Amazon.com Product Description

With support for Virgin Mobile's "VirginXL" wireless content services, a VGA camera with flash, dual displays and a speakerphone, the 8910 Flasher V7 is a great mobile companion. Get the most out of your Virgin Mobile service with this powerful phone.

Design
The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a 128 x 160 TFT color display with 65,000 colors. The rear of the flip-up cover houses a camera that can snap shots at 640 x 480 resolution, also known as VGA resolution. There's also a small 95 x 64 secondary black and white LCD display on the back of the cover that displays incoming call information, network signal strength and more. Most camera features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad. Meanwhile, the top right side of the unit houses an extendable antenna while data and charging ports are housed on the unit's bottom edge.

Calling Features
The Flasher V7 has all the latest calling features folks have come to expect. The phone comes with built-in Virgin Mobile "superphonic" ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Superphonic ringtones feature real music tracks and more are available via Virgin Mobile's VirginXL service. Ringtones can be assigned to specific callers so you don't have to look at the phone to know who's calling. The built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear and voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names. There's also a built-in address book that can store up to 300 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses.

Messaging and Internet
The Flasher V7 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text and picture messages. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile's enhanced wireless content service, VirginXL. Use the pay-per-use service to download superphonic ringtones, animations and voices from MTV, Comedy central and the hottest recording artists. Get content and vote in TV-based polls via the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voicemail, or get a Sponge Bob thought of the day. Need to jog your memory? Use Virgin's wacky song ID service. Press the Song ID command, point your Flasher V7 towards a song that's playing in the room, and within minutes a text message appears identifying the song's title. There's even a "Rescue Rings" service to help get you out of sticky dating or other personal situations. The list of cool content features goes on and on.

The Flasher V7 ships with a number of handy tools including a calendar, a calculator and an alarm clock. A voice memo feature lets you record clips up to 60 seconds in length.

Imaging and Entertainment
The Flasher V7's VGA camera makes it easier than ever to snap good pictures and share them with friends via picture messaging. The camera features a built-in flash for getting great shots in low-light situations. The phone boasts custom Virgin Mobile graphics-- screen savers, wallpaper and menu icons-- that let you dress up your phone to suit your personality. More graphics, wallpapers and screensavers are available from the VirginXL service. One game, a demo version of Snood, is included with the phone, and a big selection of additional games can be downloaded from the VirginXL service.

Vital Statistics
The Audiovox 8910 Flasher V7 weighs 3.7 ounces and measures 3.9 x 1.8 x 0.9 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.17 hours of digital talk time, and up to 140 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Audiovox 8910 Flasher V7 handset, AC charger, lithium-ion battery, user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• Built-in camera with flash
• Opens with a flip
• Full-color screen
• Superphonic (real music) ringtones
• Two-way speakerphone

Reviews (29)

VM V7 Flasher is a nice next step, phone wise for VM!!!!!
I have had my V7 Flasher for over a month now, and i love it.I dont talk much on it, but if i go out i know i have a line for people to get a hold of me.The camera was the main draw for me, the XL content is also a nice up grade for this phone to.Since it uses the Sprint PCS net work i have coverage almost every place i have been, with is nice because i have family in a different state so traveling is not issue.

Rollerhkeygol
This phone is great, I really like the camara and the LCD screen but from a 3rd party review the speakers are really low. The games and Virgin XL is great and ringtones sound awsome. The service is all about You and its really good for people buying their first cell phone or do not have 2nd o r 3rd jobs just to support their talking.

Good Phone, not so great plan
i am 14 years old and this is my first phone, i have had it for about 5 months and have been very happy.

the phone

Pros-
desigined for teen usage, good graphics

camera is surprisingly good, nice customizations such as colorful borders, zoom, brightness, image effect, quality and contrast.

menu is very colorful- a pleasure to the eye

good functions such as voice recording, calculator, alarm, stopwatch, schedular and world clock

flash is somewhat useful

easy to use messaging- t9 (easy to get used to) funny emoticons,

can put on silencer by holding down *

easy to top up, etc...

VxL is nice, however expensive, nice ringtones, the ones which try tosound like the song however are crap

the purchasable graphics are very nice at 1.50 apiece, however you can just use pictures as your background

contacts- very easy to personalize (personal ringtone, picture, and message tone,

security- can lock your phone so no one can place a call, go on the browser, look at recent calls, look at pictures, or contacts without entering a password (good for nosy friends)

Cons-

the ringer is kind of quiet, however if you are a teen and this is one of your first phones it won't bother you because you can hear it

kind of bulky feeling, but understandable because of all of the features

service

pros

cheap text messaging, (10 cents to send free to receive)

cons

much more worth it to get a monthly plan, $40 at a monthly plan buys you anywhere from 450 to 600 mins (15-20 minutes per day)however $40at virgin mobile buys you 160 minutes or around5 to 6 minutes perday, and if your buying it to spend less money than a plan (say 30 dollars- 120 minutes a day) thats 4 minutes perday.

