LG Electronics Chocolate (LG 8550)

Otherwise, much remains the same: A 240-by-320-pixel, 11-line display with 262,000 colors; a 1.9-GHz CDMA PCS, 800-MHz CDMA (Digital Dual-Band) radio; high-speed EvDO support; a surprisingly capable 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder with serious shutter lag; and stereo Bluetooth. The phone supports Web-based e-mail and instant messaging.

The phone sounded clear in my informal tests, even under windy conditions on a local street corner.

The four capacitive touch buttons include a dedicated speakerphone, which the first Chocolate lacked.

Audio sounded clear in my informal tests. In our formal talk-time battery tests, the VX8550 lasted 5 hours, 12 minutes--nearly twice as long as the first Chocolate.

On the back of the Chocolate, you'll find its speakers. Sliding the phone upward reveals its 1.3-megapixel camera and camcorder.

The included V Cast Music service charges $1.99 and up for music downloads from Verizon. You'll also get charged for airtime minutes for the download, unless you step up to the VPak music and video service, at $15 per month.

This Chocolate may not be the best platform for handling multimedia or messaging: The lack of a keyboard makes texting difficult at best, and the interface for music playback lacks the finesse of those on competing phones such as the Nokia N95.

Melissa J. Perenson