should i buy the audiovox 9500?

Plan: I would probally go with there america choice which is 35 for 300 anytime and unlimited night and weekend minutes with LD or local digtial choice which is $29.99 for 100 and 500

I own this phone and think that it would be a good choice for you. The size is a little bit bigger but you get used to it

Speakerphone: Located on the top of the phone right below the external display is nice. works best inside.

Missed call: Will show all missed calls

External LCD: THis will light up only when you open the phone

Can you mute phone calls as well: IF you mean while you are talking Yes

Alarm: YES

Jack

 

ewod,

The standard $24.99 plan for verizon includes 100 anytime minutes (daytime) and 500 night and weekend minutes. to get long distance add $5 which = $29.99 a month.

In my opinion the better value would be the america choice for $35 300 daytime and unlimited night and weekend minutes

You will get to see all the missed calls with date and time. The phone will show a list of twenty outgoing calls, incomming calls, and missed calls.

Any more questions feel free to ask!

Jack

 

Volume: THe phone produces decent volume. To change the volume there is a up button that is between the send and the end keys and this will change both the ear volume and/or the speaker volume

Jack

 

decent volume? not loud enough volume? how is the speakerphones volume? when you are on a call can you turn the volume up or do you have to hang up to set the volume to a different setting? why is a phone like this so cheap jack if its so good? does the phone feel good when you hold it? also can you mute calls jack?

 

I think that the phone is loud enough

Speakerphone volume is ok. The speakerphone on my last phone timeport 270C was better. Works best in a semi-quiet environment. Hope this helps. Lets just say it is not the best and it is not the worst.

You can change volume when you are in the middle of a phone call. THe only think is you have to take the phone away from your face.

The biggest negative that I see with the phone is that there are no keys on the outside of the phone where you can quickly change the volume or when you have a incomming call ignore it.

Cheep?- I dont know why it is so cheep maybe brand recognition. Verizon wireless sells this phone as a audiovox and they are probally prepairing for a new model. Alltel sells this phone as a toshiba and they have had good luck with it and it is considered one of their best phones. (BTW I have the alltel version)

Also the size is a little bit bigger then some phones but you get used to it.

Jack

 

I wouldn't go with it...i dont care much about look factor but this phone looks big hulky and cheap...And its an inconvienence to me with no outside buttons, I dont want to open the phone to see the time at night. Also, I like being able to silence or put in vibrate mode by pressing or holding a button-with this phone you have to hold some key and turn it down but then if you get a message its still going to ring...Its a big inconvience for me, I dont know if you have to put your phone silent/vibrate a lot though.

 

Maybe the verizon silver version looks cheep but the Alltel version in Blue looks classy.

The outside buttons are one of the negative aspects of this phone but it is a all around good phone.

Size: Yes it is bigger then some flip phones but you get used to it. It is also very comfortable to hold

Jack

 

I hate to do this, but you do not have your fact straight. From the looks of your profile, you don't even own the phone. I just got the phone and it is one of the best phone I've ever had. The phone is NOT big. If you have cared to read of what other's (I believe it was Suliman) have said, you'll know. Suliman put the V60i, 9500 and another phone (I can't remember) side by side and found the phone to be about the same size. The only thing is, it is longer (that's to accomodate the awesome LARGE screen). I was pleasantly surprise to find how light the phone is!

About the vibrate mode, you are wrong again! I previously own a Samsung T300 where you just have to hold down the "*" key to put it in vibrate. I thought I was going to get used to doing it another way when I found out in the manual that the exact same feature is available with the 9500! I don't know what you mean about turning it down, but I just hold on the "*" key and that's it! So that I am not wrong, I sent myself a text message while the phone is in vibrate and it was fine. I was alerted with a vibrate, not a single ring!

As for the volume control, I think the advantage of the phone outweighs that. I don't know why people are so darn lazy, but I was able to talk and turn down the volume at the same time WITHOUT even taking the phone away from my face. I'll give you that the keys are a little hard to find since it's flushed flat on the surface. But I was familiar with the key layout enough that I could feel my way to the DOWN arrow button to turn the the volume while talking at the same time.

Come on people, no phone is perfect, or else the manufacturers will go out of business. You'll have to make some compromises. IMHO, the phone does not look cheap, in fact, it looks quite good. YOu have 15 days, get the phone, play with it, put it to the test and then decide if you still like it at the end of the 15 days. There's nothing like seeing and using the phone first hand!

I was on the road this weekend and I was able to make a clear call in analog with no bar! I was SO IMPRESSED! I was in the basement of university building and I was able to surf the web and play with GIN and no bar in digital signal. My friend's Samsung A310 have absolutely NO SIGNAL in the exact same area. As for the volume, I found it to be far more than adequate for me. In fact, I had to turn it down as it was too loud for me. The speaker phone could be improved just because it starts to buzz when it's turned all the way up. But then what do you expect from such a small phone?

Anyway, that's just my 3 cent's worth! LOL!

 

Sooby77 really summed it up quite a bit. I too wonder if Pjayz actually owns the phone. Not to rag Pj or anything, but a few things mentioned in his/her review are a bit inconsistent with the phones features. Such as:

1. You don't have to "open" the phone to see what time it is at night. This is solved by altering the backlight settings. You have several options:
You can set the light to stay on only when keys are pressed or the when the phone is openedYou can set the backlight to stay on for a certain number of seconds (the default is 15, but you can change it to 1 0r 60 secs) after a key is pressed or the phone is open or closedYou can set the backlight to stay on all the time while in use (until the phone is closed or the call ends if you use an ear bud)You can set the backlight to stay on all of the time(I'd strongly recommend the extended battery if you intend to go with either of the last two)

2. I'm with Sooby, I've held it up to some other flip models, it's hard to see the size difference. However, when you read the specs on comparable phones it does in fact list the 9500 as being a tad bit thicker and longer than some. One thing that is bigger for sure, is the screen!!! So perhaps the 9500 is a little longer because of the screen. But it still fits in any pocket or stow-away place.