good phone
This phone is excellent. Of course, it is he best of all the virgin mobile phones for many reasons. A few include, it has a camera, picture messaging, a flash for the camera, and Virgin XL. I would recommend this phone to any virgin mobile user.

cool phone
This phone is so cool. the camera is all so cool.my mom siad I sould waste all my airtime money on games and ringtones but I buy them anyways. If you want a cool phone buy this one ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The 8610, a Virgin Mobile exclusive, features a large color display, a speakerphone, support for Virgin Mobile wireless Internet services, and much more. This sporty companion keeps you in step with the latest mobile technologies at a great price.

Design
The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a large 128 x 128 color display with 65,000 colors. A monochrome 96 x 64 pixel supplementary display on the outside of the cover displays incoming call information, battery life, signal strength, graphics and more.Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad. Meanwhile, the top right side of the unit houses an extendable antenna while the combined charging/USB data port is housed on the unit's bottom edge. The phone also features a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets. Up/down keys are located on the left side of the unit for quick volume control.

Calling Features
The 8610's built-in address book can store up to 300 entries for quick and easy management of your contacts. The phone comes with built-in Virgin Mobile "superphonic" ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Superphonic ringtones feature real music tracks and more are available via Virgin Mobile's VirginXtras service. Ringtones can be assigned to specific callers so you don't have to look at the phone to know who's calling. A built-in speakerphone lets you talk handsfree while you're on the go.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
The 8610 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text messages easily and quickly (Virgin Mobile text messaging charges apply). T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile's wireless content service, VirginXtras. Use the pay-per-use service to download superphonic ringtones from Hip Hop songs to movie themes. Get content and vote in TV-based polls via the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voicemail, or get a Sponge Bob thought of the day. Need to jog your memory? Use Virgin's wacky song ID service. Press the Song ID command, point your 8610 towards a song that's playing in the room, and within minutes a text message appears identifying the song's title.

The 8610 ships with a number of handy tools including a calendar, a calculator and an alarm clock.

Imaging and Entertainment
The 8610 features custom Virgin Mobile graphics-- screen savers, wallpaper and menu icons-- that let you dress up your phone to suit your personality. Two pre-loaded games come with the phone, Blackjack and Magic Hexa.

Vital Statistics
The Audiovox 8610 weighs 3.4 ounces and measures 3.5 x 1.90 x .90 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.0 hours of digital talk time, and up to 168 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Audiovox 8610 handset, AC charger, lithium-ion battery, user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• Works with Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go service
• Stylish flip-open format
• Full color screen for optimum display
• Comes with Superphonic ringtones and downloadable ringtones
• Enables text-messaging, custom graphics, and more

Reviews (66)

Can be good but can be disappointing
The Virginmobile payment non-plan plan can be good for those who use a mobile phone infrequently, which I do.It could be terrible for those who use it most days. After getting used to the interface, this can be a likeable phone.If you happen to be where the signal is strong, clarity can be excellent.However, even well within the service area I have had weak signals and broken calls. That's not surprising in the building where I work.It is surprising in my apartment. The voice volume is low, even when set to level 5.It can be fine in quiet surroundings, but it's a struggle to hear in moderately noisy environments.
There are no roaming fees, because there is normally no connectivity outside Sprint's digital service area.According to the manual 911 calls can connect in the roaming areas. I have not tested this.
Battery life is disappointing.In standby the 1000mAH battery supplied is only good for about two days between charges.I bought the optional 1700mAH battery from Audiovox.It's twice as thick as the standard battery, and it extends standby to three days between charges.
The minimal features of this phone don't bother me, but deficient signal strength, volume, and battery life make me covet a real phone from another company.

Great phone, BEST COMPANY I've joined with so far.
Hey I'm Rebecca (rcitykitty)
That other review above about the "warning of the customer service" is ridiculous. Once I had my phone stolen and customer service helped me through it, were quick in replying to my order for a new phone, and even paid for the minutes the thief used! It's the best customer service I've seen for any company, hands down. This phone has great features, and cool ringtones. It's a great deal for it's price and it has cool color screen backgrounds. I would give this phone the best rating possible!

Pleased So Far...
This phone and Virgin Mobile as a whole are obviously targeting an age group other than my own. Quite frankly, I don't care. I dropped traditional land-based phone service in February, and went with AT&T CallVantage VOIP service instead...a tremendous savings, but when the power goes out, VOIP phone service goes as well. Also, with CallVantage as of this date, 911 calls do not provide the answering call center with your phone number and location automatically.

