Can you hear me now? NO!

For some reason, my employer chose to change service from geek chic Nextel to Verizon. What a mistake. Verizon has poor coverage (frequently one or less bars). When I do have coverage, the signal quality is horrible and my calls are frequently dropped.

The actual phone is almost as bad as the carrier. My LG VX4400 is incredibly non-intuitive and most operations require three or more button pushes, where my Motorola flip-phone could do the same is one. Earpiece sound is incredibly weak and focused, so even a slight move of the phone causes you to lose the audio. Even the phonebook function is poorly designed. The Motorola allowed you to easily toggle the number without changing the menu or name you were viewing. The LG requires you to actually open the phonebook entry to dial a number other than the default. Incredible!

To top it off, we dumped the direct connect with Nextel and opted out of the Verizon direct connect. Can't say I'm surprised or horribly put out; I'm convinced it would be just as horrible as the rest of Verizon's service.