*** Updated Jan 26, 2006 to account for v07 firmware update ***If you have an older version of the phone, bring it to a Verizon Wireless store and ask them to update the firmware for you.Basically, the VX8100 (for Verizon) is good phone that's unfortunately held back by a few irritating problems.Camera------Good:The 1.3 megapixel camera takes good pictures as long as there's adequate lighting (otherwise, there'll be a lot of noise in the photo).The camera has a lot of adjustable functions (flash, white balance, color effects, night shooting, etc.).The outside screen can also be used as a viewfinder for taking pictures of yourself, or as a makeshift mirror.Bad:Bad shutter lag. At the highest resolution, it takes 3-4 seconds to capture an image. The viewfinder (screen) will appear to take a picture as soon as you press the shutter button, but it actually just freezes the phone while it takes a different picture in the background. Make sure your subjects stand very still.The camcorder function is limited to 15-second videos, regardless of memory card size.Interface---------Good:For the most part, I like the user interface on this phone. All the major functions I want are present: the menus are clear, if layered a bit deep; the address book works as expected (multiple #s per entry, per-person ringtones and pictures, groups, up to 99 quick dial numbers); T9 predictive text input is helpful for messaging (but if you do a lot of that, I'd look into the VX9800 instead).Bad:My only real gripe is the lack of customizability for shortcut keys. You can only customize one button, the down d-pad button, and doing so will replace the caledar. I'd rather replace the Web Browser, Get It Now, or any of the other buttons that I don't use, but the phone won't allow me to.Applications------------Good:The phone comes with several useful applications/utilities, including a web browser, calendar, an alarm clock, a world clock, a notepad, a calculator, and a tip calculator.Bad:Third-party applications are limited to Verizon programs from GetItNow, as is apparently the case with all Verizon phones. This means that if you want more functionality out of your phone, you're going to have to pay for it.Data/internet access--------------------Good:EV-DO support means fast connections to the web. Streaming video (V-Cast) works as expected, and the $15 package includes unlimited web browsing.Bad:The web browser just plain sucks. There is no way to directly bookmark a page -- or, for that matter, go directly to a URL -- without first going to a special Verizon page. This means you have to memorize or write down the address you want to go to, navigate to the special Verizon page, and then manually re-enter the address. I have no idea why they designed it this way, but it's so unuseable that it made me cancel my mobile web service.Sound-----Good:As of firmware version v07, the phone supports V-Cast music downloads. They can either be downloaded on the phone directly ($1.99 per song) or purchased on a PC and then transferred over a USB cable (99 cents per song). You must have an active V-Cast plan to download songs on the phone.Sound quality is okay on the speakerphone, but you'd probably want to get a stereo headset if you want to do any real listening.The phone has an equalizer function with settings for Pop, Rock, 3D surround and more.The version 7 firmware mysteriously disables the phone's original MP3 playback capability, but this can be easily restored by entering a hidden menu: Push the "Menu" button and then enter 000000 when asked for the service code. Go to item #11 and enable MP3 playback. Now the phone will be able to play MP3s and WMAs from the memory card again.Bad:Playlists are only supported for V-Cast downloads, not songs on the memory card.The song title is not displayed on the front screen, only the inside. The front screen displays the current equalizer setting and also a huge and worthless visualization animation.Earlier versions of the phone had a problem with headset volume, but this was fixed with version 7 firmware. You may need to update your phone if you encounter this problem.The speakerphone quality isn't great. It works, but sounds bad at louder levels. I'm not sure how well it'd work with music (but you could always buy special stereo headphones for the phone).Voice Dialing, Voice Command, Text to Speech--------------------------------------------Good:The phone uses an actual speech recognition engine, meaning you can theoretically dial any name or speak any command without prior training. This works... somewhat. 75% of the time, the phone would do just what I told it to do.Voice command allows you to do more than just dial people in your address book. You call any telephone number (if you say the numbers clearly enough); check your voicemail; have your missed calls listed; check your text messages; and have the current time and date spoken to you.The "Announce Alert" feature will speak out loud, using the phone's text-to-speech capability, whenever a call or message arrives, e.g. "Incoming call from Bob" or "Incoming message from 123-123-1234". I personally like this feature, but if you find it annoying, you can turn it off.Bad:Speech recognition is a double-edged sword. With that many more possible voice commands, 25% of the time the phone will simply get it wrong, especially in noisy environments.A more serious issue is the voice interface itself: Instead of allowing you to dial a name with just one button push, you have to navigate through the whole menu system every time. It's like having to talk to those voice menu systems you sometimes get when calling a company. The procedure goes something like this:Phone: Please say a command.Me: Call someone.Phone; Please say a name.Me: Bob.Phone: Did you say, "Rob"?Me: No.Phone: Please say a name."Me: Bob.Phone: Did you say, "Bob"?Me. Yes.Phone: Call mobile?Me: No.Phone: Call home?Me: No.Phone: Call work?Me: Yes.Phone: Calling.I'd have much preferred being able to just say "Bob", even if I had to first train the phone.Conclusion----------In summary, the phone seems to be a great gadget crippled by flawed software. If you can live with the annoyances, you may like the phone for its abundance of features. Personally, I just wish LG and Verizon did more testing and bugfixing before releasing this phone. It could've been so much better.