LG Octane
Phone Scoop Review
Nov 11, 2010 by Eric M. Zeman
LG's latest clamshell messenger phone claims to have high "Octane" performance. Does the phone earn its race-inspired name? read review ›
User Reviews
Average Ratings
poor reception/signal
Cons': 2 complaints:
-Terrible signal
-poor sound (works ok with bluetooth)
Pro's:
-overall construction and feel of phone is good.
-Nice keyboard
-supports 32gb memory card
We already have and LG envy2 and envy3 in our family, and the Octane is basically an envy4. This model has added 3G to its service, which is really useless. I have placed a block on all data services on all of our lines due to the fact that Verizon loves to slip in extra data, email, navigation, and download charges on a regular basis.
Although I am told the web browser supports a trimmed down HTML and can actually use the 3G speed, it is still useless.
My biggest complaint is the poor signal it receives. I drive a truck around South-Eastern Wisconsin, where Verizon dominates the market, and I can barely get any signal ( 1x or 3G ) anywhere I go. I have already placed it next to our envy 2 and 3, and I can get full bars on them while the Octane has none. Verizon's answer too everything is "dial *228, option 2" ... Well, all that does is update your roaming list. There are no software updates available ( at time of posting this), and Verizon says I am the only person to complain about this model phone.
One sales associate at a corporate Verizon store literally told me I was ( actual words) "stupid for buying it", and it was a phone designed for kids... And I should buy nothing less than an Android smart phone...
Every time I take the phone in to the store, it miraculously gets full signal. I found out that most cell phone stores and big box stores like Best Buy have signal repeaters installed to assist in activating new phones. Of course that means the phone works fine when you take it into their stores so they can not trouble shoot it.
I have 2 weeks left to return it, but I am not sure what phone to get since almost everything Verizon sells with a full keyboard requires a data plan now. I may just leave them all together for an other company.
Known Echo problem with phone!!
Returned to Verizon Premium Reseller due to annoying echo experienced by people I called.
Prior to returning, *611 Tech Support told me there are no known problems with the phone.
Store manager called tech support and they recommended turning down the ear piece volume. No known problems from their viewpoint.
Still had bad echo.
Exchanged phone for new one.
Activated new phone, same problem.
Manager called tech support again, frustrated that multiple new phones have such a significant problem and nobody in tech support could assist. This tech support Rep finally acknowledged that there is a know problem with the phone and they are waiting for a fix!!
Had to go back to my old phone, revise/backdate my plan, process refund, etc. Spent almost 2 hours with the store manager while customers turned away because he could not resolve my issue.
Mostly Pros, Cons stay the same with Env3
The different between this phone and the Env3 is its extra battery life, longer lasting physical durability as well as extra little features and tools in the menus. It also comes with extra memory on board so you can hold more pictures and more information than the original Env3. Other than that there really isn't much of anything else different opposed to its previous counterpart. If you're into being up-to-date with technology and you have an Env3 it might be nice to have IF you plan on sticking with the same basic functions of your current Env3, with the select few enhancements. They probably should have kept it around the same price though because there isn't so much of an upgrade that it should be worth anything more.
LG Octane
The first thing I noticed was the solid feel of this phone. THe battery life is the best I ever had on any of the many cell phones I've had.If I can find any negatives it woyld be the inability to erase all of your text mesaages at once instead you have yto erase them one at a time. with the $50 rebate this phone cost me only the sales tax, less then $20.00! This is a great texting phone in every aspect.
New Verizon Octane cell phone
My wife just got one (Octane) and it works very well, no echo or signal problems. She did complain about the low volume from the speakers. I looked it over and noticed a film over the screen and ???? over the speakers. I removed the film covers from the speakers and the volume is OK now. Some ring tones are louder then others. She put on the loudest ring tone and is now satisfied with it. She is still learning how to use it. It does a lot of things. I do not like celery phones.
Great feature phone
I have worked for Verizon as an indirect agent for quite some time now, and this is one of the better feature phones that I have came across. One of the best cameras you will encounter for a non-smart phone paired with quality video and an mp3 player. The look is stylish, and the feel is very compact and sturdy when compared to other phones in its class. If you can't afford to pay the data fee monthly, this is a great phone to go with.
LG Octane: a nice clamshell
Received one of these yesterday on a new Vz contract. First -- the audio problems mentioned by several people (echoing, volume etc.) were apparently fixed by a software upgrade "pushed" to user phones in January. We don't have any such issues. Second -- the form factor is kind of a throwback to a chunky brick. 16mm thick gives you a Weiner bulge in your jeans. Third -- of the "feature" phones offered by Vz in June 2011, this has the widest keyboard and best screen layout for the over-50 crowd. Fourth, our previous handsets were touchscreen OLEDs, and when the ribbon cable cracked, we couldn't access anything on the phones. The secondary display gives you a much better chance to keep a working phone, or at least to retrieve your #s/data while getting ready for another handset. "Best of what's available" in the sub-smartphone category offered by Verizon at this time.
Phone issues
I have gone through 3 octanes so far Phone calls are fine texting is fine. I also use my phone as a modem. this is when it gets goofy. Sometimes it willnot connect, it thinks i'm ona data call. When I go into phone info area to update software it thinks I'm on a data call and will not work. Once I cut the phone off and on many times it will connect to internet but then when I log off using Verizon access manager. It will not disconnect until I pull the battery, yes I'm frustrated verizon just wants to sent me another Octane Jim J
2 out of 2 have severe echo problem.
In most ways I consider this phone a 5/5 rating EXCEPT it is a crappy voice phone. I had and Env2 which was OK with acceptable but poor voice quality. This phone is a major improvement in features and software EXCEPT about 25% of time you can't talk on it!
My wife and I bought new Octanes in early Oct 2010. We both have found repeatedly, but intermittently, such a severe echo problem that we can not talk. This happens her phone to my phone, her phone to others, my phone to others. It is totally intermittent. We have tried various settings, speakers off, speakers on, volume levels, etc. Nothing is a reliable fix- there seems to be no relationship to signal strenght that I can see. Went to store and they acknowledged the problem suggested an software update is coming -- maybe someday. No promises. Our 30 day trial period is about done. I am going to turn our phones back end and go back to our old phones!
UPDATE:
Last month Verizon/LG finally had a V2 and a V3 software update for their Octane. My wife and I bothdownloaded both updates onto our phone. We used them for the next week and they were just as bad or worse about the echos! We talked with Verizon and they agreed that:
1. Echos were a large problem (after I had pointed out to them that over 25% of their reviewers on their own website complained loudly about the echos!) They evidently had not bothered to read the reviews themselves.
2. That they would allow us to exchange the phones just as if we were still within the 30 day exchange window. They also waved the exchange restock fee!
Verizon treated us fairly.
3. LG needs to stop offering the phone until they fix the problem... Verizon said they were bound by their contract to continue offering it.
If they come out with a echo fixed or "high" octane version I will most likely get one again.
Ed. note: Updated at request of author
Be my echo be my echo
My husband got the octane & returned it for a different octane because of the echo issue. The second octane has the same problem. We reported the problem to verizon at the store where they replaced it and on verizon customer support where they had us do a software update and also to LG who just said to bring it back to verizon. We found a short term solution and that is for the person with the octane to use the speakerphone. Not a permanent solution but it may be something to consider trying until LG comes out with a fix for the problem.
