Customer Reviews

Kyocera KX414 Phone (Verizon Wireless)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

When my brother signed up for service with Verizon Wireless they were running a BOGO free deal on phones. He got an expensive camera phone and I got stuck with the KX414. The phone isn't terrible but it would be much better with some improvements.

Although the screen is color, it is tiny and hard to read. The ear piece is also rather small and has to be directly on your ear to hear properly. I've had the phone for about six months and the blue "mask" that surrounds the screen is loose and ready to fall off. Many of the numbers on the key pad are fading color and chipping. It will probably need to be replaced.

When I have it on the vibrate setting I end up missing calls because the vibration is so weak. The ringers that come with the phone are annoying so if you plan on buying this phone prepare to spend extra money on ones you can tolerate. If you like games you'll also have to download and pay for them because they don't come with the phone.

I have to charge it every single night so that I don't lose power throughout the day. I do get pretty good service and it is rare that my call is dropped. That is really the only positive.

It is very obvious to me why this phone was free. If you're shopping for a new phone I would spend the extra fifty bucks and get something with a little higher quality. It will pay off in the long run.

I'm a college student who is always looking to get a deal on something. I wasn't ready for a full-fledged cell phone contract two years ago, so I got this pay-as-you-go phone from Verizon. $15 a month seemed just right for my budget. I used (and still use) this phone for emergencies and for when I'm out of town. This little phone has served me well. It's done what it was made to do, and just that. If you're looking for a basic phone that is sturdy, this phone does that very well.
However, my major disappointments with it were the selection of ringtones and that there were no games. Also, with Verizon's prepaid service you can't use the internet on the phone.
I don't know how well the phone handles text messages, since nobody ever texted me.
Some reviews complained of battery life, but I've had my phone on for three or four days and the battery still didn't die. Maybe my battery was better than theirs, or I just didn't use my phone as hard as they did.
Also there were some complaints about the buttons, but that's just something I've gotten used to. Sometimes though I ended up hitting the big button with the arrows and getting connected to Get It Now or something weird like that, which was slightly annoying when that's not what I was intending to do (and also it costs money to connect).

Yep, this phone has served its purpose for almost 2 years and now it's time for me to move on to something better.

I got one of these for free with a one-year contract, and I must say it is a great phone. It does everything a phone should do. The voice quality is outstanding on both ends, and it has competent voice dialing and phone book capabilities. Verizon's coverage is pretty good too. My only complaint is that the screen is a bit dark, and you generally need the backlight to see it. Although it can function as a Web phone, the screen is a bit dinky for that. If all you want is a phone, and you don't care about gimmicky features, then this is a pretty good bet.

I've had the KX414 with Verizon service for a few weeks. I don't have a lot of experience with other cells but felt someone would like another review.

Negatives: I feel the earpiece is the weakest part of the phone. You have to push it to your ear in a crowded and noisey place. Turn the sound up and it pierces your ear. No problem in a quiet location, however.
The buttons delay once in a while. Don't know why; guess the microchip is working on something else when you want the next menu. Not enough to be irritating but I think Kyocera can do better.
Styling is drab. Don't get this phone if your looking to impress friends.

Positives: Phone was free with Verizon service. That's the right price.
Never had a problem with anyone saying they can't hear me.
Slips into pockets easily.
The buttons are a good size. I passed over about one third of the phones I looked at because the buttons were tiny.

Verizon service: The only dead zone I've experienced so far is in my house which is a real bummer. On the road, however, I usually get a good signal.

I received this phone as a hand-me-down from my brother when he bought a new camera phone. I've been very, very pleased with this phone.

This is not a flashy, feature-laden multi-device. It's a simple, well-executed *phone*. No camera, kludgy texting, no photos. But if you're just looking for a basic, no-frills, reliable phone, this is a good option. They're available used for very reasonable sums, too.

Some of my favorite features:

Quick dialing - To dial, you just start typing in the person's name. For example, if I want to call my friend Steven, I just start typing 7-8- and it's pulled up his name and is ready to call his primary phone number. This is, hands down, the slickest way to access a number I've ever run across.

Hands-free answering - If I'm busy with my hands (working in a muddy yard, for example) and expecting a call, I can plug in a headset and wait for the call with the phone safely stashed in a pocket. When the call comes in, instead of ringing, the phone asks if I want to answer. I say, "Yes" and the call connects. Helps keep the phone clean and dry. I don't recommend talking and driving, but if you do, this can help you keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel.

One-button access to Silent Mode - To put the phone in silent mode, all I have to do is press the up directional button for a couple of seconds. Ditto to get out of silent mode. Quick and easy!

Loud ring tones - Several of the ring tones are nice and loud, and actually sound like a phone. I never have problems hearing this phone when it's in a pocket or a bag, or even in the pack on the back of my bicycle!

Tip calculator - You can enter the amount of your bill and the percentage you want to tip, and it will calculate your tip. Once you've entered the bill and calculated the tip, it will calculate a split so you can share the bill with your friends. Useful if you're bad at math (I am!).

