LG CU500V (AT&T)
Manufacturer: LG Electronics U.S.A. Part number: CU500V
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- User reviews
- Specifications
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- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The LG CU500V is one of the fastest phones we've ever tried, with swift downloads, impressive video-streaming speeds, and the ability to make video calls with AT&T's Video Share service. The feature set is impressive; the picture and audio quality are great; and the slim, attractive design is a bonus.
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CNET editors' review
LG CU500V (AT&T) price range: $69.59
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 07/26/2007
The good: The LG CU500V offers AT&T's new Video Share feature that lets you make video calls. It's also a HSDPA quad-band world phone with a great slim design, external music buttons, and a camera with a rotating lens. Features include a 1.3-megapixel camera, an audio player, a microSD memory card slot, a speakerphone, and access to exclusive content, courtesy of Cellular Video and AT&T Music.
The bad: The LG CU500V has two superskinny function buttons on the side that are difficult to press; we also didn't like that you have to remove the battery in order to get to the microSD card slot.
The bottom line: The LG CU500V is one of the fastest phones we've ever tried, with swift downloads, impressive video-streaming speeds, and the ability to make video calls with AT&T's Video Share service. The feature set is impressive; the picture and audio quality are great; and the slim, attractive design is a bonus.
The "V" in the LG CU500V's name stands for Video, and that's the key feature separating it from the LG CU500. The LG CU500V has a new video-calling feature from AT&T called Video Share, which is the country's first nationwide video-calling service. It isn't perfect--it only streams video one-way and it'll only work with certain phones--but the potential for live video streaming outweighs these concerns. Imagine shopping for something, and being able to stream live video of your choices to a friend for an opinion, for example. That said, everything else about the LG CU500V is exactly the same as the LG CU500. From the thin flip phone design to the high-speed HSDPA, the LG CU500V mirrors the LG CU500. So if you already have the LG CU500, I wouldn't upgrade unless you really want the Video Share service.
But if you're considering an upgrade to a speedy HSDPA phone with video calling, the LG CU500V isn't a bad choice. It rivals the Razr in looks and design, and its HSDPA offering lends the phone to a variety of high-end 3G services like Cellular Video (previously known as Cingular Video), AT&T Music, and more. Add that to a 1.3-megapixel camera that takes great pictures, an audio player, and more, and we think that the LG CU500V is one of the better 3G phones out there. The LG CU500V is currently available for $29.99 with a two-year service agreement, making it one of the cheapest 3G phones around.
Because the only difference between the LG CU500 and the LG CU500V is the AT&T Video Share feature, large parts of this review are lifted from the review of the LG CU500.
Design
The LG CU500V is the latest in a line of phones inspired by the Razr's design. The flip phone has that same wide body and slim silhouette, though the inclusion of a rotating camera lens and external music controls actually make it look more like the Samsung MM-A900. The CU500 is a little thicker and heavier at 3.8 by 1.95 by 0.76 inches and 3.7 ounces, but it still maintains a sleek and attractive form. It comes in black with silver and chrome accents inside and out. The handset feels nice in the hand and pretty comfortable when cradled against the ear.
The navigation controls consist of the usual two soft keys and a five-way toggle in the middle that doubles as a shortcut to text messaging, instant messaging, the address book, and the My Stuff folder. Also in the navigation array are dedicated keys to the music player and the camera. The talk, cancel/back, and end/power buttons are located right above the number keypad. Unlike the keys on the Razr, the buttons here are not flush to the surface. They're tactile and raised slightly, making them easy to press and dial by feel.
Features
While the LG CU500V has an attractive design, its real beauty lies in its features. The address book stores up to 500 contacts, and each entry can accommodate up to five numbers, two e-mail addresses, a picture ID, a memo, and one of 10 72-chord polyphonic ringtones and can be assigned to a caller group. Other basic features include a vibrate or silent mode, a speakerphone, support for stereo Bluetooth, text and multimedia messaging, a voice recorder, instant messaging (AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and ICQ), a wireless Web browser, an alarm clock, a calendar, a notepad, a calculator, a world clock, and a to-do list. It also comes with a microSD card slot, but you'll have to remove the battery in the back to get to it. The CU500V is a quad-band GSM phone, which means you can use it almost anywhere in the world.
