vB Easy Archive - Any difference btween VM4500 silver & blue?

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Any difference btween VM4500 silver & blue?
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Posted by: pclvr

My fiance and I are currently in the 30 trial period with Sprint and have Sanyo 8100's but we are seriously looking at the VM 4500.

While I think the blue color is nice for him, I really would like a silver. After reading enough of these threads and speaking to Sprint, I'm pretty positive there is a silver one out there. (I would LOVE to see a picture of the silver!!!) My problem is that I heard the silver color didn't have all the same capabilities of the blue.

Does anyone know if this is true??? I can't imagine that changing the color would make a difference.

Posted by: TampaCellDude

Just the color "should" be different, nothing more.
There is a picture of it on the vm4500 users manual cover.

Posted by: pclvr

It was actually a salesman at Best Buy that told me the silver ones weren't the same.

Upon asking him a few other questions, I got the feeling he didn't know much about those phones. But, I'm still really worried about it due to the cost of the phone.

Posted by: ImApril

I would also like the silver phone because I think the navy blue is not the most feminine looking phone.

What do you other girls out there think? Are any ladies out there really happy with the blue?

Posted by: Analog

I'm guessing that the Best Buy salesman was confusing the silver 4500 with the (camera-less) RL2500, which is already out and is silver.

Posted by: alaskanbo

I also want to see a pic of the silver. I do not like the blue. I know functionally they are the exact phone. My girlfriend has the 5400 and I was hoping the shade of silver might be a little different from hers. So we don't get confused.

Any pics would be much appreciated!!!

Posted by: TampaCellDude

This was posted over at SU.com ...Some Hi Res tasty pics....

http://www.readylinkusers.com/vm4500/

Posted by: HorseWoman

For ImApril... I got the blue one, and really like it. Of course, I've never been into "feminine looking" anyway, and blue is one of my favorite colors.

The color was one of the things that attracted me to this phone. To me, the silver cheapens the look of the phone, probably because every junky phone out there is silver. The blue just looks (to me) more professional.

My second choice (the one I thought I wanted, before I saw the VM4500), was the blue one with the black rubber trim, that's meant to stand up to a harsher phone life than most - like for contractors.

But that one is kinda huge, and doesn't do nearly so much.

Posted by: Skylinepilot

Both my gf and I have 5500's (blue) and if the 5500 comes out while still in the return time period I will see if she likes the silver better to differentiate. Unfortunately blue is her favorite color so it might not happen

I like the blue, I guess you could say its more masculine but I think it just looks better carrying around the office, I just had to turn off the flashing light that goes off while on a phone call. A little childish but I am glad you have the option and it also gets annoying when using the speakerphone and the phone is closed at night.

Posted by: pclvr

THANKS for the great pictures TampaCellDude!!! I loved the color! I printed them out and took them with me this weekend when I went looking for the phone so I could prove to all those Best Buy and Sprint stores that indeed, it does exist!!

Unfortunately, I'm having some major trouble finding the silver. No one has it. Best Buy has given us mail-in rebates for the $150 off (plus you get another $30 at BB) on the blue phone but we're past our 14 trial period with Sprint so I don't know if we'd get the money back or not. Not sure if I'm willing to take that risk since we'd be buying two phones.

Sprint stores just think I'm nuts when I walk in there asking for a silver 4500. Then they insist on knowing WHY I want that phone so they can try to sell me another one. I don't WANT another one. We already have 8100's that we got for FREE so we either keep them or get the 4500's. End of story. I'm gonna try looking around again this week. Wish me luck!!

Posted by: Mz_Desz

I read on sprintusers that you can order the silver one through telesales. Whether you get in within 2 days is a different story.

Posted by: jaminmc

The Silver one looks like all the other phones out, so it isn't as cool

Posted by: pclvr

OK, latest word I got now from *2 is that no one - not BB or ANY sprint store is able to order the silver 4500s. He said maybe in February or March, which is too late for me. He said the only silver ones out there are promotions given only to Sprint employees.

If anyone actually has a silver VM4500, can you let me know how you got it??

