vB Easy Archive - Mini-Review for LG G4010

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Mini-Review for LG G4010
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Posted by: deanjen

Okay...my first time to write up something here, so give me some leeways, please...

Got a "USED" G4010 from ebay today...

Only a box and charger.

PHYSICAL

Physicall, this is a small phone...small and thin, as well as light in weight. The surface is nice in silver color.

The LED on the top-right corner is a nice gimme, considering that this one doesn't have an external LCD screen. There seems to be a small hole(or LED) on the front cover, which I have no idea what that does.

Won't comment on the overall appearance since that's different depending on everybody's taste...

Flip has a nice feeling when you open it up...and it's easy to open with only one hand(I use my palm to hold and thumb to click it up...easy).

Buttons are a bit stiff...but still have a nice feedback. Big and spaceous enough so you probably won't make any error by pressing 2 buttons accidently.

The hole for mic/earphone is located on the top-left, with a plastic cover(like Samsung). I didn't have the Motorola headset(the standard one), but somehow NOkia(yes, this is strange) one seems to work, although the volume isn't too loud. And if I push the connector all the way in, no sound would come out of earphone. Probably still need the Motorola one...will check it out later.

LG designs a single button on the phone for enabling vibrating/silence mode as well as selecting different profiles...not bad at all.

Volume buttons are at the left side...

Oh, one accidental discovery. I have a extended antenna for Samsung S10X / V20X series. Can be used on thsi phone as well.

MENU

Menu is classical and simple. Somehow this one misses the "NETWORK OPTION" as well as the "LIFETIMER"(all 4 timers can be reset, and I got a used G4010). The organization of menu options actually makes me feel that I'm using my old Nokia 8290...mmm...

Can't seem to customize the 2 top keys...maybe they should change those like Motorola's phones.

Seem to be no voice recorder as well as voice-dialing features...which I never used anyway...

No way to disable the wallpaper...which isn't a big problem for me... No screen-save, either.

THe RINGTONE is probably not that welcome with the option of ascending that you simply can't disable...probably will go to Cingular station and see if their tech. can modify this. Not many ringtones by default are stored in the phone, but as long as it's loud enough, I'll live with that. Vibration is decent.

Still haven't figured out how to setup the email...DUH.

Voice Quality & RF

For me, I personaly just want a phone that has good reception, strong voice volume, and nice voice quality. So that's why I still have a P280 and 8890 around.

I used my Auntie's house in Claremont as test-ground. Here, only P280, R225, 8890(with antenna pulled-out) can barely call outside about half of the time.

The list of victim that can't place a call over there? Here you go:

Nokia: 3390, 8290, 8390, 6310i(YES, even I was surprised by this)
Motorola: V66, V60, TimePort 7x89 series, and V3682
Siemens: S55, SL56, S40
Samsung: S105, S100, V205
Ericssons: T68 and T68i, T39MC, T610
Panasonic: GU88

Burial ground for cellphones...may they rest in peace...:P:P:P

How about this G4010? It's barely alive with the extended antenna, and totally dead with the default antenna. So RF-wise this one is pretty good, especially considering that it is an entry-level phone.

Voice quality is only OKAY...not too harsh. The volume, on the other hand, isn't as loud as my old 8290 or 8890. Definitely not as loud as my previous R225...which is probably so loud(at max volume) that I have to keep some distance from the speakerphone to my ear sometimes...but I like this. The loud sweetspot isn't easy to find, either.

Since I haven't got any motorola handfree, have to use the Nokia one. Voice quality is okay, but the same problem of not enough volume still exists.

Half-BAKED Conclusion

Since I haven't tested the battery capacity, I have to leave this conclusion as half-baked...:P

With some flaws, of course. But this phone is still decent enough to consider as a entry-level phone. The price is very reasonable. I purchased it(phone, battery, and charger only) for $50 USD plus shipping charge on ebay; general price without a contract is around $100, and WITH a contract is ZERO. For some Cingular stores you can probably even earn some money back through rebate, with the phone being free at first place and the signing bonus and blah blah blah...

For someone who considers an entry-level phone, this is a good choice. It's pretty easy to use and performance is decent.

--------------------

Since I'm a rookie to post this one up, don't throw egg/tomato at me...hehehehe...

Posted by: deanjen

The phone's battery life appears to be okay...I can have about 4 to 5 days of standby with minimal conversation(no turnoff anytime).

DId manage to find one more flaw...the volume for the phone is barely okay, but the volume for the Mic/EarPhone is just too small. I use a Motorola standard 2.5mm mic/earphone kit, and unfortunately the volume is a bit too low...

That's about it...

Posted by: avirex

I used to have a LG TM-520 (VX1) and really liked it, had no complaints.

Now that I am switching to a GSM carrier, I am deciding between the V60i and this G4010 (just because I liked my previous LG).