One of the most impressive features of the CU500V is definitely its support for HSDPA. A 3.5G technology, HSDPA is a successor to UMTS, a 3G technology, both of which are designed for better mobile phone performance. While the transfer speeds for UMTS typically theoretically cap out at 2Mbps, the speeds on HSDPA have the potential to get up to 14.4Mbps. The CU500V can't support speeds that high, of course, but it can perform up to 1.8Mbps, which is still much faster than what's offered on AT&T's UMTS network. It lets the CU500V manage with aplomb high-speed streaming video services such as AT&T's Cellular Video, not to mention support for various music services under the AT&T Music header. Cellular Video offers up exclusive HBO Mobile content from shows like The Sopranos and Entourage, as well as clips from various networks, such as the Cartoon Network and Fox. Please read our review of Cellular Video for more detailed information on the service.
As for AT&T Music, it's not so much a portal as it is a suite of applications. From the AT&T Music menu, you can access the music player, shop for ringtones, and access a variety of music services such as MobiRadio (for radio), Billboard Mobile (for industry news), Music Choice (for music videos), and an array of music communities that cater to fans of a specific artist. There's also a fun application called MusicID, which claims to identify the song's title just by holding the phone up to a music source. The cost to use the MusicID messaging application is 99 cents per ID. The music player itself supports MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+ file formats, and you upload the songs into the phone via a USB data cable, sold separately. We wish the USB cable came standard with the package. The player interface is rather primitive, but we could still arrange songs into playlists, shuffle or repeat songs, and adjust visualization and equalizer settings.
The 1.3-megapixel camera has a 4X zoom and takes photos in four resolutions (160x120, 320x240, 640x480, 1,280x960) and three different quality settings (Normal, Fine, and Super Fine). Other camera settings include a self-timer, a reverse view mode (for upside-down shots), white balance (Auto, Daylight, Incandescent, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Night Mode), color effects (Color, Sepia, Mono, Negative), multishot, and three shutter tones (plus a fourth silent mode). There's an image editor that lets you resize, crop, color effect, and rotate your snapshots. You can also choose to shoot short video clips at two video resolutions (176x144, 320x240), though you can record only up to 14 minutes of video at 15 frames per second. We found the picture quality to be quite good for a camera phone, though it struggled with low-light environments.
Personalization options are standard on the CU500V. You can switch out the wallpaper, change the color schemes, and choose the way you want the clock or calendar displayed on the internal or external screen. You also have the option to download additional graphics if the included ones don't suit your taste. The CU500 has Java 2.0 support for games, and if you're not satisfied with the POGO Tripeaks and Tetris that come with the phone, you may purchase and download more games via AT&T's MediaMall.
Performance of LG CU500 (Cingular)
We tested the LG CU500V quad-band (850/900/1800/1900; GPRS; UMTS; HSDPA) phone in San Francisco using AT&T's service. We experienced better than average call quality, even outdoors on the busy city sidewalks. Callers did report a bit of interference, but it wasn't much of a deterrent. We also particularly liked the quality of the speakerphone, which sounded loud and clear. We were able to pair the CU500V with the Cardo S-2 without a problem.
We found the HSDPA speeds on the phone to be remarkably impressive. We managed to connect to Cellular Video in a split second, and streaming video barely experienced a hiccup with almost no downtime in buffering. We also downloaded a game called Lemmings in less than four seconds. While it may not be as fast as cable, it's certainly light-years away from dial-up. Video quality was quite low-res and pixelated, which was expected. Music quality on the other hand was very impressive, sounding crisp and clear when heard over earphones or via the phone's stereo speakers. It doesn't quite compare to that of a dedicated MP3 player, but it's good enough for a quick fix.
