Manage updates with the Download AppLG Vortex - black (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: LG Part number: Vortex
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The LG Vortex is a wonderful entry-level Android smartphone for Verizon Wireless, as long as you know its limitations.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | In stock Get free shipping on orders over $25! | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 05/22/2013 |
| Amazon.com Marketplace | | | as of 05/22/2013 |
CNET editors' review
LG Vortex - black (Verizon Wireless) price range: $89.99 - $133.45
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 11/23/2010
The good: The LG Vortex has a slim and simple design with a good touch-screen display. Features include GPS, EV-DO Rev. A, Wi-Fi with 3G Mobile Hotspot capabilities, a 3.2-megapixel camera, and stereo Bluetooth, and it ships with Android 2.2.
The bad: The LG Vortex isn't as fast as higher-end smartphones, and the camera has neither LED flash nor HD video capture. The browser doesn't support Flash video. It comes with Bing search and Bing maps instead of Google's own services. The price is not as competitive as other comparable handsets. You can't uninstall preloaded apps and services.
The bottom line: The LG Vortex is a wonderful entry-level Android smartphone for Verizon Wireless, as long as you know its limitations.
User reviews
-
-
A decent phone with some unfortunate failings.
by QuiescentWonder on March 1, 2011
Pros: It's cheap, in fact, it's the cheapest Android phone Verizon had available with a contract renewal. There is an ignore-a-call-with-a-text button, like the Samsung Galaxy S line has.
Cons: Lots of bugs that make it unusable for anyone but the simplest of users.
Summary: This is Android 2.2, there isn't much else to be said about that. The phone comes with CityID, but it's only a 15-day trial. The phone supports ...
Summary: This is Android 2.2, there isn't much else to be said about that. The phone comes with CityID, but it's only a 15-day trial. The phone supports Mobile Hotspot and an Office suite. Aside from that, it's bloated full of Bing and all of Verizon's standard crapware.
On to the bad.
1. Phone calls only SOMETIMES work over Bluetooth. Strangely enough, I can even be listening to music over Bluetooth and a call comes in (even over the stereo), when I answer (even with the button on my stereo) the option to use Bluetooth is not available. When I hang up the call the music continues playing (over Bluetooth).
2. If you have the phone plugged in to the charger but still use the phone, it drains the battery while it's plugged in.
3. GPS takes like 5 minutes to get a fix no matter where you are.
4. Most streaming services don't work. Lot's of RTMP and HTTP streams just won't connect on this phone. (BBC Radio, WinAMP Shoutcast, etc won't even connect)
5. It says I have a missed call constantly, but I don't. Problem not only persists through reboots but hard resets as well.
6. When you plug in a USB charger it will occasionally give you the USB data-cable options. After this bug happens the USB options stay available even without a cable plugged in until you restart the phone.
7. Google Maps crashes a lot on this phone.
8. Screen resolution is low... of the phone is just too slow to handle making fonts look nice. Fonts are always readable but sometimes blocky and weird looking.
9. Camera is 3.2 MP, kinda crappy. This would be okay for such a cheap phone if it the bundled camera application wasn't so terrible. The only way to take a picture is the on-screen button, which is so small that you'll miss every chance to take a good picture. After you take a picture it's frozen on the screen until you press "new". Meaning that if you are just trying to take a bunch of pictures, there is an added button press.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great entry-level Android phone
by Mommy_Ishtar on November 28, 2010
Pros: Android Froyo, Swype, Little-to-no lag, nice size, decent camera, 5 or 7 customizable home screens
Cons: No physical keyboard, can't uninstalled factory apps, no physical camera button, no camera flash, only a 3.2 camera, too many factory-installed apps constantly running in background, lock button on top of phone
Summary: This is my first smart phone and so far I'm loving it. I've only had it for 2 days now, but I've spent countless hours on it. ...