The Audiovox 8610 phone, coupled with Virgin Mobile, seemed like an inexpensive supplement to CallVantage, filling some very unpleasant gaps...and E911 service is provided. Features such as speed dial, caller ID, and even a speakerphone are included, and I'm extremely pleased with the voice quality. It's almost indistinguishable from a corded phone.

For the age bracket that this phone is marketed towards, there are also two games included, and several wallpaper designs. A ton of downloadable ringtones are available at the Virgin website, provided that you don't mind spending $2.00 to $2.50 apiece for them...want to hear the "Meow Mix" ad when a call comes in? It's available for download at the Virgin website, as are ringtones involving such oddities as bodily functions, none of which will be discussed in detail here.

Per minute pricing is high enough to keep me from ever using this phone other than when it is absolutely necessary (25 cents for the first 10 minutes each day, 10 cents per minute afterwards), but that's okay with me. Unexpected emergencies were the sole reason for making the purchase, and the added peace of mind that it brings more than makes up for the airtime that must be purchased from Virgin every 90 days to keep the service active...and I'm still saving money each month over traditional phone service.

I would recommend the Audiovox 8610 phone and Virgin Wireless to anyone who needs a cell phone for similar reasons.

Vos 8610
Great phone.....virgin mobile service can be a little better...however, I guess that is sprint's problem.

Great but eeehhhh
This is a great phone if your looking for the flip style, or a coloured screen, but the only problem with Virgin is ringtones cost up to $2 and the real sound ringtones are distorted. And The minutes go up like Wildfire.

Try finding this phone through another company. May I suggest Tracfone? They have a new phone with colored monitor, however its not a flip. ... Read more

Features

• Dazzling blue backlighting
• Palm-friendly size and shape
• 2-way text messaging
• Download actual song clips
• Built-in flashlight and 3 pre-loaded games

Reviews (51)

Lousy performance
The problem with Virgin phones is they use the Sprint network.It's highly unusual that I don't get a dropped call or someone complaining that I'm cutting out real bad.I work very close to the Sprint campus and tower.I can't even stand outside in the parking lot and call across the street without the other person saying I'm cutting out.Don't be a sucker--choose a better phone.

The most awesome Virgin Mobile phone around!
I just bought this phone for my boyfriend and he never had one so he absolutely LOVED it. ^.^ Personally, I thought it was pretty cool as well. I mean blue and black and red and pink are my favorite colors and it's a bargain to have the screening BLUE!! Before I sent it to him (Long distance relationsip), I was playing with it and it's SOOOOO cool. Currently, I have a Camera Virgin Mobile phone and i'd trade it for the one I gave him..hmm better check up on that!

This K9 Won't Bite
This is a nice, sleek looking phone from a simple pay as you go wireless provider.Virgin Mobile uses the SPRINT PCS network and charges you as follows...$.025 a minute for the first 10 minutes of the day, then $0.10 a minute after that.Or, $0.10 a minute plus $0.35 a day.You pay $0.10 per text message you send and it is free to receive them.You must top off your account at least $20 every 90 days to keep your account active, but you keep the minutes you have already purchased.If you don't use your phone a lot your looking at $6.66 a month for a cell phone.How simple is that?No other hidden fees involved.

The Kyocera K9 is being replaced by the K10 with a color screen and more features.This phone is a bargain price wise compared to the K10.You can send and receive text from other phones or email addresses.There are tons of downloadable stuff from the web site as well.Other features include a built in flashlight, jack for an ear piece and one of the games is get this, TETRIS!Anytime your curious about how money you have left on your account you can check your balance right on the phone.It takes about 5 seconds for the account information to be zapped back to you in a text message.You can also access your account on the web site.

If your like me who got tired of spending over $50 a month for cell phone minutes I never used, this is for you.I like the convenience of having a phone, but do not have a need to have it glued to my ear all day.Virgin Mobile pay as you go is simple and in my case money saving.Not to mention this particular phone is a bargain in price and stylish too!

Avoid the K9
FYI:
Phone 1 and 2 from Virgin, wouldn't hold a charge
Phone 3 Phone died after 2 months (ear microphone ceased to function)
Learn from my experience.

Sucky phone
this phone sux do not get it!! the phone rips u off! when i got it i thought the pay as you go would be nice but it rips u off so friken much! do not get this phone dont waste ur money! ... Read more

Features

• No prepaid minutes included. Comes with charger.
• Four-way easy to use navigation; backlit five-line, full bit-map display
• Contact directory to save names, addresses, and up to 200 numbers
• Comes with an extra faceplate, and 2 games
• Handy tools include calculator, countdown timer, and a stopwatch

Amazon.com Product Description

The Audiovox "Vox" 8500 features a speakerphone, polyphonic ringtones, support for Virgin Mobile wireless Internet services, and much more. This sporty companion will keep you in touch with style to spare. It's the perfect complement to Virgin Mobile service.

