Verizon Wireless today introduced Visual Voice Mail, which, according to Verizon is “a new application that lets customers manage their voice mail on their phones. Available today on the Voyager by LG, Visual Voice Mail provides an easy-to-use display screen with one-touch access to listen to voice mail messages. Customers can also delete, reply and forward their voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions, making Visual Voice Mail ideal for busy professionals who want a more effective way to manage and respond to messages.”
MacDailyNews Take: Please see these related articles:
• Mossberg: Verizon’s new LG Voyager looks like Apple iPhone, but software is primitive, inferior – January 10, 2008
• Chicago Tribune: Verizon’s fake Apple iPhone, the LG Voyager, is clunky and second-rate – December 18, 2007
• Verizon’s ‘fake iPhone’ LG Voyager is no Apple iPhone killer – November 21, 2007
• Verizon: Our new LG Voyager phone will kill Apple’s iPhone – October 03, 2007
The oh-so-innovative Verizon Wireless Visual Voice Mail “allows customers to see a list of all of their voice mail messages with important information, such as date and time of receipt, as well as message duration, in order to prioritize and efficiently manage their voice mail messages directly from their phones. When a caller leaves a new voice mail message, the Visual Voice Mail application pops up, alerting the customer that a new voice mail message has been received. From the phone display, customers can select from a number of options, including call back, reply, forward, add to contacts, and archive message.”
Customers can store up to 40 messages for 40 days – double the storage capacity and nearly double the retention time of Basic Voice Mail. In addition, customers can create up to 10 greetings, as well as up to 20 distribution lists and 50 distribution members to receive messages.
“Verizon Wireless recognizes that voice mail plays a large role in how customers conduct business and manage the balance between their personal and professional lives,” said Mike Willsey, executive director for marketing, Verizon Wireless. “With Visual Voice Mail, we’re able to offer customers more options to help them better prioritize voice mail messages from family, friends, colleagues, and business partners in a more timely and effective manner. Visual Voice Mail eliminates the need to dial-in and listen to messages in sequential order, making it easier for customers to manage messages
Verizon Wireless customers can find the Visual Voice Mail application on the Messaging menu under option 6 on their Voyager by LG phones. Visual Voice Mail is available for US$2.99 monthly access, per line, plus airtime or megabyte charges and messaging fees, depending on a customer’s plan. Customers should take their Voyager by LG phones to any Verizon Wireless Communications Store to receive the free software update. Verizon Wireless expects to offer Visual Voice Mail on additional devices in the coming months.
Source: Verizon Wireless
You have to physically take your fake iPhone to the fargin’ Verizon store for a “free software update?” Do they reimburse you for the gas you wasted to get there and back? And then they have the gall to extort $2.99 a month from their suckers, er… customers?!
Can you imagine wanting an iPhone so much that you go get a cheapo, fake, crippled Lucky Goldstar mess, then drive to the store to update the horrible thing for the privilege of paying Verizon another $2.99 per month for what iPhones have always offered as an included service?
It’s like that upside-down and backwards, crippled fake Mac called “Windows PC” idiocy all over again.
Sometime we just have to shake our heads in amazement. The constant waste of time, money, and effort is sad to witness. These poor misguided people really need to stop, take a breath, and look at what they’re doing and paying for bad approximations. Just get an iPhone and a Mac already!
Not only that, but it only took them, what, 13 months? And that’s counting from the RELEASE of the iPhone — the feature was discussed months before then!
MDN:
‘ Nuff said. PERFECTLY!
That’s how Verizon makes their cheddar. They nickel and dime you to death.
But anyway, that’s the beauty of the iPhone. The hardware is so capable that all you have to do to get a “new” iPhone is plug it in to your computer and get a software update.
Bring your phone into the store for an update. What a joke!
Mmmmmmm…Cheddar.
Man oh man, I COMPLETELY forgot about the painful practice of having to take your phone into a Verizon store to upgrade the software.
Yes indeed, MDN. That is standard operating procedure over there. As well as dialing *228 every month to update your PRL (preferred roaming list).
Lol, just made me appreciate my iPhone that much more.
While taking your phone into a Verizon store is certainly a joke, as well as a waste of gas, I think I can see the reasoning behind it: impulse buying. It’s the reason there’s candy and magazines full of bulls*** rumors about stars right near the checkout counters. They’re hoping you get the impulse to buy something more than what you came in for. As far as I’m concerned, those kinda magazines aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on and we could save a bunch of trees by discontinuing to print such trash, same with bilingual-fucking-everything in states like California.
Wish the iPhone could forward voice mails!
Btw, the reason why it’s not such a big deal is because non-iPhone software updates come so far in between and most people either aren’t aware of them or don’t think they’re worth the effort. The iPhone way of software updates truly is a revolution on many levels by itself.
It isn’t exactly “cheddar” verizon is making. But it does come from a cow!
Yep, amyhre. The Verizon salesmen sure do try to shove their goods on you while you wait. Leather cases, Bluetooth headsets, extra batteries and other accessories. But what they really love to shoot for is a chance to peak at your account and see if your 2 year contract is due to expire. Then they can push a new phone and another agreement on you.