I have never encountered reliability problems with this phone. I have used it continuously for 2 years and have never had any software glitches, freezes, or random shut-downs. I've dropped it several times without any break.

The speaker/receiver on this phone is interesting. Unlike other phones I've had, this isn't a ring of holes, it's a single, elongated hole, which, for best results, you have to line up with the center of your ear. That took some getting used to, but the result is very good sound quality and a very quiet phone. The people standing around me in a quiet room don't have to listen to my mother talking at the top of her voice.

Battery life could be better, but I think that's true of all phones! My battery has been in continuous use for about 3 years, and is still doing pretty good. After a full charge, I can talk for about 1.5 hours continuously. I can then get another half hour out of it after I let the battery cool down again. I don't talk a lot, so I only charge the phone every two or three days. This is not the phone for the busy executive who talks all day, but it's more than good enough for those of us who do most of our talking face-to-face.

I think the only serious draw-back to this phone is that you can't use A/C power to make calls. If you have a call active, the phone operates from the battery and will not charge. That's a major drawback that I hope Kyocera has resolved in their newer models.

While this phone isn't Razr-small, it's easy to slip into a pocket. The shape is easy to hold and easy to use. The buttons are nicely sized and well-spaced, and the display is bright and clear. There's nothing flash about this phone - it's conservative and utilitarian without looking or fealing cheap.

The phone has a very useable alarm clock, but it's buried down in the Tools menu. It's good for the occasional reminder or for traveling, but I wouldn't use it for every day.

In addition to the tip calculator (discussed above), there's a regular calculator, but it's a bit kludgy. Okay for occasional use, but if you do a lot of that, carry a separate calculator. There's also a timer and a stopwatch, if you need those sorts of things once in a while.

There's no games, but I've never gotten much use out of cellphone games, anyway. I don't count that as a loss.

Overall, I'd have no qualms about recommending this phone to anyone who wants a reliable, easy-to-use phone at a reasonable price (look on Ebay) and isn't too worried about having hours-long conversations.

The Kyocera KX414 is my second phone. After losing my Motorola V267, I was forced to use my parent's old phone, which happened to be the Kyocera KX414. Overall it is a good basic cell phone. No games come with the phone. To get games you have to download them for a price (Which Half Of The Games Aren't Even Worth) on the Get It Now service. Changeable faceplates are a hassle to change. To change a faceplate you have to buy a special screwdriver.

Pros: Text Messaging, Good Service, Fits In Pocket Real Easy, Barely Any Dropped Calls

Cons: Small Screen, Very Short Battery Life, Weak Vibration, and Annoying Ringtones

Overall It is a good basic phone for someone who wants a phone just to use once in a while. I recommend spending a little more for a better phone than this.

I got this phone last year for FREE when I signed with VZ, and have been unhappy with it since. For starters, this phone looks like it should be for cricket customers only and the ringtones are rediculous. The sound quality is horrible unless it's mashed against the center of your ear and in its' desired position; and the other end will not hear you when you 1st answer, so get used to saying "hello" 3 to 4 times! The screen is extremely dark and needs the backlight option to be extended to the MAX, and three times has turned completely black requiring it be shut off for a few minutes then started again. Spend the money folks, this junk is not worth it.

For a free phone, this is about average. It's pretty small and is not flimsy.

Sound - good. I've never had a problem. It's always clear, and never too quiet. As far as the phones ringtone capabilities, they're sort of weak. They don't even have good ringtones available unless you're prepared to pay for the little program through get it now, AND the tone for $2.99

The response time to the keys being entered is insanely annoying. Also when you recieve a text and are currently writing one, you have to get out of it and go all theway back into your saved messages, and then you have to key over the entire length thus far to begin to write again. Bad text messaging phone for sure.

the background is tiny so don't be prepared to put anything cool on your wallpaper, you will hardly be able to tell what it is. surfing the web on this phone would be a pain.

OVERALL the phone, for basic functionality, is quite nice. If you are looking for something to play with though, get a phone with more capabilities. I've never had reception issues except where Verizon in general sucks for service.

I would recommend this phone to someone who doesn't talk much on one (batterly life = not good) but is looking for something to maybe call the wifey from at lunchtime. Like I said, it's pretty sturdy too, i've dropped mine quite a few times. If you are going in for a 2-year contract, probably spend the extra to get something that won't be outdated in a couple weeks.

Had for 2 years. Battery life was horrible the whole time. Finally, I couldn't charge it at all. Wasted $20 on a new batter that didn't make a difference. Have fun with Verizon customer service trying to get a straight answer, too.

I was forced to purchase this phone as a refurbished unit because my previous phone broke and since Verizon's customer service is difficult to deal with, I had no other choice. The phone does not compare to my Samsung a670.
Pros: Seems fairly durable, loud ring if the right one is selected.
Cons: No camera, cannot receive pic messages, text messaging hard to use, buttons are very stiff, small screen, difficulty navigating options, shortcuts useless.

I would recommend this phone to somebody who doesn't care too much about extras and is using the phone strictly for calling people. Stay away from this phone if you use features such as text messaging, camera etc...