Sorry,
Shine hopefuls, the
VX8700 will have to hold you over for at least a bit longer. After some buzz had suggested that the
FCC-outed VX8550 would be a true Shine slider for Verizon, we now have word from sources that it'll actually be a facelift to the year-old
VX8500 Chocolate. For what it's worth, the changes are definitely for the better -- we'd dare say LG's been listening to the VX8500's critics -- with properly placed Send / End buttons, Lock switch on the side, and what appears to be a true 3.5mm headphone jack (still an all-too-rare feature on handsets). Some are reporting that the d-pad is considerably easier to use and possibly "used differently" than its predecessor, though what that means remains to be seen. Documents suggest that it'll hit in black, red, and blue, though if the original is any gauge, we can expect a full rainbow of hues hitting over several months. No word on a release date or price, but with press shots in the pipe, we figure it might show up in time to commemorate the VX8500's one-year anniversary.
[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pamela @ Jun 1st 2007 11:26AM
This is one sexy phone! I'll be keeping my eye out on the red one, I'll definately try it out in the store though first being I wasn't a fan of the original.
brad @ Jun 1st 2007 11:32AM
phone looks pretty good i must say!
tipster, can you get us some info on the i760 or 6800?
David @ Jun 1st 2007 11:33AM
Hopefully the d-pad will be an actual scroll wheel...
smakas @ Jun 1st 2007 12:18PM
I bet it will have the same horrible Verizon UI.
casey lewis @ Jun 1st 2007 1:13PM
get over the whole UI thing...anyone that has half a brain and has seen the new verizon phones will notice lots of things have changed...why do you sipmletons insist on pissing and moaning about the UI...WHO FLIPPIN CARES...im too busy using the damn thing to worry about what goddamn UI is on there...get over it!!
t @ Jun 1st 2007 1:45PM
It has a clicky-scroll wheel d-pad, like the original iPods. Best Design Ever.
Jeesica @ Jun 1st 2007 4:54PM
its cute and slick. its even better than the original i want this!!!
Neil @ Jun 1st 2007 5:32PM
I'm really loving the design and if its true that the dpad area really is a scroll wheel this phone is well on its way to greatness. :D
waiownsyou @ Jun 1st 2007 6:24PM
Nice looking phone, but I don't think the real phone's UI is going to be all monochromatic black and white. That would be a major design flaw to the eyes.
Besides, Verizon is the worst company in terms of products. They always restrict the abilities of phones, flash with their own BREW firmware, and charge for everything. The good audio quality is the only thing keeping them alive right now.
elgee02 @ Jun 1st 2007 7:03PM
Dude, every carrier charges for everything... that is not exclusive to Verizon Wireless.
Secondly, VZW hardly restricts anything anymore... Bluetooth works great on all new phones, mp3 music does too. mp3 as ringtones? Yep, just go to howard forums and they will tell you. What's missing?
With the lowest churn in the industry quarter after quarter, I don't think our customers are complaining too much.
SlotStikSkim @ Jun 4th 2007 10:47AM
@ waiownsyou, they will have that same black/silver UI. Have you seen the 8700? Just picked one up for the heck of it and thats the UI.
waiownsyou @ Jun 2nd 2007 12:23AM
That's 'cause the customers are old stupid Chinese FOBs (trust me, that's how I ended up with this half-assed Verizon Wireless v3m)
I can understand if you want to be a jerk carrier and disable bluetooth transfers on a phone that works on every other carrier (not), but to flash it with your own ugly firmware that seems poorly programmed is just ridiculous. Having a few text messages alone clogs up the entire responsiveness. Verizon is just taking it too far. They're losing customers and they know it. They're using desperate measures like TEST DRIVING to get some customers. They're going to lose 3 more as soon as this damn contract ends.
elgee02 @ Jun 2nd 2007 3:07AM
"They're losing customers and they know it"
No "they're" not. Lowest churn in the industry quarter after quarter. You clearly haven't done a lick of research on it, it might help prevent you from looking like you have no clue what you're talking about ;-)
"Having a few text messages alone clogs up the entire responsiveness."
Only on a few Moto's, I haven't noticed it at all on Samsungs or LGs.
