had the Sony-Ericsson Z520a for a while before upgrading to the BB8700. I really liked the Z520a, and I would have gone back to that instead of buying the RAZR, but my wife got her hands on it first :) The Sony Ericsson phones most definitely have a superior user interface, IMHO, offer more features, have better compatibility with iSync (on the Mac) and provide an overall better user experience. There are virtually no modding options for it, but it's a pretty good phone out-of-the-box, so that makes this less necessary.

[VipFREAK]

No waiting to see what the iPhone is going to be?

#### that... HYPE

as pointless as a PS3. xD


Unfortunately, there is no way at this time to place the iTunes features on the non-iTunes models. The folks out there in the Motorola modding forums have been trying, but as of yet haven't figured out a way to do this.

Yeah... some how my brainwashed mind misses that but before I was wondering wtf the point of having an mp3 player on the phone is. Now, with the knowledge of potentially taking all my music (1g) off my iPod and on my phone to make way for an exclusive video content on my iPod sounds very appealing. Problems with this are that I won't be able to listen to music in my car via itrip auto and I'd have to get special headphones to listen to my music. Oh, and then there's the matter of the batt. dying in an emergency because I wasn't using it as a phone. :rolleyes:

[jhollington]

The iTunes-on-phone is really not worth it, IMHO, particularly on the V3i, unless you're on a really tight budget and cannot afford a Shuffle.

There is no headphone jack directly on the phone, so you either have to use their included USB earphones (which even I think are horrible), or use their USB-to-headphone-jack adapter (which is fine, except that it's yet-another-cable you have to carry about with you).

The loading process from iTunes is roughly equivalent to the Shuffle, so there's little difference there, and the 100-song limit means that you can't even store as much as you could on the Shuffle, even if you do go out and buy a bigger trans-flash card. You can't have separate playlists either (again, Shuffle-style loading from iTunes), and it's USB 1.1, so it will take a while to get anything onto it.

About the only advantage over an iPod Shuffle is that you have a screen, so you can select specific songs more readily, and if you don't mind AM-radio quality, you can listen to your music through the phone's internal speaker.

In my case, it wasn't at all a deciding factor in the V3i, other than a desire to play with it a bit to satisfy my curiosity about the whole iTunes Phone thing. With a 512Mb card, I keep some of my favourite songs on it, but I can't remember the last time I actually played one of them. On the other hand, my Shuffle gets quite a bit of use, and is easy enough to carry around pretty much everywhere that I'd have my phone...

[bobb-mini]

Problems with this are that I won't be able to listen to music in my car via itrip auto and I'd have to get special headphones to listen to my music. Oh, and then there's the matter of the batt. dying in an emergency because I wasn't using it as a phone. :rolleyes:
Your run-of-the-mill phone don't have a good enough screen for video.

For playing in car, be sure to get a phone with Bluetooth Stereo profile, then "look Ma, no wires!"

But yeah, if u talk alot and that's your primary application, don't sell your iPod just yet.

[VipFREAK]

or use their USB-to-headphone-jack adapter (which is fine, except that it's yet-another-cable you have to carry about with you).

About the only advantage over an iPod Shuffle is that you have a screen, so you can select specific songs more readily, and if you don't mind AM-radio quality, you can listen to your music through the phone's internal speaker.

Yeah, I don't mind a cable if I can use it for hands free set. Will this work for a hands free device or do I have to use bluetooth and get cancer? xD http://www.cellphoneshop.net/auadformorav.html

Now that you put it that way I'd be more than willing to use my phone as a player(if the quality is good enough) than to buy a Shuffle.

Pro
No extra player to lug around
Screen
Bigger than a gb via 2gb card @ $80

Con
batt life will suck
not really anyway to play in car still

Your run-of-the-mill phone don't have a good enough screen for video.

For playing in car, be sure to get a phone with Bluetooth Stereo profile, then "look Ma, no wires!"

But yeah, if u talk alot and that's your primary application, don't sell your iPod just yet.

I think you miss read what I said. I was going to make my iPod exclusively for video, I would never sell my portable video player.

In other news... I tried to get a plastic case for my phone but because it's "a little bigger" than the Cingular L7 I have to wait till they get one made for the L7c. :rolleyes: I'm temped to get a BSE for it in the meantime.

[jhollington]

Yeah, I don't mind a cable if I can use it for hands free set. Will this work for a hands free device or do I have to use bluetooth and get cancer? xD http://www.cellphoneshop.net/auadformorav.html
No, that appears to only be for headphones. The RAZR V3i comes with a USB-to-headphone adapter anyway, so it shouldn't really be a problem.

The included USB headphones also function as a hands-free kit, and have the advantage that you can listen to iTunes through them and it will pause and switch to hands-free mode when make or receive a call.

Now that you put it that way I'd be more than willing to use my phone as a player(if the quality is good enough) than to buy a Shuffle.
Well, it does have a few points that aren't bad, but there is still a 100-song limit, so it doesn't really matter how big of a card you put into it, you'll still be limited to 100 songs. At this point there is no way to increase this limit either.

Besides, I wouldn't really use the term "lug around" when referring to the Shuffle ;)

Personally, if it had a direct earphone jack on it I might be more persuaded to listen to the music on it, but I really don't see the point in carrying around an extra USB-to-headphone-jack cable just for that purpose, and I almost always have at least one of my iPods with me anyway. Mind you, I have the RAZR V3i. I'm not sure whether the ROKR or SLVR have a headphone jack on them.

[pohatu771]

One of my friends (with a V3m) said to definitely get a RAZR, and I used his for a while... it's going to come down to going to the store and looking at the phones in person.

[VipFREAK]

No, that appears to only be for headphones. The RAZR V3i comes with a USB-to-headphone adapter anyway, so it shouldn't really be a problem.

The included USB headphones also function as a hands-free kit, and have the advantage that you can listen to iTunes through them and it will pause and switch to hands-free mode when make or receive a call.

It's ok, while I need to get a Card reader now anyway it might as well be an Mp3 capable one. :D As for the headphone screw it, I got speaker phone and the mp3 player on the phone screw it.

Well, it does have a few points that aren't bad, but there is still a 100-song limit, so it doesn't really matter how big of a card you put into it, you'll still be limited to 100 songs. At this point there is no way to increase this limit either.

Besides, I wouldn't really use the term "lug around" when referring to the Shuffle ;)

Well two device vs. one device that does 2 things. I don't have the Cingular one with iBoons. ha ha... 100 song limit, whatever... :rolleyes: I have the sprint version.


Personally, if it had a direct earphone jack on it I might be more persuaded to listen to the music on it, but I really don't see the point in carrying around an extra USB-to-headphone-jack cable just for that purpose, and I almost always have at least one of my iPods with me anyway. I'm not sure whether the ROKR or SLVR have a headphone jack on them.

Very true... I see that as another blatant way companies scam there way into sucking you out of more of your money and I will not stand for it. :rolleyes:

SLVR L7c doesn't have a earphone jack.

edit: ha ha... ha. eat your heart out shuffle! (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=003&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=130053999020&rd=1&rd=1#ebayphotohosting)