LG VX8360 (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: LG Electronics U.S.A. Part number: VX8360ZW
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Though it remains a midtier offering, the LG VX8360 is still a great multimedia clamshell phone with excellent audio performance.
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CNET editors' review
LG VX8360 (Verizon Wireless) price range: $39.99
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 02/11/2009
The good: The LG VX8360 is compact and lightweight, plus it has external music player keys. It also has several high-end features such as EV-DO support, stereo Bluetooth, and A-GPS. Sound quality is excellent and it's very affordable.
The bad: The LG VX8360 features are not too different from its predecessor, and we would prefer a cleaner music player interface.
The bottom line: Though it remains a midtier offering, the LG VX8360 is still a great multimedia clamshell phone with excellent audio performance.
The LG VX8350 was one of our favorite Verizon Wireless phones in 2007 since it packed a lot of features into a simple and affordable package. Two years later, LG has released its successor, the VX8360. It's not quite as rounded as the VX8350, but it still has that compact clamshell design down pat. Perhaps our only complaint is that its features are exactly the same as its predecessor (you still get the same 1.3-megapixel camera, for example). Also, there's no reason to get the VX8360 if you already have an VX8350. But if you're in the market for a midtier handset with EV-DO, decent multimedia features, and great call quality, the VX8360 fits the bill. At only $49.99 after a mail-in rebate and a two-year service agreement, it won't hurt your wallet either.
Design
If you trimmed away the curves of the VX8350 and added more of a sporty flair, you would get the VX8360. Measuring 3.64 inches long by 1.91 inches wide by 0.78 inch thick, the VX8360 is a little smaller and thinner than its predecessor, while still maintaining the look and feel of a compact clamshell. It has a dark blue shell with silver trim and an inner chrome border, which result in quite a sporty racecar look. The VX8360 is also lightweight at 3.35 ounces and its slightly rounded edges make it feel comfortable in the hand.
On the front of the VX8360 is a small 1.17-inch diagonal color screen. It only supports 65,000 colors, but that's OK since it's only the external display. It shows the date, time, battery, and signal strength, caller ID, plus it has support for photo caller ID. It also acts as a self-portrait viewfinder when the camera is activated. When the music player is activated, you can see the album art and track information on it. Above the external display is the camera lens.
As with the VX8350, the VX8360 has external music player keys underneath the display, which we always like to see with music phones. The keys on the VX8360 are a lot flatter than the ones on the VX8350, but they are a little bigger and have slight delineations between the keys so it's still possible to press by feel. Underneath the keys is a large speaker grille, which helps to improve the speaker volume. This is a noticeable improvement from the VX8350, which had the speaker on the back.
Flip open the phone and you'll find a very pleasant 2-inch diagonal main display. The 262,000 color support and 240x320-pixel resolution really help to make the screen pop with vibrant color and images. You can adjust the backlight time, the size and type of the fonts, the menu layout, and the clock format. Since we're able to change out the menu layout, we can easily switch to a grid or list style, which is a little easier to navigate than the standard Verizon tabs interface.
We're happy to see that the VX8360 has kept the easy-to-use keypad of its predecessor. The navigation keys and number keypad are well spaced, tactile, and have a nice bubbly raised texture that make it really easy to thumb-type text messages and dial by feel. The navigation array consists of two soft keys, a five-way toggle that doubles as shortcuts to four user-defined functions, a dedicated Speakerphone key, a dedicated messaging key, and the Send, Clear, and End/Power keys. The dedicated speakerphone key activates the speakerphone prior to a call, which we definitely like as well.
On the left spine of the VX8360 are a voice command key, the volume rocker, and the headset jack, while the right is home to the dedicated camera key and microSD card slot. The charger jack is on the bottom.
Features
Even though the VX8360 may seem like any other clamshell, it actually comes with several high-end features that make it one of the better midtier handsets out there. That said, its feature set is almost identical to that of the VX8350, and we wished there would be at least some improvement.