Posted by: tony52479

There is one listed on EBAY. It might not be worth it though since BB gives you a good deal on the Blue ones. You can try selling your blue one on EBAY. If you are interested the link is below.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...&category=35260

Posted by: jaustin

I like the blue but am getting sick of the stock look so in a couple weeks Ill pry turn mine into white or clear

all depends on how things go

Posted by: jfergie

I own several of these phones. Some blue and some silver. They are all identical other than color. The blue ones I got directly from a sprint store. The silver ones I bought from amazon.com (though the picture shows blue in your shopping cart, there is no color choice and I received silver ones from them).

I really only have a slight preference for the silver at this point. They both look good.

This is how it worked for me. I had the blue ones first. Thought uhg.. looks funny since I was used to silver. Grew on me and I really liked that it looked different. I got over the novelty and liked silver again. lol. I like both looks really.

Posted by: KG4PEQ

Quote:

Originally posted by Analog
I'm guessing that the Best Buy salesman was confusing the silver 4500 with the (camera-less) RL2500, which is already out and is silver.

Entirely possible that the two 4500's aren't the same though, as there are widespread reports of major performance differences between the blue and silver 8100's.

Of course, the BB rep could have taken a trip back in time and compared the new blue VM4500 (SCP-5500) to the old silver SCP-4500... remember the old brick phone? Then again... naw... I've never come across anyone at Best Buy who has been in the business for more than a couple months. Never mind.

Steve

Posted by: jfergie

Quote:

Originally posted by KG4PEQ
Entirely possible that the two 4500's aren't the same though, as there are widespread reports of major performance differences between the blue and silver 8100's.
Steve

Interesting that the blue and silver 8100's would perform differently when you would assume the phone components are identical other than the cover. Would be curious to know why. Perhaps they were made at different times and the newer color had upgraded components.

In any event, just to reiterate, I own 2 silver and 2 blue VM4500's. I have used both the blue and silver versions extensively. I've taken videos and pictures with both. Sent pictures and videos with both. Used Real-link. Downloaded games, apps and ringers, etc, etc.

They appear to be absolutely identical. I see zero difference in features or voice call quality.

Posted by: Skylinepilot

I am not going to say there is any difference between the 2 because I doubt there is but maybe one was made in Japan and the other was assembled elsewhere? I think the first batches of a phone originate in Japan and the you start seeing a lot more made in countries like Malaysia. That would be something I would check but I don't think there would be much difference except maybe the luck of the draw gave you a good one and a bad one from the factory.

Posted by: KG4PEQ

Quote:

Originally posted by Skylinepilot
I am not going to say there is any difference between the 2 because I doubt there is but maybe one was made in Japan and the other was assembled elsewhere? I think the first batches of a phone originate in Japan and the you start seeing a lot more made in countries like Malaysia. That would be something I would check but I don't think there would be much difference except maybe the luck of the draw gave you a good one and a bad one from the factory.

I have read elsewhere on HoFo that the silver and blue 8100's were manufacturered two different places... I think Japan and Malaysia. I just went back and grabbed one box of each color and they both say Malaysia, so at least more recent production runs have come from the same place.

Most of the reported differences seem to relate to each color's different perception of signal strength, keypad backlighting issues, and dropped calls.

Steve

Posted by: Skylinepilot

I too have heard of the reception problems and can say I have seen some first hand problems. I was an area that I dropped a call and could get no service and had not had that problem since about 2 years ago on my Samsung 8500 that was defective. Also, I think I will check the manufacture places on both my gf and my phone because it appears that are backlighting on our keypads are different.

Posted by: largirl

When I was buying my blue 4500, i did see a silver one right next to it that looked identical. So at least one Radio Shack has silver ones....

Posted by: KG4PEQ

Quote:

Originally posted by largirl
When I was buying my blue 4500, i did see a silver one right next to it that looked identical. So at least one Radio Shack has silver ones....

You probably saw the RL2500. AFAIK, the silver VM4500's haven't started showing up at The Shack yet; but the RL2500, which is supposed to be merchandised right next to the VM4500, looks identical when looking at it with the flip open.

Steve

Posted by: largirl

I went back and checked today and the sales person said that the silver one did not have camera or video? Is that the RL2500? I don't know, it seems that sales people need to be a little more educated when selling these things!