LG Chocolate 3 Review

Introduction:

For the past two years, summer has meant a new Chocolate phone coming out for Verizon Wireless. This year is no exception, with the introduction of the Chocolate 3 (VX8560). Unlike the previous two versions which were sliders (VX8500, VX8550), the new model is a clamshell style, but is still is targeted as a music-centric device. It is currently available in both Black and Light Blue color versions, with more choices expected in the upcoming months. Its main competition is the Samsung Juke and LG Dare, as both have dedicated music players and are capable of multitasking.



The retail package includes the Chocolate 3 phone, 800mAh standard battery with cover, user manual, and a 2-piece wall charger / microUSB data cable.

Design:


You can compare the LG Chocolate 3 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

Since the Chocolate 3 is a clamshell phone, it looks more like an update to the VX8600 than to the VX8550 slider. On the Black model, the front has a reflective coating similar to the Decoy, but is not as mirror-like, a soft-touch coating on the back, with the internal keypad also being black. The Light Blue model does not have the reflective coating on the front (making it less of a fingerprint magnet), with standard smooth plastic on the back, and a shiny chrome finish on the internal keypad. Other than the color differences, both versions offer the same features.


Located on the front is a 1.76” diagonal 220x176 pixel TFT display with 262k color support. It is larger than most external displays that we’ve seen, and is capable of viewing the music player, my pictures, camera, calendar, and the inbox. While this is a step in the right direction, we would like to be able to access more items on the front screen, such as Bluetooth. Directly below the display is a scroll wheel (similar to the one used on the VX8550) and is used to access and navigate through the different menu options while the phone closed. Pressing the center button takes you to the menu, where you can then move the wheel around clockwise or counter-clockwise to make different selections. It can also act as a d-pad, pressing on it up/down/left/right, depending on the program. The external navigation wheel works rather well, since it is easy to rotate and provides an audible sound when moved. However, sometimes it can be over-sensitive, as we would attempt to press the center button, but it would think we moved the wheel instead. Unfortunately, the phone lacks a sensitivity adjustment in the menu, which could help resolve this minor issue.

Located on the left side are the volume rocker, voice command button, microUSB port, and 3.5mm headset jack, with the lock, music button, and microSDHC card slot on the right. The overall feel of the device is “plasticy”, yet durable and solid, unlike the VX8350. Even though it’s not at thin as the V9m, it’s still easy enough to place in your pant’s pocket without it drawing too much attention. We had no problems opening and closing the phone, with the hinge working smoothly and without any creaking sounds.


The internal display is 2.20” diagonal 240x320 pixel TFT with 262k color support. Nowadays it is commonplace to see this type of display used on most mid-to-high-end phones, but this one comes with an integrated light sensor (similar to the Dare) to automatically adjust its brightness based on surrounding light levels. When used outside, the backlight will become brighter, but still can be difficult to see while in direct sunlight. While in a dark room, the backlight will dim down, but is a little too dim for our liking. Unfortunately, there are no user settings for manually adjusting the display’s brightness. Located on the bottom shell is the d-pad and numeric keypad with white backlighting. The d-pad is smaller than most other phones, but we didn’t encounter any problems using it. In contrast, the numeric keys are quite large and provide a good “click” sound and feedback when pressed. We able to use it for dialing and text messaging without issue.

Software / Features:

The main menu is basically the same as all other Verizon non-smartphones, with categories for media center, messaging, contacts, recent calls, and settings & tools. There are four themes included (slick black, white, dark chocolate, orbis) and you can change the layout of each between tab, list, and grid view. All of the themes operate quickly and without any noticeable delay.

The Phonebook allows up to 1000 entries to be stored, each with their name, mobile 1, home, work, email 1, group, picture, ringtone, mobile 2, fax, and email 2. After a contact is saved, you can assign them to one of 999 speed-dial locations.

The Chocolate 3 has a 2MP camera instead of a 1.3MP, but the picture quality is still sub-par. Images taken outside looked over-exposed and slightly out-of-focus, with inside images looking dark and grainy. Even though the camera is not the major selling feature of the device, it would still be nice if it produced better results (such as the enV2 or V9m).

Camera settings:

• Resolution: 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480, 320x240, Picture ID
• Self Timer: Off, 3 sec, 5 sec, 10 sec
• White Balance: Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Glow
• Shutter Sound: Shutter, Silent, Say Cheese, Ready 123
• Color Effects: Normal, Negative, Aqua, Sepia, B&W
• Night Mode: On, Off
• Save Options: Internal, External
• Photometry: Average, Spot, Spot Multiple
• Preview: Actual view, Full screen

