LG VX6100 review (Verizon Wireless)

As the follow-up to Verizon's first camera phone, the VX6100 has a VGA camera (with a CMOS lens) that is one of its most notable features. It takes photos at three resolutions (640x480, 320x240, and 160x120), and you can choose from several quality settings and two shutter sounds, as well as a silent option. The phone has adjustable settings for white balance, brightness, and color, and it can take pictures with the flip closed. Other goodies include a 4X digital zoom, a multishot function, and a self-timer that can be set for 5 or 10 seconds. The image quality is on a par with that of other VGA camera phones, and while the pictures aren't great for printing, they're fine for casual snapshots. We were pleased that LG tripled the photo-storage capacity to 60 shots, but we lamented the lack of an infrared port. As a result, you must upload your pictures to Verizon's site or send them via a multimedia message.

You can personalize the mobile with a variety of banners, wallpaper, and theme colors. Additional ring tones and BREW-enabled games are available for download through Verizon's Get It Now service (no titles are included with the handset).

Call quality with the LG VX6100 was great. We tested the trimode (CDMA 800/1900; AMPS 800) phone in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless service. Callers remarked that the signal was good and clear, and we had adequate volume and clarity on our end. The speakerphone also worked well, and you can activate it before placing a call.

Battery life was admirable. We managed 3.45 hours of talk time on a single charge, beating the rated talk time of 3 hours. For standby time, we got 8 days, compared to the promised time of 6.25 days. According to the FCC, the VX6100 has a digital SAR rating of 0.93 watts per kilogram.