except for the crappy camera, a good simple basic cell phone
934747
While I didn't buy it through Amazon - instead getting it directly from TracFone as part of the 2G to 3G upgrade - it's exactly the same product. It meets my needs for a personal cell phone, which is that I like the flip style.  I like the relative simplicity of it.....I really don't NEED a smartphone just to have contact with family of friends when I'm away from my home phone.  My old Motorola V170 was nothing but voice cell and simple text messages and I was good with that.  This LG phone has a few extras but they aren't "in your face" all the time.  The one thing about this phone that is crap is the camera in it.  So far, every picture I have taken is fuzzy/out of focus which is a disappointment.  Yeah, it's only like 1.3MP BUT as a professional photographer I can tell you that 1.3MP has *nothing* to do with crap focus and more with crap design in mating a lens with a sensor.  LG is QUITE aware of the problem, when I emailed them to ask about it I got this reply:  "We regret any inconvenience you might be having. Regarding your concern, Im afraid that the LG 441G has a fixed focus camera which may limit the minimum shooting
distance and no close-ups are possible. For this, you can focus on the object by simply adjusting how close you hold the phone to the object. As you move it into focus, the image will appear sharper."  I'll have to experiment a bit more but so far, anything from a few inches out to as much as 15 to 20 feet has been out-of-focus.  And THAT is crapola.  Still, the phone gets 4 stars because I didn't buy it to be a camera; something that could record a reasonable image is a potential convenience - but the phone is, like its predecessor, for simple contact.  It does that quite well so far with better connectivity that my old V170.  It's a good working phone and that's what I wanted.
2577520
I really like this phone. I wish they still made them. It is a simple phone for calling and texting. It can take photos, too (not great ones).
920518
1. The camera is great. Even the videos look great on HD TV.
2. Integrated GPS, with free worldwide map. You can pick from several languages / voices for the navigation. Very nice!
3. Very decent reception.
4. Social networking software very buggy - Wi-Fi sometimes requires you to turn the phone off and on to connect. Facebook used to work, not any more.

If you are looking for a decent camera phone, this one is hard to beat.
1180335
This is a good, cheap phone without a whole lot of frills.  The battery life is impressive for a smartphone, even if the technical specs are not, which sometimes makes it far more convenient than a much more expensive phone.  The touchscreen appears to be plastic instead of glass, and I'm actually really surprised how well it works, even compared to more expensive phones with supposedly better screens.  I've actually wished my work phone had a screen like this one.  It would be nice if it had LTE, and I believe some of the other phones from this company do, but obviously, I'm not going to ding the phone for not having something that I knew it didn't have going in.

However, where I will ding it a bit is in the amount of storage.  It's a little too small.  Given the number of apps that insist on being on the phone's primary storage, and the number of apps that can't be removed, it's actually a little bit hard to install a reasonable set of apps.  And worse, you can get into a situation where you can't update the apps anymore without first removing some of them because there's no room to store the downloaded update prior to installation.  I'd like to see them up the storage a little in future phones.
2805131
Pros: I bought one for me and my wife. Good starter smart phone for the price. It's nice and compact. Call quality and touch screen are above average. There are plenty of apps available for purchase online. There are also plenty of accessories for the phone.
Cons: The camera is average. I expected sharper photographs and video but it serves its purpose. The voice recorder apps produces low audio output and you can barely hear the recordings on playback. I guess the audio would need to be amplified for it to be useable as a voice recording device. I'm satisfied with the phone. We may go with a more expensive smartphone next time.
3251248
A good standard phone. The sound of the answering machine is not very clear.
2044042
I was a T-mobile prepaid customer, but I wanted internet access, which T-Mobile prepaid doesn't offer. I was looking at smartphones. A co-worker was selling his Kyocera Wildcard. I've had it for 2 months now. It's okay, as far as it goes.

Pros:
*Cost. The Sprint network is pretty good for data. Access is cheap: $1 per day or $5.95 for 30 days or 5 mb. It's nice to type on a full-sized keyboard.