Jamar @ Jun 2nd 2007 7:26AM
I've noticed that in quite a few rural areas, Verizon has a monopoly because other carriers don't quite reach... Gee, wonder if it could be connected to their low churn- they don't have a choice, after all.
elgee02 @ Jun 2nd 2007 11:30AM
"I've noticed that in quite a few rural areas, Verizon has a monopoly because other carriers don't quite reach... Gee, wonder if it could be connected to their low churn- they don't have a choice, after all."
Ha! Hardly... you do realize that by "rural" it means not a lot of population... obviously the HUGE bulk of VZW's customers live in decent sized cities. If anything I'd say Alltel has just as good rural coverage as us, yet their churn is higher.
Seriously? @ Jun 2nd 2007 7:28AM
I almost certain it has a scroll wheel, it should have in the first place.
..but to..
"Verizon is just taking it too far. They're losing customers and they know it. They're using desperate measures like TEST DRIVING to get some customers. They're going to lose 3 more as soon as this damn contract ends."
Seriously? 1Q07
Verizon had 1.7M adds (1.6 retail), ATT had 800,000+, T-mobile 900,000 (I think) and Sprint-Nextel had a net 220,000 (with 55,000 retail)...then churn of 1.08 for VZ, 1.7 for ATT, 2.3 for Sprint-Nextel and 2.5+ for T-mobile...
Verizon is desperate and losing? By what standard.
Wireless Week (4/1/2007) Carrier of the Year:
http://www.wirelessweek.com/article.aspx?id=138538
"Even seasoned analysts are getting a little bored with Verizon. After analyzing its phenomenal churn, postpaid subscriber base, net additions and high revenue, you run out of things to talk about, says Ken Hyers, analyst at Technology Business Research (TBR)."
So, I'm asking by what measure you are making this assertion....
kevin @ Jun 3rd 2007 11:34PM
Verizon still sucks their just at the top of the heap of one of the poorest rated cutomer service industries around. i hear good thing about cingular in la bad thing in dc i hear good things about verizon in atlanta bad things in dc i hear good things about sprint in dc bad things in atlanta. i had sprint since 93 worked every city i went until i got to atlanta. switched to verizon because of the network now it works fine in my house and everywhere i go... but now im thinking about changing because of the lack of phone choices,disabling of devices abilities and having to wait a year for the latest in cell technology most of the time. i dont know it they are loosing business because of theese thing but im sure it dosent help
elgee02 @ Jun 4th 2007 12:13AM
Sprint's phones arent any more "advanced" than VZW's, heck VZW has the largest 3g lineup of any service provider.
Myth #24 BUSTED, next!
OGHowie @ Jun 4th 2007 5:14PM
The Asian FOBs I know usually go with ATT and Tmobile because all the asian resellers give the phones for free or really cheap with contract. None of the FOBs I know have Verizon at all.
People that care more about reception have all eventually switched to Verizon.
OGHowie @ Jun 4th 2007 5:15PM
By the way, I live in Los Angeles.
daman22 @ Jun 5th 2007 1:24AM
Verizon was rated the best for cus service by j.d power maybe you guys should do research before u start to bash verizon. i have had vzw for a long time and everyone i know has has it b/c no carrier has better reception and discount for many companies. maybe everyone should go ot a vzw store and see if the company they work for gets a discount if your a teach u get a dscount if ur a police officer u get a discount many companies get discounts
Xander @ Jun 6th 2007 7:17PM
Of course. If JD says it's good, we should all follow the leader. I went to the US and checked out Verizon phones, They don't look all that great, and it's true: the verizon UI is the most annoying piece of crap I've seen.
And just because they didn't block features on a couple phones doesn't mean they won't do it again.
Say what you will about T-Mobile and Verizon, Cingular is still better.
Novey @ Jun 11th 2007 7:56PM
better looking than the old version. from the picture the interface is a little different, that's good. i'm tired of their annoying red interface. why does Verizon have all the best phones? i use to have them but in my area (Seattle) everybody has T-Mobile, so yeah bill is too high.
anonymous tipster @ Jun 26th 2007 3:10PM
The VX8550 will be realeased ob July 9th, 2007. This is the 1 year anniversary date for the Chocolate (VX8500), this phone will be available in Black, Dark Blue and Dark Red.
jon @ Jun 28th 2007 10:59AM
The headphone jack is NOT a 3.5mm. Assuming the dimensions are similar to the current vx8500 it measures 2.5mm. For the jack to be a 3.5mm the vx8550 would have to be 5.3x2.6 inches vs the vx8500 at 3.8x1.9.
jon @ Jun 29th 2007 4:43PM
Could this be a version in the wild?