Design
The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a black and white display that features five selectable backlight colors. Meanwhile, monochrome supplementary display on the outside of the cover displays incoming call information, battery life, signal strength, graphics and more.Most of the phone's features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's backlit control pad. The top right side of the unit houses an extendable antenna while the phone's charging port is housed on the unit's bottom edge. The phone also features a standard jack to accept universal hands-free headsets. Up/down keys are located on the left side of the unit for quick volume control.

Calling Features
The 8500's built-in address book can store up to 99 entries for quick and easy management of your contacts. The phone comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Ringtones can be assigned to specific callers so you don't have to look at the phone to know who's calling. Voice dialing is supported, as are voice commands, so you can both dial numbers and control certain functions of the phone without ever touching it. A built-in speakerphone lets you talk handsfree while you're on the go.

Messaging, Internet and Tools
The 8500 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text messages easily and quickly (Virgin Mobile text messaging charges apply). T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile's wireless content service, VirginXtras. Use the pay-per-use service to download ringtones, get content and vote in TV-based polls via the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voicemail, or get a Sponge Bob thought of the day. Need to jog your memory? Use Virgin's wacky song ID service. Press the Song ID command, point your 8500 towards a song that's playing in the room, and within minutes a text message appears identifying the song's title.

The 8500 ships with a number of handy tools including a calendar, a calculator and an alarm clock.

Entertainment
The phone features custom Virgin Mobile graphics-- screen savers, wallpaper and menu icons-- that let you dress up your phone to suit your personality.

Vital Statistics
The Audiovox 8500 weighs 3.2 ounces and measures 3.3 x 1.6 x .90 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 2.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 110 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Audiovox 8500 handset, AC charger, lithium-ion battery, user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• No prepaid minutes included. Comes with battery and charger
• Seven changeable backlight display colors to match your mood
• External Caller ID Display: know who's calling without opening your phone
• 2-way text messaging, 1-touch and voice dialing
• Charger included for powering up

Reviews (159)

no problems for over a year
Let me start by saying I've owned this phone since it came out with no problems to speak of, even after being chewed up by the dog, and thrown from a second floor window by the good ole ex.Let me also state that I hate cell phones.I don't like being reached and hate carrying things that make my pockets buldge out, or paraphanalia which would look right at home on Batmans utility belt (yup, I'm not batman).
With that said, I think you should understand why I don't care if a phone has pretty graphics, a color screen, a camera, a million differant options and/or color cases to show your teeny bopper friends just how cool you are.
I probably make and recieve two to three calls a week, and I pay the minimum.I think it's something like 7$ a month, and I have more than enough minutes for what I use it for.If I want to make a phone call, well, I also pay for a house phone, and am lucky enough to have a job which supplies me with yet another phone.And somewhere inbetween the two, I make very few phone calls.
I suppose in the end if you don't make a lot of calls, then this is perfect.It fits nicely in the glove box, and is cheap. And I also live in a large city (chicago) and it works everywhere perfectly, even when I've driven to the south east all the way out to north cali.The only place I don't get reception is in my office, which is fine, because it has a phone already in it.
I thank Virgin Mobile for making a phone for people like me (people that need a mobile phone ONLY because this new bopper phase of spoiled convienence has eliminated almost all pay phones-i despise all of you)

Small.....But everything else a "BIG PROBLEM!"
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE!!! I have had enough w/ it! This is probably the worst phone ever made! I live in a major city and yet do I ever have a decent reception! I have no problem with the company (Virgin Mobile)....just the freakin' phone! There are sooooo many cons about this phone! No games, Speaker volume will fade for no reason, Phone will shut off when in silent mode and turn back on all loud and evrything (which really sux when im in class), Then after using it for like 10 min. (like txt messaging or VirginXtras) the phone will heat up so bad to where it starts to burn ur hand!, LCD Background colours suck! U can't read anything, No good txt message memory, Speakerphone will turn on in the middle of a conversation (OUCH!).....Thankfully this phone broke after 3 frustrating yrs. (it's a pretty strong phone...I give it that) So im now thinking of upgrading to the VOX 8610, But still paranoid if the 8610 will be like the 8500....

My Review
I think this phone is the perfect starter phone for a teenager. This was my second cell phone ever. And I just recently bought a new one to upgrade. It works great, I get great reception. (I'm in PA) I took it to FL with me last summer and it worked great! If you are one of those "high tech" people. This isn't the phone for you. But for starters, it's great.

Spend the extra $20 and upgrade
I really, really didn't want to purchase yet another phone.For over 10 years I have had a mobile plan and every time I switch companies they make me buy a phone (please, please recycle your old ones.Target takes them.Ok, off my soap box)So I wanted to get the best deal, so I went for this phone since it was on clearance for $80.Big mistake.