*Minute plans. I'm not a heavy user, so the 200-minute minute pack works for me. I'm not paying an exorbitant amount for minutes, and they roll over. I'm not a huge tetxer, but they also have texting plans.

*Sound quality. I don't like Bluetooth headsets, so I haven't tried it.
I used a old-school headset (looks like a pair of headphones, plugs into the phone), and I can hear people fine. They can understand me.

*Size. It's smaller than a Sidekick, Blackberry, or even an LG EnV.

Cons:
*Service area. Voice coverage can be spotty. I have service at home and at work, but not at my brother-in-law's house. He lives in the sticks, but I've gotten service there with Cingular, AT&T, and T-Mobile (roaming). I also had no service in Canada, despite seeing many Virgin Mobile posters in Montreal. Apparently, it runs on a different network up there.

*Camera. I'm a shutterbug, and the camera is terrible. The worst part is that the photos it takes aren't big enough to fill the screen. I've sent picture messages taken with my other phone, and they fill the entire screen.

*Battery life. I have to charge this phone constantly, sometimes after each call. I used the flashlight for 5 minutes, with a full battery, and the battery was empty the next time I turned the phone on! I've started carrying a spare charger with me.

*Ringtones. The phone comes with 4 ringtones, and 3 are rap. That's fine if you like rap. I don't. The phone has sound effects, for things like opening and closing the phone, but you can't use them as ringtones. If you want a non-rap ringtone, you have to buy one.

*Backgrounds and wallpaper. The ones included are awful. Guess what you have to do if you want a different one?

*Functions: The alarm clock, flashlight, stopwatch, and other functions are buried in the menu, under "tools." You can assign them to a button on the inside keyboard, but not the outside keyboard. If the phone is off, turning on the flashlight in the dark is awkward.

If all you want is a full-size keyboard and a decent amount of minutes for a good price, without a contract, this phone will work well for you. If you want something more, like a nice camera or something you can customize, you'd probably be happier with a Blackberry or and LG EnV.
334079
I'd reviewed the phone once already, but decided after a little more time that the core conclusions could really be simmered down and simplified. So here you have: review 2.0!

If you are looking for an introductory smart phone, the basic options below the $199 range are Android, Windows Phone 7, and Blackberry. Each of those is really good at something. This phone is Windows Phone 7, and I feel like it's marked feature is simplicity.

Someone who has never used a smart phone can use this with very little training and have a very functional device with a very high quality screen, fast processor and good camera and a very affordable price. If you're already paying for a feature phone with some limited internet capabilities, there is a good chance you could upgrade to this and still have the same monthly bill.

The phone itself is designed well, fits in the palm very nicely (better than iPhone I'd argue), and while a little thicker than some expensive alternatives, is quite light and feels good.  The screen is very high quality, the buttons are limited and self explanatory, and the battery life is solid.

Setting up the phone was very easy-- simply sign in with an email address and start setting up your email, downloading apps, and configuring your photo sharing, social networks and the like. It is a 4G phone, which is an extra bonus for an entry level phone.

I also have the Nokia Lumia 800 which is a big brother to this phone. It's thinner, heavier, and made of metal. And it also costs double this phone and essentially has the same functionality.

If you're in the market for an entry level phone and you don't want blackberry or Android, this is a very nice phone that I think most people will be very satisfied with.
1583546
The&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Panasonic-KX-TS500B-Integrated-Corded-Phone-System/dp/B00023CJI6/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Panasonic KX-TS500B Integrated Corded Phone System</a>&nbsp;is a good basic phone.  It's a worthy option for those looking for a corded phone for primary use or as a backup for power outages.  It's just not very attractive and it has some missing features included on other corded phones.

