Previous Posts in this series: LG Voyager - VZW, LG Dare - VZW, Samsung Glyde - VZW, LG Decoy - VZW , Samsung Alias - VZW

LG Chocolate 3 (VX-8560) - Verizon Wireless

You can bemoan the move from slider to flip as the end of the "real Chocolate phones."  Whatever.  Chocolate 3 is the best Chocolate yet for a few simple reasons: Better UI, better external controls, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.  Seriously, this is the first Chocolate that you can plug headphones into without having to buy a ridiculous "Verizon Music Pack," or whatever they call it.  That alone would be enough for me.  But this Chocolate has a better UI, nicer external display, and a scroll wheel that's not all twitchy and frustrating like the old version's touch-sensitive disaster.

Pros: Nice external display and jog wheel; 3.5mm headphone jack; 1GB internal storage; Rhapsody and VCAST support

Cons: Some people will miss the slider form factor; Web browser and messaging features lack compared to other comparably-priced handsets

Buying Advice: Don't think of it as a Chocolate-series phone.  Think of it as a slim, pretty, music-centric flip phone.  Then make your decision.