The LG CU500V has a rated talk time of up to 5 hours and a standby time of up to 10 days. It had a tested talk time of 4 hours and 50 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the CU500V has a digital SAR rating of 1.12 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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best flip phone ever
by ryancordero on August 6, 2007
Pros: speed, features, style
Cons: screen size
Summary: this phone is the best damn flip phone i have ever had. the only down side is that the screen is a bit small. the phone does get a bit ...
Summary: this phone is the best damn flip phone i have ever had. the only down side is that the screen is a bit small. the phone does get a bit hot when using the internet for extended periods of time but its not unbearable. otherwise absolutely great phone!! fast internet, great video, great call quality, all you need
6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Has one big fault
by rclose11 on August 15, 2007
Pros: Very fast, good screen resolution, crisp call quality, great speaker phone, very slim
Cons: This phone does NOT have voice calling
Summary: This phone is pretty much everything everyone says its is. However it does NOT have what I consider essential to a good cellphone these days, the ability to set voice ...
Summary: This phone is pretty much everything everyone says its is. However it does NOT have what I consider essential to a good cellphone these days, the ability to set voice names and use the names for calling (ie "call sally"). I don't understand why a phone as good as this lacks this important feature.
And as an aside it could use a higher resolution camera with bluetooth management of pictures.6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best Phone Ever
by timoteo42 on August 12, 2007
Pros: Fast downloads, Video Call and nice features
Cons: i dont like the way that you have to remove the battery to get the SD card
Summary: i had this phone for about 2 months and i loved it. its the best flip phone ever made.
Summary: i had this phone for about 2 months and i loved it. its the best flip phone ever made.
6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This phone is no longer available
by nolanm on August 8, 2007
Pros: Please address this CNET
Cons: Please address this CNET
Summary: This phone has been discontinued by AT&T. They have replaced it with something called LG Trax. Please address this issue CNET because i went to buy this phone ...
Summary: This phone has been discontinued by AT&T. They have replaced it with something called LG Trax. Please address this issue CNET because i went to buy this phone and i was told it was discontinued in mid-July
6 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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WORST PHONE EVER!
by RIDGE146 on August 28, 2007
Pros: CAN'T THINK OF ANY ca't think of one
Cons: CAN THINK OF LOTS !
Summary: Worst phone I ever had, nothing but trouble since the day I bought it. Everytime the phone is shut off, then turned back on again, if anyone calls after that, ...
Summary: Worst phone I ever had, nothing but trouble since the day I bought it. Everytime the phone is shut off, then turned back on again, if anyone calls after that, I never get the messages, the caller gets a message saying the service is temporarily suspended. Twice I've stopped at a Cingular store, where they had to re-boot the phone, and their solution to the problem was to not shut the phone off. This does not SOLVE the problem, it's just a way to live with the problem. Finally after this happening for the 4th time they sent me a new phone, and still the same problem. I called LG and they said I should shut my phone off at least once a day...Cingular says no, if I do shut it off and they update the system, I don't get the updates.
Also, there is no "alert" option on the phone, if you get a call and you are not with the phone. Once a message is left in voice mail, there is one beep, and a message on the external screen for 10 seconds, then it disapears. You physically have to check you phone to see if you received a call while you were away from the phone, there is no continual alert telling you someone has left a message. If your in the shower and someone calls and leaves a message, by the time you get out, you missed the ONE alert your going to get, so if you don't physically open your phone to see if someone called, you'll never know. I've missed MANY messages.
I know this phone has a high rating, but I'm telling you, with all the phones out there...run away from this one!3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Delicate - don't buy
by EJBIV on September 27, 2007
Pros: nice screen, easy to press buttons
Cons: any water contact will kill this phone
Summary: I was very impressed with the features just like Cnet has reported. It is an accurate account of the phone. The menus are designed to get you to buy things ...
