The Mobile Phone Saving Network

Kyocera Slider V5 MTV Edition

Wireless/Mobile Phone/Cell Phone

Rated 4.5 out of 5

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.

Features of Kyocera Slider V5 MTV Edition:

2-way text messaging, 1-touch and voice dialing
downloadable, polyphonic ringtones and vibrate alert
full-color screen
no prepaid minutes included. comes with charger.
unique sliding design - phone slides open with the push of a thumb

Reviews:

Best (and coolest) little phone

Rating: 5

I've owned this phone for about a year, and it has been the most exceptional piece of technology I have ever owned. First off, let me say this: in the year that I've had this phone, It's been dropped out of high windows onto concrete, has been slept on, kicked, dropped, you name it : and the only scars on it are a few minor scratches!!! The features on this phone are pretty cool- no advanced features like web browsing or downloadable games, but the games on there will keep you busy and the sliding desgin is really neat. Virgin Mobile's service is excellent, as well. I've had phones before this one with Virgin's service (None were as wonderful as the V5 slider) and they always had all of the bars almost everywhere I went, even on a weekend trip to Canada! The pricing on the plans are only for people who rarely use their phones, though. And about this "lookout guy" and his rundown of the prices: the line "do some freshing up on your math skills" makes me laugh every time I see it because he obviously A.) hasn't read the costs in every booklet and every webpage that has virgin mobile on it or B.) (I like to think it's this one) he doesn't know how to do math! I've had the Minute to Minute plan for all of my Virgin mobile phones, and It's quite simple: 25 cents a minute for the first 10 minutes for each day, 10 cents for every minute after the initial 10 minutes every day. I have no idea where this guy pulled the "$1.50 fee" out of his head, but the only thing I can think of is the first 10 minutes costing 25 cents, but this would mean that the so called "fee" would be $2.50. He just simply does not know what he's talking about. Also, Mr.Lookout guy, it only costs money to look at your balance the third time you look each day! Please, the next time you criticize something so harshly, do your research and try owning the product that you're criticizing! There are no hidden fees here, folks- after looking at my balance and knowing exactly how much I ued my phone and how much I should have spent, it's always correct! The bottom line for this phone AND virgin mobile: If you hardly use your cell phone OR if you're a teen, this is a great plan and phone.

From Someone Who Actually Owns One...

Rating: 4

I had the Kyocera K7 before, I've reviewed it there and I liked it. But my needs changed. My needs are fairly simple, actually. I don't care whether the screen is color or not. I'm a grownup, and so I don't need all the MTV crap. I didn't buy the phone to be a toy, but to be a PHONE.

What do I like? Unlike my beloved K7, I have a SPEAKER now, just like my cordless phone does at home. Since Virgin Moble doesn't offer a bluetooth phone, this is the closest thing to wireless. I can now drive and have someone call me without strangling myself with an earpiece that I always end up breaking or losing. I'm very happy about that.

Another happy feature is "voice dial". I haven't learned to use that, yet, but consider that a great feature for someone who hasn't learned to read yet or for someone whose hands are otherwise engaged.

What do I not like so much? When changing phones, you have to manually re-enter all of your address book entries. This isn't like those phones with a SIM card that you just exchange. K7 and V5 don't come with SIMs, therefore, you type. If you've got a lot of entries, you'll be there a while. After they're finally entered, though, accessing them is not so bad.

(I might suggest that Virgin Mobile put on their website somewhere, someplace like a customer database that can store our address books, so that this isn't so much of a chore everytime their customers get a new phone!)

Not being able to lock the keypad with a push of the button like my K7 could isn't a huge issue, because the phone won't dial without the slider being open. However, my curious 2year old cousin, who loved to play with my K7 and pretend she had someone to talk to, could one day easily slide open the phone and push the buttons, and I have yet to figure out a way to keep the phone from sliding open. I've only had the phone a week, and it may take some manual study to figure this out.

You can't really do much of anything without sliding the phone open, including answering a call. And there's no redial, for some reason.

What do I miss? My "Happy Cricket" ringtone. The tones the V5 has are horrendous, even the ones that are supposed to make it sound like a ringing phone. That's another thing I don't need. I need the phone to ring, not to play a song. So right now I have the phone set to where it sounds like a grandfather clock. I searched for a happy cricket ringtone, but couldn't find one.

I also find getting used to a smaller phone something of a chore. When the phone is opened, it's actually bigger than my K7 was, but when it's closed, it's a half-inch smaller. I had the K7 in a leather case/belt clip that still let me dial with it enclosed. Finding such a case for a slider phone is proving to be a challenge, so I have to be extra mindful of where it is at all times.

A couple commonsense notes: just like with a cordless, when you use the hands free features, it saps the battery faster. No matter what phone you buy it does that. In fact, if you use the phone for anything other than making calls, it'll use extra battery juice. Games, bright backlighting, using it as a flashlight, etc., all of that takes juice. (Speaking generally, of course, as the K7, but not the V5, had a flashlight feature I never used.) I just make a note of that because a lot of people when they write these so-called reviews of a product don't seem to have a grasp of basic electronics.

The Slider V5 is real cheap now if you go to Virgin Mobile's site; in fact I paid less for it than I did the K7. And there, you don't have to activate the phone, especially if you're like me and are simply changing phones. At Amazon.com they don't have anyway to buy a phone without activation, which is really silly with pre-paid phone service. That should be optional, in my opinion.

This phone is a nice, inexpensive step up from the K7 for me.

slider phone is off the hizzle

Rating: 4

The most unique part about the slider (as everyone knows is the slider) but the one thing that bothers me is that it is polyphonic ringtons instead of superphonic, plus when u go to the menu the options look really old-skool compared to newer model phones. Overall this phone is really great ive dropped it countless times and it works perfectly fine. It also kinda sux that you cant recieve picture messaging, you cant download games or wallpaper.
This phone is pretty sweet though.

By Virgin Mobile