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Entered CNET Catalog: 04/20/2003
SKU: CDM-8500GRYSPT
Manufacturer: Audiovox Corporation
Manufacturer description
In today's fast paced world, it has become a necessity to have access to real time information. Your communications tools must provide you with this access from anywhere at anytime. With that in mind, Audiovox developed the CDM-8500, a tri mode clamshell style handset with dual LCD displays. PRODUCT FEATURES: Tri Mode: CDMA / PCS / Analog operation; Dual LCD Displays; 7 Different Color LCD Backlight Colors; CDMA2000 1X Capable; Web Browser (UP 4.1); T9 Text Input; GPSOne Capable; Data Capable; Built-in 2 way Speakerphone; Voice Activated Dialing; 9 Line Main Display; 30 Preset Melody Ringers and 10 Ringtone Selections; Vibrating Alert; 300 Memory Locations; Multilingual.Product summary
The good: Stylish design; flexible payment options; quick and easy online activation process; built-in speakerphone; high-speed wireless Web access.
The bad: Lackluster performance; weak talk-time battery life.
The bottom line: We like Virgin Mobile’s pay-as-you-go plan, but this phone proves that looks can take you only so far.
CNET editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 07/08/2003
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 Minor player: This pocketable phone is small and slim. |
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With such style come some compromises. The keypad is a bit cramped, and the buttons lie flat on the unit. The menu buttons are even smaller, so it's easy to strike the wrong key. Even worse is the dim backlighting on the keys and the nine-line displays, which makes the unit difficult to operate in low-light situations. Never mind that you can choose among seven colors for the screen--they're all equally dark, and adjusting the contrast offers minimal relief.
But we did like the sturdy feel to the unit. The flip cover gives a solid click when opening and closing, and the construction seems solid enough to withstand the handset being carried in the front pocket of your pants for long periods.
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 Easy access: The phone's dedicated buttons launch popular features such as the built-in speakerphone. |
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Within five minutes of completing the activation process, we received a text message notifying us that the phone was ready for use. However, Virgin notes that this process can take up to four hours.
Unlike AT&T Wireless's GoPhone service, which automatically replenishes your account, Virgin Mobile lets you decide when to "top up" your account and for what amount. You also have the option of automatically topping up $30 or $50 each month if you don't want to be caught unconnected.
As long as you add at least $20 to your account every 90 days, your entire balance is good for 90 days, beginning each time you top up. Conversely, you can't carry over unused funds in the GoPhone from month to month. Overall, we prefer the flexibility of Virgin's payment plan.
As for the handset, the 8500 has more features than you'd might expect. You get a built-in speakerphone; a 300-number phone book; a selection of 40 ring tones as well as a vibrate mode; a Web browser via the high-speed 1xRTT networks; and Virgin Xtras, with which you can get music clips, ring tones, and movie listings. There's no charge to browse Virgin Xtras, but you'll have to pay for airtime when using the applications.
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 Mixed bag: While the 8500 won't win any medals for talk time, it does well in standby mode. |
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That weak signal may have accounted for the weak talk-time battery life. We managed only 1.75 hours on a single charge, compared with the rated 2.6 hours. In contrast, some phones with color displays offer better talk time than this model. Standby time, however, was an excellent 220 hours (more than nine days), easily beating the rated 150 hours.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
User Rating: 
1/10
Totally Hopeless
Pros: Absolutely None
Cons: Abysmal reception, no colour
User Rating: 
4/10
good, in plain terms...
Pros: different colored backgrounds
Cons: no color, real ringtones, or loudness
Of course I wanted to check it out and give an opinion on it just to share here!
Its one of Virgin Mobile's oldest models, so you shouldnt expect too much from this phone! Of course, no color or real ringtones, and of course NO VIRGINXL or voice dialing.
Its a pretty decent phone but without all the fanciness, which I know alot of people would be looking for now-a-days.
So I dont think this phone would be great for many people, but if you want a phone without all the fancy features, then this phone is almost perfect for you.
