Cell phones > Expert reviews > LG Rumor White

LG Rumor White Review - Introduction

LG Rumor White
Published on 4/15/2008
By: Noah Kravitz, Senior Editor, Consumer Products and Services
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Editor Rating: 4.5
4 
3 
LG Rumor GreenA growing number of consumers use their “cell phones” more for messaging than for actual voice calls.  Texting, IMing, and Emailing from handsets has become more and more popular amongst privacy-minded teenagers, business folk, and people like me who sometimes just don’t like talking on the phone.  As such, when shopping for a new handset many people now try out the keypad before holding it up to their ear - messaging-related ergonomics and software are just as important as call quality for more and more would-be cell phone buyers in today’s market.

Sprint and LG have addressed the text-minded shopper with their new Rumor handset.  Rumor features a full-QWERTY keyboard and messaging-centric software in a compact design that eschews full smartphone functionality in favor of simplicity and a low price point.  While Rumor lacks the high-speed data access and advanced functionality of higher-priced models in Sprint’s lineup, its ease of use, rugged, comfortable form factor, and text-friendly keypad makes it a solid choice for users who text first, talk second, and barely if ever use their handset to browse the Web or snap pictures (though you can do those things on Rumor, too).

Next: Design & Features »

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Miley Cyrus
Tuesday, July 15, 2008I am the real Miley Cyrus and I really want one of these are they cool????
I?My Rumor
Monday, July 14, 2008I got a LG Rumor for Sprint yesterday and I LOVE IT! When uou have the slide out keyboard if you didnt have anything open it will go to the messaging screen, but if you just keep hitting back it will go back to that screen. I LOVE IT!! and i dont know if you can use prepaid for it
kenzie sameraie
Saturday, July 12, 2008i have a question when you slide out the keyboard are you only able to message when the keyboard is out?
Ashley Weber
Tuesday, June 17, 2008i have a question too..can i get this phone on a pre-paid plan for alltel? i also would like to know if i can just buy the phone and then get phone cards and use it..or do i have to get a plan right away..
quita bryant
Thursday, June 05, 2008I hav3 a question.....kan I us3 it pr3paid?

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Video: Unlocked #3: LG Rumor, Billshrink.com, mystery FedEx package

Unlocked #3: LG Rumor, Billshrink.com, mystery FedEx package
On the eve of Noah, Courtney, and camera man Doug heading for CTIA in Las Vegas, Noah filmed episode 3 of his new unlocked review series. This video highlights the happenings at Motorola this wee, the new Billshrink.com website, and what did the FedEx man just deliver for Noah to review next!

Video: Video review: LG Rumor with Sprint

Video review: LG Rumor with Sprint
Looking for a great messaging phone to use on the Sprint network? Well, Noah has found one in the LG Rumor. The bar style device come equipped with a slide out QWERTY keyboard that when opened, automatically switches the phone to messaging mode. Other key features include a 1.3 megapixel camera with 2x zoom, media player, and expandable memory card slot.

LG Rumor White in-depth review - At a Glance

LG Rumor At a Glance
What’s Good: Compact, rugged design with full QWERTY keyboard; Easy to use; Auto-rotating display; Good SMS, IM, and Email integration What’s Not Good: Limited functionality beyond voice calling and messaging; No Power Vision access makes for slow Web browsing; Reports of laggy software and keyboard issues (I encountered none); Weak camera Bottom Line: Rumor is a basic candy bar phone with a focus on messaging, and in this regard it really shone in my tests.  I found the handset easy...

LG Rumor White in-depth review - Design & Features

Rumor is, on first glance, a somewhat chubby candy bar phone with a standard dialing pad, D-Pad, display layout on the front and a camera on the back.  My review sample is finished in all-black with chromed silver plastic trim, and the soft touch paint used throughout made the handset really easy to hold onto.  Sprint also offers Rumor in white and green color schemes. What sets Rumor apart from your basic bar phone - and justifies its somewhat chunky profile - is the slide-out...

LG Rumor White in-depth review - Usability & Performance

I tested Rumor on Sprint’s CDMA network in the San Francisco Bay Area with generally quite good results.  Signal strength and voice quality were very good in most cases, and callers were able to hear me loud and clear with only very occasional minor static.  The integrated speakerphone was okay in a pinch but not great, and the handset worked well with mono and stereo 2.5mm headsets (not included).  I also wired some higher quality 3.5mm headphones to Rumor by way of an...

LG Rumor White in-depth review - Conclusion

All in all I really like Rumor.  It’s designed to do two things well — make phone calls and send messages — and it succeeds on both counts.  While power users want their handsets to do everything including high-speed Web browsing and advanced multimedia playback, Rumor isn’t for power users.  Like it’s cousin, the Alltel Scoop, Rumor is meant for budget-minded folks who text as much as they talk, if not more.  As such it packs a very usable full QWERTY keypad into a candy...

Unlocked #3: LG Rumor, Billshrink.com, mystery FedEx package

Unlocked #3: LG Rumor, Billshrink.com, mystery FedEx package
On the eve of Noah, Courtney, and camera man Doug heading for CTIA in Las Vegas, Noah filmed episode 3 of his new unlocked review series.  This video highlights the happenings at Motorola this wee, the new Billshrink.com website, and what did the FedEx man just deliver for Noah to review next!   On Thursday Noah reported on Motorola's intentions for splitting their mobile phone division away from the rest of the company into a seperate division.  With the...

Video review: LG Rumor with Sprint

Video review: LG Rumor with Sprint
Looking for a great messaging phone to use on the Sprint network?  Well, Noah has found one in the LG Rumor.  The bar style device come equipped with a slide out QWERTY keyboard that when opened, automatically switches the phone to messaging mode.  Other key features include a 1.3 megapixel camera with 2x zoom, media player, and expandable memory card slot.    

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