- Slider-style multimedia phone with built–in, detachable Bluetooth wireless headset
- Access Verizon’s V Cast Music and Video service via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions
- Bluetooth stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion up to 8 GB, 2-megapixel camera/camcorder, access to mobile IM and email
- Up to 3.8 hours of talk time, up to 330 hours (13.75 days) of standby time; measures 4.0 x 2.0 x 0.7 inches (HxWxD)
- Includes: handset, battery, charger, integrated Bluetooth headset, headset cavity cover, headset charging adapter, quick-start guide
Amazon.com Product Description
With the LG Decoy from Verizon, you won’t have to fumble through your pockets looking for your Bluetooth headset when a call comes in. The stylish slider Decoy is the first mobile phone with a built-in detachable Bluetooth wireless headset, which rests in a discreet docking port on the back of the phone until it’s needed. It’s compatible with the V Cast Music Service, which enables you to purchase songs through your phone and download them via Verizon’s fast EV-DO data network.
Enjoy fast V Cast music and video downloads and GPS turn-by-turn navigation with optional Verizon services. |
Other Verizon service options include V Cast Video with clips from major networks and GPS turn-by-turn directions via VZ Navigator. The phone also features stereo music streaming to Bluetooth headphones, MicroSD memory expansion to 8 GB, a 2.0-megapixel camera/camcorder, access to email and instant messaging on the go, and up to 3.8 hours (230 minutes) of talk time.
Verizon Service Options
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you’ll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon’s multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you’ll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time.
The V Cast Video service enables you to stream or download video clips to your phone from a variety of news, entertainment, sports, and weather channels, including CNN, ABC News, E!, CBS Sports, The Weather Channel, and VH1.
Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon’s Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon’s Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service.
With this GPS-enabled phone, you’ll be able to access Verizon’s VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps.
The world’s first phone to come with an integrated Bluetooth headset. |
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Phone Features
Stylishly appointed, the LG Decoy has a glossy silver front and a satin blue back, and it features a brightly colorful 2.2-inch LCD with a 240 x 320-pixel resolution and a depth of 262K colors–perfect for showing off photos captured by the 2-megapixel camera. The front has standard send/end and soft keys as well as a five-way directional joystick, and the face smoothly slides up to reveal the numeric keypad. The phone has 50 MB of user accessible memory, which can be expanded via optional MicroSD memory cards up to 8 GB in size. The phone provides a virtually unlimited phonebook, with support for multiple phone numbers and picture ID for each contact entry.
The world’s first phone to have a Bluetooth handsfree headset integrated into the design, the Decoy’s headset slips into the back of the device for easy transport and charging. Pressing down on a tiny latch at the top releases the headset, which weighs less than an ounce and measures 1.6 inches long and just 0.2 inches thin. It features an earpiece that fits comfortably in your ear, a multifunction button, volume rocker button, and LED indicator light. The headset provides up to 2 hours of talk time and up to 80 hours of standby time.
This phone provides the latest version of Bluetooth connectivity–version 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate), which makes pairing with the included headset as well as other Bluetooth devices a snap. And with EDR, you’ll get a faster connection than with the previous version 1.2, which makes transferring files and using the phone as a modem for your laptop hum along nicely. And with the embedded A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of Bluetooth stereo headphones or other compatible devices. This phone also supports multiple Bluetooth connections–connect up to two Bluetooth devices to have one on standby
The slim Bluetooth headset weighs less than an ounce. |
The 2-megapixel camera offers several resolution options (from 1600 x 1200 pixels to 320 x 240 pixels–great for sending via MMS messaging), and it features white balance settings, color effects, a night mode, self-timer, three shutter sounds (plus silent mode), and brightness settings. When you snap a pic, you can edit it right inside your phone with options for zooming, rotating, and cropping. The phone can also capture videos (at either 320 x 240 or 176 x 144 pixels). You can either shoot for as long as your optional memory card has space, or cap videos at 30 seconds for MMS sending.
Stay in touch with family, friends, and business associates with a full range of messaging options, including SMS text, MMS picture and video, and mobile email (via AOL, MSN, Yahoo! and Verizon) and IM chat (via AOL, Windows Live, and Yahoo!). Other features include:
- Digital audio player compatible with MP3, AAC/AAC+ (unprotected), and WMA
- Airplane mode allows you to safely use the non-wireless functions of a phone (music, games, or organizer functions) on an airplane during flight or in other situations where you need to turn off your cellular connection.