What AT & T giveth, they can taketh away too, for example…. included text messaging. Just wait iPhone 3.0 will have a surcharge for this feature.
Now back to the article… a couple of these features, I would like to see at AT & T, oh maybe… multiple greetings. But I won’t hold my breathe.
The iPhone interface is evidently so far ahead of the competition that they can’t even slavishly copy the iPhone’s elegant, amazingly intuitive design. Talk about trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear!
And you know when they were having the “strategy meeting” about the software update someone said “It’s perfect to bring them into the store to get the software update because then we can sell them more text messages and accessories for their fake iPhone”.
Yay.
I , I, … really can’t believe incredibly sad and at the same time laughable Verizon’s visual voicemail rollout is… it’s sooo bad that it’s almost too good to be true!
Messages menu, then option 6… AFTER bringing the phone physically back into the store and paying 3.00 each month for the privilege?…. UNBELIEVABLE!!
My outburst of laughter while reading this article was described as ‘glee’ by the people in my office.
I’m still smiling, shakin’ my head and it’s been ten minutes….
@R2
It’s not really that revolutionary at all; most GSM phone manufacturers have had their own sorts of plug-in-and-update firmware programs for…. umm… years now? Some (e.g. Sony Ericcson) can even do them OTA
So while I don’t disagree that this is super convenient, and that the iPhone is fairly seamless, and that Verizon shepherds their flock, its not like Apple paved the way with this
“The iPhone way of software updates truly is a revolution on many levels by itself.”
No, its not. New to a new Apple phone, yes. Windows mobile phones have been gladly updating without in store support for years and years.
MDN and everybody gripes about the $3 a month for this feature if somebody wants it, but will defend the $10 a month for MobileMess?
I would like a way to forward messages from the iPhone to my email or another person… that could be handy.
“Windows mobile phones have been gladly updating without in store support for years and years.”
LOL.
From T-Mobile’s website, these are the instructions for upgrading your Windows Mobile device (in this case the HTC Dash):
http://support.t-mobile.com/knowbase/root/public/tm52082.htm
NOTE: All third party applications and data that remain on the device prior to downloading the new software will be deleted and un-retrievable. Third party applications will need to be re-downloaded after the new software has been installed.
2. Download the Update Utility from the T-Mobile Download Center.
3. From the File Download dialog box, click Save.
4. From the Save As dialog box, in the Save in drop-down menu, click to select Desktop.
5. In the File name text box, type T-Mobile Dash MSFP Upgrade, and then click Save.
6. From your computer desktop, double click the T-Mobile Dash MSFP Upgrade.
7. From the RUU – InstallShield Wizard dialog box, click Next.
8. From the Smartphone ROM Update Utility 3.9.3.3 dialog box, click the check box to select I understand the caution indicated above and have reviewed the Readme, and then click Next.
9. From the Smartphone ROM Update Utility 3.9.3.3 dialog box, complete the four steps listed, and then click the check box I completed the steps indicated above.
NOTE: The utility will check for an ActiveSync connection and sufficient battery life.
11. From Smartphone ROM Update Utility 3.9.3.3 dialog box, click Next.
12. Click Next.
NOTE: Update progress will be shown on the computer and on the device. The upgrade process can take between 10-15 minutes. You may notice that the progress indicator also appears to stall at 85% and 95%. This is normal behavior.
13. Once the update has finished, the phone will reboot automatically. To close the Update Utility, click Finish.
NOTE: When the device boots up, it goes through the initial start up routine as if the device was hard reset, or brand new out of the box. The screen will display a Windows Mobile screen with a Microsoft Logo.
14. The device will perform an additional update that takes approximately five minutes. When this occurs, the device will re-boot again and your update is complete.
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So Microsoft has created the only software update method that makes the Verizon in-store deal seem like a great idea.
Missed steps #1 and #10.
1. Ensure all desired media and documents are saved to the Micro SD memory card if one is available, or have been transferred to a computer. For information on how to back up files to a computer, go to How do I back up files to a personal computer?
10. Click Next.
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Like I said, revolutionary on many levels. That doesn’t mean it was the first phone to allow downloaded software updates.
verizon sucks.
I’m sticking with Verizon Wireless and picking up the BlackBerry 9530 when it comes out. iPhone form factor and capabilities, but with real-time e-mail updates and stable OS and apps.
I’m glad to see Verizon trying to compete with services and features. A lot of you may argue that it’s all smoke and mirrors, but it’s something that you might not normally see coming from Verizon.
It just goes to show you that the iPhone truly revolutionized the mobile phone industry, and will continue in the years to come. Good job Apple!
Unless you have never used a computer before, that is a really trivial update. Better stick to your iPhone if it is too complicated…
Meanwhile I’m enjoying life on Sprint Sero 500 Plan (500 anytime minutes, unlimited text AND data) on an HTC Mogul with REV-A network which is faster than 3G for $30 a month.
Oh yea…, and I can cut and paste info out of a text message and into contact info. But that looks too complicated for iPhone users at the moment.
So, if I remember correctly, Apple got sued by someone claim prior patent on Visual Voice Mail. Has Verizon now licensed that technology or will they too get sued?
And it probably violates a score of apple patents too.