Customer Reviews

Virgin Mobile Audiovox Vox 8610 Pay-As-You-Go Wireless Phone

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I got this phone so I could give my mom my 'Party Animal' Virgin phone which was fine for keeping in the car, but this 8610 is so much more portable I find myself taking it with me wherever I go (which is saying a lot since I don't like things cluttering up my pockets or belt). I recommend the Virgin brand 'hydro-formed' case for it at Best Buy. It fits perfectly and clips onto your belt nicely. You hardly know it's there since the phone is lightweight and handy. Even though the 8610 is lightweight, I find battery life to be terrific and lives up to its advertised capacity.

The color screen is very nice. It's easy to read and has good brightness and contrast, except of course, outdoors, where all lcd screens are hard (and sometimes impossible) to read. The mini-screen on the outside of the phone is cool since it shows you the date, time, signal strength, ring mode (vibrate or ringtone), voice mail message indicator (if any) and battery strength. Also, when you get a call, if that person is in your phone's address book, their name also shows up on the screen (which is backlit if you hit a button on the outside of the phone.)

The address book is the best part for me. You store numbers by person, and each person can have a cell number, a home number, an office number, and an email address. Selecting which number to dial is easy since the numbers are all grouped under the person's name and you just click through that small list. (Unlike the Party Animal and my wife's 'Slider' where each different number has to be a seperate list entry which creates one long list you have to scroll through.)

Audio quality is fine. (It's a cell phone.) It has a microphone volume adjustment, but you'll have to ask your caller how effective it is. The rocker button that operates it isn't even labeled which way to make it louder or softer.

There are 5 polyphonic ringtones, 4 of which will appeal to Virgin's target demographic of teens and 20-somethings. For us older folks who like Virgin for the great deal it is, there's one very nice simple ring called "Jingle" (the one I use). However, all 8 of the color screen backgrounds are very youth oriented: a batmobile, a fist, a pineapple, a pattern of hearts, and 4 abstract graphic screens. The abstract ones are fine, but they should have included at least one plain, solid colored background. I decided on the batmobile. You can modify the top of the background with your own message. Since I can never remember my own number, I set mine to be my cell number.

Coming from the Party Animal phone, I didn't realize my favorite feature about a flip phone would be how you answer and hang up: you just open and close the phone! Very cool. This can be turned off in the menu system, though, if you prefer to press a button to answer/hang up. The phone's buttons are easy to press and not too small.

The included tools are 3 separate alarms (each can be one-time or daily) using any ringtone; Scheduler- same thing but using a calendar (great for top-up reminders); Calculator; Stopwatch; and lastly World Clock. Unfortunately, there's no convenient tip calculator. :-(

There are two games: BlackJack and Magic Hexa. Hopefully another reviewer can tell you about them. I don't use them.

In summary, it's a great phone with lots of good features, it's lightweight so it's very easy to carry with you, and add to that the great Virgin pricing for us infrequent talkers, and you've got a great deal. Highly recommended.

This phone was given to me over 2 years ago. In that time, I've dropped it more times then I can count, its fallen into wet sand three times, its been bitten by humans, dogs, and rabbits, once, it was accidently drop kicked by a friend, its been sat on, stepped on, slept on, you name it. And the phone still works perfectly. After two years of all the abuse, and more, this phone has only a few, very minor, scratchs on it and I don't use a case at all. For durability I give this 7 out of 5 stars.

The services have been good too. I'm an infrequent caller and texter, but I've never had problems with either. I've gotten servie nationwide (Wisconsin, Illinois, Pensylvania, New York, New Jersey, Washington, and more). The only downside is that once you cross the Canadian boarder, your phone is useless. My calls are almost always clear and I've never had delayed text messages (unlike some friends of mine on normal cell plans). For service, I'd give this phone a good 4.5 out of 5.

As for the guy bitching about the plans- sure if you're a huge talker and you spend 60 hours a month talking this is certainly not the phone service for you. But for those of us who only use it as a back-up phone, or an emergency phone, or talk infrequently, the plans work out well. I'm on their month-2-month and I like the flexibility. Frankly, lack of flexibility like this in normal cell phone plans is why I shy away. Why pay $50 a month for 500 anytime minutes if I'm only using 150 a month? For service plans, I'd give them 4 out of 5. (They could make the day and night minutes even on all levels, rather then just level one.)