User Rating: 
10/10
This phone had it all in its day
Pros: makes calls, sends text messages, can get online, caller id, polyphonic ringtones
Cons: i hate external antennas, id complain about non color screen, but this was when they were relatively new.
User Rating: 
8/10
I love flip phones, this one is good
Pros: Peek-a-boo window in the front
Cons: In black and white. I love color phones better
Compliments of Cathy_luvs_dd a Virgin Mobile Insider
User Rating: 10/10
Excellent, durable phone with benefits
Pros: Lightweight, VirginXtras, Text messaging, LCD Backlighting, Large sub LCD, Bright keypad, Check your balance right on the phone, Flexible payment options available, Always have a signal
Cons: They'd discontinued it.
It's light and durable and stick it right in your pocket. Great for a backup if you get your primary phone lost, stolen or taken away.
Cool backlighting colors for this flip phone. Classy appearance to this phone. (This phone was shown several times on the movie, The Johnson Family Vacation!)
Speakerphone can be handy in those car situations. Free to receive text and the sub LCD in the front is large and displays all the information you need to see in a phone.
User Rating: 8/10
Good phone
Pros: Compact design, easy to use, durable, battery life
Cons: Poor signal strength
I recently replaced it with another Audiovox phone (Flasher V7 CDM8910) which so far is also a great phone.
User Rating: 8/10
Very happy with this phone!
Pros: Small size and battery life.
Cons: Ringer not loud enough outdoors.
User Rating: 1/10
Worst coverage ever
Pros: I guess the calculator works alright
Cons: poor extras, horrrrible coverage
When I told Virgin about how poorly my phone performed, they basically told me that I was screwed and that they weren't going to do anything about it. Stay away from Virgin Mobile!
User Rating: 
3/10
Poor lighting, no special features, horrible coverage, horrible battery life
Pros: The key backlighting is cool
Cons: No features, bad quality sound, extremly bad battery life
User Rating: 4/10
Nice and compact, but lacks the bells and whistles most look for these days
Pros: Small and compact, cool backlight colors, and man is this ever durable
Cons: Smaller lcd, keypad is a little stiff, meager features, awful reception
User Rating: 4/10
It is not "ok"
Pros: It is very small compared to most phones and it is very durable.
Cons: VERY Short battery life, Doesn't recognize charging and displays "Very low Battery"
User Rating: 
6/10
reception sux
Pros: -blacklight colors
Cons: -bad reception -can be easily scractched on external ID or silver surrounding part -small
User Rating: 3/10
Constantly searching for service
Pros: Large screen, can see what it shows clearly
Cons: Takes me about 5-10 attempts to make a call, constantly "searching for service" and I live in a Sprint PCS area. Contacted Virgin, was told Audiovox knows that the 8500 does this and suggested upgrading to an 8610. Two weeks out of warranty and I am sol
User Rating: 10/10
Beautiful Phone/Smart Features
Pros: It is a very economical phone. This phone has alot of cool features.
Cons: They plan to stop selling them.
User Rating: 3/10
Can I get my money back?
Pros: There are little positives i can say about this phone *small *light weight *color changing screen each time you open it
Cons: Where to begin *AWFUL RECEPTION(by the way I am in an area with VM reception. My mom has the Kyocera K7 and my brother the K9 and they always have good reception so i dont know if AUDIOVOX phones are bad in general *No games *hard to navigate *keypad is t
User Rating: 1/10
DON'T BUY! SWITCHING PHONES!
Pros: The only good thing about it...it's part of the VM family (which thier customer service and plan is awesome)...Tht's it!
Cons: The Cons? EVERYTHING ON THT PHONE! ABSOLUTLEY NO GOOD RECEPTION! I can't even make a call in my house (even though I live in Houston) I hafta go outside all the way in my street to pick up a signal to download n-e thing. Calling ppl?...haha, forget about
User Rating: 8/10
GOOD PRODUCT & SUPPORT,SERVICE COVERAGE AREAS ARE FEW
Pros: PHONE IS SMALL AND EASY TO USE. THE SUPPORT TEAM IS EXCELLENT.WHEN I FIRST RECEIVED MY NEW PHONE THE BATTERY WAS MISSING FROM THE PACKAGE! BUT WHEN I CALLED CUST. SERVICE THEY WERE WONDERFUL BECAUSE OF THEM I RECOMMEND THE PHONE & SERVICE TO EVERYONE.
