No mention of the LG Exalt vn220 bugs? This alone should put it in shadow of the Kyocera phones.
Any preference for the new Kyocera DuraXV Extreme over the old?
Just curious what bugs in specific you are talking about? No go to home screen while on a call? t9 doesnt add contacts to dictionary?
In regards to the Dura XV, here is a pretty comprehensive review from verizons website
★★★★☆4 out of 5.
Steve·2 months ago
A nice upgrade from the DuraXV
After owning the Kyocera DuraXV for a year and being reasonably pleased with its performance, I just had to take the leap for the Extreme. Still early in the game here with it but overall to me it was worth the upgrade.
Here are my personal pros and cons with the new Extreme version:
Pros:
* It feels somewhat more robust in the hand. It's still encased in a plastic body with hard rubber around the outer corners. It is certainly comfortable to hold and my hands are about average sized. It might be slightly heavier than the former DuraXV. Not a big deal. Battery capacity is a little more, not by much though. Kyocera claims safely dropping it from up to 5 feet but I'm not sure I would want to test that. I've owned older Motorola phones that you could drop a concrete block on and not even think twice about it. This one, well, I suppose you could beat it around some but even so treat it nicely when you can
* Faster processor. The phone boots up faster than the former DuraXV and the phone overall has a snappier feel to it. This in itself makes it a worthy upgrade if for nothing else.
* The flip is springy and robust. It's a U-shape as compared to the former V-shape. I certainly dig the new U-shape!
* The display is just as clear as the former. Easy to see in the daylight.
* The keypad buttons are a little softer this time. But still about the same as the DuraXV.
* Call quality appears to be as good as before. Very easy to hear on the ear piece and speaker phone is LOUD. Phone ringer is also LOUD, perhaps even louder than the former XV. Reports from the caller is that I was heard loud and strong on their end. The handset now supports a noise reduction which I tested and could tell some difference. With NR on, you have to speak a little louder into the handset which make sense. For most of us buying just to own a better grade basic phone, you might could turn it off. It would be more useful out in a noisy work area as opposed to a quieter home environment.
* Software is MUCH better. An improved updated version of AOSP. Texting screen is different, perhaps a little something new to get used to but not bad. Texts show up in a bubble instead of just plain old print on the screen as before.
* Camera is ok, about like before. It won't win awards but for capturing something on the fly, it works fine. Its all you need if you're buying a handset such as this.
* The outside screen has not changed (which is a good thing).
Cons:
* The outside button placement: The up/down volume controls are now located on the lower left hand side of the phone where a person's middle finger would rest and its easy to forget and to squeeze the handset thereby disturbing the setting. Not a good choice here, Kyocera.
* The outside buttons are also easier to push - their tactile feel is softer which means they can be easily triggered. With the former DuraXV, you had to "push" the button of your choice. This one simply requires a generally soft push, especially the up/down volume which is a hassle.
* The phone now supports USB-C instead of the universal micro-USB. I know, I'm probably going to get some down thumbs for this but I consider it a personal preference. I want my micro-USB port back! I have loads of micro-USB cables and yes there is a USB-C cable included in the box but now I have to invest in a mobile charger that supports the C cable. Bummer!
Some final notes:
* Micro SD card support works fine as with the DuraXV. I use a Sandisk 64gb mobile (red/gray) card and it works flawlessly. Same my camera pics on it and works great.
* Battery charging speed is about on par with the DuraXV. From 50% to full takes around 40 minutes, maybe a little longer. Not bad for a basic phone.
In short- Would I recommend this phone? Yep! If you just bought the older XV, meh, wait it out and enjoy what you have but if you've owned an XV for a while and want to upgrade to a faster handset with improved features and overall just a good reliable basic phone, you won't go wrong with the Extreme. Just keep in mind that this thing is built heavy duty. It isn't for everyone and for some it might be a bit bulky, even a touch more bulky than the original DuraXV. Apart from the quirky outside buttons and USB-C, this is definitely the phone for me!