So, I had a hundred dollar credit with Verizon and decided to get a new phone. Now I’m not a big cell phone person. I just need a phone, I need it to work, and it needs to be durable. This is in contrast to many friends who want the latest songs, ring tones, and coolest styles in their cellular phones. I’m indifferent, except for one thing. My cell phone has to be able to take a beating. I drop it, I kick it; cell phones in general bang around, and I can’t have a phone that is constantly being damaged.

On that note, I wasn’t going to upgrade to a $400 phone. I’d take the hundred dollar credit and get whatever it got me, which in this case, was the LG VX8350. No cool name, just serial numbers. The phone has a gray matte finish and caught my eye immediately. It has the traditional top-flip, color screen layour, and–to my excitement–a camera.

The phone cost $109, so even with the hundred dollar credit an extra $10 will be showing up on my next bill (Verizon always makes you pay something). But I’ll pay it without complaint, because I was able to avoid the new phones that look like memory sticks. They are small and neat, but too small for a big guy like me. And as I said before, durability is a factor. I get a new phone every year, but I have gone two years without a new phone, so an ability to last is a must.

My only concern is with flipping the phone open. The top piece has a groove on the side so I can open the phone, but I’m not always paying attention, and if I push the front of the phone (where the top and bottom meet) I actually have to push the top piece a bit to the side to get my fingernail in there. This puts strain on the flip joint and I could see this wearing out after several months.

Other than that, the phone comes with all the typical extras, and if you feel you need those, they are available. This is the working man’s (or woman’s) phone, so if it’s time for an upgrade, this is the phone I’d choose.
Rating: 8