The LG VX8360 comes with a generous 1,000-entry phone book with room in each entry for five numbers and two e-mail addresses. You can organize your contacts into groups, pair them with a picture for photo caller ID, or one of 23 polyphonic ring tones and alert tones. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, text and multimedia messaging, a calculator, a tip calculator, a calendar, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, a world clock, a notepad, and a voice memo recorder. More advanced users will like the mobile instant messaging (AIM, Yahoo, and MSN), mobile e-mail (this is done via the VX8360's Web browser), voice command capabilities, a wireless Web browser, stereo Bluetooth, and USB Mass Storage mode. It also has A-GPS, and it is compatible with location-based services such as VZ Navigator and Chaperone, a Verizon service that helps parents keep track of their kids.
The VX8360 has EV-DO, and with that comes support for Verizon's V Cast. That includes V Cast Video; Verizon's streaming video service; plus V Cast Music with Rhapsody, Verizon's music store. The VX8360's music player is housed within Verizon's V Cast Music interface, which is a little clunky, but still usable. The songs are grouped by genres, artists, and albums, plus you can create and edit your own playlists. Other player options include repeat and shuffle mode. You can purchase songs over the air for $1.99 each, which includes a simultaneous download to your PC. If you want, you can purchase songs directly from V Cast to your PC for only 99 cents. And if you have a Rhapsody music subscription ($14.99 a month), you can load some of your subscribed tracks directly to the phone. The VX8360 supports up to 8GB microSD cards, so that's plenty of room for your MP3s.
Like the VX8350, the VX8360 comes with a 1.3-megapixel camera. We're a little disappointed that the VX8360's camera did not at least get a slight megapixel update. That said, photo quality is pretty good for a 1.3-megapixel camera--images look sharp and saturated with color. Camera settings include three resolutions (1,280x960, 640x480, and 320x240), a self-timer, white balance, shutter sounds (with a silent option), color effects, brightness, a night mode, photometry/spot meter modes, plus the option to save the image to the phone's internal memory or to a microSD card. The camera doesn't have flash, however. As for the camcorder, there is only one video resolution of 176x144 pixels, and you can record in two lengths (up to 30 seconds for MMS or until the memory is full). Camcorder settings are similar to that of the still camera. Video quality is expectedly blurry and pixilated, but it's OK for quick clips to share with your friends.
You can customize the VX8360 with a variety of wallpapers, display themes, ringtones, alerts, and more. The VX8360 doesn't come with any games. If you want more options and applications, you can purchase and download them via the wireless Web browser.
Performance
We tested the LG VX8360 in San Francisco using the Verizon Wireless network. We were very impressed with the call quality. The VX8360 comes with "Voice Clarity" feature that helps to adjust the voice level based on the surrounding noise and, according to our callers, it worked. They could hear us loud and clear even in a variety of situations--in the office, in a crowded restaurant, and inside a car. On our end, we could hear them very clearly as well. Speakerphone quality was also slightly improved over the VX8350. Callers sounded loud and clear thanks to the speaker on the front, and they could hear us without any problems too.
Music quality is great as well. The bass is a little shallow, but overall sound quality was fine for a music phone. We would recommend using a headset for better audio fidelity.
As for the EV-DO speeds, we're pleased that we're able to surf the Web without a lot of waiting. We also downloaded a song in about 40 seconds, which is quite impressive. The streaming V Cast video looked a bit blurry, but there were no buffering issues.
The LG VX8360 has a rated battery life of 5.26 hours of talk time and 26.7 days of standby time. The tested talk time is a tad shorter at 4 hours and 22 minutes. According to the FCC radiation tests, the VX8360 has a digital SAR rating of 1.14 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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The best phone I have had in a long time!
by k8r2o on January 22, 2009
Pros: T9, feels sturdy, read texts on front, expandable memory slot (on the outside of the phone), looks good, pretty big screen, keypad, fast
Cons: None so far
Summary: After my past three phones being Motorola, I now realize what I have been missing. The phone is light and yet feels very sturdy, unlike the plastic pieces of junk ...