Summary: This is my first smart phone and so far I'm loving it. I've only had it for 2 days now, but I've spent countless hours on it. I've yet to have it crash once - my husband's has a couple of times, but that was due to the apps he was using that he downloaded from the market. I was used to a physical keyboard, so using the on-screen one took some real getting used to, as did the Swype technology. At first the keys seemed way too small (and I don't have large hands) and I was always hitting the wrong letter. But once I started using the Swype technology and got used to it, I found it to be very accurate. I did have to adjust my settings to be a little more forgiving, and therefore not quite as fast, but I still find it to be more than fast enough. Also, as I've gotten more used to the keyboard, even individual key entries are more accurate now - I just had to get used to it. Same with the touch screen in general. I was used to the way my old Samsung Reality worked, and at first I didn't like how the Vortex responded, or didn't, to touch. But again, now that I am used to it, it responds just fine. Battery life could certainly be better, but this is the case with all smart phones, and I don't think this one is any worse than the average smart phone. Bluetooth syncing was a breeze. Signal strength seems to be about what my Reality was - pretty good, but not exceptional. The screen is nice and bright and you can adjust the brightness to suit your surroundings. I really miss having a physical camera button. You only have an on-screen button, and it makes taking self-portraits a little tricky. Furthermore, I'd expect a smart phone to have a better camera. This one is acceptable, just not what I would have expected. Volume seems to be good all the way around. Vibration is strong enough for me to notice it when in my pocket. I don't like that you cannot uninstall the factory bundled apps, and really don't like that there is no way to stop many of them from running in the background. I downloaded a task killer, but these apps just start right back up every time. This is aggravating - especially since there are several of them that I will never use - they're just eating up my battery. On my old Reality, the screen lock button was on the side of the phone and was very convenient to push whenever I needed to. On the Vortex, the screen lock button is on top of the phone and is quite awkward to press one-handed, but this seems to be a common Android phone feature. I like that it has 5 or 7, dependent on what you choose, home screens. It won't be long before I am using all 7 due to the endless apps. All-in-all I am very pleased with my first Android phone. There are some things I would change about it, but most of that is just because of what I am used to from my old phone. Besides - my husband and I got these for *free* at Verizon on black Friday. We went in there an hour or two before they closed and they still had the phones in stock and we didn't have to wait one minute because all of the crowds were gone. My advise to anyone who is thinking about getting this phone is to try it out in the store first. See what you like and don't like about it and decide from there. And to those who do get this phone - give yourself at least a few days to get used to how it works. As you get more used to it, you'll probably like it more and more.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Good first Android device
by ZTBELL21 on November 20, 2010
Pros: Android Froyo 2.2, Battery, Solid, WiFi
Cons: Screen- it's a little hard to work with, and Camera- no LED flash
Summary: i was wanting to get an android device for a while and was looking at the Droid X and Droid 2, but realized I didn't need everything those devices ...
Summary: i was wanting to get an android device for a while and was looking at the Droid X and Droid 2, but realized I didn't need everything those devices offered. I heard about this device a few days ago and wanted one after I dropped my Blackberry Storm from a truck, therefore disabling the Berry's ringer. A rep at Verizon showed me this device as a suitable replacement.
The screen takes a little getting used to, but works well. i recommend getting screen protectors with this phone, as the screen smudges easily.
As for the camera not having an LED flash, Ithis is not my first trip to the rodeo, but an LED would have been a nice touch. i got what i paid for, however, as this was less than $310 without a contract and less than $100 with one.
The experience has been primarily a positive one, as this is my first phone with a 600 MHz processor and a generous amount of RAM, Also, having WiFi makes up for this phone's 2 weaknesses, and overall, I really like the phone.
The battery life has been relatively good for a smartphone, especially given how thin this phone is.
Android is the icing on the cake with this device , as I was llooking at another device w/o android and got this for the same price. Android, with it's thousands of apps, allows this device to make Apple's iEcosystem (iPhone and iOS) look like a toy compared with this pocket-sized robot.
Overall, it's a good android phone for anyone looking to start out with android, and i recommend ANY android device including this one.3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
My first smartphone, and I'm very happy with it.