PROS:
++ Good backup phone for power outages
++ Surface lacks crevices and thus is easily cleaned / disinfected
++ Adapter includes room for coiling the wall cord
++ Can be used for both tone and pulse dialing
++ Can be wall-mounted
++ Decent quality sound for a corded phone
++ Acceptable value when on sale

CONS:
-- Phone looks cheap
-- The handset is poorly shaped to be used as a primary phone (no curve for holding up with your shoulder)
-- Phone base seems larger than necessary for an analog phone (not many internal components)
-- Handset cord provided with black phone is a strange shade of grey instead of black
-- No speaker phone
-- Only 4 volume levels
-- Dialing modes & ringer volumes not printed on the phone body (so keep the instructions!)
-- Letters are offset-printed to the left of the corresponding numbers instead of above them (this is just weird)

NEUTRAL:
~ Wall mounting requires moving the plastic wall adapter

CONCLUSION

This is still worth considering.  It's a basic phone and performs like the budget model that it is.  Just make sure you don't invest anywhere near the list price.  And if you need a speakerphone or are picky about appearance, look at another phone.

Enjoy.
1081170
This phone is the basic of the basics. It requires too much for how little that it can do. The only thing I liked about it was the alarm.
2282800
This is an unexpensive cellphone, and it has pretty much what I wanted from it: long lasting battery life. With the first charge, a little bit more than 6 hours it lasted like 10 days, it gave more than 5 hours of phone calls, plus about 2 to 3 hours of radio FM playing, plus texting. The spanish/english dictionary of the text prediction feature lacks of a lot of usual words so you have to type them manually. If you're a texting person, you'll probably hate it. But it is comprensible, since this a phone made in China, but at least you can chose from a lot of lenguages to be the telephone sistem lenguage. The phone doesn't come with a user's manual, it only comes with a Quick Start guide, in english. You have to figure out the rest yourself, but if you had a cellphone  before, there is nothing that you can't figure out for yourself.
I haven't tested the waterproof, dustproof ans shockproof features, but the phone looks and feels pretty sturdy. I've seen videos of this phone from Rusia where they literally sink the phone in a bucket of water, and apparently it survives. I believe them, so I'm not trying to proove it too.

I have 2 mexican sims in it from 2 diferent companies that work perfect. You can have both sims "on", or just the one that you prefer. The phone was a bigger than I Though, compared to some basic Nokia phones, but my small hands can still hold it comfortably.

If you are a pictures people, don't count on the camera of this phone. It is a 2 MB, with not ni a nice color capture. I felt like I was back in the 2000's phone cameras. I`m o.k. with it because I'm not a fan of camera phones, but if you mind you phone having a camera, wouldn't recommend it, even you can adjust a little bit the exposure, color and even efects on the camera.

It has some basic extras like calculator, agenda, alarm, ebook reader (have no idea how it works), bluetooth.
The USB charger can be used as a data transfer cable too, a webcam (have no idea how it works) or a COM port.

It has a good quality sound.

Is a great cellphone if you want just to be able to make and receive calls and need to have a long battery life.
274876
Good phone. good sound. camera sucks compared to my previous Droid.
There is no zoom and pictures are a little fuzzy, especially closeup.
You can't use the compass app with this phone. No magnetic sensor.
Otherwise not bad.
2346575
worked fine, especially for a super cheap phone.  Unfortunately, it was crushed by some tools in my luggage on the trip home.  Note: the camera is terrible, and it has very little memory.  You can only have a couple dozen text messages on it before you have to clear some space to receive or send a new one.
2915149
The phone itself is fine. It's a basic (not "smart") phone that will make and receive calls and text messages like a champ. It has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a headphone jack (so you can use it as a music player), and a port on the outside that will accept a microSD card (for example, to store said music). You probably won't want to use it much for surfing the web or taking a lot of pictures, although it does have a built-in web browser and a 2 megapixel camera. I bought this phone to replace my old Samsung Intensity (the first model), and this is definitely a better phone. It's got a bigger screen than the Intensity, and the text is easier to read.

The reason I gave it only 2 stars is particular to this phone. I bought it used, and, for the second time since I bought it, I've taken it out of my pocket and found that it suddenly won't turn on, even though the battery was fully charged. The last time this happened, it inexplicably came back to life after I connected it to the charger for a while and then took out the battery and put it back in.

So it looks like I spent $20 and got a dud. Buying used, you pay your money and take your chances.