For anyone considering the purchase of this (or another) Virgin Mobile phone, do not be influenced by the identical negative reviews posted for several Virgin Mobile phones by someone calling himself "lookout guy." I cannot comment on the month to month plans, having only been a pay-as-you-go by-the-minute guy since I got my Virgin Mobile phone over two years ago. I can tell you that lookout guy is totally WRONG in terms of any "hidden fee" in terms of the by-the-minute service offered by Virgin Mobile. There is NO $1.50/day fee; if there was, no one would choose this option because it would end up costing more than a monthly plan. (Duh.) I can confirm that you only pay for the minutes you use. If you don't use your phone for days (even weeks) at a time, you pay nothing. The ONLY charge for having access to a Virgin Mobile phone on the by-the-minute plan is the minimum top-up charge (supposedly $20 every three months but after you become a customer you can get it down to $15 every three months if you choose auto top-up with a credit card). So if you NEVER use your phone, that's what it costs. Of course, you would simply end up accruing money in your account to be debited when you do finally use your phone. As long as you use your phone minimally (for emergencies and for very brief, occasional conversations only), you'll pay only $5-$6.66/month. I oughta know -- my balance keeps growing and growing because I rarely use my phone; if I were being charged a $1.50/day "access charge" I would know it.

Only you can decide if a pay-as-you-go plan such as this is suitable for you, but here's the quick math: if you know you will use your phone at least five minutes per day almost every day, then this plan isn't for you as it would cost you $37.50/month for only 150 minutes of use based on 25 cents/minute. If, like me, you are likely to have many days where you don't use the phone at all and other days where you use only a few minutes (with rare days that you use over 10 minutes), then this plan will be a bargain. (I used to be a Sprint PCS customer and ended up paying, on average, $1/minute for my calls because of my minimal phone use -- in other words, over four times as much as my Virgin Mobile minutes cost at their highest rate.)

I got this pay as you go phone because I'm one of those people that use cell phones about 2x a week. For emergencies, to check on something at home, that type of thing. I don't need a ton of minutes, or a contract or Catherine Zeta Jones ads. I just need something reliable and cheap.
Virgin Mobile has served me well for about 5 years now. My 13 year old actually has my older Virgin phone. For $20 every 3 months we can have enough minutes/time saved up to carry over for anything we may need. I've never ran out of money. The "reminder" that comes to top up (buy a new card) is great as well. I didn't put it on my credit card as I'd rather buy the $20 card than have $30 be charged every 3 months.
This model has a nice screen, I'd personally like more ring tones (I finally bought Gorillaz "Feel Good" for $1.99 -not a bad investment!) and people are right about the volume. I put my phone on high and vibrate...that way, if I don't hear it, I'll feel it!
I've recommended this phone plan to many people, especially those with kids that are a bit young to use the phone 24-7 and just need a "check in" model. There are a few games on there as well. The charge lasts a decent amount of time.

I only use 40 minutes per month on my cell phone, and my verizon plan was costing me $40 per month, that is about $1.00 per minute. After that plan expired, I decided to switch to a prepaid phone. I bought the Audiovox 8610 a week ago and I love it. Before buying it, I did tons of research on the net and in stores. I was looking for a good looking phone with a built-in speaker phone, and not too expensive.

I compared Rave K7, Vox 8500, Vox 8610 (this one), and Slider V5. I don't like Rave K7 because it is big and looks too cheap. I don't want to be embarrassed to be seen using this antique looking phone in public. Vox 8500 is small and I was really attempted to get it in the beginning, but later on I found tons of complaints on the internet about its reception. Reception is important to me, so Vox 8500 is out of the picture too. Then I had a hard time choosing between the $150 Slider V5 and the $120 Vox 8610. I finally decided on Vox 8610 for the following reasons.

