LG VX8350 Review

Introduction:

In June of 2006, Verizon introduced the LG VX8300. At that time the phone was an immediate success, since it replaced the not-so-popular (or reliable) VX8100, which came out the previous year. Since then, the VX8300 has remained the core LG phone; symbolizing good call quality, durability, and reliability at a modest price. Now, over a year later, the newest model has been released, the LG VX8350.

The VX8350 has been designed to be more modern and up-to-date. This includes an Internal Antenna, 4GB MicroSD card support, and a more streamlined appearance. Several features have remained the same, such as the 1.3MP Camera, Internal Display, Front Music Buttons, and Stereo Speakers. The VX8350, just like it predecessor, it targeted to consumers looking for a mid-level phone without spending a lot of money.

The Retail Package includes the LG VX8350 Phone, 1000mAh Battery, Wall Charger, and User Manual.

Interface:

Verizon users will feel right at home since little has changed regarding the Main Menu, with items still categorized into Get it Now, Messaging, Contacts, Recent Calls, and Settings & Tools. Navigating between the menus is easy with the D-Pad; except for the few times we accidentally pressed the Clear button beneath it.


There are two included Themes on the VX8350: Classic and Titanium Silver. The default Classic Theme is the same that is used on the Motorola Razr2 V9m, where the new Titanium Silver theme has not been used on any other phone. After using them both for a while, we decided that we prefer the Classic theme. This was because it was the fastest (without menu lag), and that it was the most colorful. In fact, the older VX8300 came with 2 FlashUI, including Silver Spin and Pulse.

Phonebook:

The Phonebook has been updated to allow up to 1000 Contacts to be entered, each with their Name, Mobile 1 #, Home #, Work #, E-Mail 1, Group, Picture, Ringtone, Mobile 2 #, Fax #, and E-Mail 2. The only option that is missing which was present on the VX8300 is the ability to give each contact a specific Text Message Alert Tone; independent from the phone’s default alert tone. Out of the 1000 contacts, 98 may be assigned to Speed Dial Locations.


Messaging:

Text, Picture, and Video Messaging works the same on both the VX8350 and VX8300, but we feel that it is worth mentioning that the External Display is now capable of viewing incoming Text Messages. This is a feature that we wish more phones were capable of, such as the much higher priced V9m.

Camera:

The 1.3MP Camera on the VX8350 is a major disappointment. Even though you shouldn’t expect amazing picture from a phone with this low price tag, we found that the images were not even as good as the previous VX8300. Overall, pictures look blurry and lacked any type of focus or detail. Color representation was poor, with a “purplish” tint given to some images taken indoors. Because of these factors, we consider the camera to be completely unusable.




Multimedia:

Music Playback is another area where the VX8350 does not seem as good as the VX8300. Since the two Stereo Speakers are on the back of the phone, instead of the sides, the music is muffled. You must turn the phone over, placing the speakers on top, to alleviate this problem. As far as the Quality, we found that music played through the speakers had a “tin-can” sound to them, with poor mid-range and no bass response. Playing the same music using the VX8300 produced better mid-range and slightly better bass. Luckily, the VX8350 supports Bluetooth Stereo A2DP, so that you can use a headset to achieve a much higher level of sound quality.




Software:

As with all Verizon non-SmartPhones, the VX8350 uses Qualcomm’s BREW format for applications. The only pre-loaded application on the phone is Mobile IM, which allows access to AOL, MSN, and Yahoo Instant Messaging services. Additional programs may be downloaded for a fee, such as Games, E-Mail, and VZ Navigator. Applications run smoothly, without any lag or software quirks.

Performance:

When comparing the Reception and Sound Quality between the VX8350 and VX8300, we found that newer doesn’t always mean better. Both phones kept the same reception about 90% of the time, but the other 10% while used in fringe areas, the VX8350 would repeatedly drop calls or could not find a signal. We are unsure if this is because the phone uses an internal antenna, or if it could be related to something else. The Call Quality through the earpiece was also not as clear and static free as on the VX8300. Several times we noticed the presence of static and interference during calls, which we were unable to duplicate on the VX8300. Lastly, the earpiece volume on the VX8350 was also not as loud as on the VX8300. One positive thing that we did like was that the Speakerphone on the VX8350 did not suffer from the large amount of distortion that is created when using the Speakerphone on the VX8300.

The Included 1000mAh battery is rated by LG to provide 3Hr 27Min of Talk Time or 8 Days of Standby Time on a full charge. During out testing, we were able to achieve up to 3Hr 30Min of Talk Time, yet were only able to get up to 5 Days of Standby Time. Despite this discrepancy, the amount of Talk and Standby Time provided by the battery is sufficient, considering that fact that most phones are now coming with smaller capacity batteries.

Conclusion:

It is unfortunate when a new phone does not live up to the previous model that came before it, but this is the case with the VX8350, where the physical design changes are outweighed by negative aspects of the device. There are several key areas that concern us about the VX8350. The first being the poorly designed hinge that flexes whenever the smallest amount of force is placed upon it. This makes us feel that the hinge will not hold up over time with everyday use. The second area of concern is the Reception and Call Quality. We are usually impressed by how well LG phones can hold reception and by how good the earpiece quality is. It is too bad that this is not the case with the VX8350. We experienced several drop calls in areas where the VX8300, VX8550 Chocolate, and enV were able to maintain a signal, and the Call Quality through the earpiece was also not as good, with noticeable static and interference. Verizon is currently selling the VX8350 for $80 after Rebate, which we feel is overpriced for this device. If you are looking for a good quality phone for Verizon, we would recommend going with the VX8550 Chocolate or enV. Both cost more, but will last longer and provide overall better quality.