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-LG-VX8550-BURGUNDY-VERIZON-PHONE-VX-8550-CHOCOLATE_W0QQitemZ200124204472QQihZ010QQcategoryZ64355QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
The red looks very nice.
blanemather @ Jul 5th 2007 7:18PM
Verizon uses a standardized UI and limits some functionality because otherwise half-informed amatuer technicians will get a little bit of knowledge from Howard Forums and try to install something that screws up their phones. When I used to work for an independent cellular store I can't tell you the number of people who screwed up "unlocked" phones used with other carriers, and then were mad when the carrier wouldn't fix or replace the handset.
In addition, all of the carriers take steps to make sure that consumers can't download ringtones, songs, wallpapers and other proprietary products and distribute them on to their friends without allowing the carrier to collect the money that is due them for that usage. Defining which bluetooth profiles are available is part of that process. If you want to complain about bluetooth crippling, ask yourself this: Why do the Verizon Wireless enV, VX8600 and Chocolate support the stereo bluetooth profile which allows your music playing phone to stream the music to your wireless headset or speakers from up to 30 feet away, but that bluetooth profile is strangely missing from the "miracle" iPhone from AT&T?
Yes, the American cellular business model surely could be improved. And the industry definitely needs to improve it's customer service performace overall. But when you are voicing your demands that the industry wake up and improve, why not start with the worst performers? It makes no sense to complain about the company that is exhibiting the best product quality/reliability/service in the industry.
Shannon @ Jul 14th 2007 9:51PM
I was wondering if anyone has been having problems with the slider on the 8550??
I got the new red one last week and when we went in to get my husband's the following day (black) I noticed how the slider worked a lot better on his. So we exchanged mine for another red one and I'm having the same problems. Maybe just a bad batch???
MDGOODS @ Jul 30th 2007 8:01AM
I have taken my phone (blue) back 2 times now. The spring mech. within the phone is so flimsy that within a week it was broken. After that, there is nothing keeping the phone open or shut and its totaly useless. B/c i was still within the 30 days, i just got new phone each time but if it happens once more (before the 30 trial period) i am getting something completely different. And its not just my phone, the models in the store have the same problem, you just don't notice it because they are tied down. Has anyone else had this problem?
Mark @ Jan 19th 2008 7:56PM
Hi Shannon,
I bought the black cherry for my wife and the free black for me. I am experiencing the same situation. I was going to replace the black cherry but now won't since it seems it will not solve the problem. She loves the phone anyway so no big deal.
Mark.
Carol @ Jul 20th 2007 12:10PM
I just got the new LG Chocolate VX8550 in maroon, yesterday from VZW. I love the size and feel of it! It is so easy to use, i.e., intuitive, full featured. My bluetooth headset synced with it effortlessly, too. I tried to get the basic Music Essentials Kit (driver, USB cable, ear buds) but they were out of them. So, I have to call them and go back to pick the kit up. Was told they get the kits in all the time. I think these are very HOT sellers in my market area right now. As far as the iPhone goes, I did an online chat with ATT and decided against it because they weren't offering me any incentive to purchase it. Their problem, not mine. I am going to really enjoy this new LG chocolate phone.
cruiza @ Jul 23rd 2007 3:10PM
I PURCHASED THE LG CHOCOLATE 8550 BLACK CHERRY A FEW DAYS AGO, AND RETURNED IT BECAUSE I CAN HEAR MYSELF TALKING LIKE I'M IN SPEAKER PHONE IN THE EAR PIECE !! VERY LOUD !! HEARING MYSELF TALK ! NOT HAPPY VERY DISSAPOINTED ! I WENT THROUGH 3 PHONES SAME STYLE, COLOR AND ALL DOES THE SAME !! I'M GOING BACK TO VERIZON STORE TO RETURN LG CHOCOLATE 8550 AND TRY 3 MORE OF THE SAME ONES TILL I FIND ONE THAT WORKS, THEY SAID I'M LIMITED TO 3 A DAY OF SAME PHONE TO TRY. SOUNDS LIKE A DEFECT OR BAD BATCH OF PHONES. IF THATS HOW THE PHONE IS, I DON'T WANT THE PHONE !! I'M HAVING BAD SECOND THOUGHTS OF LG 8550. BEFORE YOU PURCHASE TRY PHONE AND MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HEAR YOURSELF TALKING IN THE EARPIECE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOUD SPEAKER IN YOUR EAR, AND MAKE SURE THE PHONE IS NOT PLUGED IN THE WALL CHARGER, BECAUSE THATS HOW VERIZON HAS IT HOOKED UP. WHEN MY PHONE IS PLUGED IN THE WALL CHARGER IT DOES NOT DO THAT. THE LG 8550 CHOCOLATE IS A GOOD LOOKING PHONE, BUT LOOKS ARE DECEIVING !! GOOD LUCK !!
