The Verizon LG Decoy Phone: A Review

With the rise and ubiquity of bluetooth it seems that everywhere you go you see those little electronic units shoved into the ears of people you see on the street. Bluetooth headsets are extremely useful and allow for complete hands-free talking. This also brings a higher level of safety for folks who feel the need to chat while driving. But the ugly side of using a bluetooth headset is the need to re-charge them, the problem of misplacing them, and the added bulk of caring it in your pocket when you do not want to have it in your ear.

The LG company has now come out with a truly revolutionary product. It is called the Decoy and operates on the Verizon Wireless network. The Decoy (it's more than just a clever name) looks like your typical slider phone but with one exceptional addition. Integrated into the back of the handset is a removable bluetooth headset! No longer do you have to carry a headset separate in your pocket or carry an extra charger because the Decoy headset and the phone itself are completely integrated.

How does the Decoy's headset work?

When you first power on the phone for the first time it will take you through the steps for pairing the bluetooth headset and the phone. Once that is done you will not have to do again. It will always be connected with the phone. As you can see the headset fastens to the back adds very little bulk to the overall unit. A simple button on top of the phone releases the headset, you can pop it in either ear and you're ready to go.

The headset has a main phone button on the side which activates it as well as answers calls. Then on the edge there is a rocker button for volume. You can also use voice commands with the bluetooth headset by pressing the main button on the side. A voice will ask you for a command and you can issue various commands such as "Call *name of contact or phone number*" to place a call or various other commands (see LG Decoy manual).

There are two ways to charge the headset. If you leave the headset connected to the phone then it will be charged whenever you charge the phone. Or, if you choose, you can use the headset charger that is included. Simply snap the headset into the headset charger cradle and then connect the phones charger adapter to the cradle and charging will begin.

What other features does this phone have?

This phone is a slider which means that in order to take a call or access the keypad you simply slide the front of the phone upward with your thumb. This creates a much slicker and trimmer form factor. It comes stocked with a myriad of great default ringtones and of course you can purchase all of the ringtones your digital heart desires by using the Get It Now store on your phone (charges may apply).

This is also a multimedia phone which means you can purchase or upload music and videos to the phone and enjoy them on the go. It also supports pictures (which you can transfer via bluetooth from your computer or from other phones).

The Decoy's interface is completely customizable. There are several great color themes to choose from, you can set up home screen shortcuts, change the home screen wallpaper, and even add your own personalized banner to the home screen.

The Decoy's call quality is good. It's what you would expect from a typical modern handset.

What about the Decoy's camera?

One of the other great things about the Decoy is the 2.0 megapixel camera. Access the camera functionality by pressing the camera button on the right side of the phone. You can take photos in standard vertical or landscape mode just by turning the phone. By pressing the options button you change all sorts of settings including resolution, effects (e.g. black and white, sepia, negative), and shutter sound. When it camera mode, press and hold the camera button again and the Decoy which switch to video recording mode with many of the same feature options. Press the toggle button to take your picture or video and then afterward you will be given the option to erase or save your new photo.

So what are the downfalls of the Decoy?

The slider form factor takes some getting used to but it does not take long before it is second nature. The bluetooth headset is good enough for most conditions but it does not perform well in overly noise circumstances. Also unless you speak very clearly the voice command can get your commands wrong at times but it is trainable. And lastly as with most Verizon phones you can not upload your own sounds and use them as ringtones. The only way to get the custom ringtones you want is for someone else to send them to you via instant messaging or to buy them from Verizon. This is such a pain and I hope that Verizon changes this restrictive policy one day.

All in all this is a great phone and I hope you get to try it out and let me know what you think. Good luck!