Verizon is killing the Chocolate!
As a followup to LG Chocolate Arrives in the US entry, let's see how Verizon is showcasing the US version of the LG Chocolate phone.
Now, a few of my colleagues were considering getting the phone, but it seems the US phone is somewhat more tackier than its European version. One of two co-workers ventured over to the Verizon Wireless shop to check out the phone, then compared it to my phone (which I bought in Vienna, Austria).
Weight:
European version: 83 grams (2.92 oz)
US version: 99.22 grams (3.5 oz)
What did they add in there? It could be the internal slot for external memory.
Measurements:
European version is very slightly thinner though it could be rounded off, but a few colleagues did notice the difference anyways.
Verizon then goes ahead and offers different bundles with the phone. Of course it fails to let the customer know that the usual accessories are already added, and tries to trap the customer into buying the $199.99 and $249.99 packages instead of the base $149.99 version. I doubt you would need the leather case or the music essentials kit. The microSD 2GB card can be bought at Best Buy at a cheaper price. The worry about converting music files is overexaggerated. Just plug the phone USB cable into your computer and it will just open a normal explorer window, and you can drop pictures or mp3's into the appropriate folders.
It is really much easier to handle regardless of what CNET thinks about it.
Again, the phone is much more known for its stylish design and red-lighted touchpad. Having a speakerphone for calls seems unnecessary because the mobile phone is not meant for it; you can find the proper accessory cable to attain it; you do not want to annoy other people around you; and it is better for playing songs.
Standby time and talk time are decent. I think CNET's beef is with the rest of the features, you may not have enough battery power left. I don't really see it as your mp3 player replacement. I would leave 20 songs or so on it so you can customise your ring settings, but if you want to play mp3's, get an iPod.
People should probably wait until the phone becomes available at Cingular or T-Mobile. I am sure it won't be too long. T-Mobie is also a provider in Europe, so the Chocolate phone is more available over there. Besides, they are already releasing different colors in the European market.
It seems to me that Verizon is trying to do a hype overload on the Chocolate since they are the only provider offering the phone, and by doing that, they are giving the phone a bad name. Two-year agreement, and the usual $175 termination fee. Still a rip-off unfortuantely.
Comments
Posted by: Aaron Shaffer
Posted on: August 10, 2006 10:03 AM
Verizon killed the Razr too. The cause is that Verizon is not a GSM network and must fit non-GSM less efficient technology into the phone, which at the same time requires a bigger battery.
You can buy the Chocolate online today and use it with TMobile & Cingular. It is a quad-band GSM phone and will work with both networks. From here.
I ordered my unlocked Razr from Europe in a similar manner.
Posted by: J
Posted on: August 10, 2006 05:31 PM
The only discouragement is you see the true cost of buying a phone without a contract. Strange enough, most Europeans/Asians will go that route to get the best phone on the market.
The need to put in less efficient technology is probably American stubbornness. A place where the mobile frequencies are only different in North America than the rest of the world which forces customers to purchase tri/quad-band phones so they can use the phone anywhere they want.
Posted by: Brett
Posted on: August 14, 2006 08:13 PM
I quote:
"The worry about converting music files is overexaggerated. Just plug the phone USB cable into your computer and it will just open a normal explorer window,"
And that is incorrect...
You (DO) need at least the serial to USB cable which
is part of the music essentials kit. The software
is very buggy to say the least, but you must have
the cable or a bluetooth card in the PC to migrate
files from the PC to Phone. The phone does not
display as a regular USB flash drive it is a serial
modem connection.
You can probably buy just a cable on eBay and then
use BitPIM (www.bitpim.org) to move files around,
but BitPIM does not yet have the Chocolate in it's
list so you have to instead use the LG 8300 settings.
Just thought I would share..
(Chocolate owner)
Posted by: J
Posted on: August 14, 2006 08:37 PM
Hmm, could be a difference between the US verison and the European one. I used the USB cable that was provided and connected to my desktop. It recognised the Chocolate phone, and I was able to use the Windows Explorer to drop mp3 and JPG files into the music and photo folders. Using the serial is pretty much obsolete, don't ya think?
Posted by: Brett
Posted on: August 15, 2006 07:12 PM
J,
There must be a lot of differences between the
US and Euro versions. For example the US version
uses Micro SD and can address up to 2GB of external
memory where as the Euro version is stuck with 128MB
of embeded, internal memory.
On the US Version it's Serial Model to USB conversion
my unit does not show up under Explorer you have to
migrate files using the software provided or like
I am, with BitPIM.
Posted by: Sara
Posted on: September 5, 2006 02:43 PM
I was thinking about getting the chocolate phone
and I still am. But it doesn't say online if you can upload pictures from the phone into your computer. I don't have time to go check out the phone and see if it can. Can any owners of the Chocolate tell me if you can?
Posted by: supermodel86
Posted on: December 1, 2006 12:11 PM
if i buy the chocolate and i am with t-mobile (as long as its unlocked) how can i use it on my network since verizon doesnt use a simcard?
Posted by: Larry Burd
Posted on: June 7, 2007 01:35 AM
Its too bad what verizon did to that phone, i've heard many good things about the european version.. but honestly i have a few friends who have the phone and seem to enjoy it. I dunno if you can buy chocolate online from verizon or any other provider.. but i bet you can. I also know a verizon phone can't be used for other providers.
Posted by: unknown
Posted on: March 25, 2008 06:41 PM
WHATEVER PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!! in case you didnt know they have made a NEW chocolate phone and trust me it is HOT,i happned to own one myself.Yall just hatin cause yall got that no good chocolate phone and the samething goes for the razr! they made a new one! Verizon Wireless is the BEST!!!! and did you say t-mobile orcingular needs to make a phone like the chocolate?! what the hell are you thinkin?! they already have made phones similar to the chocolate! and they still aint makin NO MONEY! bitches yall done lost yall mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (YAHHHHHHH BITCH!!!!)