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"Great Feature and Texting Phone!" on by FernandoNY
Pros: + Easy to use
+ Easy to navigate and use
+ Comfortable to handle
+ Does not turn off or on when in a pocket or purse
+ Does not pocket dial when in a pocket or purse
+ Can use your own music as ringtones stored on a MicroSD card
+ QWERTY keyboardCons: - Internal keyboard too flat- makes it hard to distinguish buttons from one another
- Messages are not threaded so harder to follow a conversation
- Ringer and conversation volume is too low even when all the way upSummary: I have had this phone for about a week now and am loving it. I had no unrealistic expectations about a feature phone having smart-phone capabilities (as I read frequently in reviews for this and other feature phones at a variety of sites), but what this phone does, it does right for the most part.
Edit Broken Like:
On the positive side, there are a myriad of customization options/settings for both the internal and external displays. The included tools are of the typical fare (i.e. calendar, notepad, calculators, etc.), but they are all easy to use and useful and include some (to-do list, stopwatch) that weren't on my last phone. I imported some .mp3s via bluetooth, and the sound quality of the speakers is superb for a cell phone (although I'm not sure how often I will actually be playing music on it). If you are a medium to high frequency texter, this phone should satisfy with both T9 and a full qwerty keyboard. The keys are raised making for happy texting fingers. The voice clarity has been excellent on all the calls I've made and received.
On the negative side, the camera does leave some to be desired. While it is a 3.2 megapixel camera, I have seen 2.0 megapixel cameras on other phones take similar quality shots, although I haven't yet tested the camera in various light settings/environments/etc. or exported any pictures to a computer to see how they look full-size. If the camera does zoom, I haven't been able to figure out how to do so when taking a picture. I haven't encountered the echo issue that some other reviewers have mentioned, and the "voice clarity" setting was automatically set to "off" when I got the phone which I read was the culprit of the echo issue. Finally, the phone is a little big overall and could have benefited from an eighth-inch trimming here and there.
All in all, I am thoroughly satisfied with this phone and am glad I got it.
*** P.S. If you will buy this Smartphone I suggest at: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047T74X6?ie=UTF8&tag=***************&********=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&************=B0047T74X6
Updated on Sep 27, 2011
If you will buy the LG Octane I suggest at: www.ama zon.com/exec/******/****/B0047T74X6/cnet-offer-20
Updated on Nov 17, 2011Edit Link
Suggest at: LG-octane.like.to -
"Unacceptable voice quality!" on by LG_Octane_Echo
Pros: Everything but the horrible echo problem that the person you are talking to hears. If all you do is text others or take pics then go ahead and get this phone, but if you want to have a meaningful voice conversation don't even consider the LG Octane!
Cons: Absolutely unacceptable voice quality. The echo problem that users seem to be aware of but LG and Verizon claim they know nothing about. (Yeah, right, the manufacturer and the service provider are the last to know about the echo problem)
Summary: Buyer Beware! I wish that I would have paid attention to the many reviews that I read complaining about the poor sound quality of this phone when making a voice call. I thought that those who had a concern with a ?voice echo? may have been overly picky or may not have been able to program the phone?s settings properly. Well, I got the phone last week and set everything up in the programming and made my first phone call. To my dismay the phone DOES have an unacceptable echo during conversation. I don?t have too much of a problem on my end but the person that I am talking to is annoyed by a constant echo of their own voice coming back to them. Now, I will report that if I open the cover and use the phone on speaker phone the other person says that the echo does go away; but as soon as I close the phone and try to use the phone as a conventional hand held cell phone the annoying echo immediately comes back for them. This was a replacement phone for my wife?s LG flip phone that she has used for more than 4 years and she just wanted to have a QWERTY key board for texting. She loved the old LG flip phone and never had a single problem with it so we mistakenly trusted that this LG Octane phone would be just what we wanted. Sorry, this LG Octane phone is going back ASAP. I hate to have to give up this LG Octane because I do like the larger keyboard and many of the features are really great! I contacted Verizon customer service and the representative agreed that she heard the annoying echo and she said that she had not heard of the problem before; she said to just take the LG Octane back to a Verizon store to exchange it. I find it hard to believe that Verizon has not heard of this echo problem and I find it totally insane that LG would produce and sell a product with such a defect. I contacted LG customer service today and they said that they are not aware of a echo problem with their Octane phone; Really? Just do a Google search of LG Octane + echo and see what you find. I have lost my allegiance to LG phone products.