Summary: After my past three phones being Motorola, I now realize what I have been missing. The phone is light and yet feels very sturdy, unlike the plastic pieces of junk I have had in the past. I've been searching for a simple phone that is built well and functions as I need it to function. This phone is it. I don't use the camera (have a digital camera) or the music player (have an ipod), so the only thing that I am concerned with is making calls, sending text messages, and sometimes playing a game or two to kill time, this phone gave me everything I wanted and more.
8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
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GREAT MID GRADE PHONE
by Queen3B on February 11, 2009
Pros: Easy to navigate. It has all the features you need without the typical overload. Excellent battery life and reception.
Cons: The front end is prone to scratching VERY easily. It's smooth design can cause it to slip out of your hands easily. No Flash for the camera.
Summary: I finally decided to upgrade my original Verizon phone after 3 years and looked around at quite a few before choosing the LG VX8360. I was looking for something similar ...
Summary: I finally decided to upgrade my original Verizon phone after 3 years and looked around at quite a few before choosing the LG VX8360. I was looking for something similar to the mid grade flip I had before. I was going to get the LG VX8350 (this phones predecessor) but just happened to see this new version online and decided to go for the newer model. I'm surprised to say I really like this phone!
The LG VX8360 is extremely simple to navigate. Even someone technologically retarded like me had no difficulties setting it up the way I liked. You can program the directional keys to create shortcuts to your favorite features allowing you to really personalize the phone. There are also dedicated keys for messaging and the speakerphone. The side volume rocker makes it simple to adjust caller volume while having a conversation. You can easily access your camera via the button on the side. Keep the phone closed and hold down the camera button to use the front screen as a viewer for self portraits, or open the phone and then hit the camera key for regular photos. It also sports a USB connection so you can hook it up directly to your computer as well as a micro SD card slot for added space. The battery life is excellent. With moderate daily use I only need to charge it every 2-3 days.
The front screen is really, REALLY prone to scratches so I highly recommend leaving the screen protector on until you get a good fitted case for it. It's very lightweight, but large enough to handle easily. I had no problems opening and closing the phone one handed or dialing with only one hand. The exterior is also very smooth with no easy to grip surface so it can slip easily if you're not careful, another reason to get a good fitted case for it.
I love being able to use an actual photo as the wallpaper on the front screen as well as the main inside screen. you can also assign photos to contacts, however the photo ID is only visible on the inside screen so if you rely on pictures to know who's calling you might want to set the phone to answer by pressing the send key rather than answer on opening. . The camera does seem to take decent pictures, I just wish it had a flash. I've noticed many of the mid grade phones out now don't have flashes anymore. I have a regular camera of course, but I like to be able to snap a quick photo even when I don't have my camera available.
The ringer is loud and I was able to easily program my own ringers both as a default and assigning specific ringers to contacts. The only downside to the ringer is that you have to open the phone to silence the ringer or set it to vibrate. This makes it difficult when you're trying to be really discreet. My old phone allowed you to adjust ringer volume even with the phone closed.
Texting is fast and easy, but if you use text alot you might want to consider a phone with a qwerty keyboard. For light to moderate texters like me, this phone is more than sufficient. I like having both my contacts list and the messaging options available via soft keys from the home screen. There is also a dedicated key for messaging where you can program favorite contacts for quick access. One of my favorite features is being able to view my text messages from the front screen which also shows your caller ID info when you are receiving an incoming call.
I have not used the voice command feature yet, but having that as an option is great. I'm sure I'll make use of it soon. I also don't use the music player so I can't really comment on that, sorry.