Cons: NOT ENOUGH COVERAGE AREAS. MOST OF THE TIME MY PHONE IS SERCHING FOR A SIGNAL NEVER TO FIND ONE.THIS IS FRUSTRATING AND MY ONLY PROBLEM SO FAR.
User Rating: 1/10
Not great
Pros: small
Cons: no newer features, keypad gets hot while on the phone. doesn't work in buildings. Cuts off phone conversations
User Rating: 
2/10
Save your money for a MORE RELIABLE phone!!
Pros: speaker phone. good sound quality
Cons: pricing for v. mobile is HORRIBLE! very low signal. battery lasted 2 days. buttons barely ever worked.
User Rating: 10/10
Overall I think The Vox-8500 is da bomb.My reception is great b/c i have an internal antenna.
Pros: Speakerphone Reception LCD Backlighting Alerts Virgin Xtras since mine in from virgin mobile. Games I got off the virgin XTrasMusic Clips.(Try V-Mobile for all of this) Free Long distance,nights,weekends,roam ing and to receive msgs. (Try V-Mobile so you
Cons: None-Everyone else in bad coverage areas.
User Rating: 
9/10
WONDERFUL FONE
Pros: Nice big clear color screen, Menu structure is easy to navigate. Size is sleek and slim. A+++++++
Cons: Speakerphone not all that great.. which is understandable due to the size of the phone. But, audiovox/virgin mobile should look into upgrading that somehow. Not able to download screensavers/wallpapers. But, what you really have to look at is.. you get wh
User Rating: 6/10
i like
Pros: speaker phone,diff colors,callerID,cute screensavers,downloadable music from MTv,Vh1 and virgin,tiny size,lightweight,fast charging, battery lasts, always have service, virgin has great service very helpful.
Cons: no games, annoying ringtones built into phone, screen savers all girly,
User Rating: 10/10
Perfect phone for light usage!
Pros: Very small and light. Outstanding reception/clarity. I use Virgin Mobile: no contracts, no wasted minutes..pay as little as $20 every 90 days to stay connected!
Cons: A little tedious to bring up contacts. Gasket on bottom that comes off to insert charger completely detaches and will be easy to lose--not a big deal though.
User Rating: 6/10
Small, compact phone
Pros: small,different backlight colors,external caller ID
Cons: no games, pay as u go to expensive,few ringtones,short battery talk time,bad reception
User Rating: 6/10
Ideal for occasional users
Pros: Compact size makes it easy to carry, and to dial one-handed. Plenty of useful features.
Cons: Sound quality only average. Owner's manual is a flaming sack of crap. Pay-as-you-go gets very expensive if you talk a lot.
User Rating: 2/10
LEMON
Pros: Clarity is excellent. Battery is good. Repairs are relatively quick and this phone needs repairs.
Cons: Misses calls, disconnects, complicated, hard to see screens, and poor documentation. The local Bell store people say the phone is a lemon and Bell's phone rep said the same thing. Bell will not replace the phone however but will allow me to upgrade early.
User Rating: 4/10
pay as you go way to expensive!
Pros: small,good battery,good service in my area. If you barely ever use it you will be happy.
Cons: .25 cents for the first 10 minutes, then .10 cents after that. Do the math. Virgin needs to drop the .25 to stay in the game. There are a few other options in my area that offer much cheaper pay as you go rates. When I kindly emailed them asking about any
User Rating: 2/10
Don't Even Think About Getting This Phone!
Pros: Small ok standby time
Cons: Horrible signal in every building I usually lost one and got one outside which it didn't get much better. Looking at other phones Sprint uses it is obvious it is the phone that gets the horrible signal and not Sprints service. Also the speakerphone, cal
User Rating: 
5/10
its ok for first phone
Pros: basic flip phone.ages 16-29
Cons: some settings are different,hard to understand functions, no games
User Rating: 3/10
Too many software freezes
Pros: Nice size.