Although they are totally different in class and what-not, would you take the G4010 over the V60i still? I've used a friends V60i and I hate the LOOOOW earpiece volume and the reception is not too great.

Let me know what you think, I'm one of those "loyalty to brands" shoppers...

Posted by: deanjen

V60i is actually very interesting(or strange)...

I've tried several V60i...from my own to my friends' phones... Chance is, that you'll probably not find any 2 that may have the same volume.

Some are kind of "pathetic" when comes to hand-phone volume as well as mic/earphone one...but some are actually quite good... There seems to be no standard for it.

I only tested one G4010, so I don't know whether this model is pretty much "standard" in all the performance or varied from one to another.

I'm more favoring Motorola...right now I'm using a P280...RF is good as well as volume.

But one thing does strike me a bit...I was using older Firmware on P280...and with this older firmware, the volume is slightly lower than the one "AFTER" the firmware update. Maybe you can try to update the firmware of V60i and see what happened...?

Posted by: Phyrric

hey one question for you. did your LG 4010 come with an extendable antenna or was it the one u bought separately for s10x/v20x??? if so you know where i can get one of those???

thanks a lot

Posted by: deanjen

the antenna is an additional add-on. But I think you can find those in Ebay very easily...

Posted by: Oni-kun

Just a comment on the lack of screen saver. I don't see hte need for one because when the phone is closed the screen isn't even on

Posted by: avirex

Hi.

Just to update, I picked up an LG G4010 last weekend.

So far the reception is "okay" but not as good as my old LG TM-520 (VX1) on Telus (cdma). The V60i (which my wife now uses) gets better reception.

I searched for an antenna on eBay and bought one of those chrome, old school extendable radio-style antennas.

When it arrives I'll update about the fit-and-finish and the improvement in reception (if any).

The menu system is way better than the TM-520. Battery life is pretty good, I've only charged it once since I got it a week ago (needs charging again right now actually).

The firmware seems a tad buggy at time, like once when I was calling my wife it said someone else's name with her number. Another time when I tried to place a call to the wrong person, I was tring to press END right away but it ignored me and I ended up connecting and hanging up on the person.

My friend wants to trade me for his V70, that would be a cool phone...

hmmmmm

Posted by: deanjen

v70? tell him whether he wanna trade with me...hahaha...

Posted by: Derek Zoolander

Here is some views from limited use by me:

It is very slim and compact. Though its wider it sometimes feels smaller in the pocket than the current tiny phone standards like S307 because it is so thin.

The menu system is very good, much better than my S307.

The reception is fine, I have had no problems with it.

The volume is a bit low, sometimes unusually so. So much so that I may try to get it exchanged at some point under warranty, indicating the low volume as a problem.

All in all it is an adequate entry level phone. Way better choice than those free Ericssons or Nokias imho.

Posted by: Roasted

G4011/10 owners:

Can you please tell me this about this phone. I read in the review that the sound quality seemed tiny, but this is probably the most important thing to me. I am sick and tired of all of these Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones I keep using that have an irritating hissing sound in the background.

Tell me, if you sit in a completely quiet room, not even the humm of your computer can be heard, and you turn the volume up 100% of the way and make a call, do you hear ANY hissing in the background?

I hear the reception for the phone (being a GSM phone) is quite impressive. I noticed the one I played with at the ATT store had full reception, the Nokia 6800 sitting next to it had half.

Also: WHERE can I get this phone?! Nothing is on Ebay and I want one! (I want one as long as the sound quality is good enough )

Posted by: deanjen

sorry, but I'm a happy MotoV400 user now...sold that LG 4010 already.

THe problem is the sound "volume". Both the handset and handfree are having some pathetic volumes...don't understand why this could happen.

So if that's important for you, stay away. Nokia 3595(although some hissing, I have to admit) and Ericsson T226(sometimes I would hear my own voice) are good and loud.

Posted by: Roasted

Quote:

Originally posted by deanjen
sorry, but I'm a happy MotoV400 user now...sold that LG 4010 already.

THe problem is the sound "volume". Both the handset and handfree are having some pathetic volumes...don't understand why this could happen.

So if that's important for you, stay away. Nokia 3595(although some hissing, I have to admit) and Ericsson T226(sometimes I would hear my own voice) are good and loud.

I'm quite the audio enthusiast so picking out small volumes in loud environments are something I'm used to. The nokia 6200 has a rather minimal volume, and I was content with that. The problem with the 6200 is the fact that the amount of hissing that is in the earpiece makes it difficult to HEAR that low volume. I have a 3595, and it's annoying in loud environments, but perfect in quiet ones. I'll test it out when I go to the ATT store today. As long as there's no great amount of hissing I'll be fine with it.

just to add maybe you got a bugged handset? You are the first to complain about the volume level, and I had read quite a few dozen reviews of the phone. (upwards toward 80 or 90 reviews I have read about it).

Posted by: dognose

All of the previous comments are fine and well if you are easily influenced by how cool a product looks, speaking as an owner who actually almost never talks on the phone, it annoys me completely to use this phone.