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"Can't Use as a Phone! Voice Quality is TERRIBLE" on by MatthewCohn
Pros: Nice keyboard for texting.
Relatively low cost.
Easy to useCons: Biggest flaw is voice quality is TERRIBLE. The people I call frequently can't hear our voices well enough and ask us to repeat ourselves. There is a frequent Echo on the calls, dropped calls, and voices sound like we are using tin cans. REALLY!!
Summary: I wish I had researched this phone more before I purchased it. We got my daughter the LG ENV phone about 6 months ago and had a good experience, so when my wife dropped and broke her LGVX8300 (best voice only phone that was ever offered), I decided to get her the LG Octane phone since the reviews said it was basically the same phone, just updated a little. Well, unfortunately, it doesn't work nearly as well as the eNV for voice calls (which is what we use the phone for).
At first, I thought maybe my wife didn't know what she was doing, or maybe was just complaining about the phone because the LGVX8300 has such good voice quality. So, I took the phone for a few calls and tried to adjust the settings. It was TERRIBLE. I really couldn't have any productive conversations with anyone. Strangely, about 1 out of every 5 calls is OK - but the other 80% of the calls have voices that echo or sound VERY distant (like the old game where people talk through tin cans connected by strings). And, calls get dropped or crossed with another call fairly regularly.
We have 6 cell phones in our house, and over the years have had all types of phones. This one is by far the worst.
At first we thought we just got a "lemon" and that we would just exchange the phone for a new one. So, less than 24 hours after we purchased the phone, we took it back to the Verizon store. I thought they would just swap it out and we would be happily on our way. Well, much to my surprise, they told me that all the issues we mentioned were known issues with the phone and that they were told a bug fix was being worked on to fix the problems. They told me because it was a defect in all of the phones of this model, that they couldn't give us a replacement. AND, when we said we then wanted to change to a model that could be used to make calls, they said they would charge us the re-stocking fee - I was shocked... 1st to have them tell me that the many issues with call quality were across all the LG Octane phones and were a "known issue" (of course the sales person didn't tell me that when I was buying the phone) was surprising enough, but to then tell me that because it was a "known issue" that they wouldn't exchange the phone made no sense at all.
I spend about $3,000 a year with Verizon for all our phones, so I sent an email to the Verizon support department when I got home. Fortunately, they responded in writing and with 2 phone calls to let me know that they would let me return the phone.
Bottom line, this is the worst sounding voice phone I have had in 20 years of using cell phones. It is fine for texting and other non-voice features, so, if you don't need to make calls (I realize that some people today really just use their phones for texting), then maybe this isn't a bad phone for you. But, if you want a great, reliable phone for voice use, this is NOT the one. -
"Did lots of research. And I love the phone!" on by PaulOrr8179
Pros: 1. No data plan required
2. Can operate phone one handed
3. Navigation keys on the outside take you to quick pick lists of things I use most
4. Crisp clean screen that I can see without having to reach for my reading glasses
5. Simple and effectiveCons: Pros:
1. No data plan required
2. Can operate phone one handed without having to open
3. Navigation keys on the outside take you to quick pick lists of things I use most
4. Crisp clean screen
5. Simple and effectiveSummary: I read a lot about the feature phones at Verizon and narrowed it down to the three (3) choices: LG Octane, Samsung Intensity II and the Samsung Zeal.