To be fair, it's a great looking phone...from the outside.It's the smallest one I have ever seen.But it has a "black and white" screen-- so dated.For $20 more you can get the 8610 and get a full-color screen.The phone is a little bigger (I mean a LITTLE bigger) but the screen is the best.The 8500 does have a backgroung color (choice of 8), but it only stays on for 20 seconds max. and then turns to that outdated green screen with grey lettering.

This was the very first phone Virgin ever had and the 8610 is an upgrade in ever sense of the word.Better screen, better ring tones, better reception.I switched and you should too.You won't be sorry.

But hey, if this model goes on *super-duper* clearance, go for it!It's sweet, and looks and feels great.But I wouldn't pay more than $50 for it.

Decent
Firstly, I do not believe any Virgin Mobile phone is meant for the serious cell phone user. With no free nights or weekends and having to pay 25 cents a minute for the first ten minutes you talk a day (10 cents a minute after that), you rack up the bill pretty fast.

There is a serious convenient factor, seeing how you can actually pay your bill from your phone.

It's not very manly either. As said in other reviews, the screensavers are Sunflower, Cuddly Bear, and Flower Cart. You cannot download others from this phone.

If you like MTV and Comedy Central, you're in luck because so does Virgin Mobile. You can get various features from each channel sent to your phone for a fee.

All in all, if you talk alot, go for something with free nights and weekends on a service plan. If you need a phone for emergencies, this is your man (or girl). ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Compatible with Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go cell phone service, the K7 features Internet access, 2-way text messaging support, voice dialing, and some fun extras, as well.

Design
The K7 features a a blue-backlit, 104x80 pixel grayscale LCD screen that displays call information, games, wireless content and more. A stub antenna extends from the top right side of the phone while a charging port is positioned on the bottom of the unit. A 2.5mm headset jack is also provided.Most phone features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad.

Calling Features
The K7's built-in address book can store up to 200 entries for quick and easy management of your contacts. The phone comes with built-in polyphonic ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Ringtones and pictures can be assigned to specific callers so you don't have to look at the phone to know who's calling. Voice dialing is supported, as are voice commands, so you can both dial numbers and control certain functions of the phone without ever touching it.

Messaging and Internet
The K7 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text messages easily and quickly (Virgin Mobile text messaging charges apply). T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile's wireless content service, VirginXtras. Use the pay-per-use service to download ringtones, get content and vote in TV-based polls via the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voicemail, or get a Sponge Bob thought of the day. Need to jog your memory? Use Virgin's wacky song ID service. Press the Song ID command, point your K7 towards a song that's playing in the room, and within minutes a text message appears identifying the song's title.

The K7 ships with a number of handy tools including a calendar, a calculator with a tip calculator, and an alarm clock.

Imaging and Entertainment
The phone features custom Virgin Mobile graphics-- screen savers, wallpaper and menu icons-- that let you dress up your phone to suit your personality. There's even a built-in flashlight for when you're fumbling with your keys in the dark. For gamers, the K7 comes pre-loaded with three games and more are available via the VirginXtras service.

Vital Statistics
The Kyocera K7 Rave weighs 3.52 ounces and measures 4.42 x 1.92 x .92 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of digital talk time, and up to 180 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Kyocera K7 Rave handset, lithium-ion battery, AC charger, user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• Dazzling blue backlighting
• Supports 2-way text messaging, 1-touch and voice dialing
• Comes equipped with polyphonic ring tones, built-in flashlight, and 3 games
• Battery allows for up to 3.5 hours of talk time and 7.5 days of standby time
• Uses Virgin Mobile software for access to Virgin Mobile's services and VirginXtras

Reviews (72)

A great phone to start with.
I've always hated cellphones. Be it the mystery of them giving users brain cancer or not, and the people that damn-near get into accidents while talking/texting people while driving, there's something about that that always had me staying away. But with my fantastic home phone habits, I ended up getting one so I'd actually answer the phone for select people. And so, I was given this K7 Rave Phone. Dispite it having the word "Rave" in the title, it's a nice first-timer phone. The size is fantastic. While it's a little thick, and stands out if you put it in your pocket, the overall feeling makes up for it. The buttons aren't too far into the body, so you won't be pressing as hard as you can just to dial one number. And the button placement is perfect. I -hate- those phones where there's arrows in the middle of the number section, or a few numbers are spaced further than the others. Not here, they're all even. You've got the numbers, the call button, the hang up one, arrows, ok, clear, and that's all. And that's all that's needed in the phone world really. I was glad to be able to figure out everything within seconds, without some out of wack navigation. As for the screen, it's pretty good. While it's not a color screen, it gets the job done. Words show up clearly, and are big enough to read if you hold it stretched out in front of you. And that blue backlight is gorgeous. When/if I get a newer phone, I'm keeping this one around just to see that glow.

