LG VX-8500 Chocolate
Phone Scoop Review
Aug 11, 2006 by Eric Lin
An In-Depth review of LG's sleek new VX-8500 Chocolate slider music phone for Verizon Wireless. NEW: Video tour read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
Bitter chocolate!!! yuck!
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I absolutely HATE this phone. I have had a black chocolate for about 10 months now. I should rephrase, I have had 5 black chocolates since January of 2007. It is now October and I am on my 5th one, and now this one just broke. I couldn't even begin to explain the problems I have had, lots of weird glitches and permanent malfunctions. On my last phone, the ear piece went out and the screen went white. The one before that the camera button would turn the phone off and it wouldn't read my SD card. The one before that did all the above and then some. The screen would become inverted and back wards( if you could even imagine). The one before that didn't make any sound, the day after I bought it. It would also lag alot. And finally, the one I am stuck with now didn't have a software or electrical issue. I went to plug my phone in to charge and the charging port collapsed into the phone. So then I was unable to charge the phone or listen to music. Keep in mind, every time a phone would break I would have to start over. I would have to download all my programs again. I would have no contacts, or pictures. This was a huge pain.
Pros: You wouldn't think I would have anything positive to say about this phone. But I do.
The music played clearly and loud.(who needs an mp3 player)
The removable memory card was very useful.
The camera took fairly decent picture for a camera phone.
I like the touch pad.
It functioned well as a phone, when it worked.
Cons:
Be prepared to drive back and forth to the verison store for another one. I couldn't keep one working for more than a couple months. It malfunctions often
Scratches very easily.
Battery life was horrible if you actually used the phone.
Overall, I give this phone a huge thumbs down. All the features aren't worth driving back and forth to verison every couple months for a new phone.
I've had better
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I have had the Strawberry Chocolate since it came out (Jan/Feb). The battery life is the worst of any phones I have had. The functionabilty is OK. I've stuck with all LG phones because they are easy to use, have great battery lives and have great reception over other models. This phone is a disgrace to the LG name and I wish I had never purchased it. Now I am stuck until Feb or so before I can upgrade.
its ok
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well i bought this phone like 4 months ago and it is a fingerprint magnet the battery lasts a decient amount of time
but over the 4 months the charger inlet decides to get pushed in to the back of the phone now i don't have a phone because the phone is dead so I'm basically boned the speaker sound quality could be louder
Chocolate not so sweet...
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Over the years I have had several phones by a few carriers, this phone has made me reconsider getting a phone for its looks. I was kind of excited to have the Red Cherry Chocolate. I had never had a slider phone and thought I would give it a try, the slider seems actually pretty durable considering all the reviews I have read and my battery life seems pretty decent the problems I have with this phone are the fact that it is VERY easy to accidentally call someone while this phone is in my pocket. The buttons are either to sensitive or not sensitive enough, almost as this phone has a mind of its own. My biggest complaint is the reception, at my house there seems to be a lacking in cell phone service however my Sprint phone (Samsung A920) has been great with almost no dropped calls, the Chocolate drops 9 out of 10 calls at my house and the only place I am able to make calls at home is next to the window or OUTSIDE. I have had this phone for just over 2 months now and can honestly say it is one of the worst phones EVER. I do miss the flip style phone and feel that I will switch to the older model 8300, my boyfriend has this phone and can be anywhere in my house and never drop a call⦠maybe its because of the external antenna? Here is a list of my major pros and cons.
Pros
Looks good (when not fingerprinted or scratched)
Regular call speaker has good sound
Ease of user interface
Cons
Easily scratches and fingerprints
Small keyboard, texting is difficult
Slow interface
Constant dropped calls
Speakerphone is horrible quality
People complain they cannot hear me on most phone calls
No flash on camera
No alert light (when text or voice message received)
I am very tempted to run over this phone with my car several times. I really feel this phone is more suited for a teenager then again it would not be durable enough for them, way to go LG for designing a less than mediocre phone.
Kind of cool but not quite..
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Very interesting phone. My wife got it a couple of months ago as we were testing the service, but no matter how advanced or cool it looked, it just seem that the way the keys were setup were not thought out right.
Good thing the new VX8550 update is already out.
UNIQUE!
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When I first took this phone out of the box, I knew immediately that I loved the looks of it! Small, beautiful, UNIQUE! It's like no other phone out there. I like that it is so different.
Now, as far as how it performs, I have used it extensively since I recieved it yesterday morning to give it a fair review on performance. Earpiece volume is excellent, sound is crystal clear, Bluetooth works great, etc. As far as being easy to use, it's just like anything else new-you have to get used to it. At first, yes, the touch keys were a little "touchy" I thought, keys small, but it only took me about a day to master it and now it's all great! Once you get used to the feel of the touch keys/num keys, it's just as simple as any other phone. I know a lot of people on here are quick to judge, use it for a couple of minutes and judge it poorly. Use it for longer and you'll see how easy it is to master.