Since this device carries the Chocolate branding, it should come as no surprise that music is one of its main selling points. Not only is it capable of using 8GB microSDHC memory cards, but it also has 1GB of internal memory for storing music files (mp3, wma, acc, acc+). You can sync the phone directly with Windows Media Player (and other capable programs), or copy/paste files directly to the SD card and internal memory. The player can be launched and viewed by either the internal or external display and will show files according to playlists, artists, genres, and albums. Unlike the Dare, which lists album songs alphabetically, the Chocolate 3 lists them according to their ID3 track number. This is the way most people like their music organized (in the same order as it is on the CD) and we are glad that the Chocolate 3 offers this. There is also the option of selecting three player types (album art, large album art, visualizer). When a song begins playback, it will show the track information on the screen along with a visual counter. On the bottom are icons for rewind, pause, and fast-forward, which can be accessed by the internal or external control pad. You can choose between 6 different sound effects, but we found that “flat” sounds best. While the song is playing, you can return back to the home screen, but the internal display will replace your standard wallpaper with an image of the album art, or the external display will show a colorful animated graphic. Since the player allows for multitasking, you can send/receive messages and use the browser without having to stop playback. Music quality through the stereo speakers (located in the bottom of the front flip) was quite good and better than we experienced with the previous Chocolate models, Samsung Juke, LG Dare and enV2. The only thing lacking was bass, but this is to be expected do to the small speaker size. Not only can you use a Bluetooth stereo headset, or wired 3.5mm earbuds, but it also allows you to transmit music via an FM signal so that it can be heard on any near-by FM radio. We first tested this out on our home radio, but we experienced a lot of distortion if we moved the phone more than a few inches away from the receiver. We then tested it with our car radio. The instructions say that it works best to transmit on a frequency with no channels on either side of it. Unfortunately, there are dozens of radio stations in the South Florida area to contend with. After about 10 minutes of trying different frequencies, we found that 102.1 worked best, but there was still some static that could be heard. Because of this, we found the FM Transmitter to be more of a novelty than a feature to be used daily, as it also does not work with calls, VZ Navigator, or other programs.


The Chocolate 3 is also the first Verizon phone to come with the new Dashboard software, powered by Adobe. When launched, it shows you a list of “channels” that you can scroll through (mobile web, search, VZW showcase, news, music, games, tones & extras, community, entertainment, weather, business, ESPN, and get channels). Choosing one of those selection, such as news, will show the top stories of the day and can link you to other news outlets via the mobile web. Selecting the channel for weather will show the current temperatures in three preselected cities, which can be customized by typing in a zip code or city and state. Going to the Get Channels menu allows you to add or remove channel listings. A total of 10 basic channels can be added and viewed at once, even though 15 are available. This means that 5 channels cannot be viewed, but at anytime you can replace a current channel with one of those 5. There is also a category for Premium channels, but the list is currently empty. Once premium channels become available, they are billable monthly, if you select one of them to be added. Overall the Dashboard is a nice addition, as it shows content and information categorized into different themed channels. One option we found missing was the ability to change the order of the channels on your list. Unfortunately, because of the addition of the Dashboard software, the Chocolate 3 can only be purchased and activated on one of Verizon’s Nationwide calling plans. This is due to the data that is used for “pushing” information to the channels. Current Verizon customers who have older plans, such as America’s Choice, and are looking to purchase this phone, must change to a Nationwide plan.


Other software features include Mobile Web 2.0, VCast Music and Ringtone downloads, VCast Video streaming, and VZ Navigator for GPS guided directions. You can also download a wide variety of games and other programs using the Media Center. Applications open fast and there is no noticeable delay when using them. Since the browser is a standard WAP, it cannot properly render or display most HTML sites. We also tried using it with the Mobile YouTube site, but it was unable to stream video.

Performance:

The Call Quality that we experienced while using the Chocolate 3 was truly amazing and was better than what we encountered when using the Dare a few weeks ago. While placing a variety test calls, we heard no static or background noise through the earpiece speaker. (The ticking sound we heard on the Dare was not present.) Voices were crystal clear and sounded completely natural. Even when turning the earpiece volume up to high there was no distortion. People that we called, who were using a landline, also said that our voice sounded clear and natural, and did not suffer from the “tunnel” effect we got while using the Dare. However, when using the speakerphone, there is some distortion when turning the volume up past medium, and the phone must remain open during its use. Closing it will end the call and turn off the speakerphone. The reception was also excellent, about equal to the Dare and V9m. We had 2-3 bars in most areas around South Florida, and we were able to place and receive calls in fringe areas where the Samsung Juke and LG VX8350 continually dropped service. Because of its stellar performance, we believe that the Chocolate 3 has the overall best call quality out of any current Verizon phone on the market, vanquishing the long-standing the V9m.

The included 800mAh battery is rated by LG to provide 4 hours and 30 minutes of talk time, or just over 14 days of standby time on a full charge. Our testing showed 4 hours and 10 minutes of talk time on a full charge, but standby time was only 3 days and 18 hours on a full charge. We would like to know how LG could rate the battery at 14 days.

Conclusion:

Overall, the Chocolate 3 is a major improvement over its two predecessors. The clamshell design is more user friendly than the slider and is more professional looking (black model). The external display and scroll wheel are easy to use and can provide access to several menus without having to open the phone. Music playback is a key feature of the device, and it does it well with built in stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headset jack, and stereo Bluetooth support. Unfortunately, the FM transmitter can be challenging to use in areas where there are a lot of stations broadcasting. The new Dashboard software categorizes information into logical channels for easy access. Both the call quality and reception are the top-notch, with calls sounding better than we’ve heard using any current Verizon device. The only feature that we found needing improvement is the image quality from the camera, as it is not as good as other 2MP camera-phones. However, since the camera is not the main “selling point” of this device (as it is with the FlipShot) we can overlook the image quality with less scrutiny. We highly recommend the Chocolate 3 for anyone that is looking for a Verizon phone with a built in music player, excellent call quality, and additional features. This is the best clamshell phone to come from Verizon since the VX8300 and VX8000.