LG VX8610 caught in the wild, internal Bluetooth headset and all

by Chris Ziegler posted Apr 11th 2008 at 1:52AM

If you're able to turn your attention away from that Jawbone 2 long enough to look elsewhere for your Bluetooth headset needs, we might remind you that Verizon's prepping a Chocolate successor with a little surprise tucked safely away. We've seen and heard of the VX8610's juicy secret for a couple months now, promising a media-centric slider with an integrated headset that'll charge via the integrated dock when not in use -- a feature not totally unique in the mobile world, but still unique enough to be a pretty big deal, particularly as US carrier launches go. Of course, a decent handset could be ruined by an awful headset here, so let's hope LG's smart enough to put some thought behind the total package. Follow the break for a shot of the headset and dock.

[Thanks, Ingenious]

Filed under: Handsets, LG, Verizon Wireless, EV-DO, CDMA

Tags: chocolate, in the wild, InTheWild, lg, verizon, verizon wireless, VerizonWireless, vx8610, vzw

Subscribe to these comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Highly Ranked

Sabba @ Apr 11th 2008 2:03AM

i want one!! now plz :) my screen broke :(

Neutral

stiltskin @ Apr 11th 2008 10:27PM

That phone is ugly as sin.

Highly Ranked

Darkest Daze @ Apr 11th 2008 4:04AM

Verizon UI....ewwwww

Neutral

CB17 @ Apr 11th 2008 8:15AM

Yeah, seriously, another phone ruined. When is it gonna end?

Highly Ranked

elgee02 @ Apr 11th 2008 3:03PM

*yaaawn* These comments are getting old, and really have no merit to them anymore. Pretty sad people actually take time out of their day to sqawk like mindless parrots "ZOMG teh VZ UI is teh UbUr sUxOrs LOL omg!" when they likely haven't even played with a VZW phone since their first universal UI came out over 3 years ago (when it actually did suck, admittedly).

Neutral

s @ Apr 11th 2008 10:26AM

i love it when just anyone thinks that they can design software. way to f in up verizon!!! yes, the software is usable. lots of flaws, though. worst all it is inescapable. like the borg. or that guy from the atari game berzerk.

Highly Ranked

toonces @ Apr 11th 2008 8:55AM

Is it me or is the front black & the back purple? I hope those are 2 different phones.

Neutral

Steve @ Apr 13th 2008 1:14PM

Uh, they're both black, it's just the way the light is hitting the back.

Personally, I'm interested to see how this feels and operates than the rest of you dropping a deuce on it because you remember when the VZ UI sucked. Granted, it's not great yet, but it's not a white binder with keyboard keys glued inside.

Highest Ranked

VZWguy @ Apr 11th 2008 10:31AM

better looking that the black and yellow sprint UI with every device having a whole new setup of menus

and just as every device almost since the 8300 two years ago, it has flash UIs to give you a different menu style...oh noes, you mean you can change the way it looks?

the haters..they have been dumbfounded...as usual.

Neutral

seanh1231 @ Apr 11th 2008 11:17AM

Well, until very recently, Moto's didn't have flash themes so not all phones had that option. And changing the way VZW's UI looks doesn't alter the fact that it still sucks. I know VZW can do MUCH better.

Highly Ranked

elgee02 @ Apr 11th 2008 3:03PM

Please elaborate sean... what is so horrible about the UI compared to the manufactured ones on a Samsung, LG, or Moto? I've used em all and seriously, aint nothing wrong or bad about the VZW one. Actually I think in many ways it's a lot easier to use and quicker to navigate.

Neutral

CB17 @ Apr 11th 2008 10:16PM

@elgee02

It doesn't matter whether or not you think the VZW UI is usable or not (I happen to think it's ugly as sin). The fact is that Verizon is taking the UI designed for the phone AWAY and replacing it so that it's the same on EVERY phone. Now you know why Verizon doesn't and never will have any phones like the iPhone. Undoubtedly the best part of the iPhone is its interface. What woulda happened had Verizon gotten their nasty paws on it? (If you need a hint, see above). Verizon is TAKING AWAY choice.

