Audiovox CDM-9950

The Audiovox CDM-9950 is a 2003 era phone manufactured by UTStarcom. It is also available under the name Toshiba VM4050. This is a clamshell style device that packed in quite a few features for its day, including a few that are still not available on bargain phones. All in all, there is a variety of characteristics that make the Audiovox CDM-9950 a fantastic device for use in emergencies or as a backup phone.

The Audiovox CDM-9950 is a tri band CDMA phone, so it can only be used in the United States and a couple of other places in the world. Roaming is done via the AMPS analog network which is now defunct in the United States. Data is transferred via the CDMA2000 network.

Measuring in at approximately four inches by two inches by one inch, the Audiovox CDM-9950 is actually a rather sizable phone. It also weighs a mediocre amount at 116 grams.

The Audiovox CDM-9950 has strange behavior when it comes to battery life. Expect to get around 200 minutes of talk time or 16 days of standby time on a single charge. This is strange, because the talk time is actually very short for a battery that can keep the phone in standby for so long.

There are two displays mounted on the Audiovox CDM-9950. A large (240 by 320 pixel) main display that is capable of displaying 260k colors. And an external color display that, while small, can display 65k colors.

For a 2003 era phone, the Audiovox CDM-9950 actually has a decent array of multimedia features. There is a built in 0.3 megapixel camera which can also record video. And the Audiovox CDM-9950 can even play movies back on its main screen.

Other features include: a large phone book, picture ID, an alarm, voice dialing, voice recording, a calendar, a calculator, a speakerphone, and GPS support.

Pros

• Lots of features for an older phone
• Long standby battery life
• Decent design

Cons

• Less talk time
• Missing a few features of modern phones.

Overall

The Audiovox CDM-9950 is a fantastic backup phone for those who need a device to complement their current phone. Stick it in the glove box of your car and you can be sure that you will have a rock solid phone in case your current one decides to stop working. If you can find the Audiovox CDM-9950 for a few bucks, it’s well worth picking up.