Walk into AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, or any electronic store and you will find an increasing number of smart phones and a dwindling number of basic phones. There is, however, still a need for basic phones that are focused on making and receiving calls. Luckily there are still a few available. We decided to take a look at LG’s newest offering in this venue – the LG Accolade VX5600.

The LG Accolade comes in a small easy-on-the-environment box, shown in Figure 1.

click to enlarge
Figure 1: The Accolade box

The contents of the box are shown in Figure 2. They include the phone itself and a USB charging cable which converts to a wall charger with the addition of the plug shown in the middle of the Figure. Also included are some safety warnings and a small “Tips, Hints, and Shortcuts” brochure.

click to enlarge
Figure 2: Inside the box

The LG Accolade VX5600 looks similar to previous phones in this LG series. It is a small, dark gray phone flip phone that measures 3.6 by 1.8 by 0.7 inches (90 x 46 x 18 mm) when closed. This Accolade is a lightweight, weighing in at only three ounces (85 grams). Even though the phone is made of plastic, the entire phone feels substantial and sturdy. The edges are nicely rounded giving it a nice feel in your hand. Even when flipped open, it feels comfortable and substantial.

Although the Accolade is focused on making and receiving calls, it offers some nice extras like voice commands, Bluetooth, speakerphone, camera, and hearing aid compatibility.