LG VX8700 Review

Performance:

The internal antenna on the VX8700 is located at the bottom of the phone, just like on the Motorola RAZR and KRZR units. Despite this location, the RF Reception was equal to other LG phones. Unfortunately, this does not hold true to the call quality using the phone’s earpiece. During every phone call, we could hear a “sssss” sound in the background, almost like a “white noise” sound. This is the first LG phone in quite some time that we have noticed this on. It was most noticeable while using the phone in a quiet room. We decided to test another VX8700 unit and it was noticeable on there as well. We are unsure if this is a problem with all VX8700 units or just the ones that were available to us. Also, at times, we could hear high-pitch noises that could only be described as “electronic” sounding. This is the first LG phone since the VX6000 and VX7000 that we have noticed this on. We can only guess as to why theses sounds are there. It most likely has to do with either the Integrated Circuit paths on the phone, or the Qualcomm chip that decodes the digital voice data. Despite those “background sounds” the actual Voice Quality was quite good, as long as the volume was not turned up too much. Turning it up past medium would thus again cause distortion in the earpiece speaker. Some people may not hear these “background” sounds or care about the distortion in the speaker. While looking at the thickness of the top-flip, you can see that there is not much space for a large speaker. Therefore, LG had to use a speaker small enough fit, and the diaphragm would not be able to vibrate back-and-forth enough while used during higher volume settings. This is the cause of distortion in the speaker. Because of the overall poor quality of the speaker and the “background” noises, we feel that one should consider other phones that do a better job of call quality, such as the VX8300, enV, A990, and Maxx Ve.

The included battery is only 800mAh, which is the same capacity that is used on the VX8600, and Chocolate. We were able to get 2Hr 30Min of Talk Time, or 3 Days of Standby time. This is far less that the LG rated 3Hr 20Min of Talk Time or 10 Days of standby time. One can only imagine under what circumstances an 800mAh battery will provide 10 days of standby time. Charging time took 3 hours.


Conclusion:

The VX8700 is a welcome update to the LG 8000-series phones. Its brushed metal exterior is unique and will stand out agents most other phones. The construction feels well made and should hold up with normal use, and is slim enough to stick in your pants pocket without it being too noticeable. The external display, though small, does its job well, while the QVGA internal display really shows off. The keypad is laid out well, with bright backlighting, and is easy to use for TXTing. The Metallic FlashUI theme is one of the best we have seen and it compliments the overall style of the phone. The 2MP camera, though not as good as the enV and A990, does take pictures that are better than most other phones, including the Chocolate and VX8600. Music playback is a disappointment due to the lack of external control buttons and the low quality speaker that is used. The only work around is to use wired earbuds or a Bluetooth Stereo device. This also holds true for the use of the speakerphone and ringtones; that the earpiece speaker’s low quality is the main drawback of this phone. The call quality was also hampered by the speaker. The “background” noises that are heard during calls may be more noticeable to some people than others, so use your own judgment when testing this phone out. We found ourselves having a tough time deciding if the VX8600 or VX8700 is the better device. After some thought, we came to the conclusion that neither one is better, that each has their highlights and their drawbacks. If you are looking for the most stylish phone that Verizon carries, and don’t mind its quirks, then this is the phone for you. However, if you are looking for a quality “all-in-one” phone that does most everything well, then we still recommend going with the enV and A990. The Motorola Maxx Ve has also just been released, so keep checking back to see how it stacks-up agents the VX8700.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

	Carrier	Price Today	Price after rebate
		$179.99	$150.00