Neutral

seanh1231 @ Apr 11th 2008 11:42PM

It's not that the UI itself is so bad, it's just that one gets extremely tired of the same UI, regardless of what phone they buy, whether it be from Moto, LG, Samsung, etc. The only alternative at this point is a smartphone. Now the flash themes definitely help, but only so much. VZW thinks they know what people want (to be able to get a new phone and automatically know how to use it), but that's just not the case. Part of the fun of getting anew phone is learning how to navigate through it, and with VZW, that fun it ripped away. Now, whenever you get a new phone, it's nothing more than the same old phone in a new shell, and that can only be interesting for so long.

Highly Ranked

elgee02 @ Apr 12th 2008 2:51AM

CB17

If you think the reason the iPhone never made it to VZW was UI issues then you are quite delusional. VZW has no problem allowing smartphones to use Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS, and Palm OS so if VZW wanted the iPhone on their network they wouldn't give a crap about the UI. VZW turned down the iPhone (yes, it's been well documented as well) because Apple wanted too much $$$ and control over the marketing and technical support, which VZW likes to take care of themselves.

Jeez, I thought everyone heard that ad nauseum by now.

Neutral

CB17 @ Apr 12th 2008 1:27PM

@elgee02

I know that, I'm just trying to make a point. As you said, Verizon is way too power hungry, and it shows.

Neutral

xB Owner @ Apr 11th 2008 11:07AM

Chocolate Successor + Media Centric Phone + Mono Bluetooth Headset = Fail

Neutral

jrk @ Apr 11th 2008 11:47AM

can we say 'ugly'? not just the verizon ui, but the whole phone itself. each new 'chocolate' in the us looks worse and worse. it's like the razr all over again!

Highly Ranked

elgee02 @ Apr 11th 2008 3:04PM

How can you say the 8550 looks worse than the 8500... side by side the 8550 looks SOOOOO much better than the 8500. I am going to guess you have probably never seen an 8550 up close and are just talking out of your ass.

Neutral

blah @ Apr 11th 2008 2:32PM

to clear some confusion here, i believe this phone is blue. not black or purple. no its not two different phones, its the same one.

Neutral

Warren @ Apr 11th 2008 3:09PM

FREAKIN SWEET IDEA! But - Im wondering what happens when/if you lose the BT part - looks like you need it to make the phone work like a normal phone without headset. Im sure VZW will charge $150 just to replace the BT part...but other than that - thats a really cool and unique idea.

Neutral

Jay @ Apr 11th 2008 5:52PM

I'm not so sure this will be a chocolate replacement per se. Its obviously similar, but might be a separate line between the chocolate and venus. It seems like the headset would add too much of a premium on the price for the chocolate's midrange appeal.

I'll bet on a true chocolate 3 sometime in the near future

Neutral

Joel @ Apr 12th 2008 1:33PM

The bottom line is that the LG phones are all the same... They work the same, the signals are the same, the speaker phones ALL SUCK...the phones just look different from each other..but there is truly no difference between em.....so this one has a BT (most likely crappy BT) built in...it will still be the same old thing.....5 or more year old technology in a new spiffy shiney phone....

Yawnnnn

Neutral

elgee02 @ Apr 13th 2008 2:47PM

Speakerphone on my enV kicks ass. Loud and crystal clear.

Neutral

Joel @ Apr 13th 2008 4:23PM

Well...if the speaker phone is loud and clear on the enV that's great! I'm actually waiting to take a look at the enV(2) due next week. I've really never had a good LG speaker phone....and I've used many an LG in my life. I'm just disappointed at the lack of difference in the phones from one generation to the next as well. Problem is most of the other mfg'rs are the same....one trick ponies in different cases. Maybe the enV(2) will be different for a change.....