LG VX8360 Review

Introduction:

Out of all of the LG models that have been released for Verizon over the years, the VX8000 series has been the most popular, due to the features, reliability, and modest price point.  There have now been a total of five phones in this series, with the new VX8360 replacing the VX8350, which we reviewed in 2007.  How does this phone stack up to the current competition? Let’s find out!

Included in the retail package is the LG VX8360, 1000mAh battery with cover, microUSB wall charger, and user manual.



Design:

Like its earlier siblings, the VX8360 keeps the clamshell form factor, but the overall styling has changed.  Gone is the monochromatic color of the previous model, with the VX8360 sporting a new silver, black, and dark blue color combination, which we found to be more attractive, yet the size and weight of the device has not significantly changed.  Even though it is fully constructed out of plastic, it no longer has the “toy like” feel to it that we noticed with the VX8350, but still does not compare to the higher quality construction and more fashionable appearance of the Chocolate 3.



You can compare the LG VX8360 with many other phones using our Size Visualization Tool.

The external 1.17” display is rather small, but does have the ability to show text messages without the need of flipping the phone open.  Below it are the three music control buttons and stereo speakers.  Along the sides are the volume rocker, voice command and camera button, 2.5mm headset jack, and microSDHC card slot with 8GB support.  We are also glad to see that the old proprietary charging port has been replaced with a microUSB port.


While opening and closing the flip, the hinge operates smoothly, but you can hear some plastic rubbing together.  One important thing to point out is that the flexing we experienced with the VX8350’s hinge has been greatly reduced on the new model, thus making it feel more durable.  The internal 2” display has finally been upgraded to QVGA 240x320 pixel resolution with 262K-color support.  When compared next to the VX8350, the difference is immediately noticeable, with the VX8360 producing better-looking images and sharper text.  This is a welcome improvement, but the Chocoalte 3 still has a slightly larger internal display.  The d-pad is now square in shape, but we didn’t have any problems using it while navigating the phone’s software.  The numeric keypad buttons are now larger and not as curved as the VX8350, thus making it easier for dialing and text messaging, but there is still a noticeable “click” sound when pressed.

Software and Features:

The main menu still remains mostly unchanged, with categories for Media Center, Messaging, Contacts, Recent Calls, and Settings & Tools.  User customizations include 3 themes: Classic, Water, and Black, as well as being able to change the layout between Tab, List, and Grid views.  After using the three themes, we felt the Water theme looked the best, as it is unique to this device, but we still wish there were more choices.



The Phonebook is identical to the most other Verizon devices, including the Chocolate 3 and Rapture, allowing up to 1000 contacts to be stored with multiple numbers and E-mail addresses.  Once a contact is saved, you can assign them to one of 999 speed dial locations.


One feature that the VX8360 and Chocolate 3 have in common is the new Dashboard program, powered by Adobe.  It shows a list of 13 channels you can scroll through and customize, such as news, weather, business, and mobile web.  It is a nice way of categorizing information to make it easier to find.  Unfortunately, the mobile web program still relies on WAP, which means going to normal HTML sites can be problematic and may not be properly displayed.


Since the VX8360 is not designed as a music-centric phone, such as the Chocolate 3 or Juke, it continues to use the same “red” player that has been around for the past few years.  All of the music files are categorized and are easy to find.  You can also use the external buttons to play, rewind/skip-back, and fast-forward/skip-ahead.  The one thing we were surprised by was how good the music quality is through the stereo speakers.  To us, it sounded just as good as the Chocolate 3.  We believe this is because the stereo speakers of both phones are located on the front flip, instead of being on the back or other location.  If you don’t have the extra money for a Chocolate 3, but still want good music playback, then this phone is the one to get.

Even though the camera resolution remains 1.3MP, the overall image quality has improved.  Outdoor images now have more realistic colors, look sharper, and no longer suffer from the “purple hue” problem we saw on the VX8350.  However, indoor images still can be problematic, especially in low-light, causing pictures to look blurry and lacking in detail.  Remember, there isn’t a built-in flash.

Performance:

The software performance was fast and there was no noticeable delay while using different applications.  The device comes with VZ Navigator and Mobile IM per-installed, but you can download additional programs through the Media Center.

The call quality of the VX8360 was quite excellent, better than the Motorola Rapture or Samsung Gleam, and on par with what we experienced with the Chocolate 3.  Voices through the earpiece speaker sounded clear and natural, lacking any static, background noise or distortion, even at high volume levels.  People that we called, who were using a landline, said our voice also sounded clear and natural on their end.  Unfortunately, when using the speakerphone, you have to keep the phone flipped open and set the volume to medium (or lower), as raising it to high can cause a lot of distortion in the front stereo speakers.  The reception was also better than the VX8350 and equal to the Chocolate 3, with 2-3 bars showing in most areas around South Florida.  We were also able to place and receive calls in fringe areas where the VX8350 would continually drop the signal.

The included 1000mAh battery is rated to provide up to 5 hours of talk time on a full charge, but we were able to get up to 6 hours.  This is 2 hours more talk time than on the Chocolate 3 or Motorola Rapture.

Conclusion:

We are pleased to say that the VX8360 has restored our confidence in the LG VX8000 series, as most of the issues we experienced with the VX8350 have been resolved.  It is one tough device to beat, as it has a QVGA display, excellent voice quality, and good music playback, making it stand out from other mid-level priced phones, such as the Samsung Gleam.  The only other flip-phone to consider would be the Chocolate 3, as it is overall more attractive, thinner, has a better music program, and a 2MP camera, but if your looking to save some money, then the VX8360 is the one to get.