SuszieQ @ May 15th 2008 10:02PM
LOL..You are too funny. I have had the phone for a year now. The reason you could hear yourself like that is because when you are on the phone and either your cheek or whatever probably would hit the speaker button that is on the face of the phone. I have done it myself. Ya it's annoying sometimes but very fixable right away when it is happening. I do hope you are having better luck with your current phone. Take care. SuszieQ
Carol @ Jul 25th 2007 11:30PM
Well, my Music Essentials Kit for my LG Chocolate (VX8550) came today. I FINALLY got it installed successfully. It was a real bear because the driver that came in the box didn't work on this phone! And I am a 'tech' junkie, so this was a surprise. I thought it would be 1-2-3 you're done. I had to call VZW customer service and they pointed me to the Driver Download site, so that I could get an updated driver. I run Windows Vista, so that may have been the problem. The rep said they just made the driver available.
I am now able to sync from my laptop to my phone in no time.
So, all in all, I still LOVE my Chocolate. The sound coming from my little phone via the standard ear buds is 'crisp and clear'. And I have it set to the lowest volume setting.
Still find it very intuitive, easy to use.
Recommendations: Use Windows Media Player to 'rip' your music to .wma format before doing a sync.
Use the VCAST Music Manager to sync your music, although you can use Windows Media Player.
Don't hesitate to call VZW with technical issues.
Julie @ Nov 29th 2007 11:50AM
Could you tell me where you got the driver from? I have had the cable for the last month but the only thing I can get it to do it charge from my laptop, which isn't exactly what I bought it for. The place I bought it did not provide the driver with it.
THANKS!
Gary @ Jul 26th 2007 1:35PM
I also had the problem with the slider, although I am way up north (South Dakota). I had 2 over a period of a week and took both of them back. Too bad, I liked everything else about the phone. I ended up with an Orange enV and couldn't be happier....
Ben @ Sep 19th 2007 10:32PM
I bought the phone and I like it very much but I am having a big issue thats starting to piss me off...
I tried to use V-Cast Music Magager to sync my songs but apparently it doesn't sync iTunes files... so, what I did was burn all the songs I wanted onto cd's(took 18 of them), and ripped them onto Windows Media Player, so I thought that would work, it does... but every fricken time I push sync now, it goes for like 2 sec. then it automatically stops and tells me I may now disconnect the phone... and it doesn't put any songs on it at all.... please help!!! before I drive myself crazy
ORB @ Oct 8th 2007 10:14AM
I bought my 8550 a couple of days ago and I like alot of things about it but.... my main complaint is that it seems LG phones don't have an audible missed call alert. I had an LG a couple of years ago and that was my biggest complaint. Also I could use more than 3 alarms.
lotte @ Jan 29th 2008 9:52PM
I had the chocolate 8550 in blue mint and loved it til it started freezing up on me. So I took it back and got the Samsung SCH u740. I miss my chocolate, wish I had not swapped. But hey I could not stand the freezing up several times a week...
photobum769 @ Feb 9th 2008 8:55AM
i just purchased two lg8550s one for the wife, one for myself, (i switched to verizon from at&t which i was with for last 10 years). not one problem as of yet. love the phones. bought the v-cast music manager but really just for the usb cord and drivers. i load my music on a 2 gb micro card (just drag and drop the mp3's) then slip it into the phone. the phone converts for playing on the phone....nothing simplier..we travel alot and as yet have not had any reception problems...with at&t sometimes it was impossible to get a signal in my own home...and the customer service sucks..