All in all, an excellent phone. I can't say I'm disappointed.6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Pretty good phone so far..
by bjw123 on January 22, 2009
Pros: Good user interface with quick response, signal strength, voice clarity, mid-sized, bluetooth performance....and battery life is exceptional. Nice looking phone with a good feel of solid construction.
Cons: Very weak vibrate feature. Flip is a a bit difficult to open with one hand due to a somewhat narrow chamfer. No rubberized or textured surface to help grip the phone reliably. (expect a few fumbles) Directional button is a little too recessed.
Summary: Overall, I have had the new VX8360 for nearly a week and will most likely keep it. It has excellent call quality and reliable bluetooth connectivity to my headset and ...
Summary: Overall, I have had the new VX8360 for nearly a week and will most likely keep it. It has excellent call quality and reliable bluetooth connectivity to my headset and car stereo. My previous phone was a Razr and I experienced significant static and echo problems with bluetooth. I have not tested the music player features yet, but I mainly purchased for call features. However, if you are in somewhat noisy environment that requires you to place this phone in your pocket while set to vibrate, you will be disappointed and probably end up missing calls. (I would call it more of a low frequency hum than "vibrate). Then again, maybe I am used to my Razr, which would cause nearby richter scales to record seismic activity whenever I recieved a call :-) The battery life is a big bonus on this phone. Talk time is projected at over 300 minutes and Standby mode on this phone is over 600 hrs...wow! I haven't charged this thing since I got it.. This looks like a solid mid-tier phone by LG with only a few annoyances, but overall a good value if call quality and some nice features are the most important factor.
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Perfect!!!
by mudslinger83 on January 20, 2009
Pros: EVERYTHING
Cons: NOT A THING
Summary: there aint one thing i hate or dislike about this phone, great reception, sound quality, call quality, bluetooth, style, music player is loud, ringers are loud, expandable memory, able to ...
Summary: there aint one thing i hate or dislike about this phone, great reception, sound quality, call quality, bluetooth, style, music player is loud, ringers are loud, expandable memory, able to read text from the front as well as calls, pretty fast in EVDO service, battery life is good, has all the bells and whistles i need, camera and video are good, i aint found one thing bad about it, i recommend it..
here is a update...so im returning my vx-8360, its still a very good phone but after having it a little while i found out that for some reason it would not download music off of v-cast music, ive done everything i could do to get it to download but always failed to do so, so its defective, and also when i text or call someone that includes having to press 4 on the keypad it never fails to always push 1 on the keypad which messes my text and calls up sometimes, so this phone is defective, its not a bad phone, its actually the best LG from verizon, i just got a bad one.
Updated on Feb 5, 20095 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Basic Phone
by Brodoc on February 14, 2009
Pros: Great sound, Very user friendly and easy to set up and use, Has all you will need in a really good basic phone as well as many other features. Very good user guide.
Cons: Vibrate feature is only average and could be stronger, Charger port opening is arkward and has a weak feel which could possibly be damaged or broken off if not opened carefully.
Summary: A really good phone with camera, V-cast, GPS, and other features. All that you will need in a phone for everyday use unless you're a really high tech cell ...
Summary: A really good phone with camera, V-cast, GPS, and other features. All that you will need in a phone for everyday use unless you're a really high tech cell phone user.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Phone From LG
by JIM LONGO on January 30, 2009
Pros: Reception and battery life on this phone is great Has larger font size's and a brighter screen then the VX 8300 and the VX 8350 plus there are more settings in the menu sections.
Cons: Default setting in the contact list does not work same problem as in the VX 8350 that is why I did not give this phone 5 stars
Summary: Love the phone but you need to buy a LG car charger from LG verizons car charger will say on the front of the cell phone do not recommend this ...
Summary: Love the phone but you need to buy a LG car charger from LG verizons car charger will say on the front of the cell phone do not recommend this cable when chargering your phone. Buy LG charger model number SGCC0003402 or reorder number 383628 do not buy verizons car charger in there bundle promotion because you will lose $30.00 when you go to return there car charger because you are breaking the promotion bundle.
