-
"OK phone for a non-smartphone" on by DavidRisner
Pros: - Bluetooth stereo
- MP3 capability with decent quality external speaker
- Decent battery lifeCons: - Bad Camera
- No POP3/IMAP email support and no sending of photos via email
- No bookmarks in MP3 player, annoying if you listen to podcasts
- No headphone jack (can get adapter)
- Not enough memory for Java: Google Maps runs out of memory quicklySummary: I downgraded to this phone from an AT&T Tilt to save money by not having to pay for the "PDA" data plan. I'm not sure how long I will stick with it, but it is doing ok for now.
For a non-smartphone, non-qwerty keyboard phone, this is a pretty good phone. I bought it used on eBay for $20. Accessories are available on Amazon for charging, hooking up to your computer and for adapting regular headphones to work with the phone.
Call quality is OK -- better than an iPhone ;-)
T9 works pretty well except that when typing the numbers to spell "for", it always selects "dor" as the first option, a word that doesn't even exist and there is no way to delete a word from the dictionary unless you added it yourself.
The camera is the only thing that is truly abysmal on this phone. You practically need a tripod to take a picture without it looking blurry.
Email is via a Java application that doesn't support GMail, POP3 nor IMAP, but you can run Opera Mini and use that to check your GMail.
IM client works well. Nicely displays conversations.
MP3 player is adequate. You can create playlists and choose MP3s by Genre, Album, Artist or Title. It does not have bookmarks which you really need if you are an avid listener of podcasts. You cannot use the music player and the camera at the same time.
Tip: When copying MP3s to your phone, it sometimes doesn't pick up everything you copied. If you go to the all songs and try to play an MP3 you have already deleted, it will cause the music player to do a full refresh.
Bluetooth stereo on this phone works well with spoken MP3s. It doesn't have enough bandwidth for music. Compared to my AT&T Tilt, music quality via Bluetooth stereo is pretty bad.
To sum up, for $20, this is a pretty good phone. For $100, this would be a completely inadequate phone. -
"Attractive But Disappointing Phone" on by davdaven
Pros: Attractive styling with deep purple hue, large buttons, sturdy feel.
Cons: Attracts fingerprints, mediocre battery life, poor signal strength, annoying PTT button rather than a multifunction key.
Summary: I decided to give AT&T a try with what I thought was their best basic phone available. I had been happily using my Motorola V195 on T-Mobile for more than 2 years, but my employer offers 15% discounts with AT&T. Boy was this a mistake!
The LG CU515 has far more pitfalls that the Motorola V195: Medicore battery life, poor reception, an external display that turns off, a front that attracts fingerprints and smudges easily, etc. I use my cell phone to make calls and not have a multimedia experience, and that is precisely where the LG CU515 fails.
Specifically, I had a great deal of problems with signal strength. Let's take my office for example. My job site has AT&T and T-Mobile towers, so I get 5 bars from both carriers. The LG on AT&T was scratchy and a bit tinny. The Motorola on AT&T was clear but a bit tinny. The Motorola on T-Mobile is clear and not tinny.
As if that weren't enough, I had even more trouble at home, and I live in the middle of a well-established, relatively flat city. The LG constantly fluctuated between 0 and 5 bars, and between the E/G/3G networks and just a simple antenna. During a short phone call, my calls would constantly cut out! The Motorola on AT&T fluctuated between 2 and 4 bars, and calls constantly went loud and quiet but never cut out. The Motorola on T-Mobile never cuts out and stays at a stable 4 or 5 bars depending on where I stand.
And then there was the fact I had to charge the LG twice as often as the Motorola. Needless to say, I canceled the failed experiment after about 2 weeks and went back to T-Mobile and my old Motorola. I don't care if it costs more... At least I can make phone calls! -
"The best phone I have ever had." on by cmalone
Pros: simple and easy to use with great sound.
Cons: used for three years now I need a new battery.
Summary: I love this phone. I had to get a new one after my battery died after three years. I do not like the new one so I am looking for a new battery for my plum.
-
"Phone was cheaply made" on by vnscrapping
Pros: Nice looking
Cons: I have had the phone for less than 6 months. It hinge broke. AT&T won't replace it. Nor LG. Think it was retailed at about $299 when I bought it... so it's not worth the money.
Summary: I would stay away from this phone. it doesn't last for a flip phone. LG didn't make it to last for more than 6 months.
-
"Good for Multimedia Only" on by tkline72
Pros: Good for email, internet usage, attractive phone, also very durable. I dropped it a few times and it is almost in the same condition as when I purchased it.
Cons: This phone has HORRIBLE reception!! Also, the pictures have a yellow tint to them and you have to be in a well lit area for them to even turn out.
Summary: The phone is nice but if you make a lot of calls or take a lot of pictures then I'd pick another phone.
Write a Review
Check coverage in your area 
%20-%20Cell%20Phones%20-%20CNET%20Reviews&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/cell-phones/lg-cu515-plum-at/4852-6454_7-32773966.html&x_breadcrumb=8900:3488:3504:6454&x_arw_bkts=MAD:high_wireless_switcher){kind=small}