Summary: I was very impressed with the features just like Cnet has reported. It is an accurate account of the phone. The menus are designed to get you to buy things rather then be able to use the thing you just bought for the main reasons you bought it. The volume control is very bad. On minimal setting it is way to loud. When you crank it up any more it sounds bad. The phone buttons are excellent with raised shape, big, and easy to press and know you have pressed them. But I just can't say this is worth the money especially if you get any water near it. I didn't drop mine in a bath tub, just sat it on the sink countertop. With minimal splashing the phone stopped working. I actually took the time to mail it to LG and offered to pay to have it fixed. They said it was beyond repair. My advice, if your going to sell someone a 400 dollar phone, spend the extra 1 cent on a rubber gasket to protect the phone. If a customer does send it in to get fixed, fix it.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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No Problems
by BWC233 on August 6, 2007
Pros: Great Looks, No Dropped Calls, Great Camera
Cons: Minimal Background Noise
Summary: This phone, like it's older brother version is getting a bad rap. It's a cool looking phone for one thing. Second, it blows the Razor out of the ...
Summary: This phone, like it's older brother version is getting a bad rap. It's a cool looking phone for one thing. Second, it blows the Razor out of the water with its raised buttons, rotatable camera, and easy user interface. Yes there I've noticed some back-ground noise. But the small ammount of background noise has never kept me or the person on the other line from understanding each other. The volume level is highly-customizable as well which ends any background noise problems you might possibly be having.
As far as the phone getting hot deal. I know this varies for the many different age groups/career fields, but most of my phone calls only last at most 8-10 minutes. At that length of time, I haven't noticed this phone get hotter than any other I've ever used. Thus, unless your chatting it away for dozens of minutes a day like the younger crowd often do, I doubt the "phone gets hot" claim is going to affect you much.
Cool looks, cool abilities, cool interface cool buy.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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great phone, happy so far
by musikid2480 on May 31, 2007
Pros: 3G, rotating camera, nice screen, music phone, cingular video
Cons: none really, the confirmation sound is annoying
Summary: This is a great phone. I've had the CU500v for about a week now and ive loved every minute ive had it. the v in the model number stands ...
Summary: This is a great phone. I've had the CU500v for about a week now and ive loved every minute ive had it. the v in the model number stands for the new version that has the AT&T branding on it and new firmware, and if you have the old CU500 i would recommend upgrading it through the phone. The 3G signal on this phone is a little iffy, where it would be sitting in the same spot with 3 3G bars and then a minute later it will find more service and get to all 5 bars in 3G. the EDGE signal is excellent on this phone, i have gotten service in places that i didnt have before with my old phone. i really dont use the 3G on the phone though since i dont have an internet plan. but i have heard it is superfast. i live in a suburban area and i was surprised to get 3G when cingular (sorry, its AT&T) has only been using 3G in cities at the moment.
this phone looks great, it looks like a razr with loads of more features. it can stream live TV through the video service and also stream internet radio through the music service. the camera takes sharp pictures when there is good lighting, any dark picture with a little bit of light will saturate the picture. one of the main features on this phone is a music player. the phone also has stereo speakers in it and i think it sounds better than my crummy laptop speakers.
some good stuff that some people will never use, the phonebook holds 500 contacts, the phone has a tip calulator and a unit converter and stuff like that. one good feature is that there is a whole custom menu that contains whatever you want it to and you can change the order of them, on that menu i have the address book, missed calls, my files and etc. anything that is in the regular menu can be put in this custom menu.
there are a lot of people that dont like the ascending ring tone that the phone has that you cant turn off but i find it useful if you forget to put the phone on silent. one thing that i do find annoying though is that whenever you send a text message or change a setting, the phone plays a conformation ding that is pretty loud. other than that i have had a great experience with this phone and i plan on keeping it for a long time.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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This phone looks great but the battery life is poor. I have used this phone for almost a year now.
by rjustice03 on September 2, 2007
Pros: The video and music capabilities are great. The music also sounds great when payed back.