1) 8610 has slightly better reception than the Slider, according to users to have both phones and compared them side by side.
2) Slider's sliding mechanism tends to become loose after a while. Also, when the slider mechanism becomes loose, the phone will open up in your pocket when you walk. 8610's time-proven clam-shell design is more reliable.
3) Slider and 8610 have almost identical features. Both have speaker phone, which is important to me. I don't want to put the phone against my ear that close and catch brain cancer. I don't bring the ear-bud with me often either, so I was specifically looking for a cell phone with a built-in two way speaker phone.
4) 8610 allows you to enter up to 3 phone numbers under one name. Slider only allows one number per name in its address book, which forces you to create a much longer list to scroll through.
5) Slider has some MTV features, 2 more games, and a few more wallpapers. 8610 has supersonic ringtones. All of these features are useless to me. I neither use nor care about these features.
6) I will put the phone in my pocket. Slider's convex screen can be easily scratched this way. On the other had, 8610 doesn't have this problem
7) From the aesthetic standpoint, 8610 is more elegant and looks good in a boardroom and on the street. Slider was new 6 months ago, but now it looks geeky and too teenage-looking. I am an adult and don't want to be seen carrying a teenager's toy.
8) 8610's color screen is sharper and better than the one on slider.
9) Slider's keypad is too small, and many people are complaining about it. 8610's keyboard has a good size and feel to it. It lights up too.
10) Audiovox and Kyocera are using the same Qualcomm CDMA chips and technologies. That is why these two phones have almost identical features. They even have the same data connector. People plugs Kyocera Slider's data cable onto 8610's data port, and can upload and download data from the phone.
11) Slider is a bit fragile, and some people have already broken it apart after a few months. 8610 looks and feels more sturdy and durable.
12) 8610 has longer battery life. It has 7 days standby time versus 4 days on the Slider.
13) There are tight-fitting cellphone leather/rubber cases that allow me to use 8610 with the case on. I currently cannot find any cases that allow me to use the Slider with the case on.
14) Finally, 8610 costs $120, which is $30 cheaper than Slider.

I also discovered that I can use this phone to send and receive short emails to any email boxes. I think this applies to all Virgin Mobile phones. The email address of your phone is your 10 digit phone number plus "@vmobl.com". For example: 7185551212@vmobl.com. All incoming text message are free, and it only costs $0.10 to send one.

I get good signal reception in Ithaca, NY. Voice and text communication works well whether I am on Cornell campus or in downtown. Virgin Mobile prepaid cell phone is great for people who don't want to pay $40 for 40 minutes of usage per month.

I bought this little phone 8 months ago and am truly pleased with it. I don't use it every day, or even every week. I got it to keep with me when I'm driving and for those inevitable times when something goes wrong and you need a phone right now. It has paid me more in peace of mind than it could ever cost in dollars. What I like about the phone itself is that it is very small and light and can be easily tucked inside pockets or small bags. It charges fully in a very short time, under two hours the first time out of the box and in under an hour after that. It holds that charge for a very long time as I just found out recently. Driving to an appointment I was running late and needed to call to let them know. I'd forgotten to recharge the phone for over 2 months and expected it to be dead as a doornail. To my delight it turned right on and I made the call with no problems. Can't beat that. The Virgin prepay plan is perfect for users like me and ends up costing about $6 a month. Tell me there's something better and I'll say prove it. I looked long and hard to find the best possibility and this was it. I think it still is. For a nice, dependable "insurance" type phone, I couldn't be more pleased and genuinely recommend it.

I love this phone. I am not the type to call alot of people, so this cell phone and the Virgin Mobile plan are great for someone like me. I get service everywhere, even where my old tracfone wouldn't get service.
there are no roaming charges, no long distance charges, and you get free voicemail, free caller id, free call waiting...
it's awesome. i definately recommend!

This review is more about Virgin Mobil customer service than the phone. I ordered a VOX 8610 on 1/22/2007 online thru Virgin Mobile. The phone wouldn't charge. I called customer service and explained the problem. They said did I want a charger or another phone. I replied that I could not tell if it was the charger or the phone that was at fault so please send a new kit. I received a phone but not a charger and it also wouldn't charge.
I called customer service and explained the issue and it must be the charger at fault. The rep said they would not send a new charger, that I would have to purchase one.
I said this didn't make any sense, according to the offer I could return the phone for a full refund and does that mean that to get a new phone and charge I need to return the phones for a refund and then order another one to get a charger? The support rep said yes and that I had to make up my mind - either return the phone or purchase a charger.
I asked to speak to a supervisor. The customer support rep kept going off line (to talk to someone?) but refused or couldn't get a supervisor to talk to me. She then asked for the ESN number of the phone. When I said I didn't know what an 'ESN' number she indignantly explained that it was like a serial number on the back of the
phone. I'm not clear why she needed this, since I haven't activated the phone and I already referenced the order (vmu) number. At any rate I had been on the phone now for over 40 min with the support rep (obviously not very cost effective for virgin mobile) and at least she was trying to track down some info - or so I thought - she finally came back on line and said that the computer was down and she couldn't handle my order - that I would have to call back. I called back, had to work my way thru the answering system and got thru to RMA and a fellow named Mike. Mike explained that they couldn't send a charger (none in stock) and that I would have to send the entire phone back - which is what I am now doing - 60+ minutes after the initial call.

