LG VX8100 V CAST and Music Capable Phone (for Verizon Wireless) CDMA

by LG

Product Details

Product Manual [14.73mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• ASIN: B000AA7KZI
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,562 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description Get ready for the power of Verizon's exciting V CAST service, which allows you to download or stream full motion video and 3D games, all on your handset. A service like that requires some horsepower, and, happily, the LG VX8100 is up for the task. This upgrade to the VX8000 ups the ante in significant ways; now you get Bluetooth and a MiniSD memory card slot. Plus, with a free software upgrade from Verizon, the VX8100 will play MP3s that are loaded onto the memory card. The phone has also been redesigned for a sleeker profile. As with the VX8000, the phone features a 1.3-megapixel camera with video capture and dual color displays. All this makes the VX8100 the perfect companion in a new era of high-speed wireless content.

Learn more about the VX8100 from Verizon Wireless.

Design
The VX8100 features a traditional clamshell design with a very large 176 x 220 color display and support for a whopping 262,000 colors--plenty of room for V CAST content. As mentioned, memory is expandable via a MiniSD slot. A generous, full-color 128 x 128 supplementary display on the outside of the cover displays incoming call information, battery life, signal strength, graphics, photos, and more. Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad. The VX8100 also features a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets, and up/down keys are located on the left side of the unit. The 1.3-megapixel camera unit is housed on the rear of the unit. Music playback control keys are also located here. USB data connectivity is available via an adapter cable that plugs into the bottom of the phone.

Calling Features
The VX8100's built-in address book can store up to 500 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Meanwhile, a speed dialing feature allows you to dial up to 99 numbers virtually instantaneously. The phone comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert, and more ringtones can be downloaded via Verizon's Get It Now service. Ringtones can be assigned to specific callers so you don't have to look at the phone to know who's calling, or you can match pictures with callers to identify them. The VX8100's voice recognition software supports voice commands from any user, not just a preprogrammed user's voice. Lastly, the VX8100's GPS location technology pinpoints your exact location when you dial 911.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, the VX8100 is fully compatible with Verizon's V CAST service. With V CAST, you can download and stream high-quality video. Need news and weather? Get the latest Accuweather forecast delivered right to your handset, or stream CNN news headlines. ESPN sports updates, entertainment news from E!, and even Sesame Street content for kids are all available. V CAST also serves as a portal for enhanced 3D games. Have more fun with a new breed of realistic games.

With support for sending and receiving text, picture, and video messages, the VX8100 has all the bases covered when it comes to messaging. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built in to the unit--a plus for mobile e-mail and text messaging users.

Getting on the Internet anywhere is easy with the VX8100. Verizon's Mobile Web package allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages, and view your favorite Web content on your phone. You can check your e-mail, trade stocks online, compare prices while shopping, access flight information, get movie listings, and find directions to the theater. Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with the VX8100. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games, and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.

The VX8100 ships with a number of handy tools, including a calendar, a voice memo application, an alarm clock, and a calculator. Use the VX8100's Bluetooth capability to set up a wireless link with a Bluetooth headset accessory, or connect to a computer or hand-held device to exchange and synchronize data.

Imaging and Entertainment
While the VX8100 is a great platform for watching V CAST video content, it can also capture video that can be shared with your friends and associates via video messaging. The video unit records in MPEG4 format and can capture clips up to 15 seconds in length. Of course, you can use the camera to capture still pictures, too. In addition to megapixel resolution (1280 x 960), the camera features an LED flash, macro and night modes, a self-timer, and brightness and white balance controls.

The VX8100 supports V Cast 3D games, as well as other 2D-based games, which are available from Verizon's Get It Now service. You can also customize the phone's wallpapers and screen savers to give your VX8100 a look that suits your style. And if music is your thing, the VX8100 also has a built-in MP3 player (requires free software upgrade from Verizon).

EV-DO Wireless Broadband Coverage
Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered. View EV-DO demonstration.

Vital Statistics
The LG VX8100 weighs 4.16 ounces and measures 3.58 x 1.92 x 1.03 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 225 minutes of digital talk time and up to 163 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 850/CDMA 1900 frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
VX8100 handset, standard lithium-polymer battery, home charger.

Note: The VX8100 supports Bluetooth Profiles for wireless headsets, hands-free accessories, and file transfer and synchronization with compatible PCs. It does not support all object exchange (OBEX) profiles.

Product Description

With EVDO technology for video-on demand, dual speakers for stereo sounds, and Bluetooth® wireless technology, the VX8100 is the ultimate in high speed, high tech and high style.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

92 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for my needs, October 26, 2005

By 

Todd Boostrom (Pacific Palisades, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LG VX8100 V CAST and Music Capable Phone (for Verizon Wireless) CDMA (Electronics)

I've been partial to LG phones for a few years, so I was biased towards this phone to begin with, but its features have exceeded my expectations. This was not an out of the box phone, but a project that takes a bit of time, patience, and a few accessories to get it configured and setup just right.

Firstly, the music mp3 player works great, with clear extrenal speakers and a headphone/ microphone jack. It uses a 4 part, not 3 part 2.5mm mini-plug, so this restricts the headphones or adapters you can use with it. I bought the Jabra C220 stereo earbuds, and they work nicely. I also bought two 512 Mb Sandisk mini SD cards to hold music, though I heard the 1 Gb mini SD card also works fine. Make sure you buy mini SD instead of regular SD cards. To load the mp3s on the card from my computer, I bought a USB card reader that reads SD cards. The first time you put in a mini SD card, the phone puts three folders on the card, one for sounds, one for pictures, and one for mp3s. The phone's mp3 player is somewhat buried, but you can create a shortcut to it: OK button -> right toggle 2 times -> OK button -> down toggle 2 times -> OK button -> 0 -> hit CLR button twice
Now, when you hit the down toggle button, the mp3 player comes right up.

