Features
4The built-in digital music player works with music files purchased and downloaded from the VCast music store. Files may also be loaded onto an optional microSD memory card for use on the phone, but the A930 only supports WMA format music, and not MP3 or AAC (iTunes) files. Music playback was easily controlled using the main keypad as well as the external controls, and it was handy to be able to activate, control, and exit the music player with the phone flipped shut. The external OLED display wasn't as convenient as the main screen for browsing tracks and playlists, but it got the job done. Purchased music can also be synched back to a PC for phone-free enjoyment, but only with a microSD card or USB data cable (both of which cost extra), as Bluetooth file transfer is not supported.
Access to streaming audio and video content via VCast requires EV-DO reception, which was a little hit and miss. There were times when I had a voice network signal but no EV-DO, and others when EV-DO dropped out in the middle of a stream. I tried a few other Verizon phones in the same locations, and they secured much more reliable EV-DO connections, so the problem seemed to lie with the A930, and not Verizon's network.
When network access was strong, streaming video played very well on the internal screen. VCast offers a variety of programming, from news and information to short clips culled from network and cable television programming, and some made-for-Verizon features as well. The A930 also supports Verizon's VZ Navigator service, which provides GPS-like location-based services including turn-by-turn directions.
I'm not a huge fan of Verizon's user interface, and while I was able to find my way around, some menu descriptions seemed particularly odd. My wife, for instance, wondered why she couldn't find a song I had just downloaded. When I located it under Get It Now -> Get Tunes & Tones -> My Music, she asked, "Why isn't there just a File Browser like on my Samsung phone?" Good question. Maybe Verizon has a good answer.
The A930 also features standard cell phone applications including a contacts manager with photo and ringtone caller ID and groups support, a calendar with appointment and to-do alarms, and a well executed Voice Commands system. Customization is limited - as is the case on all Verizon phones - but I was able to change the display's wallpaper from the VCast logo to a photo of my choosing.
A 1.3 megapixel sensor mounted in the aforementioned swivel mount provides the A930 with solid middle-of-the-road photo taking capabilities. Image quality is solid for a 1.3MP camera, with crisp colors and sharp detail under optimal lighting conditions but noticeable graininess and color inaccuracy on photos taken at night or in poor lighting. The flash light helped on the occasional indoor shot, but doesn't have sufficient range to do much in general. A wide variety of photo settings are available, including the standard resolution, quality, and white balance settings, and a few features like adjustable metering not often found on cameraphones.
The A930 can also take video clips with sound. Length of video clips is capped at 15 seconds for MMS messages and 10 minutes for other videos. Video quality wasn't quite on par with that of still images, as considerable graininess marred the footage.
One note about the swiveling camera: While the design allows for easy shooting of self-portraits as well as subjects at most any angle relative to the phone, the external display cannot function as a camera viewfinder. As such, the phone must be flipped open for effective picture or video taking.
