LG CF360 Phone, Blue (AT&T)

If you want an iPhone, get an iPhone May 6, 2009

Reviewer:  Dana Scully  (Virginia, USA) -

I chose the Vu over the iPhone & a few other touchscreens--not b/c the Vu is better than or just as good as the iPhone, but because for my purposes, it makes more sense. I wanted a stylish-looking phone that was lightweight and easy to use, that could check email and get on the internet, that could handle a few apps, and that didn't cost much. I'm pretty happy with the Vu, even recognizing that I would prefer an iPhone if cost didn't matter. Here's how I decided:

1) After reading online reviews, narrowed my choices to iPhone, LG Vu, LG Xenon, & Samsung Eternity (I was already an AT&T customer). Visited the AT&T store to try out phones, and narrowed it further to iPhone or Vu based on ease of use and size/weight. In terms of functionality and ease of use, the iPhone wins; its touchscreen is superior to any brand, it supports the most apps, it does cool tricks (like that turning-on-the-side thing), and it's easiest to sync with my Mac. But the Vu was lightweight, fun, and intuitive to use.

2) Cost comparison. For me, iPhone's required data plan was more than I wanted to pay. The math: Vu over 2 years (life of contract) works out to about $1,590 ($6 phone/shipping + 450-minute plan + monthly taxes/fees + $15 unlimited data plan). iPhone, if I bought a refurbished 8GB (cheapest option), would be about $2,050 ($99 phone + cheapest iPhone plan + monthly taxes/fees). Difference = approx $460 over 2 yrs. So, were iPhone's advantages worth that much to me? Ultimately, no.

3) Things I like about Vu:
- Easy to use. Simple & quick to get on the internet, make calls, reach your apps, change settings, etc. The few physical buttons are convenient and easy to get used to.
- It is a really sweet-looking phone. Love the wine color.
- Screen is bright, crisp & easy to read.
- Lightweight & compact compared to other touchscreens. iPhone is bigger (won't fit in a pocket as well) and significantly heavier.
- Can't comment on Mobile TV since I don't get service in my area. That would not have been an important feature to me.
- Voice dialing works great.
- It's a bargain and accessories are cheap.

4) Drawbacks of Vu:
- Limited ability to download and use apps unless you're a pretty proficient hacker/programmer (see #5 below).
- Generally, touchscreen works fine but scrolling can be tricky. The screen simply isn't as responsive and accurate as the iPhone. But we all knew that, right? It's fine for dialing. For text, you can use the dialpad or a QWERTY keyboard. QWERTY keys are quite small so I do make mistakes; this is a problem with all touchscreen phones. A stylus might help. I wouldn't write a thesis on the phone, but I do update my facebook status, check email, run searches, send text msgs, no problem.
- Lack of Gmail or POP/IMAP support. You can use the phone's email software for Yahoo, Hotmail, a few others, but not Gmail. You can download Gmail's user-friendly app which works great except...see #5.
- Fingerprints like you wouldn't believe. It's ok, though. No one's looking that closely.
- Limited # of bookmarks allowed. Irritating since AT&T forces some useless ones on you that you can't delete.

5) About apps. One thing I love about iPhone is the ability to download a gazillion useful apps. For Vu, there are a few apps available, all with monthly subscription fees, from AT&T. Bleh. Here's the thing. The Vu has a lot of untapped programming potential. It supports Java, which theoretically could give you functionality pretty close to an iPhone's; you can find non-iPhone mobile apps all over the internet. But AT&T, no doubt to protect the iPhone's market position & higher-priced plan, has placed an annoying Java security feature on the Vu so that when you run a 3rd-party app (i.e., one AT&T didn't sell you), you get an annoying permission screen at every turn. If you go to www.lg-vu.com, you can find detailed instructions (even video) for how to hack your Vu to get rid of this feature, as well as delete all the trial version apps and other nonsense that are on the phone. I'm working on this--haven't succeeded yet, but others have, so I'm hopeful I'll eventually get it. Meantime, I downloaded gmail and googlemaps (free apps) and I put up with the security feature. Doesn't prevent me from using the apps; it's just annoying. Happily, there are lots of mobile websites optimized for phone use, everything from shopping to news to lolcats, so you can do quite a bit even without apps. You do not need an app to use facebook or twitter or to look up movie times, gas prices, or weather, or watch youtube (it's blurry).