Pros: It's an LG, I've never had any problems them. Works great, and gives you all the features of other smart phones but I feel it is more reliable.
Cons: No flash for the camera, and sometimes needs to be restarted like a computer because it will start to run slow, but after turning it back on it's fine.
Summary: Bottom-line is I love it. It is everything that you need and does not have too many issues. Every phone is going to have its set of problems though.
Summary: Bottom-line is I love it. It is everything that you need and does not have too many issues. Every phone is going to have its set of problems though.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Not Worth It, Every Pro Has 2 Cons
by powderpuff25 on December 18, 2012
Pros: Easy to use, nice size, looks nice.
Screen graphics are excellent.
SD card for extra memory.
Picture quality is good.
USB cord to connect to comp for easy transfer.
Call quality good from both ends.
Charge port on bottom.Cons: Poor battery life-to be expected tho.
Too many apps installed I never used; Navigation, Call ID, Skype, Songster, Kindle, Amazon, can't even name them all.
Charging glitches.
Burned out charging cables.
Slide to talk glitchy.
Keypad entry lag.Summary: Got this as a replacement phone thru Verizon's insurance plan after my LG Chocolate Touch quit working. It was one of 2 choices offered so I had little choice ...
Summary: Got this as a replacement phone thru Verizon's insurance plan after my LG Chocolate Touch quit working. It was one of 2 choices offered so I had little choice and the other was a Motorola that was pulled almost immediatly.
First thing I noticed was it drained the battery fast even when not being used. Regular force stopping the apps helped, as did getting a Task Manager app.
Second was it burned out the charger w/in 2 wks. In the yr and half I've had it I've gone thru 7 chargers/cables. One lasted 20 min. Also there were times it wouldn't charge, just blink on and off. 24 hrs off the charger and turned off seemed to be the only thing that worked, big problem since it was my only phone and I have kids.
Next the home button qut working, which was a huge annoyance. The the screen lock function quit, no matter what mode I used it wouldn't lock. Very annoying having my phone random call or text if I forgot to shut it off before putting it in my purse.
The slide to talk function worked half the time, resulting in missed calls. Only rang about 50% of the time, no matter what ringtone I used. Rarely gave a text msg alert, only knew I had one if I was looking at the phone. Wouldn't even vibrate when it was set to.
The Mobile Hotspot thru that phone was ok, but for $20/mo for 2GB not worth it. If 3G coverage went out so did the internet connection and it was often slow. As I used other friends MH w/o any of those problems it wasn't the area.
When using the keypad it would lag or the button would stick and I would get a full line of space instead of a single space, or I'd hit delete to erase one letter and lose my entire text. Most of my downloaded apps could be moved to the SD card, saving memory. But too many unused apps ran and auto started all the time. Skype was always on, I never once used it. Google Store installed a program that ate a ton of memory, I uninstalled it daily, had to uninstall Google Store to make it quit. I never used it or any of the Google apps, I prefer Bing.
No camera button or flash, great pics in brightly lit rooms or outside. But in direct sun couldn't see the screen image. I could add more but those were the major problems. The rest were personal preferences and shouldn't be included.
Basically this was the worst phone I ever owned. Even tho I only paid $40 something thru insurance I still feel ripped off, scammed. I love LG phones, this was #4 and the other 3 were good phones. Looking at the LG Spectrum 2 now that the phone has died, needs a new battery but rejects the new one I got for it. I will hate losing my Unlimited Data, but it will be worth it.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
durable easy to use all it's missing is Camera Flash
by JStephens814 on February 24, 2012
Pros: Low cost, Durable, Easy to use, compatible with many interfaces and Bluetooth devices, all around great phone of the AVERAGE NON BUSINESS person.
Cons: Not the best camera, NO FLASH, screen seems a little small but in order to get a bigger screen you would have to enlarge the size of the phone as well?!? Not a huge deal to me as I like the size of the phone
Summary: Low cost, Durable, Easy to use, compatible with many interfaces and Bluetooth devices, all around great phone of the AVERAGE NON BUSINESS person. Not the best camera, NO FLASH, screen ...