I went in search of a case for it last night (got the Verizon leather pouch, but I'd prefer not to have plastic covering my phone) and every store I went into to look, I was asked "what phone are you looking for a case for?" When I showed them my phone they all went crazy! That's what I really like about this phone, it is so unique, nothing else like it!
I really don't have any cons, I like it that much! I don't even mind that it doesn't have speakerphone because that is a function I don't use anyway. All in all, I think this is a great phone and will be a big hit for LG and Verizon!
Wow!
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Ok, First and foremost read the entire review. I love this phone, but there are some things that may scare away some buyers. I sell phones, so day in and day out it is the same ui and same design, gets really old. This phone is a huge breath of fresh air and so much different then anything else out for Verizon right now. Bluetooth is excellent, sound quality to par with my razr and much better than the 8100. Signal strength is good. My house is a dead zone so it is always hit and miss. My razr would switch between 1x and evdo, but hold a call, the chocolate performs just the same. So I would compare the signal strength with the razr, and that is good for an lg with an internal antenna. The music player is sweet! You can throw wma's or mp3's on micro card and play them with now issues. You can make playlists with mp3's, which was unavailable on earlier models of lg. Phone only has one speaker, but sounds excellent. I love how you can play your music in the background while you do other things on your phone, sweet feature. You can set your music for your alarm clock but you can't use them as ringtones. No big deal though, you can send ringtones through mms no prob.
Pros:
size
ear clarity
bluetooth clarity
form factor and ui
great music player
animated wallpaper, very customizable!!
Camera is great, even without flash, better than the 8100-8300-razr, i would compare it to the old lg8000
good battery, just as good as razr
Cons
No speakerphone
form factor
Notice I listed the form factor as a pro and a con. I love it, just because it is different but the touch keys take a bit of getting used to,in all honesty the lg 8100,8300, razr are all easier to use if that is your main concern. But if extras is what you want, the music player and camera cannot be touched by comparable models. If you want a gadget/music player/camera/unique design, this is the phone for you!! If you just want a good phone there are other options out there for less $$$
LG Chocolate
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Bought a Chocolate a few days ago and after reading other's comments, decided to post my opinion and results of testing this new device from Verizon.
Others have said that the battery does not last long enough - The standard battery that ships with the device works just as good as any other standard cell phone battery. You must have a defective battery because mine has lasted 2-3 days on standby with moderate use as a phone and listening to music a few times a day...maybe you should return the battery within the 15 day trial period and see if that fixes your problem?
Streaming video quality - excellent! Better than my RAZR V3 in the same coverage area!
Menu - although it took a little time to get used to the 'touch' buttons, the menu is easy to navigate and a big improvement over the standard Verizon UI.
Lastly - Signal Strength/ sound quality. I have found absolutely no difference in the signal strength or sound quality between the Chocolate and the RAZR in the same coverage area. Those who have complained about signal strength problems must be in an area with sub-standard coverage, otherwise I have found no such problem with the device I purchased.
Bottom line:
Great new phone, awesome UI, good reception and voice quality.
chocolate tastes real good!
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So sweet and tasty! I have been using the chocolate for the past week and have not had any problems what so ever. I am a current 8100 and 9800 user who inherited the chocolate.
Camera quality=A+ (Very clear and vivid)
Nav controls=B+ (may have to tap hard, had to change settings to highest sensitivity)
Voice quality=A
Reception=A (no problems at all, probably as strong as my other LG devices)
speaker quality=b+ (ringtones are decent, though music is clearer. should probably use the stereo bluetooth for optimum quality)
Able to save incoming sound files as ringtones much like the motorola devices. Awesome feature!!!
Love the fact that you can have your music playing while scrolling through menu or sending a txt ect...
The new flash UI is something to be desired as well as the feel of the phone! Overall a great featured phone with great style and sleekness!
Way better than the SLVR! LG 4 LIFE!
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After going throught 3 slivers with software issues, buttons falling off, etc, I was offered a fourth slvr or a razr or a Chocolate (8500). Since I was DONE with Motorolas after going throught 2 Moto 262, 3 Moto 815 2 razrs and 3 slvrs I was not about to get another. So I said what the heck and chose a "mint" (Seriously this is not mint its freaking shrek). I absolutely love it! Everything is better!
Pros:
-Great Camera
-No delay with the Camera
-Keys look hard to text on but are easy!
-different "skins" for Standard Verizon UI approx: 15! Instead of just the red bars that completely ruin the look of the phone!
- Touch keys work well and are an alternatvie twist
-slide seems sturdy! Not some crappy Kyocera Remix that slides appart!
-micro SD card slot!
-Easy to find accesories for!
Cons:
-I dont like the side end key
I wish there was a flash
-I would also like an easier way to lock it
- I dont like not having a standard speaker button
Most of these I cant complain about... considering what a great phone it is!
