LG Xenon GR500 Phone, Red (AT&T)

Too fragile to use May 14, 2009

Reviewer:  Stonecliff  (NJ USA) -

This has the potential to be a great phone. Love the form factor, touch screen, keyboard, light weight.

However, it has a fatal flaw: the touchscreen is too fragile for use. The first day we owned it, the screen cracked on the inside. The outside of the phone has no scratches or scuffs whatsoever, and we did not drop or otherwise damage the phone. When trying to resolve the issue with AT&T, the logic is wonderfully circular: "the phone worked when it left the store, so if the screen is cracked it must be your fault". As a result, they will not take it back.

Do not buy this phone unless you buy the insurance and are willing to pay the deductible to replace it.

Great phone! July 12, 2009

Reviewer:  Christopher A. Fraas "Book Snob"  (Las Vegas, NV United States) -

I have been using the phone for just over a week and have yet to have any problems -- I'll update this review if I do.
It keeps a good charge -- even sending and receiving texts and going online a couple of times a day the battery stays charged for 2-3 days. And it charges in only a couple of hours. Bery nice.
I'm not a big texter, but I have to admit that the keyboard is wonderful! Even when I'm entering contacts it works great and switches itself to numbers or letters depending on what field (name or number) is being worked on.
The camera, although only 2 MB takes very nice pictures -- I do miss a zoom function, though.
The screen is bright and easy to read and I can easily adjust the sensitivity and vibrations as necessary -- I say this because I don't know if the other people who said their screens cracked were juggling their phones or using them to prop up a book case or what... It's sturdy enough for 'normal' use and I think it's works just fine.
Now, the phone has frozen up on me twice, but I've figured out why -- and I'm not all that smart! Both times it froze I was on the internet and it froze when I was trying to load a web page. Either the browser in the phone couldn't handle the action or the page I was trying to load wasn't in a WAP accessible format and so wasn't able to load. Either way a simple removal of the battery for a few seconds took care of this. (Personally, I think it's the browser as I surfed the internet for a couple of hours one night -- I had the charger plugged in; only going to WAP sites. When I tried to load a site I KNEW wasn't WAP the phone froze). This doesn't make the phone bad. It just says the pre-loaded browser sucks.
Also, when I was playing around with the GPS function while on a trip -- my wife was driving -- the phone got pretty hot. Well, this is to be expected of any electronic device! Again, not really a failing.
Overall I was trying to decide between the Xenon and the Samsung Impression and decided on this one because a reviewer on youtube said the keyboard was nicer. And I would agree, and would like to say that I am very happy with the phone! (Thanks PhoneDog).
ps -- Finding a good case for the Xenon -- I don't mean a plastic hard shell snap-on case -- isn't easy, though and I had to do some looking to find anything I liked.

Nice design but has some flaws June 22, 2009

Reviewer:  bmak 

I want to like this phone... it's small, has a full keyboard that is easy to use, good feedback (the amount is adjustable) on the touch screen, the touch screen can be calibrated for individual use (I believe lack of calibration is why some people are having problems with the touch screen). It does have a 2 megapixel camera with flash, however it isn't as good as the one on my old Sony Ericsson W810. That phone also had better reception as well; I've dropped a few calls with this LG in places that I shouldn't. Speaking of drops, this phone is also pretty delicate... one short drop (maybe 2 feet out my car door) chipped the outside. And if you are planning to keep this in your pocket like I do the screen scratches pretty easy. If you get this phone buy the rubber skin (protective shell) and screen saver plastic BEFORE you use the phone. Also, be aware that there is no adaptor available to connect a standard 3 mm headphone jack. Your only options are blue tooth headphones ($$$) or the cheap headphones AT&T sells. NO ONE makes a mini usb to 3 mm adapter that will work on this phone; although I have a nice pair of Senn noise isolation headphones I can't use them with this phone. Check this issue out the LG forum on the AT&T website (my S.E. W810 came with this adpator). Also be aware that there is no software available that will let back up your address book. Lose the phone and you lose your numbers. Lastly there are some software bugs.... took several re-boots of the phone to get the address book properly loaded. I've used this phone for almost a month; it has some nice features but I feel it isn't quite ready for prime time.

Overall a good product with a few quibbles. August 14, 2009

Reviewer:  hellozombies  (Nacogdoches, TX) -

I got this phone about two months ago, after I finally gave up on my Palm Centro (which was an atrocious phone). Going into the AT&T store in my area I fully intended to purchase a Quickfire; however, the sales associate strongly suggested that I not waste money on it as they were recalling the product due to the battery's tendency to catch on fire. I said that what I really wanted was a full QWERTY keyboard (since I text so darn much), preferably landscape since my Centro had a squashed keyboard and I wanted something more spacious. So he directed me to the Xenon.