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Lightest best phone i have seen and I have had alot
by mookie0817 on January 22, 2009
Pros: Small, light, battery life, clear, easy to navigate
Cons: vibrate little weak
Summary: ABSOLUTELY PERFECT
Summary: ABSOLUTELY PERFECT
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great phone, especially for the money.
by spickmws on February 21, 2009
Pros: All the features I need. Moved on from a VX8700 and was worried it would be a big step down. Not at all, not as flashy but easier to use.
Cons: A little awkward to hold and text with one hand because of the space button, but I'm getting adjusted.
Summary: Much easier to hold and keep a good grip on over my vx8700. Although the space button is in an odd place, texting seems easier with the raised buttons. Screen ...
Summary: Much easier to hold and keep a good grip on over my vx8700. Although the space button is in an odd place, texting seems easier with the raised buttons. Screen is bright and clear. Less buttons to hit to get to vznavigator. And I don't know if mine has a firmware upgrade or something, but the vibrate is great. Great phone in this price range!
4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent phone
by Howard2024 on March 29, 2009
Pros: Good call clarity, speakerphone, and voice commands; large, rounded keypad numbers, easy-to-read bright screen, sturdy, more-than-adequate receive volume, good battery life. Flush-mounted buttons prevent them from getting snagged.
Cons: At least because they're flush mounted, it takes getting used to finding the up-down volume buttons without first looking at them. I don't trust that the covers for the charger connector and earphone/headset will stay intact.
Summary: I am grateful to CNET's, at least, initial user reviews that were so positive in every category in which I was interested. Finally being in the market for my ...
Summary: I am grateful to CNET's, at least, initial user reviews that were so positive in every category in which I was interested. Finally being in the market for my first "fancy" phone and for my first "real" nationwide plan, I went ahead and bought this one. I'm not at all disappointed. (I AM disappointed to see the phone downgraded because of users' disappointment with the service provider's options, or lack thereof.) This, to me, is a high quality telephone that does its job admirably. (I care little about it being a camera, a music player, or a web browser.) I like the flip-phone design because it form-fits a human face rather than the kind that lay flat where the microphone is halfway up your [face's] cheek. Speaking of which, no headset I've tried, bluetooth or corded, transmits as clearly as the phone's built-in microphone. People say my voice comes through muffled by comparison. I'd like to get an external headset that does transmit clearly. Any suggestions on one?
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great phone. Very happy so far...
by fiddysmit on March 15, 2009
Pros: Lightweight, very easy to use, good battery life, clear calls, adequate picture quality, and cool music player. Does everything I need.
Cons: Ringtone selection is pretty lame. Would like to use my own tunes to create ringtones, but I guess I need an iphone for that. Wish I could deactivate "vibrate only" mode with an outside button like my old LG phone without opening the clamshell.
Summary: This is only my second phone (both LG) so I'm no expert, but this is a very nice free upgrade with my "new every 2" Verizon promotion. I really ...
Summary: This is only my second phone (both LG) so I'm no expert, but this is a very nice free upgrade with my "new every 2" Verizon promotion. I really was just wanting a camera phone that has good battery life and clear calls so this phone is perfect for that. But I've found myself really liking the music player as well. I refuse to submit and pay Verizon any $$$ to download MY pictures and music to and from my Mac. So I bought a Sandisk USB microcard reader and a 4GB microSD card (on-line for $15 total including shipping) and I can transfer pics and tunes easily to and from my phone. That's how you get around that issue that some have spoken about in other reviews. Just an FYI about Verizon. I had previously purchased 4 ringtones from Verizon for my previous phone and they were nice enough to let me buy them again for my new phone and then credited my account since you can't transfer ringtones. So they aren't all that bad :) This is a very good mid-level phone...I think you'll really like it if those are your expectations.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
Manufacturer info
- LG Electronics U.S.A.
- Manufacturer profile
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