But the key feature I have to mention, is the flashlight. Is this thing even legal? It's up there with the likes of Mulder and Scully's flashlights, which were really used for scuba diving. I'm telling you, if you were to activate the flashlight on this phone in front of someone with epilepsy, they'd be a goner. Even during the day, it shows up. And in pitch black situations, it'll go out a good 10 feet in front of you before fading. Don't you dare look directly into this thing- you'll be seeing spots for at least 5 minutes. Just thinking about it makes me see spots even.

The reason I rate this phone 4 stars though, is because of the screen itself. Not how it displays things, but how easily dust and what have you will get under the screen. It gets annoying, and I'm dying to know how to remove it so I can clean the damn thing. Something that I thought was a smudge, turned out to be what I'm guessing was pocket lint (cofusing a smudge for that...you know there's a problem), has been under the screen for a month now, and it's annoying as heck. Now that I think about it, there is a minor problem with the quality of things that apperar on the screen while the phone's turned on. When playing Tetris, one of three bonus games included, the blocks move with almost a blurry quality. It's not that big of a deal, and doesn't hinder gameplay, but it could've been fixed up a little better. Think back to the Pocket Tetris keychains.

I don't know what more to say, since I've never reviewed a phone before, and for once, can't think of any other category to rate it in. The pay by the minute plan is doing well for me. While I'm not keen on money being wasted in checking your voice mail, it's nice to not have to pay just to get text messages. That's just sick. For the price of the phone, and getting a decent amount of calls on a phone card for just twenty bucks, you could do a heck of a lot worse than this K7. I'm impressed.

Good Workhorse Phone
like many other gadget freaks i wanted a cell phone with all sorts of bells & whistles. unfortunately, i was not prepared to pay the outrageous prices being asked when all i really needed was a simple cell phone. reluctantly i purchased the K7 and you know what? i'm not at all disappointed. it's small enough to fit in my shirt pocket and powerful enough to get full bars almost everywhere i go. i really like the built in flashlight. so what if it's not a flashy looking phone? it still looks good and does the job very well. anyone buying a phone to impress their friends or the ladies needs to broaden their horizons.

I love this phone
My husband found these nice little phones for us and we love them. We have great reception around here and on all major routes, and the rates are great for someone who only makes a few calls. The 10 cent text messages work great for us, easier to answer than voicemail since I work in a classroom. It's also nice that the rates are the same everywhere in the USA (even Hawaii), Canada, and the Caribbean, so if you go on vacation there are no extra roaming charges to use your phone like with many plans.
I've thought about getting a flip phone in the future but the features are just not as good and the cost is much more. This little phone just has everything you'd want and more, and is very reliable.

2 of 3 Phones Are Dead!
We bought 3 phones with Virgin Mobile pay-as-you-go.The service is OK but the phones are awful.2 of the 3 phones we bought don't work anymore and we've had them for less than a year.And now our minutes expired so it was a waste of money for both the phones and the service.

it's ok but expensive
The phone itself is great with the flashlight and the tip calculator.But The 25 cents a minute is a pain.Get a contract they are much better.The charge lasts 4 a while but with me it doesn't really matter cause i just put on the charger before i go to bed.If u don't use cells to much or want to buy it for your kid I would get this phone because with a like age 12 kid doesn't have their boss that they have to call or they get in a car accident because they're a kid.But if u use a cell alot don't get this phone, it will become very expensive. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Compatible with VirginMobile cell phone service, the Kyocera Slider V5 is the first ever *MTV- branded wireless phone. *MTV (notice the asterisks) is a new wireless outlet for MTV-style stuff that's designed specifically for your phone--such as ring tones, alerts, games, video voting, news, and more. *MTV is accessible right from the Slider's top level menu, so whether you want to hear "Right Thurr" by Chingy, or "Take it Off" by the Donnas when your phone rings, it's all there for you.

The Slider gets its name from its snappy keypad-protection system. When the phone is closed, only the screen and navigation buttons are accessible. To make a call, you just slide the outside case up with your thumb to reveal the keypad underneath. The Slider sports a 65,000 color, 128x128 pixel display, much of which is customizable, including its background screens, backlight, and wallpaper. You can also adjust speaker and button volume. For getting online, the Slider provides a WAP browser, plus EMS text and picture messaging with predictive text input.

The phone operates in CDMA 800 / 1900 mode, and features one-touch and voice-activated dialing, a speakerphone, 15 built-in MIDI ring tones, polyphonic ring tone capability, and vibrate alert. The Slider's phone book holds 200 listings, and, for talking in crowded indoor or outdoor environments, the Slider also comes with Smart Sound software, which can automatically adjust the volume of a call based on the surrounding noise level. There's even an emergency GPS feature that lets 911 operators know your phone's position.