Secondly, I knew the video and music player capabilities would take extra battery power, so I went ahead and bought the extended life battery, and it's been a great investment, lasting well through heavy usage. Be aware the battery is larger and makes the phone a little bulkier.

You can synchronize and download your phone book, wallpaper, Outlook Calendar and ringtones with the free program BitPim and a n LG VX8100 data cable you can buy on eBay or elsewhere that connects via USB to your computer.

I also picked up the Bluetooth Logitech wireless headset, and it works great, but I prefer using the built-in speakerphone on my lap while driving.

This phone has all sorts of interesting possible tweaks for those so inclined to tinkering-- at your own risk.

The bottom line is that this is the cell phone with the functionality I've always wanted, phone + extended battery + mini SD cards + card reader + Jabra headphones + BitPim + data cable.

The only warnings: find documentation online, not from Verizon; slim and petite this phone is not; and don't expect everything ready to roll directly out of the box.

75 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cant go wrong here, August 9, 2005

By 

J. Griffin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: LG VX8100 V CAST and Music Capable Phone (for Verizon Wireless) CDMA (Electronics)

Excellent phone on all fronts. I bought it with the intention of leveraging all features including mp3s and full customization without a connection kit or extra service fee. I've gotten it to do everything I wanted. To get all the features I'd say you need to be a bit tech savy. But even basic users will enjoy the phone.

Standard stuff is excellent - reception, interface, contacts, calendar, talk and standby time, very nice/bright lcd, etc. Also feels much more solid than the 815e.

I use bluetooth and opensource pc software to exchange images, and ringers(mp3s). Very easy once learned. I'm a bit techy.

I load mp3s (renamed to .mid and <~15 chars) to a miniSD card - very nice player. Stereo speakers work very well. Although cant close lid. Great to listen to audio books or lectures. Does play videos/movies but has to be converted by software, big hassle but its an option.

Camera: Very good phone cam - I also have a 7mp canon sd500 camera (awesome camera!) so it doesn't compare. I save pix/video to miniSD card.

Speakerphone: ok, but very handy when needed.

EV-DO: broadband internet - via bluetooth - very nice - simple and fast, I connected at ~110k on XP laptop. I use it as a backup net connection but not really needed as there are so many ways to connect to the net. Can be a bit tricky to set up on laptop. Not documented. Does cost $15 per month extra (not bad though).

Cons:
1) Can be a bit difficult to hear other person in ear.
2) Some features are hidden - must find settings to enable.
3) Manual is lame for advanced users.

Overall its a very personalizable phone. With some google searching and about 2 or 3 hours you can get it to do lots of stuff not mentioned in the book or in the store. Worth it for the mp3 player with miniSD card.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bluetooth and Internet access that really work, July 25, 2005

By 

Gadget Guy "By His Grace" (Nowhere, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: LG VX8100 V CAST and Music Capable Phone (for Verizon Wireless) CDMA (Electronics)

My new VX8100 is an upgrade from VX6000's so I skipped a few models while holding out for bluetooth support. I didn't expect the EV-DO, but it is quite a bonus. If you subscribe to those wifi hotspot networks, you can save your money and take your own hotspot with you. Using bluetooth, I don't even take the phone out of my pocket to get my laptop or pda onto the Internet. I use Verizon's National Access (formerly Express Network) which is about 50kbps even in rural areas. The list of metro areas supporting EV-DO is growing fast, and that will get you something like 500kbps even way out into the burbs for the metro areas fortunate enough to have it already.. If you are considering use of your wireless phone to provide Internet access, that appears to be one area where Verizon has an edge over the other major providers, and this phone is broadband ready.

Voice communication is also impressive. I had to get used to the old VX6000's frequency response when I first got them. What those, I would often press it to my ear to hear what somebody was saying, but if the person on the other end uttered the right syllable at the right pitch there was this resonant frequency that would send a sharp pain in the ear and down my spine. (No, King Arthur, it isn't the knights who say NEIGHK but maybe something like that.) The VX8100 seems to have the spectrum smoothed out a bit.

Voice command of the VX8100 also works well, although I've not used any other phone with voice command features so I've got nothing to compare it with. Using my bluetooth headset (two year old Jabra model) and without taking the phone out of my pocket, I seem to be able to call anyone, check my voice mail, etc., and there is no need to record voice-dial names onto the contacts as the VX6000 required. So far, it has done a great job at guessing how to pronounce the names just by the spelling, and to recognize them when I say them. I haven't given that a thorough workout, but I'm impressed so far.

Buying it right when it hit the stores was a risk. I usually would rather read a few of these reviews before buying, and wait until a firmware update or two has gone out just to see how the hold up. So I guess it was my turn to test the water. After one week of a variety of tests and a lot of airtime, I have found it to be more than I expected in some areas, and have found no reason to be disappointed. If you are a Verizon customer and up for a 2-year update, check the verizonwireless website and see what price you can get. Do that first so you can tell them you saw it for xxx, otherwise you get the price with a bag of items that you're better off buying somewhere else. And most worth of mention, you may want to avoid the hands-free headset they provide with that package deal because you may want to consider a Bluetooth headset. You can finally go wireless without the wires!