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LG Rumor White Review - Usability & Performance



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Noah Kravitz
Posted on Tuesday, April 15, 2008
by Noah Kravitz, Senior Editor, Consumer Products and Services
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Usability & Performance

 
Editor Rating: 4.5
4 
3 
LG Rumor WhiteI 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 adapter, and was pleased with the results when listening to music via the phone’s media player.

I was able to easily pair Rumor with a variety of mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets.  Wireless range and voice quality over Bluetooth were good.

Though I’ve read some reports online complaining about keyboard lag and software bugs on Rumor, I experienced nothing but smooth sailing in my tests of the device.  The handset’s display auto-rotated and its messaging app launched without a hitch every time I slid the QWERTY board out, and the device registered my keystrokes just as fast as I could tap them out with my thumbs.  In general I was very pleased with the performance of the phone relative to its capabilities.

That said you’re not going to be happy with Rumor if you want a full-on smartphone or an advanced multimedia or Web browsing handset.  Rumor’s 1.3 MP camera lacks a flash or self-portrait mirror and the photos it took for me were average at best - low-light performance was notably poor.  While the camera is capable of video capture, the results were similarly low-quality.  Rumor’s display is also on the lower end of phones in its class, though its decently well suited to the phone’s features.  The 176 x 220 resolution display is smaller and of lesser quality than the 320 x 240 screen that’s become standard on mid-range devices, its fonts tend to look a bit outdated, and it’s hard to read in bright, direct light.  Then again, it’s perfectly usable for messaging and phone-related tasks in most indoor situations.

While I understand that Sprint wanted to keep Rumor’s price point as low as possible to widen its appeal to budget-minded parents of the teenagers the device is being marketed to, I really do wish they’d included Power Vision access.  Sprint’s Music Store is one of the best in the business, and for the number of teens and young adults I see every day tapping away at their thumbboards while plugged into earphones, I’d imagine that texting + music = revenue generation.  A Rumor with EV-DO access to 99 cent per track over the air downloads would seem a teenager’s dream - or, rather, a marketing person’s dream in the face of selling gadgets to teens.  Again, the Samsung Alias for VZW comes to mind as another compact, messaging-focused device that bests Rumor in the areas of multimedia and high-speed Web/data access.

Next: Conclusion »

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Krissie
Sunday, October 12, 2008I've had my Rumor since it came out (over year ago) and it works like it did from the first day. I would like to say that the problems some of you are experiencing are most likely your own fault, i.e. water damage, dropping it, 'playing' with the sliding feature. But if you take care of the phone, I highly recomend it. Some of you may not know, but Sprint is coming out with a new sliding keyboard phone, The Samsung Rant. It is just like the Rumour but it slides the other way, it's physical features look different. I believe the available colors are black, red, and a dark purple. If it weren't for the Rant, I would keep my Rumor, but I'm curious about the Rant and I am going to get it in November. I believe the Rant will be coming out by the end of October.
ABCYESN as
Thursday, October 09, 2008THE GOOD The LG Rumor has a lovely design, with a built-in hidden QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging. Features include a 1.3-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, Bluetooth, and more. It provides easy access to Facebook, plus it supports Sprint Navigation. THE BAD The LG Rumor does not have EV-DO, and surfing the Web can be quite slow. The screen has poor resolution, and the camera has no flash. THE BOTTOM LINE Though the LG Rumor is not as fast as we'd like, it's still a great messaging multimedia device for those who don't need a lot of speed. http://www.LG-Rumor.com has more information.
patty941
Wednesday, October 08, 2008hey noah this is patrick but every one calls me patty long story but i think you should keep mailbags cause i love them so here's one for your next mail im patrick or patty and i wanna get the lg rumor but i watching vid.s on youtube and ppl say their's are messing up.... and since your the man i wanted to know is the lg rumor actually good and worth my time...im a 14 year old who has unlimited texting.....will this phone be good for me
Grace
Monday, October 06, 2008RumourBoy53, I have this phone and honestly I really do not like it. 100 Minutes a month is what I have, pretty easy to kill. You can't get free texting after a certain hour you probably have free minutes after 7. This phone has not really served me well. It does freeze up a lot. I would consider getting something that is the same brand (LG) but different phone. LG is a great brand, this phone however has some glitches.
rumorsuck
Monday, October 06, 2008i've had this phone for about 5 months now and its starting to fall apart. it has been signing on to the internet by itself for a while and been turning off with a full battery while im in the middle of typing. now the screen is starting to get get fuzzy and it kind of looks like white noise on a tv and its supposed to say message and contacts at the bottom of the main screen but it is starting to appear at the top and im not able to see my signal or battery power. i wouldnt call this phone a wise investment.
Chaz
Sunday, October 05, 2008alright here it goes how much would a simple plan 450 wenevr unlim. txt cost after tax original price 49.99
YEAH WTF
Friday, October 03, 2008yeah its great until the bottom half of the phone keyboard, volume sliders, and camera button dont work. it went from being a fairly good phone to a POS brick
rider9
Friday, September 26, 2008I've had this phone for over a week and I like it. Its definitely different from the Treo 700p I had. I personally enjoy the media player. I don't have power vision, so I can't take advantage of all the features the Rumor has. It's a GREAT texting phone, nice and stylish.
RumourBoy53
Thursday, August 21, 2008Im getting this phone in a week im 14 im getting free texts free after 7 and 100 day time minutes is that good for the rumour? pelase reply
lolyeah
Thursday, August 14, 2008no you cant, all you ppl that are on pre paid need to get a job, and the fone is amazin btw.
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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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 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 At a Glance

LG Rumor White in-depth review - 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...
LG Rumor Introduction

LG Rumor White in-depth review - Introduction

A 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...
LG Rumor Design & Features

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...
LG Rumor Conclusion

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...
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...
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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