Audiovox CDM-9500 / Toshiba CDM9500
Average Ratings
All that and a little more!
I work for one of verizon's external retail sources and have had several phones. There is NO comparison between them and this phone! The colors are FANTASTIC! The down-loadable ring-tones are great and the screen size is fabulous. The menus are easy to navigate. I wish they had put the alphabetical choice for the phone book first but most everything else is fabulous. I'll admit the antenna length is laughable but I never have to extend it so I hadn't noticed until my husband pulled it out the other night. It made us both laugh so I guess it did it's job huh? If you have any doubts about buying this phone, look at the ratings here and go see this phone in person and you'll make your mind up in no time. The extended life battery IS a MUST if you use your phone a lot though! I have not tried downloading pictures as of yet but the ring-tones are easy as pie to access and the fact that verizon lets you hear them before you buy them is great. BEWARE you will suck battery life WAY down if you hear too many before you choose the right one. FABULOUS PHONE!! Get one if you can!
VZW Employee's Rating
This is THE best phone VZW offers currently. In the PCS market (FL), Audiovox 9000 series seem to handle PCS signal better than all other VZW phones (excluding the Qualcomm 1900 a.k.a. "Brick phone"). Motorola recently seems to release phones still in need of major testing &/or corrections. Audiovox consistently releases well-designed phones that don't require up to 5 store visits annually for software updates. The CDM-9500 display is excellent, speaker-phone works great, 1-ft antenna for steel metal shop customers (haha), clarity is wonderful...and the list goes on. Just like w/any other phn that offers extensive color displays, lg memory for Voice Activated addresses & other items...you REALLY NEED an extended life battery ($59.99) & car charger ($29.99). This isn't a phone or wireless carrier problem. As wireless moves into this new demand of extensive graphics & mini-computer-like phones, extended life batteries will soon be considered the "standard life battery" must-have!
BEST PHONE AND LOW PRICE($99)
I've bought the z-800 and returned it within 2 days for this phone. this is the best phone verizon has. the sound, speekerphone, pictur.the z-800 is agood phone but this is #1. 1 thing that is wierd about this phone is **the antenna is 5 years long** but that doesn't seem to bother much people. i recommend this phone to anyone because of it's color, sound, and low price. also i love the sleek japanese style. p.s. needs a camera.
Audiovox CDM-9500 Rated by VZW Employee
The Audiovox CDM-9500 is a great phone. I previously had the Motorola T720 (also a great phone, but is in need of a newer software version, even .19C doesn't exactly cut the cake). and I beleive that the 9500 is a better phone (but it is more expensive). The screen is a tad better than the T720 (also, a little larger), it has a much louder ringer and earpiece volume level (not to mention a speakerphone), and a much, much nicer, more sorted-out software system than the T720. All in all, I highly recommend this phone (of course I highly rec. any Verizon phone).
The caveats? Well, the battery life is short but not any shorter than the T720 (from what I have noticed), it is not as easy to use as the T720, the external display is a tad smaller than the T720 (not a really big deal) and it is larger in size.
GREAT PHONE
I love this phone it is the best i have ever had. I do not know what the people are talking about with the ringer i find that it is one of the loudest phones when it comes to the ringer. And sure the antenna is a little funny but i was out one day could not get any signal and then pulled up my antenna and i had 3 bars. so i am thankful for my long antenna. the only problem that i think i have with this phone is there are GET IT now games that this phone can not download and i wish that i could but other than that i love the phone
Great phone...except
I was so happy when this phone was first purchased great picture, cool features-yeah! Noticed that the volume, when maxed, did not seem to be loud enough (on incoming calls). Being that it was used for work and on the road a lot volume is a must. After one week took it back (thinking it must just be this phone they can't all be this way) wrong! Sales clerk brings out another phone activates it cranks up the volume, I use it, same thing. The low volume on my previous model equaled the highest on this, what a bummer! I would have given this model a 5 but instead it gets a 2.5 because I had trouble hearing people on incoming calls. Exchange it for a Motorola T720 which I can hear much better with but graphics pale by comparison-wah!
Awesome Phone
I've had this phone for 8 days now and continuously, it impresses me. I think that Audiovox did well with this one. The color screen is second to none and the Motorola T720 can't even come close. I hear that the CDM 9600 with the digital camera is around the corner in '03. That's probably the only thing that will be able to surpass this model (unless you want the PDA featured Kyocera 7135). But who needs a digital camera that small anyway.
CDM9500 from Verizon
Absolutely the best cell phone I have ever had, the battery life was kind of short when it was new, however the battery seems to last longer the more often I recharge it, the speaker function is great in my line of work and the only thing that was displeasing was to have to pay to download games, my wifes free phone came with games. Please email me if you want more info or programming tips.
Nice!
I love this phone. It has few faults, the battery life with the standard battery and the inability to mute the phone without opening it. None of these are significant for me.
Otherwise, the screen is fantastic, the speaker phone works reasonably well and the quility build is awesome.
There is no reason not to buy this phone now that the price has dropped.
Best Reception!
I like my 9500, despite a few minor annoyances like small keys/no outside keys and battery life.
One of the most important features is fringe area reception...it's incredible. Better than the startac 7868, while out in the country or in poorly covered suburbs.
That long antenna has a purpose... superior signal holding!
Also, an important part of a cellular phone purchase is the ability to share tips, tricks and customizations with other users. The 9500 has many options and takes some time to explore and master.
There is a very helpful forum for 9500 users to pool their collective knowledge at
cdmangels.com.
