Review: LG's VX8500 Chocolate for Verizon

LG VX8500 Chocolate

LG VX8500 Chocolate

LG VX8500 Chocolate

LG's Chocolate series of handsets has been causing a stir in Korea for a long time. The original device's simple, yet stylish slider form factor attracted a large fan base and spawned many similarly styled devices. Back in March LG announced the KG800, the first Chocolate handset to be available outside of Korea. Now we see the VX8500, the first Chocolate handset to come stateside, by way of Verizon Wireless and their 3G EV-DO network.

Physical Aspects

The VX8500 Chocolate from LG is a very simple looking device. When closed it looks like a shiny black bar, with little more than the LG and Verizon logos and the silver ring that surrounds the d-pad in terms of adornment. It has a high-gloss surface finish that is impossible to keep clean, though it looks quite pretty on those rare instances when it is fingerprint free. The sides of the top half of the slider body host a few controls, including, oddly enough, the call end/power button. While it is quite odd that the end key is located on the side of the device, the position makes perfects sense for the volume controls, voice dial/memo, music, and camera buttons. The LG VX8500 Chocolate measures up at 97mm x 48mm x 19mm (3.8" x 1.9" x .7") and weighs 104g (3.7oz), which means it is both a compact and reasonably light addition to your pocket's contents.

The much ballyhooed touch sensitive controls on the VX8500 Chocolate are high on my list of the Chocolate's greatest failings. While the sensitivity level can be adjusted, it is far too easy to double hit a key or have what you thought was a keypress be ignored completely. The 5-way d-pad controller, the two softkeys, the call send button (which is not green on the Chocolate), and the dedicated back button all make use of this system, and all are infuriating. These controls literally had me swearing when I was working with the phone.

The numeric keypad that is exposed when the device is open, however, is very nice. The 1.3 megapixel camera on the back, and its self-portrait mirror, are also exposed when the Chocolate is opened up. The microSD memory card slot and power/headset port both have attached covers that work pretty well. The ringtone speaker is located on the back of the device, and is aided by a few plastic nubs that keep it from resting directly on the surface of a desk or table, ensuring that it can be heard.

The overall build quality of the LG VX8500 Chocolate is superb. There are no creaks anywhere, the spring loaded slider mechanism works flawlessly, and the finish is perfect. But a good looking design does not a good mobile phone make, as sad as that may be.

LG VX8500 Chocolate

LG VX8500 Chocolate

LG VX8500 Chocolate

 

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