I went for the Octane because I could read text messages right on the front without having to flip it open, and I felt it looked more polished and professional than the others. I am an I.T. Director so I did not want a plastic looking phone. I ended up liking a flip open type keyboard over a slider too.
I want to say that I really like this phone. I get to try all the new phones at work so I have owned all the Droids, Blackberry's and Windows phones. The no data plan is great. I think it is foolish to spend an extra $30 per month for a data plan on a phone where you really can't use it for Internet browsing. A family could end up cell phone poor if you have 2 or 3 smart phones to pay for. I know some folks who spend more on their cell phone bill then on their car payment. Come on people, is it really worth it?
Ok now for the review of the phone. I put much of my music on it, and it sounds great. The 2.5mm output jack is stupid. LG should have put the more standard 3.5mm jack on it.
As one person mentioned in a review, there is no external speaker. So the ringer volume is somewhat dampened when you close the keyboard. Not a show stopper but you need to up the volume if you put it in your pocket (or purse).
I have had absolutely no problems with that echoing problem some have complained of. The phone came with with the voice clarity feature turned off, so echo is non existent.
I like the keyboard, even though I have a tendency to miss type on occasion - fat fingers. But the keyboard has a space bar in the middle, and the navigation pad is on the right. The OK button is raised and easy to press. The speaker key is easy to find and the CLR key is on the right side and is the backspace key. The keys are slightly raised on the lower side of each key making them easy to locate and press. The keyboard completely illuminates, not just the letters on the keys.
Finding contacts is really easy. If you open the phone, the two function buttons are "Message" and "Contacts" - the two primary items I look for when I grab the phone. You press the contacts key and up pops my contacts. I start typing the letters of the name of the person I want to text or call and it starts matching entries. Easy.
When the keyboard is closed, the center navigation pad works in several ways.
The middle key is the OK key. Pressing OK takes you to a messaging quick pick list with new text message, messages, drafts, voicemail and visual voice mail.
Pressing the arrow up key(right above the OK button) takes me right to My Music where I can select all songs, playlists, artists, etc. and listen to music.
Arrow down takes you to a events quick pick list with volume control, new messages, email, voice mail, missed calls, calendar, and alarms.
Arrow left takes you to the messaging quick pick list which is the same as the OK key.
Arrow right takes you to the bluetooth menu where the quick pick list is power off, add new device, discovery mode, or your list of bluetooth devices to connect to.
There is also dedicated contacts button, and a clear button. Pressing the clear button on the front invokes the voice activated commands menu where you can speak commands like "call ____" or "Send message to ____", etc. Like pressing the command button on your blue tooth ear piece and the phone responding to commands.
The screen is lovely. Crisp and clear. Very easy to read for those of us who really needs reading glasses to read with. I can get away without my glasses.
In summary what I really really like about the phone is how I can pretty much use it one handed. Yes I can T9 text (learned on my Pearl). I drive from plant to plant and my people can send me important text messages that I can read while driving (ok i pull over when i have to respond.)
Word of caution - I dropped it twice on the first day, one time onto the garage floor. Tried using it one handed while juggling my brief case and winter coat. But, no dings or dents and it is just fine. I went to the mall and got a hard cover case for it right away. It is a little slippery but given all the other pluses, that is minor in the bigger picture. -
"Software problems and more.." on by briky469
Pros: Love the texting. Great for quick one handed texting or flip open to use full keyboard.
Cons: Little after a moth of getting this phone started having problems. Phone would shut down and reboot itself when texting or using multi media. Phone calls connect slow compaired to my orignal verizon phone. Replacement phone same issuses.
Summary: I am now on my 2nd LG Octane after recieving a replacement for the shutting down and rebooting problem. Havent had this one a week and it is doing the same thing. I took it back to Verizon and was told nothing they can do but replace it AGAIN. And was told that if i wanted a different phone I was gonna be charged a 35$ restocking fee. WHAT GREAT way to treat your customer for a defective phone. Was Told that if the 3rd phone had same issuse I may be able to get different phone under the lemon law act. I would not recommend this phone.
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