Pros:

- The phone is gorgeous. I mean, it's a really beautiful device. Very sleek, and the touch of chrome is a really nice addition. The little design on the back is a very nice touch, in my opinion. It's flat-out pretty.
- The touch screen is quite responsive, after I calibrated it a couple of times and got used to the learning curve of a touch-only phone (my Centro had a touch screen, but it was for use with a stylus).
- The keyboard is amazing--very well spaced out, with large, firm keys.
- The slider feels very strong, not flimsy like the Propel (which a friend has), and even though I slid it up and down dozens of times a day, it doesn't feel like it's weaker.
- It's durable if you're careful. I've dropped it twice, once from a height of two feet and once from about four feet, and both times the phone landed on its back. No scratches are evident. There's a couple of very small scratches on the end key, and a minor, hard to see chip on the chrome. The screen is fine and I don't use a protector or a case (I am looking into a rubberized hard case, as I had a clear hard case and it was useless).
- Call quality is very, very good. I can always hear my speakers well, and they hear me great too. I've only had a few dropped calls, and all because I was in an area with extremely low service. Everywhere else has been great.
- I love the threaded messages! I had that on my Centro and was initially forlorn about not having it on the Xenon until I started texting and realized that it had that capability. Threaded texts make longer conversations much easier. And I like how the messages are provided in little "speech bubbles."
- The side lock button is well placed and easy to use. The screen lock is dependable.
- I have a 2GB micro SD card and have put music on it. I like that the phone automatically converts any media to the SD card once it's inserted, and the sound of the music played over the speakers isn't too bad (more on the music later, since I do have a grievance with it).
- Figuring out everything on this phone didn't take me long--I never even had to look in the manual. I like that the layout is simple, clean, and easy.
- The camera takes really lovely photos, with bright, accurate colors and fantastic clarity. The flash is useful but results in murkier photos, in my opinion.
- There is an "alarm only" sound option, which turns off the ringer, message indicator, and vibration, leaving only your alarm to sound. I like this when I go to sleep at night, as I use this phone as an alarm.

Cons:

- Why on earth do you have a phone with MP3 capabilities...yet no headphone jack? This phone requires a micro USB adapter for use with headphones...yet LG and AT&T don't have one made? I find that ridiculous. I don't want to hear anyone's music blaring from their phones, so I sure won't blare mine. If you want to listen to this phone with headphones, you either have to get a bluetooth headset (I believe the LG ones that are compatible with this phone are about [...]) or the cheap-looking wired headset. I for one will wait for an adapter to crop up.
- This phone has been freezing on me about once or twice a week. It's not enough to make me give up on the phone since I really like it, but it's annoying having to take out the battery and restart the phone.
- This is a very minor issue, but when you slide the keyboard out and the layout changes to landscape...the picture doesn't. It's kind of an odd effect.
- Obviously the calendar on here is no match for the Centro (which is the main reason why I bought it the horrid Centro first place). I'm the kind of person that likes to be painfully organized, and my Centro was great for that, but a POS for everything else. I don't HATE the calendar on this phone, but it's definitely not to be used for that feature.
- The battery life is on the low side if you have the brightness up the whole way. I've learned that it lasts about 2.5 days with medium use on the lowest battery setting, but I could often go four or five days using my Centro heavily. This just took some getting used to and remembering to charge it more often.
- Apparently Bare Minerals makeup and this screen do not mix--it often smudges very, very badly. Any bit of dirt or oil on the screen shows big time. I find myself cleaning it more often than I'd like.

I really, truly am happy with this phone. For a heavy texter like me it's a dream come true, and I think that, for the price (with the mail-in rebate from AT&T) it's a pretty good investment. I'd recommend this for sure, unless you're looking for something perfect. Perfection is something that you can't get with the Xenon, but it's clearly the best phone I have ever owned.

[UPDATE 2/16/10]

I've had more problems with this phone than before, but it's still the best phone I've ever owned. It freezes on me more often, sometimes up to three or four times a day, then it'll be fine for a week or so before starting again. That's frustrating. And I found a really strange issue where I can't hang up using the physical end button during a call, even if my caller has already hung up. I have to unlock the phone and use the touchscreen, or jab the end button a dozen times.

The sound quality of the speaker is pretty good, though I still can't find a good enough pair of headphones that will work with it, so I just use my iPod and will resort to using my phone if I'm driving or at home. I don't want to pay the cash for wireless bluetooth headphones, but luckily for me it's not necessary.

