Camera
The Chocolate slides open to reveal a 1.3-megapixel camera and camcorder.
This handy design feature protects the lens when the phone is closed. A
lens cover provides added insurance against scratches. Like the original
Chocolate, the LG VX8550 does not include a flash. A mirror is positioned
next to the lens for centering self-portraits.
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Except in low-light conditions, the camera takes exceptional, print-quality
pictures, even without a flash. Colors and contrasts appear vividly and
skin tones take on a lustrous glow.
The camera shoots in three different resolutions, 1280 x 960 px, 640
x 480 px and 320 x 240 px. Tapping on the navigation wheel adjusts Brightness
(-9 to +9). The camera zooms up to 2x (except in the 1280 x 960 px resolution
mode). The phone's internal memory stores over 250 high-resolution and 1,000
middle-resolution photos.
Camera controls include a Self-Timer (3, 5 or 10 sec), White Balance
settings for Sunny, Cloudy, Fluorescent or Nighttime conditions, Fun Shutter
Sounds (Shutter, Silent, Say Cheese and Ready 1, 2, 3) and Color Effects
including Negative, Solari, Sepia and Black and White.
The camera button on the keypad activates the camera. Users can toggle
between the camera and the video by pressing the camera button. The middle
key of the scroll wheel acts as a shutter when the camera is activated.
For occasions when you take a near-perfect photo that you don't want
to edit on your laptop before sending it to friends, the camera includes
a photo editing feature with a three-step zoom as well as photo cropping
and rotate tools.
The camcorder shoots in MP4, 3GP and 3G2 formats and includes settings
for recording time (30 seconds for video emails or up to 1 hour), color
effects and white balance. Users have the option of setting videos under
5 MB in size as wallpaper.
At a video resolution of 176 x 144 px and without a flash, video quality
is grainy and dark. The camcorder doesn't set any new standards for cell
phone video, but is useful for times when you want to capture moving images.
Basic Features
The dual-band Chocolate (CDMA 800/1900) runs on Verizon's Wireless digital
networks and transmits data using high-speed EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized)
frequency. City dwellers who are covered by the digital network will experience
great reception and download speeds. However, in rural areas that lack digital
coverage, users won't be able to connect.
The Chocolate runs with Verizon's Flash UI, which displays a circular
menu layout and offers a variety of menu color choices, themes and animations.
 As
was mentioned above, the Chocolate's developers have added a speakerphone,
a feature lacking in the original Chocolate. Pressing a touch-sensitive
button on the front of the phone activates the speakerphone. Even though
the speaker sits on the back of the phone, speakerphone quality is clear
and loud.
Since the VX8550 doubles as a music player, it offers a handy feature
for airplane travelers called Music Only Mode, which turns the radio frequency
off except for Bluetooth.
The Chocolate's auto lock kicks in when the slider is closed or when
the phone is inactive for 17 seconds (or 25 seconds if the display backlight
is set at 15 seconds), requiring users to unlock it to answer or make a
call. Sliding down the lock key on the right side of the phone or pressing
"Ok" twice unlocks the phone. Although the lock was designed to protect
the phone from activating when it gets jostled inside of a pocket or a purse,
unlocking it quickly becomes tedious.
The comes with a set of convenience tools including Voice Command for
dialing, Calculator, Calendar, Stopwatch, Alarm Clock, Notepad and Tip Calculator.
According to LG, the VX8550's 800 mAh Li-Ion battery provides up to 250
minutes of usage time and 350 hours of standby time. That said, actual battery
times will vary according to performance variables such as the downloading
and playing of video and music, which will consume battery energy at greater
rates than talking.
Other features of the phone include support for TTY/TDD and English and
Spanish language settings.
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