November 13, 2005
New Phone, New Service LG VX9800
I have been a long-time Treo 600 user and, when my 600 died this week, had every intention of buying the new 650. I decided, however, to broaden my search and look at some of the newer phones coming out. For a number of reasons, I decided to by the new LG VX9800. I also changed wireless providers and will detail that story in another post. On the surface, the VX9800 appears to be a rather plain, candy bar style phone.
Pop it open, however, and a new device emerges:
Flip it over and two more devices are revealed (camcorder, 1.3 megapixel camera):
Despite the multi-functionality of the device, I was impressed by how simple it was to operate. It is almost as if each of the major functions is ergonomically separated so that rather than one over-complicated device, it seems like three different devices. Though not as full-featured as the palm-based Treo, it does just about everything I want a mobile device to do (and more). It also has other functions, mp3 player, and it has a crippled version of Bluetooth.
After 24 hours of playing around with the phone, I am impressed. I still have 14 days to return it and exchange it for a Treo650, if I do not find that it meets my needs.
One major drawback at this point is the lack of an email client. Though Yahoo, AOL, and MSN email work out of the box, I have not yet found support for POP3 or IMAP. I have heard that it might be in the works. I was able to get to GMail by setting up a web link and I could forward accounts there in a pinch. Another issue is no java support, which kills .jsp sites (like my bank web teller).
I found myself missing the Treo touchscreen at first but I am already getting used to the simple controls and menus. I am not in an EVDO-supported area in Bloomington but it should be here soon. I did add the EV package to get unlimited web access and should be able to try out the EV stuff when I am up in Indy (though I am not sure why I need to watch TV on my phone, I don't watch TV at home very often). We'll see, it is more exploratory than anything else right now...
Technorati Tag: vx9800
Posted by Rovy at November 13, 2005 7:48 PM