Sound Quality

The LG VX6000 has excellent sound quality. The frequency ranges were balanced and incoming and outgoing voices had sufficient clarity and accuracy. Overall no major complaints.

RF Performance

As for RF performance, the VX6000 does a good job too. Inherently, CDMA has better noise resistance than other technologies such as GSM, and TDMA. The way the voice is transferred though the air is less susceptible to interference than the other forms of multiplexing. So whether it's the actual hardware that's superior, or just the technology is unclear. However, overall the VX6000 has very good RF performance.

One thing should be noted. The VX6000 is an all digital phone, and hence no analog. Thus, the VX6000 will be unusable in rural areas where analog is only present . If you are on the road a lot and travel between major cities, then the lack of analog on the VX6000 will need to be considered. Overall it gets a reception rating of:

Pros

· Brilliant 262k TFT color screen. When other manufacturers are putting out 4096 and 65k color phones, LG blows the competition away.

· Ring tones that are wav files. Record your own ring tone from an audio source. The possibilities are endless.

· Built-in digital camera and bundled features. 4X zoom, brightness and white balance image adjustments, custom frames, and more.

· Great reception and clarity. CDMA is by far superior in terms of voice quality.

· Get It Now. For non-tech savvy consumers, a one touch way to get pictures, ring tones, games, and more, but at a price.

Cons

· No infrared port. Difficult to transfer files from computer to phone. The only way is through a data cable accessory sold separately.

· The LG VX6000 relies heavily on Verizon's network. getIM, getEMAIL, getBROWSING, getTONES, getGAMES, getGOING, getPIX, getFLIX, etc. Pay for downloading games and applications, sending and receiving email and picture messages, and more. You get the idea.

· Keypad backlight times out after a few seconds. Makes it hard to type in the dark.

· Below average talk and standby time. The 262k screen and camera sucks a lot of juice. So consider getting an extended battery with the phone.

· Don't expect to revert to analog if you don't have digital service. Avoid rural areas.

Conclusion

LG has outdone the competition with the 262k TFT color screen. Perhaps the most important feature of a cellular phone, next to reception. Pictures cannot do the VX6000's screen justice. The clarity and brightness of the screen is unrivaled.

Additionally, the ability to record your own wav files as ring tones beats any number of simultaneous polyphonic tones. Record your own voice, part of a song, or anything else. Your phone will never sound like anyone else's.

The built-in digital camera is also excellent. By comparison to the Nokia 7250, and Sony Ericsson T610, the VX6000 was sharper. However has a more unnatural blue tint when outdoors. Regardless, the filters and features easily make this a great camera phone.

Lastly, the reception and clarity is exceptional. As said earlier, CDMA has something to do with it, but the VX6000 has good RF performance as well.

If we stopped right here the VX6000 would be a winner. An unmatched color screen, great ring tone versatility, excellent camera, and clear reliable reception. However, there are some drawbacks as well.

All the features come at a price. The color screen, camera, and applications have a large drain on the battery. Thus, the talk and standby times are less then industry average. If you get this phone consider buying an extra extended battery as well.

Verizon has integrated the VX6000 tremendously in it's network. Anything you want to do, whether it be sending messages and pictures, email, or downloading pictures and ring tones costs a small amount. Granted, one benefit is that you don't have to search the web for downloads, and everything is one touch away. But for many, it can get quite costly if you want to use the VX6000 to its full potential.

But probably the most severe drawback is the lack of analog. That means you might not get reception in remote areas. If you use analog frequently, then this is not the phone for you.

Overall the VX6000 is a good solid phone. Reception, color screen, ring tones, and built-in camera are the main features that are important in a cellular phone. The drawbacks are more annoyances than factors that severely hinder the phone. Thus, the LG VX6000 has an overall rating of:

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