For your personal organization, the Slider includes a scheduler, calculator, alarm clock, and a stopwatch. For fun, you'll get 4 pre-loaded games: Tetris, Brick Attack, Race 21, and Doodler. The Slider's *MTV connection also lets you download familiar-yet-unfamiliar sounding games such as "Rock, Paper, Shizzle (sic)", "Fangram", and the potentially interesting "Yearbook Trivia". Additionally, VirginMobile service provides access to VirginXtras: which means even more downloadable tones, movies, and fun stuff.

The Kyocera Slider V5 includes a Lithium Ion battery good for about 4 hours of talk time and 4 days standby time, and a charger. It weighs 3.2 ounces and measures 3.4 x 1.9 x 0.9 inches. ... Read more

Features

• No prepaid minutes included. Comes with charger.
• Unique sliding design - phone slides open with the push of a thumb
• Full-color screen
• Downloadable, polyphonic ringtones and vibrate alert
• 2-way text messaging, 1-touch and voice dialing

Reviews (162)

It fell apart
When I first got this phone I thought that it was pretty good.Although I had previously used verizon's freeup and virgin mobile was more expensive.The phone though, had a very diappointing not so clear screen.The ringer to the phone could be louder and you never even notice when it vibrates. The keys to the phone are not risen so it can be hard to dial. The color schemes, wallpapers, and screen savers are all pretty lame and you lack a choice.They all promote MTV and who wants an MTV background?After having this phone for around a year, the back part where the battery is attached fell off and would not reattach.I never even mistreated this phone in any way and I just opened my purse one day to find it that way.As a result the phone never stayed together in the right manner so it would automatically turn itself off over and over again.I would not suggest that anyone by this phone.It is so not worth the money.It's also on clearance on virgin mobile's website...I wonder why.

Virgin Mobile Rules Pay As You Go!
I <3 my slider not only because its lightweight and compact, has a full color screen, and works perfectly in places where friends phone wont. I also love it because of the awsome VM extras, and not having to pay a set monthly charge, you can pay as little as 20$ every 90 days, unlike other service providers, Tmobile coming up with the most inexpence monthly bill i've seen @ 20$ a month for 500 minutes. The most you'll pay with VM is 20$ for every 500minutes and thats IF you only talk for 10 minutes of each day. After the first ten its only 0.10 a minute, alot less than most others.
Dare to be diffrent. Be a paygoist instead. ;-D
Go here for more info on VM & what it has to offer>>http://www.virginmobileinsiders.com/insiders/index.html?fuseaction=tools.invlink&u=notasingletear&linkID=20

Slider V5 se 47
I love my virgin mobile v5 phone. its small, compact, and best of all it slides instead of flips. I've had no problems with it at all, the text messaging is great, the games are great. I really like tetris. and *mtv and virgin xtras are espescially useful because you can get ringtones for your phone from your phone. you can also add airtime to your account right from your phone! overall, if your thinking about getting this, you should. A+

Hot phone
this phone has many great features like quick open, color wallpapers, poly. ringtones,*mtv ringtones and games,text messeges and much more if you want to get a phone you should get this one!

THE BEST PHONE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i just bought the new "slider" phone not to long ago. it is the best phone i ever had, it has awsome ring tones, and the whole MTV thing i think is really cool. i also think it cool because the color screen is really big 4 such a small phone. now all my friends want to go out and but this phone.

THANK YOU VIRGIN MOBILE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Features

• No prepaid minutes included. Comes with charger.
• Easy to use navigation keys; five-line, full bit-map display
• Brilliant-blue backlight for easy screen/keypad readability
• Phone equipped with 25 Ringtones, vibrate alert, and 4 games
• Handy tools include voice memos, alarm clock, stop watch, and calculator

Reviews (22)

Trusty little guy
I've had this phone for over two years, travelling, dropping, and using it under lots of different situations.No back-light troubles or anything.

The only reason it doesn't get a 5th star is that its reception is not the greatest.My wife has the Vox 8500 and the signal strength is consistently better on hers than mine.But still, it's never left me stranded.

BTW, I got a chrome face-plate for mine and the blue light with the chrome surround still looks great!

Bad Buy
I loved this phone, but the screen went blank after about 7 months and i could never read anything unless it showed up for a second, but i assumed this was becuz i had dropped it a few times so i went out and bought another... well about 7 months later again, the screen is blank, the backlight comes on and it works fine, good clearity during calls but no words on screen so i cant tell what i'm doing or who just called me or whatever... and the ringtones arent the greatest either... Now days, buying this phone is useless considering all the new and improved phones that come out every other day ...

A great phone!
I have had mine for about three years now; they don't make them anymore and that made me feel obsolete.But I like this phone; easy to navigate, nice blue background and only needed features, no fluff stuff.I recently traded up to a new cell phone and plan and have given this one to my 15 year old son.It's got enough games and ringtones to keep him occupied with it for awhile.This is a very reliable little phone.I have not had anything happen to it such as fading or lines on the screen, etc. as other reviewers have.LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!