Buyer beware June 5, 2009

Reviewer:  Elizabeth Johnson "HeyHeyEjay"  (Lexington, KY USA) -

I have had this phone for less than 60 days, while I love many features the phone has a major flaw with the touch screen. When I recently touched the touch screen it made a popping noise and then the screen appears to have shattered like a windshield. AT&T indicates that this is physical damage and will not cover it under warranty, LG indicates I can send it to them and they will replace it if it is a manufacturer defect but if not I can pay them $50 service fee to return a defective phone.

iPhone mini? July 24, 2009

Reviewer:  Andrew Bowers "Nerd"  (Philly, PA) -

I love this phone. I had been thinking for awhile about getting an iPhone but I always balked at the extra $[...] a month it would cost for unlimited data and text messaging, so I had always decided to just hold on to my old Razr. Until the Xenon came along.

This phone is fantastic! It basically gives me all the things that I wanted in an iPhone, but its smaller, has a full keyboard and since we already had the family messaging plan, you can get the unlimited data plan on it for only $[...] bucks, instead of the huge fees that come with an iPhone.

Okay, the OS and the apps are not as great as the iPhone, and the browsing experience on the iPhone is unparalleled, but pair this baby with a [...] buck micro-sd card and it is good enough to work and play from while being much cheaper up front and it will save you hundreds over the course of the contract. And oh yeah, you get an actual keyboard with it and even with a protective case on it, its still fits comfortably in your pocket.

IMHO, this phone was a no-brainer. The only thing that worried me was the comments by other people on Amazon that the phone was delicate, so I got a nice case for it and decided to get the insurance on it for awhile. But so far it has worked perfectly and frankly it does not feel as delicate as some other folks have reported here, so I might cancel that too. Either way, I feel like this phone is a triumph and would highly recommend it. Great work LG.

Oh yeah, one last thing. Since AT&T has sold like 20 million iPhones now, this phone frankly is quite an eye catcher and everyone has been asking me what it is. Heh-hee.

Stylish but tricky and delicate... June 6, 2009

Reviewer:  CoffeeGurl  (MA) -

My first impression of the LG Xenon (AT&T) was that it was stylish. It comes in two colors (red and blue) and its lightweight and slim design makes it pocket able and provides a good grip in your hand. The LG Xenon is a messaging/text/multimedia cell phone. The touchscreen allows easy access to multimedia and quick search capabilities while the slide-style (landscape) QWERTY keyboard makes for comfortable messaging. You have your typical mobile browser, quick e-mail and messenger software (AOL, Yahoo! and others). You can also access a few apps. You can send and receive picture and video messages. AT&T's 3G network is also compatible on this phone.

However, as I used this phone, the iffier it became. The touchscreen doesn't always work. The menu is kind of tricky (kind of reminds me of the LG Dare from Verizon) and the accelerometer is at times slow. The phone also looks kind of delicate. I think that it could get easily scratched or even break if you were to accidentally drop it. You will very likely need a protective case or skin for this phone. Other than that, the call qualities, LCD resolution and text capabilities are quite good. Battery life is not that great though. It depends on how much you use it and what features you use the most. The store only gave me one week to test this phone, so if you know of any other features/flaws that come with this phone, feel free to leave a comment.

Awesome Phone May 29, 2009

Reviewer:  Melissa Ohnoutka  (Texas) -

This has everything I wanted. Great full keyboard for texting. Love the touch screen!

Great phone, but broke very easily, had to get a different phone September 9, 2009

Reviewer:  S. Pozun 

Great phone, but broke very easily, had to get a different phone. The screen cracked under almost no real strain. It was in my front pants pocket for 6 weeks, never bumped it, it actually broke in between uses while I was sitting on a floor. Awesome phone if the screen doesnt implode! Price to get the screen fixed? The price of a new phone. I have to pay full price at the AT&T store for some other phone because I couldnt really see shelling out another $300 having it braek again on me!

Rubbish June 26, 2009

Reviewer:  John Clabaugh  (Salkum, WA USA) -

I've had this phone for 10 days. It is the worst phone I have ever had.

The problems:

-Buggy software
-Unresponsive and inaccurate touch screen
-Navigation between phone, email, and web functions is very cumbersome and clunky.
-Cannot sync with Outlook
-Cannot sync with Yahoo Go
-Could not find an adapter to convert to 3.5mm stereo headset
-There is no way to import my hundreds of contacts onto the phone
-Cannot remove unwanted programs
-Text entry on web pages is stupid. Why does it have to open a special text entry dialog? Why can't I just type in the box on the webpage?
-Battery does not last long
-Phone is flimsy plastic, screen seems very thin.
-Camera sucks

My previous phone was a Samsung Blackjack. I discovered that I didn't need all the smartphone features, but I do need good web access, access to my contacts, and a way to sync the calendar. I found all of these functions on the Xenon to be totally useless.

This phone is trying to be so many different things, that it fails miserably at every one of them.

Don't buy the hype. Buy a different phone.