EDIT: The solution was to cut up a business card so that it fit into the battery compartment, place it below the battery, and snap everything back together. It hasn't had that problem since. Apparently this is also a common problem (and solution) for people with smartphones. Updating to 4 stars.
2158672
Great phone. Lots of neat features. The camera function is lacking though.
3211804
I am a poor grad student and when my fancy android phone died, this was one of the few replacements I could afford.  Given the price, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it works.

I think this phone is designed mainly as a second phone for travelers to take with them on vacation.  It has an extra SIM slot, so you can keep your main SIM in slot 1 and buy prepaid SIMs in airports to use in foreign countries.  The battery lasts for weeks so you could conceivably go for a whole vacation without having to find a plug adapter for your charger.  The flashlight feature might also conceivably come in handy when you're traveling.

As a phone, it works great.  The buttons are big and feel durable.  Audio quality during calls is the best I've experienced in three or four phones. Because the battery is so big, the phone has a pleasant heft to it.

The other features are very basic.  I haven't tried the camera or music player because I don't have a memory card and the phone has almost no on-board memory.

The manual is pretty poor but you don't need it much because the phone is so simple.

The only annoying factor is the texting interface.  There is no predictive text so you have to input one letter at a time.  I know this is how we used to do it back in 2000 or so, but it seems painfully slow after using modern phones.  If you don't text much this probably won't be a big deal for you.

I would recommend this phone to two groups of people.  Either:  1)  You just need a reliable basic phone and don't have much money to spend.  2) You are going overseas and want a traveling phone so you can leave your expensive phone safe at home.  If either of these describes you then the Tank will probably be a pretty good bargain for you.
1890308
This is a very basic phone with no camera and no bluetooth capability.  That would have been fine for me except that this is also not a very rugged phone.  I myself have gone through about three of these over the last five years.  My kids have gone through even more.

The reception and sound and ability to store small bits of music is good.  It has always worked well in international travel.  I have the Motorola software to install all this stuff onto the phone.  These are the reasons that I give it two stars.

Last year, I finally switched over to an LG CU515 phone, which has a camera and bluetooth, but very limited capability of transferring the photos to a computer.  OK so far.

My son's V180 phone broke again recently  - it stopped sensing the battery level correctly and would not charge.  And then, when I tried to fix it, the screen went black (or dark blue).

The most common killer of this phone is when the display stops working, usually manifest as just a solid dark blue nothing.

I am staring at a bag full of some NINE, count 'em NINE dead V180 cellphones - and these don't include the four or five that my oldest daughter have managed to destroy.  Almost all of these have bad display screens.  Several have vibrators that stopped vibrating, probably the second most common defect.  Not charging or sensing the battery has happened at least once before also, so this is not unusual.

I have used this bag of parts to try to fix these problems by using parts from this bag of dead phones.  I succeeded today, as I took a previously  malfunctioning phone from my son, one where the vibrator had quit but where the display was still functioning, and took out its electronics board and put it in his current phone with the bad battery charging.

Fixing a dead display, however, is almost always hopeless with the V180, and I have never succeeded except briefly.  Today it dawned on me that the problem is probably not with either the color LCD screen or with the display driver in the electronic board that is the heart of the cellphone.  No, the problem is almost certainly in the plastic connector BETWEEN the electronic board in the body of the cellphone and the LCD screen.  The plastic connector contains the multiple thin wires that drive the LCD screen.  And it has to flex each time you open and close this clamshell cellphone - flex without breaking the wires.  The phone vibrator is glued and soldered onto this plastic sheet wire connector on the LCD cover side of the phone just beyond the hinge of the cover.

So the whole wire connection between the body with the electronic board and the cover lid with the LCD screen and vibrator gets stressed more than it needs to be.  The weak point is probably that the vibrator is glued right on top of the connector wires.  Each time the cellphone is opened or closed, the tiny wires in the connector get flexed - in time, microscopic cracks probably build up.  Each time the vibrator fires off for a phone call, the stressed points probably get vibrated wider.

I wish these phones were better - I don't think Motorola makes them anymore, so I'm not sure where these phones are coming from, especially when they are supposed to be "new".