I love my first-gen G'zOne. The "2003 feature set" has never bothered me because... it's a damn phone. It makes calls. Receives them too. In the very rare instance I want to take pictures with it, it does that (prior to this phone I've always insisted on using models that lack a camera -- or a grilled cheese sandwich maker, or any other feature that has absolutely nothing to do with a damn phone). If I want to take quality photographs, guess what? I use a damn camera. And if I want to listen to music, I use a damn mp3 player. Guess what I use to inflate my bicycle tires? If you guessed my phone, I'm sure Apple's got a product for you.
The size is perfect for my big hands, the call quality seems fine to me, and I haven't been able to put so much as a scratch on the thing. It doesn't have a radar detector or a milkshake blender, but it does have every feature a cell phone should reasonably have, and then some. If it lacks certain square peg features that other phones have had jammed into their round holes, good.
@ron2112: Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the first gen w/the huge bumper also have like a 2 megapixel cam? I would have gotten that one, but the first gen didn't have Bluetooth.
While I don't have one of these myself, I did consider it when looking for a rugged phone for use on construction sites.
It should be noted that there is a newer model available (with no change in name) that has a front-mounted speaker (on the outside of the flip).
@SparkleMotion_GitEmSteveDave - regarding the suck-ass UI - although not directly Casio's fault, it is still part of the final product and it's suckiness should be noted.
@Markarian - I don't blame Nextel, I blame the inconsiderate users who leave the speakerphone on when it's clearly not appropriate.
@MyTQuinn: It's Verizon's UI. They wipe any existing GUI/OS off the phones, and install the SAME GUI on almost all their phones save the blackberries. This is why ALL Verizon phones prior to Summer '08 had the 911 tone "feature". Verizon mis-interpreted the FCC law, and made all their phones emit the tone till there was a case a lady almost got assaulted by intruders. The FCC replied to reporters that they DO NOT require a tone, and Verizon said they would change all future GUI/OS's, but the existing GUI/OS's were unchangeable. Stories at Consumerist here: [consumerist.com]
So my Boulder has the exact same GUI as an LG and the exact same as the GZ'One I owned previous to this one. They do this to save money training techs, and their GUI also disables features on the phones to help Verizon out. Case in point. You can not load a ringtone into the phone through the SD slot. You can add "sounds" but not ringtones. You have to actually message the file to yourself then you can save it as a ringtone. They do this so if you're not very good w/tech, you have to buy your ringtones through them.
Brian, before you diss the phone for it's UI, I think it's only fair to point out that Verizon insists on wiping any UI and installing their suck ass UI so their "techs" don't have to learn the different UI's for the phones. I can attest to these phones waterproofness. One funny thing I found is that after pulling them from water, the ringer sounds funny until it clears the water from the speaker "cone" and grill.
I have the Boulder above and got it as a replacement for the previous model GZ'one b/c all Verizon phones made prior to Summer 08 had a horrible "feature" where if you dialed 911, it made an audible alarm that could not be silenced(Not even on silent/vibrate). This is bad b/c if you are trying to dial 911 on the sly, it lets people around you know you dialed 911 b/c it plays a siren like noise.
@DTV-Compliant_GitEmSteveDave: Thanks for the feedback. UI is verizony, but that doesnt' make a difference. That's not what its about. Any other observations?
@Brian Lam: Sorry, I'm just so pissed at Verizon over the UI. This is the FIRST model that had 24 hour time. Three models to get a Casio phone to do 24 hour time. I think that if they did just a little work, it could be a great phone. Sorry if I came off crass. I agree that the buttons are too "streamlined", and even ungloved fingers slide off them. I really miss my E810, which was a great TOUGH moto phone which had the original Moto UI/OS. I do use the flashlight feature a lot.
And, I offered to let you guys dunk mine in the fishbowl at the Gallery, but no one took me up on it.
@DTVTransitioned_GitEmSteveDave: Which model did you have previously? I have the Type-V. My mom just got the Boulder after breaking her old phone. I like the Type-V better, but the fact that they haven't disabled the compass in the Boulder is nice and a micro-SD slot and bluetooth would have been nice in the Type-V (even though I don't use bluetooth).
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The size is perfect for my big hands, the call quality seems fine to me, and I haven't been able to put so much as a scratch on the thing. It doesn't have a radar detector or a milkshake blender, but it does have every feature a cell phone should reasonably have, and then some. If it lacks certain square peg features that other phones have had jammed into their round holes, good.
02/17/09
02/17/09
02/17/09
02/17/09
02/17/09
It should be noted that there is a newer model available (with no change in name) that has a front-mounted speaker (on the outside of the flip).
@SparkleMotion_GitEmSteveDave - regarding the suck-ass UI - although not directly Casio's fault, it is still part of the final product and it's suckiness should be noted.
@Markarian - I don't blame Nextel, I blame the inconsiderate users who leave the speakerphone on when it's clearly not appropriate.
02/17/09
So my Boulder has the exact same GUI as an LG and the exact same as the GZ'One I owned previous to this one. They do this to save money training techs, and their GUI also disables features on the phones to help Verizon out. Case in point. You can not load a ringtone into the phone through the SD slot. You can add "sounds" but not ringtones. You have to actually message the file to yourself then you can save it as a ringtone. They do this so if you're not very good w/tech, you have to buy your ringtones through them.
02/17/09
I have the Boulder above and got it as a replacement for the previous model GZ'one b/c all Verizon phones made prior to Summer 08 had a horrible "feature" where if you dialed 911, it made an audible alarm that could not be silenced(Not even on silent/vibrate). This is bad b/c if you are trying to dial 911 on the sly, it lets people around you know you dialed 911 b/c it plays a siren like noise.
02/17/09
02/17/09
And, I offered to let you guys dunk mine in the fishbowl at the Gallery, but no one took me up on it.
02/17/09
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