Headset Gazette

LG VX8610 Decoy

Verizon and LG have partnered on the new innovative VX8610 Decoy cell phone that offers a built-in Bluetooth headset. Fitting nicely into the back of the device, the lightweight headset, weighing just a quarter of an ounce (7.3g), springs out when pressed so it can be simply popped in your ear while on the go.

The LG Decoy headset is also small in size, measuring a mere third of an inch thick (42.5mm x 22.5mm x 7.5mm or 1.7″ x 0.9″ x 0.3″). The headset is minimalistic in design, with only two real buttons present on the device - a multifunction button on its front and a volume rocker on its edge. Colored in dark blue metallic on its front, to match the Decoy’s back, the headset uses black plastic around back and seems to stand up quite well to any hard knocks.

The Decoy’s headset is an in-ear design but did not offer me a truly tight and secure fit. As always, I had my husband give it a try and the headset fit decently for him. As with any headset, it is best to give it trial run if you can as every ear is different. It should also be noted that the headsets earpiece is spring-loaded so that it can be easily housed into the back of the phone, which makes the earpiece feel a bit odd when placing it in the ear for use.

We tested the LG Decoy Bluetooth headset with its mate, the Decoy cell phone, which was extremely simple and easy to do. Verizon has even added a nice pairing wizard to walk you through the steps on the Decoy. It should be noted that the Decoy can be used with other Bluetooth-capable devices, too - not just the Decoy handset.

As for call quality, callers sounded decent on our end but audio for the remote caller sounded a bit muddled and a bit like a speakerphone. Callers reported a slight echo in our voice while in conversation. Not a deal breaker but not the best on the market that we have used. The LG Decoy’s mono headset can be used for both voice and music, but it does not support the A2DP profile.

All in all, you can not beat a handy built-in Bluetooth headset that automatically charges when stored in the back of your phone. I definitely give the headset a thumbs up for innovation and convenience, although there is still room for improvement when it comes to fit and audio quality.

The LG VX8610 Decoy is available now from Verizon for US$179.99 with a two-year service agreement.

See our full gallery of the LG Decoy’s headset below.

For a full unboxing of the LG VX8610 Decoy for Verizon, visit DigitalBurn.

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