So if you really want an iPhone, get an iPhone. If you know the limitations of the Vu and nevertheless think it meets your needs--esp. if you just want a good phone (no internet/apps)--I think you'll be very happy. This is a really nice device. Just don't expect it to be an iPhone.

Excellent customizable features June 25, 2009

Reviewer:  Kay from Houston TX 

My review is for those who actually want a phone for its telephone features. I am middle-aged, don't text at all and I rarely use the camera. However, this is the best phone I've owned for ability to customize -- not only can you customize the 4 front buttons, but you can create a favorites menu as well. I like the non-slip grip surface and the slideout snaps firmly with a feeling of quality. Both your address book and speed dial list can be accessed with a touch of a button. The sound quality is loud both for calls and ringtones. Battery life is excellent, but again, I don't text. Buttons on the front serve dual purposes, such as a "hold" button and "speaker phone" instead of having buttons in all different places. I like the memory card slot at the top, so you don't have to open the battery compartment just to insert a memory card. Also has a USB port. I also like that it does not clutter your screen with icons that you will never use. I've owned Rzr, Samsung Eternity (which doesn't even have speed dial), Nokia 6550 (which runs hot), and this phone puts them all to shame when it comes to the basics. My only complaint is that this phone doesn't have voice command.

Great substitute for the iphone March 26, 2009

Reviewer:  Kunal Vijayakar "Kunal"  (Washington DC) -

If you dont care of the status symbol that the iphone brings then this is a great phone. The interface, the buttons and touch screen are all very user friendly and easy to navigate. The phone has all the features i required like internet browsing, google maps, a decent camera. Ultimately its a phone and functions perfect as a phone. As long as you do not expect it to be a computer or a camera then you shud be happy. The only complaint I have is that it shuts itself off if I leave the memory card inside. Not sure why and read on the forums that a lot of people had the same problem. So I leave the card out as I was not intending to use it as an mp3 player anyways.

Overall I am quite satisfied. May be my expectations were not too high anyways from this phone.

Poor battery life, but OK phone October 13, 2009

Reviewer:  J. Glenn "snipe81"  (Indiana) -

Overall, my wife and I have both enjoyed our CF360 phones. I agree with the prior review that the battery life is far too short, but we haven't had a need yet to have the phone be away from a charger for longer than a couple days. I would expect that the phone could run without plugging it in for 4-5 days, with limited usage, but just with a small amount of talking (1 - 1.5 hours of talking), I've easily taken it down to 2 out of 3 bars.

The screen is bright, and this is the first slider phone we've owned, so we actually like that. the number pad is a bit difficult to handle (Small and crowded), and this phone wouldn't be very well suited to someone who wants to text a lot. The call quality is good, the phone gets a good signal if you hold it right (the antenna is in close to the mouth-piece), and the speakerphone works well.

Overall this is an OK phone for a free phone...

Unresponsive Key Problems June 29, 2009

Reviewer:  Jessica L. Cabler "dogmom"  (Alabama, AL, USA) -

I purchased the LG CU920 and loved it originally. The keys became unresponsive and the phone impossible to use after a few months (I could accept calls, but do little else.) ATT warranty services was very helpful and shipped me a replacement phone. All replacement phones are refurbs. So, within four weeks my touchscreen was once again unresponsive. When I attempt to make a call and push the phone icon, it connects to mobile tv. Needless to say, not very helpful. It will temporarily work correctly for a few minutes after removing the battery and powering back on. However, I don't feel compelled to remove my battery and restart my phone every minute. So, I am waiting on my third phone in this model.

The phone is gem when the touchscreen is working. I prefer it to the iphone thanks to the ability to send and receive picture and video messages directly. The qwerty keyboard makes texting far easier. However, given the fact that I have had 2 replacements in less than 9 months, I don't feel that these phones are very sturdy or reliable long-term.

Once again ATT warranty services was very helpful. If you need them, call 1-800-801-1101.