I have to say that my interactions with virgin mobile so far has not been positive. They customer service staff is obviously poorly trained and not empowered to make decisions. The interfaces with support are youth geared - not a bad thing except when it is at the expense of treating adults courteously and professionally. I am sending the phone back for a refund and re-considering the provider for pay-as-you-go service. 01/26/2007.

This phone and Virgin Mobile as a whole are obviously targeting an age group other than my own. Quite frankly, I don't care. I dropped traditional land-based phone service in February, and went with AT&T CallVantage VOIP service instead...a tremendous savings, but when the power goes out, VOIP phone service goes as well. Also, with CallVantage as of this date, 911 calls do not provide the answering call center with your phone number and location automatically.

The Audiovox 8610 phone, coupled with Virgin Mobile, seemed like an inexpensive supplement to CallVantage, filling some very unpleasant gaps...and E911 service is provided. Features such as speed dial, caller ID, and even a speakerphone are included, and I'm extremely pleased with the voice quality. It's almost indistinguishable from a corded phone.

For the age bracket that this phone is marketed towards, there are also two games included, and several wallpaper designs. A ton of downloadable ringtones are available at the Virgin website, provided that you don't mind spending $2.00 to $2.50 apiece for them...want to hear the "Meow Mix" ad when a call comes in? It's available for download at the Virgin website, as are ringtones involving such oddities as bodily functions, none of which will be discussed in detail here.

Per minute pricing is high enough to keep me from ever using this phone other than when it is absolutely necessary (25 cents for the first 10 minutes each day, 10 cents per minute afterwards), but that's okay with me. Unexpected emergencies were the sole reason for making the purchase, and the added peace of mind that it brings more than makes up for the airtime that must be purchased from Virgin every 90 days to keep the service active...and I'm still saving money each month over traditional phone service.

I would recommend the Audiovox 8610 phone and Virgin Wireless to anyone who needs a cell phone for similar reasons.

As a light to moderate cell phone user, I found this phone (the 8610) and Virgin Mobile perfect for my needs.

Adding $20 once every three months to keep the phone active is great, especially since the purchased minutes essentially roll over if unused. Being in a major SoCal city, my reception is consistently outstanding and better than my previous contract service, though it should be noted one can't use the phone (beyond 911) in "roaming" areas on the Sprint network -- one is limited to the formal Sprint PCS network which generally covers major cities and roads in all 50 states.

Minutes are currently 25 cents per minute for the first ten minutes each day, then 10 cents thereafter. No peak/off-peak stuff, no long-distance, etc. Perfect for what I need periodically. I know I'm sounding like a VM marketing person, but I'm not one. :)

Biggest downside to the 8610 is that it's a VM-specific phone. One is more-or-less pretty much stuck with their ringtones / wallpapers / games, though they have pretty nice additional ringtone offerings at the least at the VM website (for $2-$2.50). I suppose one might also have to deal with the VM brand being geared towards the youth / MTV crowd in general, but I personally couldn't care less.

Anyway, all-in-all, an outstanding phone and service for those who don't want monthly bills / sometimes don't use their phone enough to justify normal contracts. If I were to use a phone with family enough long-distance (or wanted WAP access), I might find a "family plan" elsewhere, but I absolutely couldn't be happier for now.

I was waiting for this kind of phone and very affordable prepaid "plan" that Virgin Mobile offers for years, and continue to be ecstatic with the phone and service for my own relatively mild needs. All I might suggest is that one also consider the "slider" phone also presently offered, as some seem to occasionally prefer it as an option.