Cons: Unhelpful manual with icons so small that you'd need a magnifying glass to see them. Bought 3 phones and had to return 2. We had the phone set to ring at the highest level, but incoming calls would only ring at the lowest level, causing many missed call
User Rating: 8/10
Good for Light users
Pros: This is a pay as you go phone - the value is awesome if you rarely use your cell phone and have it for emergencies and quick calls.
Cons: If you make long calls and want to use this as your primary phone - its not the one for you - its better just to get a standard plan from some other company where you get unlimited minutes
User Rating: 1/10
beware pay-as-you-go
Pros: small, sleek, light, cool phone. feels slightly plasticly and delicate but that's just because i'm used to heavier phones. battery life is good; have had no phone problems so far
Cons: it surprises me nobody has touched on these points: it's a pain to get to your contacts. also, there is no way to browse your contacts; you have to search for something first, and it doesn't return all results. only two or three of the backlight colors ar
User Rating: 5/10
only good for people who hardly talks
Pros: very compact, fairly light, nice design, multi colored backlit, signal strength
Cons: virgin mobile's pricing for the minutes, vm's stripped down features
User Rating: 8/10
The best phone for a prepaid service
Pros: A lot of features for a prepaid phone, it give you more for less.
Cons:
User Rating: 10/10
Simple, Sexy & Stylish..
Pros: Nice features and the backlightning is awesome, most phones don't come with 7 but this one does. The txt messaging is cheep, and plus this phone is very affordable when it comes to making and recieving calls. It's a small phone and you can take it about a
Cons: The animations...they are girly but nobody really cares about animations, atleast not me...
User Rating: 8/10
phone is good - virgin mobile is not
Pros: very cool design, good ringtones available to download, great service, small phone, text messaging is cheap
Cons: if you want a phone to talk on alot i dont recommend this phone. it gets very expensive using the pay as you go plans. the battery gets hot after a few minutes of talking, antenna doesnt do any good, ringtones are $2.00!, virginmobile rips you off when it
User Rating: 2/10
This phone sucks royally!
Pros: Nice display, and that's about it
Cons: key pad with leather case makes them almost undetectable with man-hands. You can turn the volume up for the ringer but when you get a call it alerts about half what you sampled. If you get bad reception and you have the ear piece on, the phone goes to s
User Rating: 10/10
Hands Down, the Best Phone Ever
Pros: Small enough to pop in my pocket, plus Virgin's service is tops - this is my second phone with Virgin. I absolutely recommend them; no more bills 4 me! :D
Cons: Talk time is a little short, but hey, that's what text messages are for, right? ;)
User Rating: 2/10
Five bad phones and counting!!
Pros: Flip is nice. I like the layout of the phone and menus for the most part.
Cons: My company has five of these phones and all of them have the same basic fault. We place a call, the other party picks up, and then our microphone is muted. We can be heard again only if we push any button on the phone. Its like the microphone goes to s
User Rating: 8/10
GOOD SIMPLE PHONE
Pros: FIRST CELL PHONE I EVER OWNED. HAD SOFTWARE PROBLEMS WITH IT, BUT THE 24 HOUR TECH SUPPORT IS VERY VERY GOOD. THEY SHIPPED OUT A NEW PHONE TO ME IN 2 DAYS. VERY EASY TO USE EVEN WITH MY BIG FINGERS, AND VERY COOL VOICE FEATURES
Cons: RINGTONES ARE $2
User Rating: 4/10
I Expected Better
Pros: Very Small Sleek Design, Very Attractive, Virgin Extras are a Plus, Different Backscreen Colors, ringtones
Cons: Battery Gets Very Hot After 15 mins. of talk time, not very good reception, cant use in buildings, terrible battery time, hard to understand people on other end. *Just so u know i sent back my phone and got my $99.00 back.
User Rating: 9/10
Favorite phone so far
Pros:
Cons:
User Rating: 10/10
The Best Phone I've Had Yet!
Pros:
Cons:
User Rating: 
7/10
Great phone..but question animations
Pros:
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User Rating: 8/10
Great phone for pros
Pros:
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