- Bluetooth version 2.1 + EDR with the following profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), BIP (for sending images to another device), BPP (basic printing profile for text, email), DUN (dial-up networking), FTP (file transfer), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures), PBA (transfer contacts)
- USB wired connectivity and mass storage capability
- Speaker-independent voice commands
- Speakerphone
- Hearing aid compatibility = M3/T3
- TTY compatible
Vital Statistics
The LG Decoy weighs 4 ounces and measures 4.0 x 2.0 x 0.7 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.8 hours of talk time, and up to 330 hours of standby time. The Decoy’s headset provides up to 2 hours of talk time and up to 80 hours of standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA frequencies as well as the 1xEV-DO r0 data network.
LG Decoy VX8610 Phone, Silver/Blue
I like my new Decoy. It functions well and has more features than my old LG (3 years old). However, I bought this one because of the built-in Bluetooth. When I finally got to use it (two weeks after buying the phone) the thing wouldn’t stay in my ear! I tried every which way to make it stay, but after a minute, it popped out. On that trip, I ended up puting it in my ear and holding it there when I was talking, which defeated the whole purpose of the thing. The LG company and Verizon couldn’t help me. Anyone have any suggestions. I can’t find a over-the-ear device to hook on to it, and I can’t get my money back. Very disappointing!
Rating: 3 / 5
I have had this phone a little over five months and i hate it. When im texting the shift menu comes up for no reason and the phone shuts off with full battery it will do this up to three times a day. The battery is terrible and must be sharged every night. The joystick is either overly sensitive or doenst work at all and will sometimes get stuck and keep going through menus. The only good thing i can say about this phone is it looks nice and the headset works well.
Rating: 2 / 5
I’ve had this phone for 11 months. I like the design; the joystick makes browsing the phone easy, and I like that the sliding design keeps it from dialing randomly. The build-in Bluetooth headset is simply brilliant.
The problem is, this phone isn’t reliable. For the past two months, it’s been shutting off randomly. It has a fully charged battery, but it just turns itself off without warning. It can get through a full day sometimes; other days, it shuts off several times in the span of a few minutes. Since this is my only phone–I don’t have a landline phone–it’s frustrating that I can’t rely on it. I’ve never dropped it or gotten it wet, and I carry it in a cell phone pocket in my purse, not in a pants pocket with keys or anything.
To sum up, this phone has great features, but don’t expect it to survive a full two-year contract. I expect I’ll have to retire it soon, since it can’t stay on consistently.
Rating: 2 / 5
Screen gets scratched too easily and I HATE that I can’t set the “snooze” function to the time I want! The soft keys are not consistent either – in one menu they do one thing and in the next menu – something different! But, I have never had battery problems, reception seems good, and the built-in bluetooth is pretty neat. Compared to the other phones on the market now for the price, I would buy this one again.
Rating: 4 / 5
I’ve had this phone for a while now and great, but their are some options on this phone that make me miss my LG VX8100.
The negative specs on this:
1. The phone is slow. I uploaded a bunch of photos for wallpapers purposes and music videos/movies, but the damn thing takes too long to look through them. Each video and pic needs to upload it’s image on the screen. Look through videos is a chore. On my VX8100, I would have just scroll through my video library and play them easily. Here, I don’t just need the title to show, but a picture of that video.
The pic album is just as slow, unless you’ve uploaded in the phone.
2. The music menu is too damn slow. On my old phone, I either went through the menu to my MP3 files, use a shortcut or use the shortcut on the external buttons. This phone has some short cut options that are great, but getting into the music section requires some time for the phone to upload the menu only. Here is a suggestion: Don’t put all of your MP3 files in you MicroSD. You’ll need to create playlist.
3. No flash. Are you kidding me? Why is it such a problem to add a flash? I really miss my old phone, because of it. When ever I needed some emergancy light, I could always count on using my phone’s flash to light the way. I understand that that’s not what the flash is for, but taking a photo on this phone would have been great if their was a flash.
4.Recharging the battery. NOW THIS IS A PROBLEM. I’ve been having some problems charging this phone, because of the bluetooth. When recharging the phone, the phone and the bluetooth are charging at the same time. But, when the bluetooth is completely charged, the phone automatically thinks that the phone is completely charged as well. I realized this problem when I was charging it. I left it of about 20 minutes and was surprised how fasted it charged, but a minute later I was stuck with only haft of a fully charged battery. I basically have to remove the bluetooth, if its already fully charged, and then charge the phone.
The good part is that it is a big upgrade from my LG VX8100. Bigger memory(8gs, 7 something after it’s format), great screen for viewing videos and pics, creating wallpaper feature and great reception. Obviously, the fact that this comes with a bluetooth attached to it is a great, convienate factor.
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Rating: 4 / 5