Summary: Low cost, Durable, Easy to use, compatible with many interfaces and Bluetooth devices, all around great phone of the AVERAGE NON BUSINESS person. Not the best camera, NO FLASH, screen seems a little small but in order to get a bigger screen you would have to enlarge the size of the phone as well?!? Not a huge deal to me as I like the size of the phone.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Good for basic use and first time Android users.
by erickj92 on December 2, 2011
Pros: It's cheap, makes phone calls and texts.
Cons: Browsing is very slow, the phone can't play games very well at all and the video recording is very poor. The phone also hangs a lot when trying to perform certain tasks.
Summary: It has a lot of room for improvement and I feel I could have gotten a much better phone for a little bit more money. I would have taken it ...
Summary: It has a lot of room for improvement and I feel I could have gotten a much better phone for a little bit more money. I would have taken it back if it wasn't for Verizon's restocking fee. There is much to be desired, but for my first Android phone I do enjoy it for the most part.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
No Memory, No Fun!
by youngharvard on November 30, 2011
Pros: Small phone good for small hands.
Cons: Basically no internal memory. Small phone good for small hands, only my kids can really use it.
Summary: Constantly alerts with internal phone memory low. The only apps I have loaded are saved on SD card so that they are not on the phone memory. That means the ...
Summary: Constantly alerts with internal phone memory low. The only apps I have loaded are saved on SD card so that they are not on the phone memory. That means the phone has too much pre-loaded and doesn't have enough memory for the few things that I allow to run. It also tells me that I have no text memory when I have one very short text in my inbox, so it rejects new texts coming in. I only got this phone for its size, I have small hands and didn't want to get a Motorola Droid like my husband has because I can barely get my hand around it. Now I am really regretting it because his phone has a great camera and a flash. I was also desperate to get a new phone due to the age of my previous phone and the fact that my MP3 player had died. I wish I had done my homework.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Generally I like the phone
by kamv121 on October 15, 2011
Pros: easy to read screens, good color
Cons: Hate the keyboard. I had my phone a few weeks, hated the keyboard and suddenly, there was a new keyboard much like my son's iPhone - loved my phone for the next few months then suddenly - it reverted back to the one with tiny keys even for small hands, P
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Stuck with Bing and limited functionality
by zecidnac on June 13, 2011
Pros: Basic Android phone (I guess it's better than nothing.)
Most apps work (see cons)Cons: Not enough graphics power to run intensive apps (This phone lags and occasionally force closes even Solitaire!)
Absolutely will not work with Bluetooth. After a month's worth of attempts with different devices I stopped trying to use Bluetooth.
RegularlySummary: I truly wish this phone would have shown me what a piece of crap it was during the 30-day period so I could have returned it and never looked back. ...
