LG VX5500

Reviews describe the LG VX5500 -- a smaller, lighter update of the VX5400 -- as a good entry-level clamshell choice for people who want primarily to make phone calls. At this writing, the black-and-gray LG VX5500 is available free with a two-year Verizon contract, and professional and owner reviews generally weigh the cost when assessing the quality. The most credible review, by CNET, says call quality is "satisfactory" and that the VGA camera is about what you'd expect, producing "blurry" images. The 1.76-inch display screen is described as good enough considering its size, and the keypad has slightly raised keys. The battery life of about five hours of talk time is good for a basic cell phone, but its about an hour less than what the VX5400 had.

Although the LG VX5500 has few multimedia features, you can email and send text and photo messages, and the LG VX5500 does have a web browser, although reviews don't offer much detail about it other than to call it "stripped down." It does have a few other decent options like Bluetooth and a small external LCD that doubles as a self-portrait viewfinder. There are also dedicated external keys for the camera and speakerphone, and a 1,000-entry address book. Features such as GPS and Chaperone (which lets you locate a child's VX5500) are available at an additional charge. If you want something simple, the Pantech Breeze (*est. $30 with a two-year AT&T contract) also gets good reviews, especially as a choice for seniors.

Professional reviews are scarce for cheap or free cell phones. CNET has the only professional review of the LG VX5500 at this writing. We also include PCMag.com's coverage of the older and slightly larger LG VX5400. Consumer Reports tests neither. We found a smattering of owner reviews at CNET and PhoneScoop.com. At this writing, Amazon.com has just one user review.