LG Decoy Rated 3.5 out of 5 by Wireless and Mobile News Review of Reviews
The concept behind the LG Decoy is very handy, kind of like when they put special compartments in purses for cell phones - the LG Decoy has a built-in docked Bluetooth headset that locks onto the phone and shouldn't get lost. The LG Decoy headset combo is the first of its kind and makes sense for many. The reviewers, however, were not keen on the quality of the Bluetooth headset that lacks noise canceling - making it hard to hear in loud outdoor areas.
The reviewers referred to the LG Decoy as a mid-range phone, and liked the tactile keys, fast web browsing, music playing features, call quality, email support, Bluetooth file transfer/printing, fast EV-DO, decent camera and speaker phone. Some reviewers found the joy stick and buttons quirky. Although the Bluetooth headset charges while docked to the phone, the battery life was short.
The LG Decoy is so pretty and shiny it smudges a lot. The shiny screen is difficult to see in bright light. Because it comes as a combo, the LG Decoy with its headset has to be judged as married couple. When they are together they may work just fine for you, as long as you don't need to make calls in a very loud outdoor environment. For links and summaries of the original reviews continue reading.
Nicole
Lee at CNET rated the LG Decoy from Verizon 8.3 out of 10 noting the
first-ever lovable built-in Bluetooth headset with it's own compartment/dock on
the phone, easy UI, tactile keys, 2 megapixel camera, 3G EV-DO, music player, V
Cast and good call quality. The finish
however is prone to smudging, the controls on the Bluetooth headset are skinny
and it does not have noise or echo canceling. The 2.2 display was difficult to
see in bright light. The curve keys with
bumps make them easy to find. With Bluetooth functionality and profiles
built-in the phone for push VCard/calendar/phone book file transfer, printing
and it can be used as Bluetooth modem. The LG Decoy only comes with 50 mb of
storage,therefore purchase of a micro SD card is recommended. The camera with
an editor produced mediocre picture quality. They were pleased with the EV-DO
speeds and streaming V Cast video quality.
Sascha
Segan at PCMag rated the LG Decoy 3.5 out of 5 calling it "a good choice for
folks who tend to forget their mobile accessories." He noted that the LG Decoy
has sharp 2.2 inch 320 by 240 display that is glossy and reflects light. He
found th
keys pleasant. The pleasant surprise is
that the Bluetooth headset docks to the phone and recharges while it is
connected. He liked the excellent voice reception, loud speaker phone(although
distorted at top volume), mic transmission, and long phone battery life. The headset had short battery life, struggled
in noisy areas, and garbled with wind and street noise. The music played loud
and clear. Although he experienced errors from V Cast songs, sideloaded music
played fine. The camera was decent. The LG Decoy, works best as duo, but if you
want high-end Bluetooh functionality, you're better off with separate Bluetooth
headset.
Dana
Wollman at LaptopMag rated the LG Decoy 3.5 out 5 for its innovative design,
short length for a slider phone, large tactile keys,
fast browser and bright colorful screen. The headset didn't work well in noisy
environments and wasn't as good as listening directly to the earphone on the
Decoy. Although the VZ Navigator maps were easy to follow, they weren't as clear
as AT&T's maps and there was no auto-complete for popular destinations. The
browser was fast, while e-mail software for Hotmail,
Yahoo,
navigated with the soft keys. Photos
were impressive, but sound quality of recorded videos was weak as well as the
short battery life. Due to the headset being mediocre, they suggest it
would be worth waiting until the price came down on the phone before buying it.
Specifications
Design
- 2-Tone Finishing
Glossy Front, Satin Back - Large 2.2" Mirror-Like
LCD
Music
- Music Player for MP3, WMA,
Unprotected
formats - microSD™
Mass Storage
Bluetooth®
- Integrated Bluetooth
Headset for Voice & Music - Multiple Connections -
connect up to 2 Bluetooth devices to have 1 in standby - Supported Profiles
Headset, Hands-free, Dial-Up Networking, Advanced Audio Distribution
(stereo), Phonebook Access, Basic Printing, Object Push for vCard and
vCalendar, File Transfer, Basic Imaging - Send all Contacts &
Calendar Events via Bluetooth - Print & Send
User-Generated Pictures (JPEG)
Camera/Video
- 2.0 Megapixel Camera &
Camcorder - Camera Resolutions
1600x1200 (default), 1280x960, 640x480, 320x240 Pixels - Image Editor - zoom, rotate,
crop - Video Resolutions
320x240, 176x144 (default) Pixels
Services
- Premium Plan Capable
- V CAST Music with
Rhapsody® (subscription, wireless and PC downloads) - V CAST
Videos - Text, Picture, Video and
Voice Messaging, Mobile IM & Mobile Web 2.0,
Web Email
ringtones, and more- VZ Navigatorsm
- Chaperone®
Parent/Child - Voicemail
Voice/Audio
- One-Touch Speakerphone
- Speaker-Independent Voice
Commands
Specifications
- Frequency
1.9 GHz CDMA - Data Transmission
High-Speed EV-DO - Dimensions
4.01" (H) x 1.97" (W) x 0.67" (D) - Weight
4.05 oz. - Hearing Aid Compatibility =
M3/T3 - Meets FCC SAR limit.
Manufacturer's highest FCC reported SAR 1.22 W/kg at ear, 0.718 W/kg on
body - Display
262K Color
2.20" - Handset Usage Time
Up to 230 Minutes OR - Handset Standby Time
Up to 330 Hours - Decoy Headset Talk Time
Up to 2 Hours OR - Decoy Headset Standby Time
Up to 80 Hours - Handset Insurance is Available