LG VX8550Product summary:
The bad: Even though we liked the vibrating feedback of the LG VX8550 Chocolate's touchpad, we still missed the feeling of tactile keys. You also have to get the Music Set, which costs more, if you want the microSD card and USB cable along with the phone.
The bottom line: The LG VX8550 Chocolate is definitely a big improvement over the originalChocolate, with a beautiful yet functional design plus a host of impressive features to boot.
Specifications:
Band / mode: CDMA: 2000 1X 1900/800
Talk time: Up to 250 min
Combined with: With digital camera / digital player
General:
Product Type Cellular phone With digital camera / digital player.
Service Provider Verizon Wireless .
Height: 3.9 in
Weight: 3.2 oz
Body Color: Blue
Cellular:
Technology: CDMA2000 1X
Band CDMA: 2000 1X 1900/800
Phone Design: Slider
Antenna: Internal
Vibrating Alert: Yes
Polyphonic Ringer: Yes
Call Timer: Yes
Conference Call Capability: Yes
Voice Recorder: Yes
Caller ID: Yes
Speakerphone: Yes
Wireless Interface: Bluetooth .
Additional Features: TTY compatible.
Communicator Features:
User Memory: 64 MB .
Phone Memory:
Phone Book Capacity: 1000 names & numbers
Messaging & Data Services:
Short Messaging Service (SMS): Yes
Mobile Email: Yes
Internet Browser: Yes
WAP Protocol Supported WAP 2.0
Included Services: VCAST , VZ Navigator
EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized): Yes
Messaging / Data Features: Text messages
Display:
Type: LCD display
Technology: TFT
Line: Qty 11
Display Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels
Color: Support Color
Color Depth: 18-bit (262000 Colors)
Organizer:
Alarm Clock: Yes
Calendar: Yes
Reminder: Yes
Calculator: Basic
Reviews:
One of the most hyped cell phones last year was probably the LG Chocolate (also known as the LG VX8500). Even if it didn't have such a succulent name, the slim slider took the mobile world by storm, and its unique touch-sensitive controls seemed almost magical. With such hype, the eventual letdown was almost inevitable. Even though we liked the beautiful design, we thought the touch-sensitive keypad and controls required too much of a learning curve, and the initial lack of speakerphone disappointed us. With the second iteration of the LG Chocolate, however, it's clear that LG was listening to all the complaints. The LG VX8550 Chocolate still maintains the sleek profile that made the original famous, but its controls are now far easier to use plus it's a little slimmer and shinier than before. Add that to its extensive multimedia feature set, and it's clear that in the LG Chocolate's case at least, sequels can indeed be better than the original. The LG VX8550 Chocolate is available for $99.99 after a two-year contract. The LG VX8550 Chocolate can also be purchased as part of a Music Set, which comes with a microSD card and USB cable.
Features:
Much like the LG VX8500 Chocolate before it, the LG VX8550 Chocolate comes loaded with a slew of multimedia options. But first, the basics. The VX8550 Chocolate comes with a 500-entry phone book, and each entry can hold five phone numbers and two e-mail addresses. The contacts can be organized into groups, assigned a photo for caller ID, or paired with one of 20 polyphonic ringtones. Other features include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, text and multimedia messaging, voice command and dialing, a calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a world clock, a notepad, a tip calculator, plus e-mail and instant messaging. The speakerphone can be activated prior to a call by holding down on the speakerphone key. There's also stereo Bluetooth, which is great for listening to music. You can also use Bluetooth to send business card information, sync contacts and calendars, or be used as a modem with your PC. Since the LG VX8550 Chocolate has 3G, EV-DO support, it's also compatible with Verizon's V Cast streaming video service with the full range of content offerings.
Design:
The LG VX8550 Chocolate is definitely a luscious-looking handset, with a design that doesn't stray too far from the original. It retains that familiar chocolate bar shape; a rectangular chassis clad in a glossy surface and silver accents reminiscent of candy wrapping. At 3.85 inches tall by 1.87 inches wide by 0.67 inch thick, it's a little taller and wider than the original Chocolate, but not by much. You slide the phone open by pushing the bottom of the phone, which can be done easily with one hand. The slider mechanism moves up and down easily, and the phone feels pretty solid in the hand and when held next to the ear. The phone's glossy exterior does make it really prone to fingerprint smudges however.