Lets Be Fair
The thing I've noticed about cell phones is that they're a lot like shoes. Generally speaking you get what you pay for.
That being said, it's important to remember why you're buying a cell phone. If you want a slick little number with a nice metalic casing, gameboy quality graphics, and a thousand and one features then no, this is not the phone for you.
If say you're an active teenager, or someone who tends to lose and abuse cell phones and other small things that need to be carried at all times, or hitman that needs a nice throw away phone with someone elses name on it, then you've found your phone.
The reception is great, the plan is simple and non-invasive, the features are few but ideal, and most of all it's just a good knock around phone. No, you're not going to have it forever. And NO, you're not going to be impressing the ladies with it. But if you're looking at any of the phones in this price range then it's highly likely that you already know how you're going to use it, and neither of these things is a huge priority.
This phone is worth the money because it's designed for people who know that this is not the only one they're ever going to have.

Screen WILL go out.
A wonderful phones at first, but it not like its entry level sibling the Kyocera 2119 (or 2135) which is very durable.

The screen goes wacko after 1 year, you have to press HARD an the VM logo to make it go back on.

The reception is wonderful and it works everywhere. If you are using this as a teenager's phone or a backup, its okay. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With support for Virgin Mobile's "VirginXL" wireless content services, a VGA camera with flash, dual displays and a speakerphone, the 8910 Flasher V7 is a great mobile companion. Get the most out of your Virgin Mobile service with this powerful phone.

Design
The phone features a traditional clamshell design with a 128 x 160 TFT color display with 65,000 colors. The rear of the flip-up cover houses a camera that can snap shots at 640 x 480 resolution, also known as VGA resolution. There's also a small 95 x 64 secondary black and white LCD display on the back of the cover that displays incoming call information, network signal strength and more. Most camera features and on-screen menus are controlled by a five-way center button on the handset's control pad. Meanwhile, the top right side of the unit houses an extendable antenna while data and charging ports are housed on the unit's bottom edge.

Calling Features
The Flasher V7 has all the latest calling features folks have come to expect. The phone comes with built-in Virgin Mobile "superphonic" ringtones plus a vibrating alert. Superphonic ringtones feature real music tracks and more are available via Virgin Mobile's VirginXL service. Ringtones can be assigned to specific callers so you don't have to look at the phone to know who's calling. The built-in speakerphone makes it easy to talk without having the phone to your ear and voice activated dialing makes calling your friends, family and associates as easy as saying their names. There's also a built-in address book that can store up to 300 contacts for quick and easy management of phone numbers and email addresses.

Messaging and Internet
The Flasher V7 covers the messaging basics with support for sending and receiving text and picture messages. T9 text entry, which is a technology that makes it easier for people to enter words and text on handsets, is built into the unit-- a plus for mobile email and text messaging users.

The phone fully supports Virgin Mobile's enhanced wireless content service, VirginXL. Use the pay-per-use service to download superphonic ringtones, animations and voices from MTV, Comedy central and the hottest recording artists. Get content and vote in TV-based polls via the MTV area of your phone, or get jokes and updates from Comedy Central. Pick a celebrity voice to answer your voicemail, or get a Sponge Bob thought of the day. Need to jog your memory? Use Virgin's wacky song ID service. Press the Song ID command, point your Flasher V7 towards a song that's playing in the room, and within minutes a text message appears identifying the song's title. There's even a "Rescue Rings" service to help get you out of sticky dating or other personal situations. The list of cool content features goes on and on.

The Flasher V7 ships with a number of handy tools including a calendar, a calculator and an alarm clock. A voice memo feature lets you record clips up to 60 seconds in length.

Imaging and Entertainment
The Flasher V7's VGA camera makes it easier than ever to snap good pictures and share them with friends via picture messaging. The camera features a built-in flash for getting great shots in low-light situations. The phone boasts custom Virgin Mobile graphics-- screen savers, wallpaper and menu icons-- that let you dress up your phone to suit your personality. More graphics, wallpapers and screensavers are available from the VirginXL service. One game, a demo version of Snood, is included with the phone, and a big selection of additional games can be downloaded from the VirginXL service.

Vital Statistics
The Audiovox 8910 Flasher V7 weighs 3.7 ounces and measures 3.9 x 1.8 x 0.9 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.17 hours of digital talk time, and up to 140 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the CDMA 1900 frequency. The phone comes with a one year limited warranty.

What's in the Box
Audiovox 8910 Flasher V7 handset, AC charger, lithium-ion battery, user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• Make some noise with this Camera Phone
• Full-color screen
• Opens with a flip
• Superphonic (Real Music) Ringtones
• Two-way speakerphone