I created this page for people looking for a Verizon phone with a French language option. I must have talked to almost 10 Verizon employees before finding one who gave me a (halfway) correct answer to my question: which Verizon cell phones support the French language?
Long story short, there is only a single viable Verizon phone -- the LG VX2000. A Verizon employee gave me the following list of phones, saying they work, however...
| LG VX2000 | This phone is 911 compatable and has a French language option! |
| Blackberry | These phones require an additional $30/month charge. That's $360 a year!! Not worth it. |
| Kyocera KX414 | This phone does not actually have a French language option. |
| Motorola Startac 7868 | This phone is not 911 compatable. |
| Nokia 5185i | Not 911 compatable. |
| Motorola Shark V2260 | Not 911 compatable. |
Phones that aren't 911 compatable aren't even legally allowed to be used -- so Verizon will refuse to activate one for you if you bring it in.
The LG VX2000 phone
It's surprisingly modern for being a discontinued phone -- it actually
has more (non-frivolous) features than my Motorola 325i. The sound
quality is good, and like my Motorola 325i, I haven't yet found a place
where it doesn't send or receive calls. I've noticed a couple minor
translation errors, but it's still more enjoyable than using the English
language option. Also, the old-school ringtones are simply epic.
Where to buy?
I bought mine on eBay from this
seller. After so much hassle with Verizon (they even damaged my
previous phone in a botched firmware upgrade), it was refreshing to have
a pleasant end to my quest to find the perfect phone. This seller is
truly top notch. He answered my questions on why the above phones work
or do not. He was friendly, too, a real pleasure to do business
with. If you buy a phone from him, tell him the French cellphone guy
sent you!
Conclusion
Verizon offers few phones with a French language option. Only offered
are the discontinued LG VX2000 and ultra-expensive (once the additional
$30 per month charges are factored in so-called "smart" phones.