Audio

The audio quality on the Rapture is clear. One criticism, however, is the low volume on the handset, which make it difficult to hear callers in noisy settings.

A Bluetooth headset is preferable for talking on the street or in crowded rooms.

The Rapture features a dedicated speakerphone key on the left side of the phone. The speakerphone is located on the back corner of the phone, near the bottom.

If users are right-handed, this puts the speakerphone squarely in their palm when they hold the open phone and muffles the sound. And while the speakerphone's volume is ample for quiet rooms, it doesn't cut through the noise in loud environments.

The Voice Command key on the top right spine of the phone is accessible when the phone is open or closed, offering a menu of options to choose from. At the prompting of a recorded voice, users can access any program in the phone, from contact list to opening the web browser. Consumers can also turn on a "voice readout" function that speaks aloud when they press keys or get a call with caller ID available. This function is located in the Settings and Tools section of the menu under "Sound Settings."

When the phone is open, pressing and holding the Voice Command Key opens up the phone's audio recorder. This comes in handy when consumers want to record a note to themselves, a phone conversation, or anything happening in the world. The phone saves the files to the media center, which can be sent via MMS or transferred to a computer.

Messaging

Besides voicemail, the Rapture gives customers the option to stay in touch through multiple means of text messaging. Messages of up to 160 characters can be sent to up to 10 recipients at a time. MMS options include photo and audio (up to 500kb) and video attachments up to 40 seconds. Users can also access a quick menu of sounds (such as a cheer or birthday message), graphic or quick message from a menu of preset greetings.

The Rapture also carries instant messaging services from AOL, Windows Live and Yahoo! accounts. Using Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 service, the handset supports third party email providers such as Yahoo! Windows Live Mail, AOL Mail, and Verizon.net accounts. According to Verizon, customers can configure their own POP3 and IMAP accounts as well. However, both IM and email services are provided with the caveat that they will incur date usage charges according to their monthly plan.

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