I carry the phone in my pocket. (Note: owner's manual which essentially tells you you should maintain some amount of space between your body and phone (cover-their-×××-legal-radiation-prevention). When I crouch/squat down,which I do all the time, the phone volume buttons get pinched. If they are held down for 3 seconds or more, the darn thing vibrates. Since I have to have the volume maxxed out anyway, those keys are just a pain.

Secondly, when turning this phone on or off, you have to hold the on/off key down for some indeterminate but long amount of time. OK, all phones and digital cameras do that, but this phone has absolutely NO feedback telling when you have held it down long enough. Since the LCD panel does not light up until after 5 whole seconds, even though the phone will boot after holding down for between 2-4 seconds, to make absolutely sure, you have to stand there and look at the dumb thing to make sure its either on or off.

My question is: Did the engineers who designed this phone actually take it home and use it for a week? These little things are the kind of thing you won't know until you carry it for a couple of days, and they are so easy to have done right. Is there a way to get a firmware update for this?

-Dave

Posted by: technicalyinept

I've got to agree with Dognose on the user friendliness of the 4010. I use the phone several times a day and I find it to be a major PITA to operate. Previously I had an old Nokia and while it was large, heavy, and offered only basic features, it was very simple to use and had excellent volume control. I can barely hear the conversation while on the 4010 and the volume control always seems to get changed while in my pocket. I am thinking about getting a Motorola v60i on ebay, but the guy at the Cingular store told me they (non SIM) will soon be obsolete and will not be supported. Is this true? What are the pros/cons of Sim phones if you're not going to use it other than normal phone calls?
Thanks

Posted by: deanjen

Okay, haven't post it for a while...just a little update...haha..

During this period of time I used several phones...and here they are:

V400: RF is good, and no doubt about features. Volume is a bit low on the onphone earpiece, but okay with handsfree. However it is a bit "uncomfortable" to answer the phone...I mean, my ear feels a bit strange when in contact with the earpiece on phone... RF is very good. Battery life isn't that good, though.

V600: everything above, plus a very good volume and a very comfortable position with the onphone earpiece. Battery life seems to improve a bit.

Nokia 7210: RF is only soso; voice quality is not good...feel like machine talking. Not too loud, either.

Nokia 3595: RF is actually very good. VoiceQuality is okay; very loud for both earpiece onphone and handsfree(if not TOO loud).

Nokia 6200: RF is very good, too. VoiceQuality is okay. Onphone earpiece's volume is small, but handsfree's volume is SOOOO loud that I have to turn it down 2 notches or more. Kind of ironic...:P

NEC 515: RF is only soso... Voicequality is not good...and the volume isn't there, either. However, before I unlocked this phone, I used an AT&T SIM and it was actually pretty good. RIGHT after I unlock it the voice quality just went down...no idea whatsoever.

Samsung s307: RF is okay. Voice Quality is no bad, but the "boom" breaking sound is kind of annoying. The size is definitely an advantage, although sometimes I feel my hand's too big for it.

Samsung X427: RF is okay. VoiceQuality isn't as good as S307, and the earpiece volume isn't as loud, either.

Siemens S56: RF is probably one of the best(can make clear call from my auntie's house, which is considered as graveyard for all those phones above). VoiceQuality is excellent, although a bit "booming" more than others. Volume is very good for handsfree, but only so-so for the speaker. Buttons are tough to press, though.

Siemens SL56: RF is very good(not as good as S56, though), earphone and earpiece volume are excellent, as well as very good quality. Still, buttons are a bit tough to press.

SonyEricsson T616: okay, R1B definitely helps here. RF is much better. Volume is louder, too. But voice-quality is shrilled...more shrilled than ever.

SE T226: RF is very good. Volume is loud, and voice quality is okay, too. But the hand-off time is just too noticable. Sometimes I can hear my own voice lagging and then reflecting back.

SE Z600: RF is actually very good, but for some reasons the RF meter still likes to jump up&down. VoiceQuality is shrilled, but is clear. Volume is loud enough. Now if this one is a Quad-band phone...I'd choose this over any phone above.

Okay, for a special phone that doesn't seem to appear in USA very often:

BenQ S660C:

Okay, gotta say that the user interface isn't that user freindly. Some options are probably NOT necessary, while some other options are missing.

Screen is 65K, and is very beautiful. Outside screen is color(probably 4 or 6?), and is very readable, too.

RF is very good(this is 900/1800/1900). Comparable to my Motorola V60i with latest firmware.

VoiceQuality is BAD! And I mean BAD. The hissing is constantly present when using the onphone earpiece. The volume is good, but the hissing is loud, too.

The handsfree is propriety. You can't use anything other than the one provided. The volume is small, but no hissing and the voice quality is pretty okay.

Size-wise it is comparable to a X427. Ringtone is loud and very pleasant to hear.