LG Flare LX175 (black, Virgin Mobile)

Pros: Handsome, alarm clock, inexpensive to switch phones, blue backlighting, big keys

Cons: Battery life, address book, inappropriate demo games

Summary: I am a long time Virgin Mobile user, and an adult. I wanted to upgrade to a phone with Bluetooth so that I could start using a wireless headset. Other than that, the only thing I really expect from my phones is that it can ring, that it can wake me up in the morning, and that I can talk a good while to my relatives on Sunday morning on a charge. This is my first flip phone and my first LG product, with my other phones being reliable Kyocera phones. A 55-minute call from the relatives on Sunday morning used up two bars on the phone, but charging it up again only took about 15 minutes. Seems as if my Kyocera lasted longer than that, but I'm not sure. The speakerphone is LOUD and I find the loudness distorts the sound some, so I find it best to keep it on two bars, which helps sound quality as well as battery life. To check your balance is a little different now - rather than just requesting balance. The alarm clock is GREAT, to the point where I no longer use my table clock. I miss my 21 game that I had on my V5. This phone has something called "Sex Poker" that's a demo, it's obscene and not worth it at any price. I'm going to see if i can get rid of it and find something else. I didn't like that I had to manually re-enter my address book when I switched phones, and I don't like that I don't have a quick key to my contacts like I did with my V5 Slider. I know that some users are disappointed with it being plastic, but I've never had anything but plastic phones with VM, and all of mine have held up well. Even my cordless phone is plastic. My V5 is two years old, and while a little scruffy, it still makes calls, which is of course the point of a telephone. I've only had the LG for a month, and I've dropped it (not that I make a habit of it, I'm careful with my electronics) with no ill effects. There is no external antenna stub to break off, which I like. It's got kind of a neat ringtone (which is rap music in nature but I can live with it). The rings are customizable, and there is one that is fairly plain that I prefer to use with my favorite people. All-in-all, there's a lot to learn with this phone, and there's a fairly thick manual, but given what this phone has as far as features, I don't believe $30 is too much to pay for it at all, given that if I want to change my mind about it, I don't have to sign another two-year contract or buy a subsidized $200 phone. For what I need a phone to do, I'm happy!