Multimedia on the LG VX8000
LG VX8000
The product: When we first saw the LG VX8000 at the CTIA show in Atlanta last year, it earned our Cream of the Crop award. Fortunately, time has not diminished our interest. Packed into a sleek, flip-phone design are a plethora of multimedia features, including streaming video and music, an MP3 player, and a 1.3-megapixel camera with 15 seconds of video recording. And even more promising, the CCD lens should finally put photos in a truly printable range. Other features include a speakerphone, voice dialing, and text and multimedia messaging. Running on a CDMA network, the VX8000 also supports EVDO data speeds.

• Support for EVDO data speeds
• 1.3-megapixel camera with flash and CDD lens
• Video recording
• MP3 player
• Streaming music and video
• Dual color screens
• Speakerphone
• Voice dialing

The prospects: The LG VX8000 packs a powerful punch with its combination of strong multimedia features and high data speeds being especially promising. Its design also is attractive, and if the carrier's network can adequately support the phone's data features, it should be a winner. That's not to say it's perfect, though. The lack of Bluetooth is disappointing, and we would have preferred a longer video-recording time. Moreover, the 500-contact phone book is rather small.

By Kent German, associate editor, CNET Reviews