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Your Price: $149.99 with service Release Date: Q2 2008 Released For: Verizon Wireless Released for Verizon Wireless, the LG Decoy (VX8610) is designed with a glossy mirror-like front and satin back finish. As the world's first phone to have a detachable Bluetooth headset integrated into the design, the headset slips into the back for easy transport and charging. The slider uses a 5-way directional joystick to conveniently scroll through menus. The Decoy also has an integrated music player, 2.0-megapixel camera and camcorder and microSD memory port. It supports VCAST Music to download from over 2 million songs and VCAST Video to stream entertainment clips, sports highlights, breaking news and weather. Using GPS, VZ Navigator gets visual and audible directions to thousands of destinations.

• Sleek and elegant slider with two-tone finishing (glossy front, satin back)
• Compact and stylish integrated Bluetooth headset for voice and music (docks into back of phone for convenient storage and charging)
• 2.0 megapixel camera and camcorder with customizable brightness, white balance, shutter sound, color effects, night and preview mode, photometry, image editor and self-timer
• Music player for MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+
• Save up to 20 Bluetooth pairings including profiles for headset, handsfree, dial-up networking, advanced audio distribution (stereo), phone book access, basic printing, object push for vCard and vCalendar, file transfer and basic imaging
• microSD memory port with up to 8GB support

Technical Specifications
Network:	CDMA 800 / 1900
Form Factor:	Slide
Dimensions:	102 x 50 x 17 mm
Weight:	115 g
Antenna:	Internal
Navigation:	5-Way Joystick
Battery Type:	800 mAh Li-Ion
Talk Time:	3.83
Standby Time:	330
Memory:
Expandable Memory:	microSD / TransFlash
Imaging
Main Screen:	262000 colors (TFT) 240 x 320 px
External Screen:
Camera:	2.0 MP / Zoom / Video Recorder
Audio
MP3 Player:	VCAST Music
FM Radio:
Speakerphone:
Push-To-Talk:
Multimedia
Wallpapers:	240 x 320 px
Screen Savers:	240 x 320 px
Ring Tones:	MP3
Themes:
Games:	BREW
Streaming Multimedia:	VCAST Video
Messaging
SMS:
EMS:
MMS:
Email:
Chat:	AOL / Windows Live / Yahoo!
Predictive Text:	T9
Applications
Phonebook Capacity:
Calendar:
To-Do List:
WAP:	2.0
Voice Commands:
Calculator:
Connectivity
Bluetooth:	2.0 (A2DP / DUN / HFP / HSP / OPP) / Detachable
Infrared Port:
High-Speed Data:	cdma2000 1xEV-DO
Wi-Fi:
GPS:	VZ Navigator
PC Sync:	Wireless Sync
More Information
Website:
Discussion:	LG Forum

* Compare with other phones side-by-side, or Search by features. We always try to make sure our specs are accurate and complete; however there may be times when information is not known. If you come across any missing details or mistakes, please contact us so we can help other consumers.

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Love it so far!

I just picked up my Decoy today, so I've only had a few hours to play with it. Here's a quick list of the pros and cons:

PROS

This is the first phone I've seen to have a Bluetooth headset intergrated into its design and it is wonderful! It goes on and off easily via a latch on the back and you can charge both your phone and your headset with only ONE charger. Pairing it to the phone was easy and it sounds great. People tell me they can hear me just fine when I'm using the headset. I was in a noisy mall at the time and had no problem at all hearing the conversation. I did have to repeat myself when using my bank's voice system, however.

Another nice thing is that if you don't want to take the headset with you, you don't have to. Just pop it off and put the included plastic cavity cover right over the opening for the headset. They also included a separate adapter that clips to the headset if you would like to charge the headset by itself.

It's a nice looking phone, IMO. The back is a nice violet blue color that has a nice feel to it. The headset fits nicely into the back of the phone and doesn't add too much bulk to it. My only concern is the glossy finish of the front. My advice would be to get a case to avoid smudges and scratches. You have plenty of ring tones to choose from, but they skimped on the themes and wallpapers.

CONS

I have to say that I'm not loving the 5-way nav joystick on this phone. It reminds me of the navigation key form the MOTOSLVR. I wish it would stick out just a little bit more so that it would be easier to grab. I also wish that it had a tactile 'click' to it. Nevertheless, it moves through menus well enough, but using it to scroll through long menus or control a game would be tough on your thumb after a while.

The size on this phone is another issue. It's fine for me, but those of you who crave super-thin phones may want to pass this one by. Even with the headset removed, it's a fairly thick phone.

Another not-so-great feature on this phone is the camera. My old LG VX8700 took sharper pictures than this one. Even under the bright lights of the Verizon store, the camera still didn't impress me much. Those of you who love to take pictures with you phone may want to wait for the LG Dare, which is said to have a 3.2MP camera that promises top-notch pictures.

FINAL NOTES

The calls I made from the handset were fine. Plenty of volume in both the earpiece and speakerphone. Ringtones played loudly and the vibration is strong. The phone's OS moved smoothly and I was able to browse menus, download a few games, and bring my contacts over from Backup Assistant in a snap.

I know this isn't much of a review, but I will add more after I've spent some more time using this phone. My conclusion is that it's a solid phone and definitely worth looking at if you're a heavy Bluetooth user.

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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful

LG Decoy (VX8610)

I just realized I used the word 'nice' way too much in that last paragraph of the PROS section, lol.

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2 out of 4 people found this review helpful