Digital Trends

LG VX5400 March 5th, 2008 | by Damon Brown

Features and Design

The LG VX5400 is light, weighing only a couple ounces, and its entire open clamshell frame will fit comfortably in the average hand. The shell is a shiny space-age, almost tinny silver, with a thick black border surrounding the vertical screen that is just over one inch by two inches. The bottom half has a flat, immobile directional pad, with each direction opening a menu such as contacts or calendar. Next to the pad are two basic menu keys, clear, speakerphone, send and end. A number pad is below, flat with raised bumps to separate keys.

On the left side of the phone are volume buttons and a power jack. On the right side is the voice command button and the camera key. Close the clamshell and a small color monitor will show the time, date, battery power and other details. Above the monitor is the camera lens for the VGA camera.

As mentioned earlier, LG keeps things really basic here. The Internet function and speed are fine, but it uses the abbreviated “phone” Internet view. Traditional websites like Yahoo! appear a little mashed up, which will be a shock to those used to PC-accurate representations on their cell phones. There is no microSD slot, but, aside from the camera, there won’t be any need for additional multimedia storage.

Price

As expected, the Verizon LG VX5400 is cheap: $99.99 at full price, and $49.99 with a two-year Verizon commitment. The phone falls under Verizon’s standard phone plans. 

When pricing the VX 5400, keep in mind that most advertised multimedia functions, such as the aforementioned GPS option, are a la carte.

Image Courtesy of LG Electronics

Setup and Use

The phone uses an internal antenna, and calls (both traditional and via speakerphone) are loud and clear. And the shocker: the VGA camera is excellent. Press the camera button and an instant, high-resolution visual viewfinder pops up on the screen. Manipulate the flat pad to digitally zoom the lens in and out. The results are crisp, bright and detailed, and it cannot be overstated how surprisingly supple the pictures turn out. The only two minor quips would be the inability to take pictures with the clamshell closed and the lack of a flash, but, as stated, pictures do not seem to suffer.

The VX5400 is Bluetooth enabled, so all your favorite devices should work on the phone. Verizon offers Get It Now, basically an internal Internet hub with downloadable games, pictures and such, but music itself is limited to ringtones. Most notable is the VZ Navigator, an optional service that provides a mini-GPS system. Unfortunately, like the other digital accoutrements, the VZ Navigator service will cost you extra. The straightforward functions eliminate the need for additional equipment like headphones, a microSD card and such, but music or video aficionados used to porting their multimedia onto their cells will find the phone very limited.

Conclusion

When compared to other phones, the VX5400 is a terribly simple device. However, LG’s latest excels in price, in user friendliness and in design, and it is a great purchase for someone who likes a tiny bit of multimedia with their phone – nothing more, nothing less.


Pros:

• Great price
• Excellent camera
• Simple phone

Cons:

• No frills
• Light on multimedia