3. One correction, help me out here Sooby, I hold my "red" or "power" (i) key to silence the ring. If you've figured some way to use the "*" key, please share. When I press mine, “*” ,while ringing it answers the call. Two buttons to silence the ring would be great!!!

4. I hear the speaker on some 9500's is a little "poppy" when the volume is maxed. There is a software fix to address this I do believe, so check with your store. If you get it and yours is a "popper", turn the volume down one notch. It will be just as loud, but the popping should stop. I find the speaker to be more than loud enough. It's no "NexTel", but it works for me.

5. Outside buttons, or lack thereof, well now let's see, I understand how this might turn some people off. I came to the 9500 from a Nokia 3285, so I was used to pushing buttons. You can't miss what you never had. Get cha one of those with the little answer button, you can at least answer from your hip.

6. Cheap looks? hmmmmmmmm.....I kinda thought the shinny finish looked good (I have the silver Verizon model). The Alltel blue is outta site!!!! I do wish it was like the T720 with changeable covers, but the silver works for me. We all know beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyway, so I wouldn't let how I thought it looked sway me from buying the phone. Besides, that shinny finish and two-tone casing that I though was so cool, is now under a leather case.

Okay, as with any good review, I have to tell you the cons and quips with the phone.

1. Now this it one of those where you have to compromise for benefit. The antenna on this phone, extended, it right at 5 inches long!!! If and when I need it at all, I tell my callers to hold on while I pull up my snake. It's flexible, so your eyes shouldn't get poked. The plus, I'm usually not the person loosing calls in elevators or parking garages. The perception on this thing is GREAT!!!!!!

2. Audi could have done a little better with the flat keys, but I think they were trying to keep the phone thin. I'm a chick, so I keep my nails with some length to them this really isn't an issue until I break one to the nub. On the other hand, my boyfriend never complains when he uses my phone.

3. The thing I hate the most..........I CAN'T FIND A LEATHER FLIP CASE WITH A FREAKING SWIVEL BELT CLIP!!!!!!!! I would love to be able to turn the phone to view stuff while it's on my hip or pocket.

All inall, I am beyond pleased with the phone. Agreeing with Sooby, try it for 15-days. In fact, try as many as you can, and ask 10,000 questions if that's what it takes to help you make up your mind. Heck, I did.

Hope this helps!! Happy shopping!!!!!!

 

No, I never did figure out how to do that. I think hitting the red button to silence incoming calls is pretty standard for most manufacturers.

When you say "poppy" you mean cracking right? I didn't think that software would fix that just because that is a function of the sound output too loud for the built-in speaker to handle. If it does fix that, it would be awesome!

Exactly. If you love your phone so much and got a case for it, no one is ever going to see what it looks like underneath.

I have the same exact problem. Can't find a case with LOCKING swivel. If you are looking for just a case with swivel and not necessarily locking, I think TEC has a case with a swivel. Check out the old 9500 group in yahoo groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/audiovox9500/

The new forum got moved to forum.cdmangels.com. Unfortunately, they are in the middle of moving server and it's unavailable now. The old yahoo forum still got some excellent information that I found useful.

 

Sooby, you are correct, the software does NOT address the speaker cracking/popping thing. Verizon confirmed that for me yesterday.

 

ewod

Have you made your decision yet?

Jack

 

yeah i went to a verizon store yesterday and they said they got discontinued the luck that i have

 

ewod

I would try out another verizon store or a authorized agent.

also go to verizonwireless.com I heard that you can order it through there. I dont know your area or I could check for you

Jack

 

no thats ok jack i dont understand why they have it online but not in verizon stores anymore they have it in my area

 

As far as I know, no stores anwhere have it any more. The phone has been canceled by Verizon (it has not been discontinued as Toshiba is still making them for Alltel and USCC). Apparently the remaining supplies are too small to send out to stores (each store would probably get 1 or 2 phones only) so they are only available online or through the 1-800 number.

 

Yeah I just got mine this week and I have to say, it's pretty kick ___ and I'm glad I went with it and saved the 50 bucks that I would've forked out buying the VX 4400, which is the only other comparable phone in this price range as far as I know. I went into the stores last week and they said that this phone was pulled from stores a while ago. I got mine online through www.verizonwireless.com with my plan and such, which is convenient 'cause you get your phone all set up and ready to go. All you have to do is dial *228 to get it started. Or at least that's how it worked for me. And when you get it, don't freak out about the antenna, it's supposed to be that long, right AnthroMatt? It clicks into place at like 3x the length of others if you need it to, it's cool.

 

Hrm it looks like I was wrong about the saving money thing, looks like the VX 4400 w/ MIR is the same price as the CDM 9500...so I guess it's a matter of preference if you want to decide between the 2 since price is no longer a factor...if you want to look into the VX4400 there are tons of posts comparing 'em in this forum somewhere...

 

What's wrong with ordering it over the web.

Jack

 

Unless you just don't buy things over the internet, I agree with Jack. I think when you order online from Verizon they ship 2 day FedEx so you would have your phone by Wednesday if you order Monday. Depending upon how close you are to the shipping center you might even get it the very next day. Verizon ships out of a distribution center about a 3-4 hour drive from me, so I always got things the next business day if I ordered by about 1pm.