Cons: Battery life stinks, I get about one day from a charge even if I make or receive no calls and don't play back any music.
Summary: Overall I do not like this phone. The Micro SD card access is behind the battery which makes it a chore to get to it and I have had problems ...
Summary: Overall I do not like this phone. The Micro SD card access is behind the battery which makes it a chore to get to it and I have had problems with some cards in this phone, it is pickey about which ones it likes. The voice quality is also very poor with your conversation being chopped up. I have AT&T as a carrier and have used it across the country with no difference. The battery life is also a problem having to charge it every day even when I never receive or place a call. I didn't use this phone for much other than phone calls and other basic things so I can't speak to the video or web browsing features. The pictures this phone takes are good quality for a 1.3mp camera.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Awesome flip phone
by fasorino on August 13, 2007
Pros: fast internet, call quality, design, video streaming
Cons: screen could be larger
Summary: I am very very happy with this phone. Best features for me are:
-Video streaming
-Fast internet
-Slim, cool design
-Great call quality
-Stereo speakersSummary: I am very very happy with this phone. Best features for me are:
-Video streaming
-Fast internet
-Slim, cool design
-Great call quality
-Stereo speakers1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: LG Electronics U.S.A.
- Part number: CU500V
- Description: High-speed data access, rotating 1.3 megapixel camera, video share, streaming TV, and 3D stereo sound - you want it, the CU500v has it! This fully-featured phone is the ultimate multimedia device packaged in a stylish black clamshell. The CU500v lets you listen to music using a Bluetooth stereo headset and supports HSDPA high-speed network. If you're looking for superior multimedia capability wherever you go, look no further than the CU500v.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone
- Service Provider AT&T
- Width 1.95 in
- Depth 0.76 in
- Height 3.8 in
- Weight 3.7 oz
Cellular
- Technology GSM
- Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
- Phone Design Folder type phone
- Antenna Internal
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Call Timer Yes
- Conference Call Capability Yes
- Voice Recorder Yes
- Speakerphone Yes
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth
- Additional Features AGPS, Built-in camera, Mobile chat, Mobile E-mail, Video clip recording, Streaming video
Messaging & Data Services
- Messaging Services Yes
- GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Yes
- EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution) Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
- Platforms Supported Java MIDP 2.0
- JAVA applications Yes
- HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) Yes
Multimedia Features
- Playback Digital Video Formats 3gp
- Downloadable Content Games, Ring tones, Wallpapers, Video files, Screensavers
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 1.3 megapixels
- Still Image Resolutions 160 x 120, 320 x 240, 640 x 480, 1280 x 960
- Digital Zoom 4
- Self Timer Delay 3 sec, 10 sec
- Video Recorder Resolutions 176 x 144 (QCIF), 320 x 240 (QVGA)
- Digital Video Formats 3gp
- Features Multi-shots, 180° degree rotating function
Organizer
- Alarm Clock Yes
- Calendar Yes
- Reminder Yes
- Calculator Basic
- Additional Timer Functions Stopwatch
Display
- Type LCD display
- Technology TFT
- Line Qty 11
- Display Resolution 176 x 220 pixels
- Color Depth 16-bit (65000 colors)
Display (2nd)
- Type LCD display - Color
- Display Resolution 96 x 96 pixels
Power
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Technology - Lithium polymer
- Capacity 1100 mAh
- Talk Time Up to 300 min
- Standby Time Up to 240 h
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
Accessories
- A-Data Speedy Series flash memory card - 2 GB - microSD (33795596)8.99
- ATP SD Trio Professional PLUS card adapter - flash: microSD - Hi-Speed USB (32128464)17.00
- Centon 2GBRSD3-1 - flash memory card - 2 GB - microSD (33503634)8.99 - 11.84
- Centon flash memory card - 4 GB - microSD (33362243)11.48 - 70.99
Manufacturer info
- LG Electronics U.S.A.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse LG Electronics U.S.A. products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://us.lge.com/
- Address:
1000 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
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