Summary: I truly wish this phone would have shown me what a piece of crap it was during the 30-day period so I could have returned it and never looked back. My salesman kept trying to convince me it was "a good little phone" but I absolutely hate it. If I didn't get this phone for free, I'd pitch a fit to get my money back. I'd like to drive over it a few times. I switched from the original orange LG EnV and though it was 5 years old, it works 100x better than this phone.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: LG
- Part number: Vortex
- Description: First time smartphone users aren't looking for the most elaborate phone on the market, they are looking for a phone that does what it should, and does it brilliantly. LG Vortex provides mobile features and easy functionality with the intuitive Android 2.2, and Bing search. From day one, you'll will be using and enjoying, not struggling through a frustrating learning process.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Smartphone
- Form Factor Touch
- Phone Design PDA
- Integrated Components Wi-Fi hotspot,
GPS receiver,
Digital camera,
Digital player,
Voice recorder - Width 2.32 in
- Depth 0.52 in
- Height 4.47 in
- Weight 4.44 oz
- Body Color Black
Cellular
- Technology CDMA2000 1X
- Band CDMA2000 1X 1900/800
- Service Provider Verizon Wireless
- Operating System Android 2.2 OS
- Application Software ThinkFree Mobile
- Input Device(s) Touch sensitive screen
Messaging & Internet
- Cellular Messaging Services MMS,
SMS - Instant Messaging Services Google Talk,
Skype - Supported Social Networks and Blogs Twitter,
Facebook - Messaging & Data Features Text messages,
Multimedia messages (MMS),
Picture messages,
Voice messages,
E-Mail,
Voice mail,
HTML Browser - Downloadable Content Applications
- Mobile Services VCAST,
YouTube,
Bing Search,
Gmail,
Google Play Communications
- Data Transmission EV-DO
- Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11b/g,
Bluetooth 2.1 EDR - Bluetooth Profiles Object Push Profile (OPP),
Hands Free Profile (HFP),
Headset Profile (HSP),
Dial-up Networking Profile (DUN),
File Transfer Profile (FTP),
Phonebook Access Profile (PBAP),
Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP),
Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) - Communication Features Internet browser,
Mobile Email client Phone Features
- Phone Functions Voice control,
Call timer,
Conference call,
Flight mode,
Speakerphone,
Voice dialing,
Vibrating alert - Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Additional Features Text-to-Speech (text recognition),
Software updates FOTA (Firmware Over The Air),
TTY compatible,
Widgets support,
Intelligent typing (SWYPE) Organizer
- Personal Information Management Synchronization with PC,
Calendar,
Calculator,
Reminder,
Alarm clock Media Player
- Supported Digital Audio Standards MP3,
WMA,
AAC - Supported Digital Video Standards MPEG-4,
DivX,
WMV,
3GP Processor
- Type MSM7627
- Clock Speed 600 MHz
Memory
- Supported Flash Memory Cards microSD - up to 32 GB
Digital Camera
- Sensor Resolution 3.2 megapixels
- Still Image Resolutions 320 x 240,
640 x 480,
2048 x 1536,
1280 x 960,
1600 x 1200 - Special Effects Solarise,
Blue,
Negative,
Sepia - White Balance Automatic,
Presets - Video Recorder Resolutions 176 x 144 (QCIF),
640 x 480 (VGA),
320 x 240 (QVGA) - Features Video recording,
Smile shutter Navigation System
- GPS Navigation A-GPS receiver - Simultaneous GPS (S-GPS)
- Navigation Software & Services VZ Navigator,
Bing Maps Display
- Type LCD display - Color
- Technology TFT
- Diagonal Size 3.2 in
- Display Resolution 320 x 480 pixels
- Color Depth 18-bit (262000 Colors)
- Multi-language Menu Yes
- Display Languages English,
Spanish - Features Wallpaper
Connections
- Connector Type Headset jack - Mini-phone 3.5 mm
Battery
- Technology Lithium ion
- Capacity 1500 mAh
- Run Time Details Talk ( CDMA ) - up to 450 min,
Standby ( CDMA ) - up to 500 hour(s) Miscellaneous
- Compliant Standards HAC(Hearing Aid Compatible)
- Included Accessories Power adapter , Power adapter
- Also Included microSDHC - 2 GB
Product series
-
LG Vortex - black (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: LG
Specs: Verizon Wireless,
CDMA2000 1X,
Up to 450 min,
With digital camera / digital player,
4.44 oz,
3.2 megapixels,
3.2 in -
LG Vortex - violet (Verizon Wireless)
Manufacturer: LG
Specs: Verizon Wireless,
CDMA2000 1X,
Up to 450 min,
With digital camera / digital player,
4.44 mg,
3.2 megapixels,
3.2 in
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse LG products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:LG
- Address:
1000 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
%20-%20Compare%20prices,%20reviews,%20user%20opinions%20-%20Shopper.com&srcUrl=http://shopper.cnet.com/smartphones/lg-vortex-black-verizon/4014-6452_9-34284722-1.html?info%3Duser&x_breadcrumb=8900:3488:3504:6452&x_arw_bkts=MAD:first_impression){kind=small}